Gnocchi with Spinach & Pine Nuts

Original Recipe HERE

I love gnocchi.  It's a break from regular pasta, and it fills me up more.  And since the first few times I ever ate it were in restaurants, I (wrongly?) associate it with being a classy meal.

I had a problem with the gnocchi sticking to the pan when browning it.  I didn't want to add more butter, grease, or bacon, so a little bit of broth was added and helped.

Ingredients

2 packages (16 oz each) vacuum-packed gnocchi

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons bacon grease [can substitute butter]

1/2 to 1 cup pine nuts

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 package (10 oz) fresh spinach, torn

1/4 cup broth [more or less, if needed]

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan [or to taste]

Ingredients

(1) Cook gnocchi according to package directions.  Drain.

(2) In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and bacon grease.

(3) Add pine nuts to pan.  Cook 3 minutes or until butter and nuts are lightly browned, stirring constantly.

(4) Add garlic to pan.  Cook 1 minute.

(5) Add gnocchi and spinach to pan.  Cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly.  Add splashes of broth to prevent sticking, if needed.

(6) Turn off heat.  Stir in salt and pepper.

(7) Sprinkle with Parmesan before serving.

Kid Participation: None.

Ritz-Topped Vegetable Casserole

Original Recipe HERE

 

The amount of mayonnaise in this recipe made me cringe, but I thought it was worth trying because the bulk of the dish was straight-up vegetables.  And I'm not above smothering veggies in sauces, condiments, whathaveyou in order to get my kids to eat them...as I pretend that I'm not negating their health benefits by doing so.

 

I couldn't find American cheese in a block, so I diced up several of the individually-wrapped slices.  The pieces stuck together, so I was worried that it would mean pockets of cheese in the finished product instead of a uniform distribution.  Whatever ended up happening with the cheese wasn't an issue, but I would take more time to do it properly.

 

Next time, I will mix the melted butter with the crushed crackers before spreading them over the top.  The coverage was uneven doing it as the original recipe instructed.  Also, I bet this would be even better with the French's fried onions on top (because most things in this world would be).

 

Each kid asked for multiple rounds of this and told me to make it again.  It was super easy, and the original post said that it can be made up to a day ahead.  I'm sure that this convenient meal will be repeated.  Also, I learned that my kids like lima beans (from the frozen veggie medley)...they've been lucky to be spared the dreaded legume thus far, but it turns out it was for naught.

 

Ingredients

1/4 cup salted butter, divided
1 cup finely-chopped celery

1/2 to 1 cup finely-chopped yellow onion

2 to 3 cloves finely-chopped garlic
1 bag (32 oz) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup (or 4 oz) finely diced American cheese
¾ cup mayonnaise [I used 2/3 cup mayo and the rest Ranch dressing]
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

(2) In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt half of the butter over medium heat.

(3) Saute celery and onion until softened, 8 to 10 minutes.  Add garlic toward the end.  Remove from the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

(4) Add mixed vegetables, corn, American cheese, mayonnaise, and Ranch (if using) to the bowl.  Combine thoroughly.

(5) Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish.

(6) In a small bowl, mix together crushed Ritz and melted butter.

(7) Evenly sprinkle the crushed Ritz over the top of the casserole.

(9) Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

 

Kid Participation:

* Mix vegetables and sauce

* Measure mayo and Ranch

* Crush Ritz

* Sprinkle Ritz

Buttermilk Cornbread

Original Recipe HERE

Cornbread is supposed to be at its best when cooked in cast iron.  So far, this is the best cornbread I've made.  I think the buttermilk is key to keeping it so moist.

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup (one stick) butter

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 1-1/2 cups corn kernels, optional [I used frozen]

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Put 12" cast iron skillet in the oven during the preheating phase.

(2) Melt butter in the microwave.

(3) In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and buttermilk.

(4) Add sugar to egg mixture; whisk until dissolved.

(5) Add butter to egg mixture; whisk well to avoid butter cooling into solids.

(6) In a small bowl, sift together baking soda, cornmeal, flour, and salt.

(7) Stir dry ingredients into wet until well blended.
(8) Gently fold corn into batter if using.

