Friday, November 27, 2015

Thanksgiving Sides 2015

Dr. Sweetpea and I had another wonderful Thanksgiving together and did a ton of cooking. I don't have any pictures of what we made because when I took a picture of all the food piled on my plate, it didn't look very palatable. So, to save you the cringe worthy pictures, I'll post the recipes that we made this year below.

Classic Cranberry Sauce
(Source: Food Network Magazine)

1 pound cranberries (about 4 cups), thawed if frozen
2 medium oranges
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground coriander (I omitted)
Kosher Salt

Put all but 1 cup cranberries in a saucepan. Remove wide strips of zest from 1 orange with a peeler; add to the saucepan with the juice of both oranges (about 1/2 cup). Add the sugar, coriander, a pinch of salt and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries burst and the sauce thickens, 15 - 20 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 cup cranberries; cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool; remove the orange zest. Transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate at least 3 hours. 

Classic Stuffing
(Source: Food Network Magazine)

1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
1 onion, finely chopped
5 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 apples, chopped (my addition)
1/2 cup prunes, chopped (my addition)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (I omitted)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (I omitted)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
16 cups 1/2 inch stale country white bread cubes (about 1 3/4 pounds)
2 tablespoons fat from the turkey drippings (or butter)
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preheat the oven to 375 and butter a 3 quart baking dish. Melt the butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, apples, sage and thyme; season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables and apple are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Whisk the eggs and parsley in a large bowl. Add the bread, vegetable-broth mixture, chopped prunes and stir until combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with the turkey drippings (or dot with butter); sprinkle with the paprika. Cover the dish with foil and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until golden, 25 to 30 more minutes. 

Scalloped Potatoes
(Source: Gimme Some Oven)

3 tablespoons butter
1 small white or yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups milk (I used whole milk)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided
4 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds (and peeled beforehand, if desired)
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add onion, and saute for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent.  Add garlic and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant.  Stir in the flour until it is evenly combined and saute for an additional 1-minute.  Pour in the stock, and whisk until combined.  Add in the milk, salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon thyme, and whisk until combined.  Continue cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes until the sauce comes to a simmer (not a boil) and thickens.  Then remove from heat and set aside.


Meanwhile, grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.  Then spread half of the sliced potatoes in an even layer on the bottom of the pan.  Top evenly with half of the cream sauce, the sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, and all of the Parmesan cheese.  Top evenly with the remaining sliced potatoes, the remaining half of the cream sauce, and the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Then remove the foil and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the potatoes are cooked through. Remove and sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme.  Serve warm.


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