Hot Turkey Sandwiches

Looking for something to spruce up that left over turkey? Here's a yummy recipe that is sure to put a smile on your face!

Ingredients:
5 slices of bacon
1 small onion chopped
2 tbsp of flour
1 3/4 cup of milk
1 3/4 cup of chicken broth
Kosher salt and pepper
4 thick slices of bread, toasted
1 1/4 grated muenster or monterey jack cheese
Dijon or spicy mustard for spreading
1 tomato, sliced
3 cups of sliced or shredded turkey
1/4 cup of fresh chopped Parsley

Preheat the broiler. Cook bacon over med-high head in deep skillet. About 10 mins or so. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

Make the Gravy: add onion to the skillet, cook, stirring occasionally for about 3 mins until soft. Add flour and cook stirring, 1 more minute. Increase the heat to med high, add milk, chicken broth, and brig to boil... Stirring occasionally. Reduce head to medium low and simmer,stirring, until slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Arrange bread in baking sheet. Sprea each slice with mustard, drizzle some gravy and top with a tomato slice. Toss turkey in remaining gravy in the skillet. Divide turkey on each slice, evenly among slices. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Broil until golden, about 2 minutes. Crumble bacon over the sandwiches and sprinkle with parsley.

Bon Appetit!

Thats a wrap!

Whoa! What a day! I hope your Thanksgiving was extra special and as fab as mine was! The weather was AMAZING, sunny and 68 degrees!
Well, it all started with a early wake up call @ 5:30AM thanks to me forgetting my own alarm clock was still on... Thanks to my amazing fiancé for rescuing me from early morning baby and letting me sleep a tad longer. My day was filled with laughter, whining, barking and complaining. Which is pretty typical. Although the "I love yous" were extra special today!
After my favorite cup of joe, I was up and ready to prepare my Thanksgiving feast. Turkey was thawed, and ready to rub and get in the oven. I made our dessert first - Apple Pie with Apple Crumble Cinnamon topping and lets just say the aroma made me want a slice right then @ 9:30am!
Next came the turkey... In the oven and ready to roast! Yummy!
I made some apps for snacking midday. Left over buffalo chicken dip warmed up nicely!
I made homemade smashed creamy mashed potatoes, and I would lie if I didn't admit I complained the WHOLE
TIME I peeled potatoes. Garrett watched in amazement while I peeled, sliced and was the first to try them (per-spiced of course) and loved them!
Made the White Castle stuffing and it was AWESOME! I added garlic to mine and heated butter, about 1/2 a stick of salted butter, in my Dutch oven and let it get crispy and then simmer. Dylan loved it! Gravy was superb, rolls were sweet and all and all I did a great job I think!
I was the last to get out of my PJ's, and first to put them back on. It was fantastic.
Even Zed, our four legged family member, enjoyed his dinner with turkey and drippings. Pretty sure he licked his dish clean and was carrying it around hoping for seconds.
Now it's snuggle time and a movie! Only thing missing is a fire... Just isn't cold enough tonight.
Season's Greetings to all!

Thanksgiving Eve

What's for dinner tonight for your family on Thanksgiving Eve? I'm making apps which Includes out favorite Buffalo Chicken Dip! Check for the recipe in my Awesome Appetizers section!

Garrett LOVES sweet potatoes!

Mommy, I want sweet potato purée for Thanksgiving with a side of rice cereal.

What I am thankful for...

Okay so many of us are wrapping up our menus and cooking plans, scheduling whose house we go to first, where were eating or what we are prepping the night before, or what pizza places are open - the next 24 hours is going to be a crazy one.

Each year I go to my parents to celebrate. Like I posted earlier this month, we follow traditions I REALLY look forward to each year! Yummy foods, great wine and lots of laughter.

Well this year is a first to mark on my family's calendar. My family and I are staying HOME this year. WHAT??? I know your mouth dropped reading this as you think of how crazy the day is going to be for you. Well my folks and a few others packed up the car and headed to visit my Grandparents this year.