(9) Remove skillet from oven.  Melt approximately one tablespoon of butter in it, swirling to coat entire bottom and halfway up the sides.

(10) Pour batter into skillet.  Return to oven; bake 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

(11) Allow cornbread to cool for several minutes in the skillet before slicing.

Kid Participation:
* Whisk wet ingredients
* Sift dry ingredients
* Stir it all together (gently, please!)

Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, & Coconut "Lactation" Cookies

Original Recipe HERE

 

This recipe got good reviews from its original baker, and it had plenty of oats involved.  So I figured why not see if it could be converted into a lactation cookie by added the old standbys of flaxseed meal and brewer's yeast.  I'm happy to report that it, indeed, can.  Actually, I can't report on the lactation function yet (you'd think eating six cookies in one sitting would produce immediate results...), but they taste great and are the chewy consistency that I like.  Sometimes the brewer's yeast flavor can be detected in cookies, but not here.

 

I cut the original brown sugar amount by 1/4 cup because I didn't have enough.  With the chocolate chips and coconut, there's already plenty of sweetness being added, so I would try decreasing the white sugar to 3/4 cup, also - maybe even one sugar to 1/2 cup.

 

I got about 36 cookies using approximately 2 tablespoons of dough for each.  Next time I will use my smaller 1-tablespoon scoop and get more.  Also, because of a crying baby who didn't want to sleep, half of the dough sat on the counter longer than expected.  The last batch of cookies spread a lot.  I got the best results with the fresher (colder) dough on the silpat, so refrigerating it before scooping is suggested.

 

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons flaxseed meal

3 Tablespoons water

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons brewer's yeast

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup chocolate chips [I used mini-morsels]

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

 

Directions

(1) In a small bowl, combine flaxseed meal and water.  Set aside to soak.

(2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.

(3) In a small bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, salt, and brewer's yeast.

(4) In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

(5) Add eggs and vanilla to butter mixture; mix thoroughly.

(6) Add flaxseed meal to butter mixture; mix thoroughly.

(7) Add flour mixture to wet ingredients; mix until just combined.

(8) Add oats, chocolate chips, and coconut; mix until evenly distributed.

(9) Using 1-2 tablespoons each, roll dough into balls.  Space balls at least 2" apart on baking sheets.

(10) Bake 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden brown but middles are still pale.

(11) Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes.  Remove to cooling racks.

 

Kid Participation:

* Mix flaxseed and water

* Measure dry ingredients

* Sift dry ingredients

* Measure wet ingredients

* Operate mixer

* Make dough balls (but not if you care about uniformity in size and whether your kid gets dough all over themselves from the elbows down)

Chocolate Lactation Cookies

Original Recipe HERE

I'm using baby #4 (henceforth referred to as *A*) as an excuse to gorge myself on cookies.  I love lactation cookies because they (1) help my supply a bit, (2) make large batches, (3) are filling, (4) are easy to grab as a snack - or breakfast if I'm desperate, and (5)  they are healthy enough that I don't feel bad engaging in said gorging.

I don't like to throw a bunch of chocolate chips in, like most recipes suggest, because I do gorge myself on them (have I mentioned that already?).  I read somewhere that you're supposed to have two small cookies for each feeding.  But I don't feel like a cookie is truly a cookie unless it has either frosting or chocolate elements.  The cocoa powder in these satisfies that need and, as far as my tiny bit of research says, is better for you than Nestle morsels.  Don't tell me if I'm wrong about that.

The first batch was good, but practice makes perfect and the second batch was better.  I made a few changes that time, but I'm posting the original amounts below.  The updates were: substituting 1/2 cup coconut oil for half of the butter, reducing both sugars to 1/3 cup, and replacing 1 cup of white flour with 1 cup of wheat.  I also tossed in about 1/3 cup mini-morsels that time...

The cookies come out of the oven very soft, cool and firm up quickly, and then are at their best after they've sat overnight.  They re-moisten themselves somewhat, as many cookies with large amounts of oats tend to do.  Using my mini-dough scoop (approximately one tablespoon size), I got four baking sheets worth of cookies, which was over 50 cookies.
 

