Thanksgiving Stuffing

I love Thanksgiving. I'm awfully protective of it, too...like, I get very upset when the retail stores go straight from Halloween to Christmas decorations without even a nod to Thanksgiving (and all in July, too).

There are two things that I love MOST OF ALL for Thanksgiving, and they are Stuffing and Apple Pie.

This year, we went to friends for Thanksgiving dinner, and my friend asked me to bring my favorite thing...so I brought....STUFFING AND APPLE PIE.

Seriously...I was that predictable.

So I thought I'd share these amazing recipes with you...and you can try them out and see if they aren't just the best dad gum Stuffing and Apple Pie recipes out there!!!

I ALWAYS make a double batch of this...because I want to eat for 3 solid square meals for AT LEAST two days after Thanksgiving...so double if you're like me or are expecting a lot of holiday guests...


Thanksgiving Stuffing

1 bag Pepperidge Farm Cubed and Seasoned Stuffing (in a bag with red title)
a good cup and a half of chopped celery
a good cup and a half of chopped onion
Chicken broth (however many cups it says to have on the back of the bag of stuffing...I think 3)
1 STICK of butter (get the good salted sweet cream stuff)
a cup of whole button mushrooms, drained (about two jars worth)
One pound ground sausage (I usually go for the maple flavored)
3 Granny Smith or Liberty apples, peeled, cored, and diced (optional)

1. You're pretty much preparing the stuffing according to package directions, with a few minor adjustments. You're adding MORE celery and onion than called for, for example...so get that all chopped up...

You're also using a WHOLE STICK of butter. I think the guidelines call for 6 TBS...but you're just going to use the whole 8. So put that on a skillet and melt it, and add the onion and celery, and saute until onion and celery are almost soft. If you're lucky enough that your family will let you use apples, you cook them with the onion and celery, too. My family doesn't like apples in their stuffing, so I don't always get to add them. The beauty of doubling this recipe is that you can make one batch WITH apples, and one WITHOUT.

2. Meanwhile, brown up that pound of sausage.MMMmmmm....smells good.

3. When onion and celery are soft, add mushrooms and heat through.

4. Add sausage and remove from heat, stirring to combine flavors.

5. Heat your chicken broth to boiling, remove from heat and add bag of stuffing AND onion/celery/sausage/mushroom/possibly apple mixture. Stir/Fluff gently until moist.

6. Now...stuff your bird, but save some to stick in the oven, covered at 350, for about 30 minutes. If you want that yummy crispy top to your stuffing, remove the covering for the last 5 to 10 minutes, or after its had it's 30 minutes, put it under the broiler for a couple minutes.

This is so good...you'll never embarrass yourself by making Stove Top again!!

courtesy me!!!

Mexican Lasagna

Oh, look!! Pictures!!

I stole my daughters camera...but I don't really like it. Hers is an Olympus Stylus, and it's really high-tech. It's got all these crazy features for gadget gurus.

And I am NOT a gadget guru.

So my pictures with it suck worse than with my old camera...and that's really saying something. "Cause if you've seen the pictures SHE takes with it - you'll realize how ultimately untalented I am in the field of photography. Which really doesn't help my plea to my hubby to get me a fancier camera with a bunch of lenses and stuff.

So - I tried a new recipe last night. I got it off Pioneer Womans cooking site...but it is not hers. It is one of her guest commentators, a man named "Pastor Ryan", so named because he's a, uh, well...a brother of the cloth. And also, a genius in the kitchen. I guess living proof that God can give you multiple callings in this life.

Anyway, I found it and it tickled my fancy and sounded delicious, so I decided to try it. And I have to say...it IS delicious. Like - I could live on it. And so could my kids.

Now you know when I bring over recipes from Pioneer Woman, you never need to double. She, after all, feeds a family of 6, plus a ranch full of cowboys. Her recipes reflect that...for which I'm grateful. (Hey - there are some nights that even simple math is more than I can take).

So I knew I wouldn't be doubling. In fact, after looking at the amount of ingredients called for in this recipe, I had the urge to... (I'm about to say something that I have never said before, and you may never hear me say again)...scale back.

I know, I know. Shocker.

But I decided to just go with it and make it as the recipe says. And that's why, about halfway through, I called my friend Michelle Marlowe and desperately asked her if I could bring her dinner that night...because there was NO WAY IN HADES that we were gonna be able to eat that much food.

This ended up filling (and I do mean FILLING) two ENORMOUS oval bakers from Crate & Barrel (approx. 13x9 size)...and there was STILL some I couldn't fit. This would feed THREE of my families. It would feed a WARD. It's PERFECT for a large gathering of hungry people.

And the bonus was that I got to give some away AND get a second opinion on the recipe (which, by the way, scored a "two thumbs up").

So, Pastor Ryan and Pioneer Woman...you got me. I actually get to say a phrase that I NEVER thought I'd say on this site...if feeding an average-sized family, scale this back to ABOUT A THIRD. Unless you want to eat it for a month.

Which, actually, by the way it tastes, is totally do-able.

Served with corn-on-the-cob!!

Pastor Ryan's Mexican Lasagna

(This is the original recipe with original measurements. Do the math to adjust to feed your family!!)

4 cups unprepared rice

8 cups chicken broth

4-8 tomatoes (up to you)

2-3 onions (up to you)

8-14 LARGE cloves of garlic (up to you)

3 lbs ground beef

3 x 16oz. bags of Mexican cheese blend, all mixed together and then divided in half.

3 cans corn (drained)

1-2 cans black or pinto beans (up to you), UNdrained

Two 16 oz. jars of Salsa Verde

1 16-oz. jar of enchilada sauce

1 pouch Taco seasoning

6 TBS chili powder, divided

3 TBS EACH of paprika and cumin, divided

20 (2 packages) Fajita-size flour tortillas

Sour cream

Fresh Cilantro

Butter

1. Prepare rice with chicken broth. Once prepared, salt to taste and set aside.

2. Chop tomatoes, onions, and garlic as small as you prefer. Saute in a pan with a few TBS of butter. Add 3 TBS chili powder, and 1-1/2 TBS of both paprika and cumin. Stir until nicely combined. Feel free to add beans (juice and all). Mix cooked rice together with tomato/onion/garlic/bean mixture.

3. Brown the ground beef using about remaining 3 TBS chili powder and 1-1/2 TBS of both paprika and cumin. Add salt to taste. Add about 4-6 oz. of water to create the taco beef, and let simmer until absorbed.

4. Spread one container of salsa verde in the bottom of a large casserole baking dish (or two). Layer on tortillas covering salsa verde (overlapping is expected). Divide your rice mixture in half, and spread one half over the layer of tortillas. Use half of your divided cheese and layer it on top of the rice layer. Add another layer of tortillas on top of cheese layer. Pour enchilada sauce over the tortillas and spread evenly. Add layer of browned ground beef (all of it). Add 3 cans of drained corn on top of beef layer. Add remaining amount of rice mixture on top of corn layer, followed by remaining jar of salsa verde, on top of which you'll add the remaining cheese. sprinkle cheese layer with packet of taco seasoning.

CASSEROLE (S) WILL BE EXTREMELY HEAVY!!!

5. Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes until cheese has melted and begins to brown.

6. Serve with sour cream, fresh sprigs of cilantro, and a hearty appetite.

courtesy Pioneer Woman