What's my plans then?? Thought you never ask.
THANKSGIVING PJ FEST 2011.
I'm sleeping in, I'm not getting out of my pajamas but I promised Dylan I'd at least brush my teeth, you know so my breath don't stank!
What's on my menu?? The past week or so I dreamed of steak and crab legs and maybe shrimp cocktail to tie things together. Yum right?! Well then here comes good ole' holiday guilt trip from yours truly saying "Embrace this". So I plan to roast my turkey the good old' fashion way, smash up some delicious potatoes, make white castle stuffing, open up a can of that jelled-like can shape cranberry sauce that I still favor Over homemade and dip my fork in a baked apple pie. And last but not least, drink plenty of wine!
SO.... This year I am most thankful for a PJ THANKSGIVING - our VERY first Thanksgiving in our new home. One to remember.

Brown Sugar Smokies

These are delicious, but who am i kidding... YOU HAVE TO KNOW THESE ARE DA BOMB!! For all you new foodies out there or old, here's the recipe. Perfect app for any holiday. Honestly, I just make these on occasion because I can!

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon
• 1 (16 ounce) package little smokie sausages


• 1 cup brown sugar, or to taste OR MORE.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Place the wrapped sausages on wooden skewers, several to a skewer. Arrange the skewers on a baking sheet and sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar.
3. Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar melted.

White Castle Turkey Stuffing

When it comes to stuffing, I want it easy, simple and good. I only make it once a year and so why waste hours of prep on it when this oh so yummy!!!! Thank you White Castles!

I normally buy these ahead of time. May want to grab a few extra if your like me and love to eat them. HA!

White Castle Turkey Stuffing

10 White Castle hamburgers, no pickles
1 1/2 cups celery, diced
1 1/4 tsp. ground thyme
1 1/2 tsp. ground sage
3/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup chicken broth

In a large mixing bowl, tear the burgers into pieces and add diced celery and seasonings. Toss and add chicken broth. Toss well. Stuff cavity of turkey just before roasting. Makes about 9 cups (enough for a 10- to 12-pound turkey).

Note: Allow 1 hamburger for each pound of turkey, which will be the equivalent of 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound.

Classic Roast Turkey

Classic roast turkey and Classic turkey stuffing. It's made it easy and foolproof! I love turkey but I have so many things to prepare that this is not complicated and sure to tickle your taste buds!

I added the stuffing recipe as well, but we are an out-of-turkey-stuffing-cooking kind of family!


Bread Stuffing:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 medium stalks celery, chopped
8 cups dry bread cubes (about 11 slices bread)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, if desired
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning or dried sage leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
About 1/2 cup Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-oz carton) or water


Turkey
1 whole turkey (14 to 18 lb), thawed if frozen
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Directions:
1. Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 325°F. In 10-inch skillet, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender.
2. In large bowl, mix bread cubes, parsley, poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add broth and butter-onion mixture, stirring until desired moistness (stuffing will become a little more moist during roasting because it absorbs juices from turkey). Set aside. (Stuff turkey just before roasting).
3. Remove and discard neck and giblets from turkey. Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water; pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle cavity of turkey with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
4. Spoon stuffing loosely into neck cavity; turn wings back to hold neck skin in place, or fasten neck skin to back with skewers. Spoon stuffing into body cavity; refasten drumsticks with metal piece or tuck under skin at tail. (Drumsticks can also be tied together with cotton string.)
5. After stuffing turkey, place any remaining stuffing in 1- or 2-quart casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover and refrigerate. Bake stuffing in casserole dish with turkey at 325°F for last 35 to 40 minutes of roasting time or until thoroughly heated (165°F).
6. Place turkey, breast side up, in roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh and does not touch bone. Brush 3 tablespoons melted butter over turkey. Do not add water or cover turkey.
7. Roast uncovered 4 hours or until thermometer reads 165°F and drumsticks move easily when lifted or twisted. Thermometer inserted in center of stuffing should read 165°F. If necessary, cover turkey breast with tent of heavy-duty foil during last 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours of baking to prevent excessive browning.
8. Let turkey stand 15 to 20 minutes for easier carving. Remove skewers. Remove stuffing; place in serving bowl.

Green Beans with Ham Seasoning

I love the smell of green beans simmering with ham in my kitchen.
This is a dish we always had for growing up and I love to continue the tradition with my family. It's simple and yummy!