Ingredients

1/2 cup flaxseed meal

1/2 cup water

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar 
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 Tablespoons molasses
1/3 cup cocoa
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips, raisins, etc. [I did not use]
4 Tablespoons brewers yeast

 

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2) Mix water and flaxseed meal until thoroughly wet.  Set aside.
3) In a large bowl, butter and sugars until fluffy.
4) Add eggs, vanilla, and molasses to butter.  Mix well.
5) Add flaxseed meal.  Mix well.
6) In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and yeast.
7) Add dry ingredients to wet.  Mix well.
8) Add oats.  Mix well.
9) Fold in chocolate chips.
10) Drop spoonfuls of dough (1 to 2 tablespoons each) onto baking sheets.  If desired, flatten slightly.  Cookies will spread a bit.
11) Bake about 12 minutes.  Remove cookies from baking sheets immediately; cool on racks.

Kid Participation:
* Add wet ingredients
* Add dry ingredients
* Scoop dough
* Ask if eating the cookies will help them make milk

Spinach, Mushroom, & Caramelized Onion Pasta

Original Recipe HERE

This mean was semi-approved by the kids.  They really liked the pasta and cheese sauce, which was not a surprise.  They didn't like the vegetables, which was also not a surprise.  I will save this for a meal when we have enough adults to consume and appreciate it.

Prepared as directed in the original recipe, the sauce never thickened and was very watery.  I would've liked it to cling to the pasta and vegetables more and pool at the bottom of my bowl less.  I changed the instructions, as listed below, to make the sauce separately.

Shredded mozzarella (or cheese of choice) might help everything stick together better.  Also, it might be good with freshly chopped tomatoes mixed in at the end (or canned petite diced tomatoes during cooking).  A bit of tomato paste in the sauce could be good, too.

 

Ingredients
8 to 12 oz pasta
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
6 oz package babys pinach leaves
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup milk
salt & pepper to taste
broth as needed

 

Directions
(1) Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
(2) Add onions.  Cook, stirring frequently, 20-30 minutes or until onions are caramelized.  Add broth, 1 tablespoons at a time, as needed to avoid burning and sticking.
(3) Just before onions are done, add balsamic; stir.  Scrape up all bits from bottom of pan.  Remove onions and set aside.
(4) Begin preparing pasta according to package directions
(5) Meanwhile, heat oil in original pan over medium heat.  Add garlic; saute 1-2 minutes.
(6) Add mushrooms and a sprinkle of salt.  Cook about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until mushrooms have softened.
(7) Turn off heat.  Return onions to pan.  Add spinach; stir until wilted.
(8) In a small saucepan, heat milk until simmering.  Add Parmesan.  Cook, stirring frequently, until well combined and thickened.  Add additional cheese or a tablespoon of flour if necessary.  Season sauce with salt and pepper if desired.
(9) Serve pasta with a scoop of vegetables and desired amount of sauce.

Kid Participation: None.

Sausage & Stuffing Bake

Original recipe HERE

 

This is marketed as a brunch dish, but I made it for dinner.  It's a simple one to tweak according to your own tastes: type of sausage, variety of vegetables, or type of cheese.

 

My kids liked it and asked for seconds.  They even ate most of the vegetables.  I wish the egg element had been a little firmer, so next time I might cut the amount of egg whites and add in a few full eggs.  Also, the cheese congealed on top as the casserole cooled, so perhaps stirring the cheese into the stuffing mixture would prevent that and distribute the cheese flavor into every bite.

I used the cubed stuffing, but it still pretty much just turned into one mass of mush (which I say in a good way) along with the egg.  I thought there would be more of a bread-like substance throughout, but it was just egg-y.  The taste was fine, but the consistency wasn't what I was expecting...just an FYI.

 

Ingredients

1 lb sausage, precooked [I used Italian chicken]

1 small onion, diced small

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 to 3 carrots, peeled & diced

2 to 3 cloves garlic, pressed

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 cups herb seasoned stuffing mix [I used Pepperidge Farm cubed style]

1/2 cup broth

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

5 oz sharp cheddar, grated

2 cups milk

16 oz carton fat-free egg substitute [I used a container of egg whites]

salt & pepper, to taste

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish.

(2) Cut sausages in half lengthwise, then into slices.

