Stuffing/Dressing 101

How to make stuffing:

1. Cook vegetables, fruits, herbs and/or meat in butter, then add broth.

2. Toss with beaten eggs and cubed bread.

3. Transfer to a buttered baking dish and dot with butter or drippings. Bake, covered, at 375 degrees F, 30 minutes; uncover and bake until golden, about 30 more minutes (or cook the cooled stuffing in the turkey).

Each recipe serves 8 and is enough to fill a 12-14 pound turkey.

Classic Melt 1 stick butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 cups each diced onions and celery and 1 tablespoon each minced sage and thyme; add salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes. Add 3 cups turkey or chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Beat 2 eggs with 1/4 cup chopped parsley in a large bowl; add 16 cups cubed stale white bread, then pour in the vegetable-broth mixture and toss. Transfer to a buttered baking dish and dot with butter. Cover and bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees F; uncover and bake until golden, 30 more minutes. (Or stuff in your turkey and bake.)

Orange Cranberry Make a directed above, but add the zest of one orange and it's juice to the stuffing mix before baking, as well as 1/2-1 cup dried cranberries.

You can make any variation of stuffing, do what suits your family.  Change up the fruits/vegetables as you like and add cooked sausage if you'd like, add more or less herbs.  Just follow the basic equation and add the flavors your family likes best.

For my family I ususally do two flavors - the Orange Cranberry and a Modified Classic.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 pound (about 3 breasts) frozen chicken
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 can black beans
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
7 corn tortillas
vegetable oil
Garnish:
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Dollop of sour cream
Shredded Cheese
Directions

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in chicken broth and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Garlic Knots

This yummy little recipe was a suggestion from my friend Aubrey.  I added them to our dinner of Ya-Ya Noodles (recipe coming soon) and they were a hit!  Anything that dresses up a meal and starts with store bought rolls works for this busy Momma.  Try them, I'm sure you'll love them.
- 1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits ( I used Pillsbury Golden Layers Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits)
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

PREPARATION:

Roll each biscuit into a 12-in. rope and tie into a knot; tuck ends under. Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; brush the warm knots with the mixture. Yield:10 knots.

Thick Pumpkin Pie Filling (For Pie Pops)

Pumpkin Pie Pops
1.5 c pumpkin puree
1/2 c sugar
3 tbsp melted butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 cup toasted pecans (optional)

In a bowl, mix everything. Mix well until incorporated. Pumpkin pie pops need to cook about 5 minutes longer than fruit filled pie pops.

Pie Pops - How to

• Pie Dough

• Filling
• Craft sticks or Lollipop Sticks
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar, if desired for drizzle
• 2 to 3 teaspoons milk, if desired for drizzle
• 3 inch round cutter**

Step 1: The dough
For premade dough dust counter with flour and unroll, for homemade dough make sure you roll it out thin.
Step 2: The filling
Make or buy your favorite pie filling.

Step 3: Roll, cut and fill

Using a 3 inch round cutter**, cut out 16 rounds (8 rounds per crust). Place 8 rounds on ungreased cookie sheet. Spoon a 1-2 teaspoons filling evenly onto each round to within 1/2 inch of edge. Place 1 craft stick or lollipop stick in filling of each.

Step 4: Top off the Pops

Flatten remaining rounds to 4 inches in diameter. Brush underside of each round with egg white; place over filling. Press edges together; seal with fork. Cut small slit on top of each. Brush tops with egg white; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar, dividing evenly among pops.

Step 5: Bake

Bake at 400°F for 10 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack; cool 10 minutes before serving. Do not handle by the stick until completely cool and the filling has had time to set.

Step 6: Drizzle (Optional)

Mix powdered sugar and milk until smooth, adding milk until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over pops and let stand until set, about 30 minutes.

**Instead of 3 inch circles you can cut them into heart shapes or smaller circles, etc.

Pumpkin Oreos

This is an easy and cute idea for parties or as a small gift or thank-you.

You will need:

Lollipop Sticks

Orange Candy Melts

Oreo Cookies

Black Candy Melts (Optional)

Green Fondant (Optional)

Pretzels (Optional)

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then open up the oreos and using a little of the melted orange attach the stick to the inside of the Oreo and close back up.  I put these in the freezer to set for about 5 minutes - I found it was easiest to work in batches.  While some were in the freezer I was adding sticks to others in preparation of sticking them in the freezer.  If you want to have "stems" on your pumpkins you will need to break apart a few pretzels and have them ready to go in a bowl.

2. Melt the orange wafers in a small deep bowl or a cup.  Take the set-up Oreo on a stick and dip it in the orange, all the way up to the stick, make sure to cover it all and then tap off any excess.  Place the Oreo on the parchment paper cookie sheet - if you are adding stems do it now while the chocolate is still wet.  Repeat.  Set aside to firm up/dry - you can put in the freezer to speed up this process.

3. If adding leaves, roll out prepared green fondant and cut out a leaf shape/ tear drop shape and then squeeze it around the stem to attach.

4. Once set feel free to add scary faces, words or any other design you fancy with black melted wafers of black royal icing.

All wrapped up and ready to go.

Happy Halloween.

Raspberry Muffins/ Peach Muffins

These were great!  Super moist and with great flavor.  I made these with raspberries and with peaches since I had both on hand.  I also added streusel topping to some of them.  I prefer the streusel on the peach and raspberry plain, but all of the options were yummy.

Raspberry Muffins

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (you can use plain or lemon) 

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Juice from one lemon

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 cup fresh raspberries (can use frozen)

2 tablespoons white sugar for decoration (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin tin, or line with paper liners.

In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, eggs, and, lemon juice. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until just blended. Gently stir in the raspberries. Spoon batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining sugar over the tops for decoration, if desired. Or spoon over strussel topping.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool muffins in the tin on a wire rack.

Peach Muffins

I followed the same recipe as above, but I omitted the lemon juice, zest and of course the raspberries and added in 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and a little milk for some added moisture and then 2 cups pealed and diced peaches.

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon 

2 cups pealed and diced peaches 

1/4 cup milk

strussel topping (optional)

Strussel Topping

1 cup brown sugar 

6 tablespoons softened butter

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Chopped walnuts nuts (optional)

Mix ingredients with fork until clumpy spoon over muffins before baking.