Ingredients:
5 cans of Cut Green Beans (Do not drain)
1/3 a package of Burgers Brand sliced ham seasoning (you can find this by the bacon)
2 tbsp of Garlic pepper
1 large Garlic clove cut up
Pinc of coarse salt

Pretty simple! Throw all ingredients I a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer on Low, stirring occasionally until liquid is almost gone.

DO NOT COVER THEM.

You can make this in advance which is great for any holiday cooking and throw them in a crock pot on low for several hours the day of.

Double the recipe for a holiday meal. This amount above is just right for about 6 people.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Although I can’t take the credit for this MOUTH WATERING delicious mashed potatoes recipe, I can say they are approved by 75% of my family (25% being Garrett who hasn’t tried them yet). Even my 8 year old son Dylan who might I add HATES anything mashed, loves them. Please beware, these are in no way shape or form healthy and I am pretty sure the butter, cream cheese, and half and half goes directly to my you’know’what, but I have never in my life made homemade mashed potatoes that I want to constantly lick the spoon, bowl, plate, etc. I’m pretty sure a couple of times I double dipped, but who’s judging.

Recipe: Creamy Mashed Potatoes
By Pioneer Woman

Prep Time: 1 Hour | Cook Time: 30 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 10

Ingredients
■5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
■3/4 cups Butter
■1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
■1/2 cup (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
■1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
■1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper

Preparation Instructions
Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.
Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

Mmmm….creamy, steamy, flavorful, delicious mashed potatoes. They’re as much a part of Thanksgiving dinner as tryptophan and whiskey.

Go for it, guys!

Thanksgiving History and what it means to me

“The first Thanksgiving was celebrated between the Pilgrims and the Indians in 1621.That first feast was a three day affair. Life for the early settlers was difficult. The fall harvest was time for celebration. It was also a time of prayer, thanking God for a good crop. The Pilgrims and the Indians created a huge feast including a wide variety of animals and fowl, as well as fruits and vegetables from the fall harvest. This early celebration was the start of today's holiday celebration. Like then, we celebrate with a huge feast.”

Today, most of us enjoy Turkey with all those yummy trimmings. The "trimmings" in my family grew up include a wide variety of foods that are a tradition for our family. Mom worked hard in the kitchen with all of us girls helping by her side. Turkey or Prime Rib was the meat of choice, fixed with her famous green beans smothered in a ham hawk and slow cooked, brown sugar glazed carrots, mashed potatoes (the best way, HOMEMADE), 24-Hour Salad that was layered up the night before and mixed before serving (got to get her to let me post this recipe because it is AWESOME), olive and pickle tray complete with black and green olives (that my hands are in way before dinner is served) and dill and sweet pickles, homemade cranberry sauce and the can crap that me and my sisters loved so much, yeast rolls where common unless prime rib was served and we had Yorkshire pudding. Then, to top it off, pumpkin pies, apple pies, an even the occasional cherry pies are bountiful around our table. On occasion my Grandmother would serve her banana pudding with wafer cookies and the grin on my grandfather’s face when he scarfed his serving was priceless.

Did you know? Potatoes were not part of the first Thanksgiving. Irish immigrants had not yet brought them to North America. Poor things because potatoes in my household are common at most every meal!

Now, growing up with 3 older sisters, we had a large house hold. Mom was an amazing cook and always made sure our family sat at the table each night and enjoyed a home cooked meal. Thanksgiving was anything, but boring. Imagine my grandparents or other family members visiting, men watching football and the woman cooking in the kitchen. My dad however was always the meat guy. He really enjoyed taking part in the kitchen and his love for grilling in -0 Degree temps when snow is falling from the sky like a rainstorm was to top the charts.

I don’t think a holiday in my family home would have been complete without one of us girls arguing with the other, but the bonds we have as adults are worth it all. I have 3 very unique sisters and would trade any of them for the world.

So to me, Thanksgiving tops my charts for one of my favorite holidays – Even though for 12 or so years I was always stuck at the kids table (darn my luck being the youngest). Now as an adult, having the family around the table and the wine flowing, the laughter and chatter just reminds me how lucky I am.