(3) In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.

(4) Add sausage, onion, mushrooms, celery, carrot, and garlic to skillet.  Saute until sausage is browned and vegetables are softened.

(5) In a large mixing bowl, combine stuffing and sausage mixture.  Stir thoroughly.

(6) Transfer stuffing mixture to the baking dish.  Drizzle with broth and melted butter.

(7) Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the stuffing mixture.

(8) In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg substitute, salt, and pepper. 

(9) Pour milk mixture evenly over the stuffing mixture. 

(10) Bake about 40 minutes, uncovered, or until egg is set and casserole is cooked through.  Allow to cool several minutes before serving.

 

Kid Participation: None.

Baked Garlic Green Beans

Original Recipe in Taste of Home magazine (I think)

 

This was an easy side dish that could be mostly prepared ahead of time, just needing to add the topping to the pre-sauced beans.  Everyone except *J* ate at least two portions, and though I'd doubled the original recipe, the entire batch was gone by the end of dinner.

 

I could taste the vinegar in the final product, so I decreased the amount slightly below.  Also, the bread crumbs didn't toast much and were slightly mushy - maybe panko would hold up better.

 

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoon cider vinegar

2 teaspoon dried minced onion

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 cups frozen cut green beans, thawed

2 Tablespoons dry bread crumbs or panko

2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan

2 teaspoons butter, melted

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a medium casserole dish.

(2) In medium bowl, combine oil, vinegar, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Allow to sit so the garlic can infuse the oil.

(3) Add beans; toss to coat.

(4) Transfer beans to casserole dish.

(5) Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, and butter.  Sprinkle over beans.

(6) Bake, uncovered, 10-15 minutes (it took 15 for me) or until heated through.

 

Kid Participation: None.

Buttermilk Cheddar Dill Biscuits

Original Recipe HERE

 

I was interested in these biscuits because of their use of cake flour.  I thought they'd be lighter and fluffier than the average cheese-incorporating biscuit.  I don't know how much of a difference it truly made, but they weren't dense or dry, so I'd use it again.  This recipe made 8.5 biscuits.

 

I eyeballed the amount of grated cheese and dried dill.  Next time I might add a little garlic powder, or at least some more salt.  But they were fine as-is, and everyone in the family had two.

 

A note of caution: I know that parchment paper isn't supposed to go in a 500 degree oven, but I thought that for such a short cooking time, it might be OK.  It wasn't...I started to smell a burning odor within two minutes, and the edges of the paper were already pretty browned.  I took the biscuits off and transferred them to another baking sheet (not lined or greased), and all was fine after that.  The biscuits were easy to lift off the pan when done.

 

Ingredients

1 & 1/4 cups cake flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cups butter (1/2 stick), grated
2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons dried dill

 

Directions

(1) If possible, put butter in the freezer ahead of time to make grating easier.

(2) Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

(3) In a large bowl or using a stand mixer, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

(4) Add butter; work with fingers or paddle attachment until it resembles coarse crumbs (mine never looked quite right).

(5) Add cheese; mix.

(6) Add buttermilk and dill; mix until dough forms a ball.

(7) Use paddle attachment to knead dough, or knead several times on a floured surface.

(8) Pat dough until about 3/4" thickness.

(9) Cut biscuts with a cookie cutter (mine was about 2" diameter).  Place on baking sheet.

(10) Bake until golden brown, 8-10 minutes.

Kid Participation:

* Measure dry ingredients

* Grate cheese (to the point where bigger hands need to take over lest blood be drawn)

* Work mixer

* Pat dough

* Cut biscuits

Bacon & Gorgonzola Mashed Potatoes

Original Recipe HERE

* This is one of the menu items Husband researched, planned, shopped for, and executed for Easter 2013.  It was the best meal he's ever made. *
 

Ingredients

2 pounds red new potatoes, quartered

2 cloves garlic, smashed

5 to 6 strips bacon

1/4 pound Gorgonzola cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature [he used half-n-half]

1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions

(1) Add potatoes and garlic to a medium pot.  Fill with enough cold water to cover the potatoes by an inch.  Season with salt; bring water to a boil.

(2) Reduce to a simmer.  Cook until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes.

(3) Meanwhile, fry bacon in a skillet until crisp.  Set aside on a paper towel to drain. Roughly chop; reserve.

(4) Drain potatoes and garlic.  Place back in the pot with cheese, cream, butter, and chopped bacon.

(5) Roughly mash, adding more cream if needed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Creamed Spinach

Original Recipe HERE

 

I had a lot of fresh spinach threatening to turn mushy in about 24 hours, so I pulled this out of my bookmarked links.  I made a few tweaks based on the comments and what I thought might maybe, possibly, somehow get fresh spinach into my kids.

 

*N* said she liked it...and then she didn't.  Per usual, she was a trooper who finished the serving I gave her.  *J* refused, even after I sprinkled Parmesan on it, and I only got two bites into him.  However, little *P* seemed to really enjoy it - maybe spinach has magical powers for a teething toddler?  I thought it was great.  Husband said he thinks he remembered liking it, but he was too distracted by the kids climbing all over him after he returned from work as he ate his dinner.  So it appears to be split down the middle.  I won't make it again for our typical family dinner, but I'll hopefully remember it for special occasions and holidays.  I'd like to test it out on a few more people and get their verdicts.

 

I had a 16-ounce container and an 11-ounce bag, and it made just enough to feed all of us if, in theory, we all had good-sized portions.  However, the amount of sauce was about four times what I needed, and so now it's in the fridge awaiting being added to roasted broccoli.  I'm pretty sure the kids will eat that version, since they objected to the overtly spinach flavor the first time.

 

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2-1/2 cups whole milk

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

2 pounds spinach (stems removed)

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

pepper

Parmesan or grated/shredded cheese [optional]

 

Directions

(1) Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in flour until smooth.  Continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

(2) Whisk in milk and nutmeg.  Bring to a boil, whisking frequently.  Remove from heat; cool slightly.

(3) Heat deep skillet over medium heat.  Add spinach and salt.

(4) Cover; cook 3 minutes.  Toss spinach; continue to wilt, uncovered, an additional 2 minutes.

(5) Drain spinach; cool slightly.  Squeeze or press until mostly dry.  Coarsely chop.

(6) Reheat sauce over medium heat.  Whisk in egg.  Bright to slight boil, stirring, and allow sauce to thicken.

(7) Add spinach to sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.

 

Kid Participation: None.

Stovetop Brown Rice

Original Recipe HERE

No fancy description in this updated post.  Just a modification on how to make this on the stovetop.

Ingredients

4 cups broth [beef, chicken, or vegetable]

1 to 2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 to 3 Tablespoons dried minced onions

2 cups brown rice [not instant]

Directions

(1) In medium saucepan, heat broth over medium heat.

(2) Add butter, tomato paste, salt, and onions.  Bring to a slight boil.

(3) Add rice.  Cover; simmer over low heat for 45 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Sweet Fried Plantains

 

Original Recipe HERE

 

I grew to love plantains while living in South Florida.  There were several amazing Cuban restaurants in our town, and fried plantains were served with almost every meal.  No complaints here.

 

I've found recipes that talk about serving them with salt, or garlic, or other non-sweet accompaniments.  But I can't give up my sweet versions.  While they can just be fried in a little butter or oil and are wonderful as-is, I wanted more butter! more sugar! more flavor! more fat! 

 

I served these with dinner because they are fruit - which was a stretch because they really classified as dessert.  They would be awesome with some vanilla ice cream.  The melt-in-your-mouth plantains with the slightly crispy outside and sweet butter sauce were to die for.  I may or may not have literally licked my plate afterward.

 

Ingredients

3 ripe (almost black) plantains

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

 

Directions

(1) Peel plantains.  Slice in half lengthwise; slice in half widthwise (so you have four equal sized pieces).

(2) Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add plantain slices in an even layer

(3) Allow plantains to saute until dark golden.  Flip.  Repeat saute.

(4) When plantains have become golden and slightly crispy on each side, remove from heat.

(5) Add remaining tablespoon butter to pan along with cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar. Scrape bottom of pan to remove any plantain bits.  Stir sauce; remove from heat when sugar is dissolved.

(7) Serve plantains with sauce drizzled over top. 

 

Kid Participation: None, besides gobbling them up.

 

Oven-Baked Turkey Breast

Original Recipe HERE

 

I didn't feel like having a full-fledged turkey for Thanksgiving: there's a lot of waste, and I don't like looking at a carcass.  Makes me feel guilty (and hypocritical).  When I broached this to Husband, who had designated himself as Man in Charge of Turkey, he was not pleased.  Before I knew how it happened, turkey duty had been passed to me.  So...while I embraced my added responsibility slightly begrudgingly, I was overall happy to have gotten my wish.

 

I thought about using my mom's traditional Martha-inspired cheesecloth method, but...I didn't.  Maybe next year, since I love the end result.  However, this one made for a fine main dish, and I don't feel our Thanksgiving celebration was diminished at all because we didn't have a pile of bones at the end of the night.  It wasn't overly flavorful; next time I'll add greater amounts of spices just because of personal preference.

 

I made the gravy that the original recipe included.  It was OK, but again, it needed more flavor.  And again, I'll add more seasonings afterward.  Also, upon standing for a few minutes, it began to thicken too much.  I halved the amount of cornstarch and included that updated info in the recipe below.

 

Another reason for not wanting to do a giant turkey is because it takes up our entire oven and makes it more tricky and limiting for preparing and/or reheating side dishes. If I could free up the oven for several more hours than expected, that would be lovely. Since a breast takes less than half the time of a regular turkey to cook, I thought it would make my life a lot easier. And it did.

 

Ingredients

1 bone-in whole turkey breast (4 1/2 to 5 pounds), thawed if frozen [mine was about 7 pounds]

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup dry white wine or margarine [I used sweet white wine]

1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon paprika [I used smoked paprika]

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 Tablespoons cold water

 

Directions

(1) Heat oven to 325ºF. Place turkey, skin side up, on rack in large shallow roasting pan.  Roast uncovered 1 hour.

(2) Mix butter, wine, thyme, salt, paprika and garlic. Brush turkey with half of the butter mixture.

(3) Roast 30 minutes; brush with remaining butter mixture.

(4) Roast about 1 hour longer or until thermometer reads 165ºF.

(5) Remove turkey from oven.  Let stand 15 minutes for easier carving.

(6) While turkey rests, pour pan drippings into measuring cup.  Skim fat from drippings. Add enough water to drippings to measure 2 cups.

(7) Heat drippings to boiling in 1-quart saucepan. Mix cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water; stir into drippings. Boil and stir 1 minute. Serve with turkey.

 

Kid Participation: None.

Compound Butters

Original Recipe HERE

 

Why didn't this ever cross my mind? Only the simplest thing ever. I love butter on everything (including things it has no business coming in contact with), so I'll be doing some experimenting. To serve with my mom's incomparable dinner rolls at Thanksgiving, I made the honey and herbed versions.  The honey was fabulous, but the herbed didn't have as much flavor as I'd have liked.  Next time I'll experiment with amounts and different spices.  The vanilla-cinnamon looked intriguing and will be made for breakfast purposes - probably under the guise of "needing to try a new muffin recipe."  However, vanilla extract will be used instead of the bean.

 

I didn't care about presentation, so I didn't make them into the rolled logs.  I think in the end it made serving easier since we could just pass the bowl around and scoop out what we wanted instead of having to find a serving dish that would fit an oddly-shaped, unsteady roll of butter.

 

Ingredients

* For honey butter:

1/2 cup butter (one stick)

pinch of salt

1 Tablespoon honey [or to taste]

* For herbed butter:

1/2 cup butter (one stick)

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon dried ground thyme

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

 

Directions

(1) Put butter in small mixing bowl.  Allow to soften to room temperature.
(2) When butter is spreadable, add salt and mix-ins.  Use rubber spatula to repeatedly fold mixture together until thoroughly combined.

(3) Transfer butter to dish to be used for serving.  Cover with plastic wrap or lid; refrigerate until 10 minutes before serving.

 

Kid Participation: None.  This recipe was done so quickly, they didn't have a chance to help

Buttercream Cream Cheese Frosting for Sugar Cookies

I developed this recipe by cobbling together several recipes I came across.  We used it at *N*'s fifth birthday party to decorate cookies.  It worked perfectly well, and I was glad to avoid the shortening that so many buttercream recipes call for - yet be able to have the "sturdiness" of the cream cheese to prevent the frosting from turning into a melted buttery mess.

It tasted good in that it was pretty standard frosting.  I was most interested in its functionality, however, and it delivered.  The night before the party, I used my mini ice cream scoop to put two Tablespoon-size balls of frosting in individual paper Dixie cups, thus making the serving of the frosting in the midst of the craziness much easier.

Update: I made a half-batch next time, and it was enough to cover about 30 sugar cookies, 2.5" in diameter.

Ingredients

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

4 oz cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 to 4 Tablespoons half-n-half [or cream]

4 to 5 cups confectioner’s sugar

Food coloring [optional]

Directions

(1) In a large mixing bowl, soften butter & cream cheese almost to room temperature.

(2) Cream butter & cream cheese together until well blended.

(3) Add vanilla extract; mix thoroughly.

(4) Add 2 Tbsp half-n-half and food coloring.

(5) Add sugar, one cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached.  Add additional food coloring if desired.

(6) Add remaining half-n-half if needed.

Kid Participation:

* Run mixer

* Dump ingredients into mixing bowl

* Constantly stick fingers into frosting and sample

Cheesy Chicken, Rice, & Bacon Skillet

Original Recipe HERE

This meal.  So easy.  So good.  So horrific for you.  It fits two out of my three requirements for feeding my family a food: is it easy? is it tasty? is it healthy?  So it'll be a comfort dish that we'll only indulge in on occasion.  I didn't bother trying to healthify it in the least, though I guess you could give it a whirl with reduced sodium bacon and broth, low-fat cheese, less butter, brown rice, and mix in some broccoli.  But everyone in attendance ate at least one bowl, so I'm inclined to keep the recipe as-is.

I left out the hot sauce from the original recipe because my kids don't like anything with heat.  And I used a mix of cheddar, monterey jack, and colby in the sauce because I don't always like how cheddar melts - and recongeals.  I also skipped the broiler step and it tasted just fine with my stirring-it-all-together method.

Ingredients

1/2 lb bacon [I used 12 strips]
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 onion, diced
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
4 cups cooked white rice [I used quick-cooking]

Directions

(1) Cook bacon in a large, deep skillet.  Drain; set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon drippings.
(2) Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth and bubbly.
(3) Whisk in broth. Increase heat to high, whisking sauce until thickened.
(4) Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and sauce is smooth.  Remove from heat.
(5) Reduce heat to a simmer.  Add reserved bacon drippings back to large skillet.  Sautee onion until just tender.
(6) Add cooked rice; cook, stirring occasionally, until coated and slightly crispy.
(7) Meanwhile, crumble bacon.
(8) Add chicken, bacon, and cheese sauce; stir until well combined.  Serve immediately.

Kid Participation: None.

Bloomin' Onion Bread

Original Recipe HERE

This was an easy, novel way to serve bread.  It could be part of a regular meal or be used as finger food at a party.  Though I don't know if I'd want to eat something that a bunch of people had been digging around in and ripping apart.  OK, scratch that...stick with keeping it as a dinner side dish and shared only with your nearest and dearest.

I kept the bread warm by leaving it wrapped and on the baking sheet.  I think this made the bottom crust too crispy and meant we were scraping at the last layer of bread.  Next time I'll put it, still wrapped, on a cooling rack.  Also, the pieces didn't pull apart as easily as I thought they might; we all used forks and knives to eventually remove larger portions and dissect them further on our plates.  A bit more work than anticipated, but worth it nonetheless.

Ingredients

1 unsliced loaf sourdough bread [or other round bread loaf]

12-16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup finely diced green onion

2-3 teaspoons poppy seeds

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

(2) Cut bread lengthwise and widthwise, approximately 1" between slices, without cutting through the bottom crust.

(3) Place on foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle cheese slices between cuts, separating bread and pushing cheese down into slice marks.

(4) Combine butter, onion, and poppy seeds. Drizzle over bread.

(5) Wrap in foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes

(6) Unwrap bread; bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Do not allow to burn.