Cornbread Dressing

And a family/internet recipe for a traditional cornbread dressing. Turned out very yummy, if do say so myself.

• 2 C flour
• 2 C cornmeal
• 2 T baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 4 eggs
• 2 C milk or water
• 1/2 C oil

• 1/4 - 1/2 C butter (1/2 - 1 stick)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 t dried thyme
• 1/4 t dried basil
• 1/2 t dried oregano
• 1 T dried sage
• 1-2 t salt,
• 1/2-1 t ground black pepper
• 3-4 C chicken broth

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1-2 C milk
• 2-3 eggs, boiled & chopped

1. Stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, & salt.
2. In separate bowl beat eggs, milk & oil together.
3. Add to flour mixture.
4. Stir just until smooth.
5. Bake at 200* for 30-35 mins.
6. Allow to cool.

7. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and saute onion, celery, green pepper and garlic.
8. When onions are tender stir in thyme, basil, oregano, sage, salt, pepper, cayenne and broth.
9. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat.
10. Preheat oven to 350*.
11. Grease deep-sided 9x13” pan or 9x13” and 8x8’ pans.
12. Crumble cornbread into large bowl.
13. Pour broth mixture, beaten eggs, milk and chopped boiled eggs over cornbread crumbs.
14. Mix well.
15. Place in prepared dishes.
16. Bake (at 350*) for 30 mins.

- I usually bake the cornbread the day before.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grandmas-Corn-Bread-Dressing/Detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cornbread-Stuffing-Southern-Style/Detail.aspx

Giblet Gravy

Belatedly posting my two new holiday successes from this past season (I made them both Thanksgiving [with help/tutoring from Mom] and Christmas [on my own!]).

• giblets from a turkey
o or chicken livers
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cube chicken bouillon
• 1 stalk celery, halved
• 1/4 yellow onion
o or 1 T dried onions
• 1 quart water

• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
o or equivalent water + bullion
• 4 hard-cooked eggs
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup milk


1. In a 2 quart saucepan, simmer the giblets, salt, pepper, bouillon, celery and onion in 1 quart of water for 40 to 50 minutes.
2. Discard gizzard, if using.
3. Chop liver and neck meat, if using, and return to pan.
4. Add chicken broth or if you have a turkey, use drippings (about 1 1/2 cups and 1 can of chicken broth).
5. Chop eggs and add to broth.
6. Mix cornstarch and milk together and slowly add to broth.
7. Stir well until thickened.
8. Reduce heat to low.
9. Heat through.

- I usually make the broth (steps 1-2) the night before.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Giblet-Gravy-I/Detail.aspx

Mom's Fudge

And by "Mom's Fudge," I mean the fudge that Mom's always made. Yes I'm aware that the recipe's straight off of the jar of marshmallow creme (or "marshmallow fluff," as I was reminded it's branded when I google'd it).

However, my mother shares my philosophy of cooking/baking. In case you haven't figure it out by now via my recipes it's "make good-tasting things that don't take too, too much time/preparation." If it's worth an extra step, I'll do it. If I can find an alternative that's just as yummy, you can bet I'm going to make that instead (i.e. my mother is the one who has adopted Mrs. Smith, so she can claim her pies as an old family recipe*).

So, this is our old family recipe for fudge (and, by the fact that it's been used by three, if not four, generations, I think it actually qualifies, even without adopting Mr. Fluff).

• 3 C sugar
• 3/4 C butter
• 2/3 C evaporated milk (170g/159ml)
• 1 12 oz. pkg chocolate chips
• 1 7 oz . jar marshmallow crème
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 C nuts, optional

1. Combine sugar, butter, and milk in 2 1/1 qt. saucepan.
2. Bring to full rolling boil, stirring constantly.
3. Continue boiling 5 mins. over med. heat, still stirring.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Stir in chocolate chips until melted.
6. Add marshmallow cream, vanilla and nuts, if desired.
7. Beat until well blended.
8. Pour into greased 9x13 pan.
9. Cool at room temperature.

*Just to clarify, my mom's a great cook. I love eating at their house and making her recipes. She just isn't enamored with extra steps that aren't necessary. And I whole-heartedly agree.

Spinach Casserole

My mom found this recipe in the Dallas Morning News kids' section when I was in elementary school. I guess it was supposed to help kids like spinach. I didn't have any trouble with that beforehand, but this didn't hurt.

It's one of my favorite dishes. Ever. I've been known to eat some of the leftovers for breakfast.

It was one of the dishes we chose for our "traditional" family Christmas meal when my mom had us pick something, since we always got the turkey-and-fixins meal at a grandmother's (or two). Yum!

• 1 sm onion or 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 pkgs. frozen spinach, 10 oz. each, thawed
• 8 oz. cream cheese
o or 7 Laughing Cow cheese triangles
• 1/4 C milk
• 1 1/2 C cheddar cheese, grated

1. Steam the chopped onion with a teaspoon of water in a small microwave-safe bowl covered with plastic wrap vented just a little to allow steam to escape for two minutes. (You can skip this step if you don't mind onions a little crunchy in the finished product. It's especially helpful for little kids with texture issues, though.)
2. Mix onion, cream cheese and milk with a mixer or by hand.
3. Squeeze excess water from spinach and spread into baking dish (3 qt. or 9x13).
4. Spread cream cheese mixture over spinach.
5. Top with cheese.
6. Bake at 350* for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This recipe is from a sweet older lady who was in our small group when we first got married. We had a LifeGroup Thanksgiving dinner before everyone headed off to their family celebrations, and she made this. It was delicious. ML absolutely loved it. I now bring it to all holiday meals. I think I would end up a single parent, if I didn't. :-P

• 3 lg sweet potatoes (or yams), cooked & mashed
o or 2 large/3 medium cans, drained
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1/2-1 t cinnamon
• 2 T margarine
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1/2 C nuts, chopped
• 1/4 t nutmeg
• 1 bag marshmallows
o or 1 jar marshmallow cream

1. Add all but marshmallow to sweet potatoes & mix.
2. Spread into 9x13 baking dish.
3. Top with marshmallow.
4. Broil 1-2 mins.

Corn Pudding

One of our traditional holiday dishes. From The Four Ingredient Cookbook, a cookbook my mom gave me right around the time I got married. The ladies who wrote it (them, actually; there are several) are from my hometown, but it became kind of a national phenomenon. You may have seen it on an infomercial. :-) They're wonderful for cooks just starting out. And I need to go back through them soon for some inspiration, too.

Wow. I just looked up the cookbook to link it. It's gotten fancy. Mine is an old spiral-bound copy, and they're either hard-bound or at least bound paperback now. And looks like it's still selling well. Cool.

• 2 cans (16 oz. each) creamed corn
• 1 pkg (6 oz.) corn muffin mix
o or 1/2 C flour, 1/2 C cornmeal, 1 T sugar, 1 1/2 t baking powder, 1/4 t salt, mixed
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 C butter, melted

1. Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased 2 qt. casserole dish.
2. Bake 45 min. at 350*.

Simple, but yummy. A good compliment to a laden table.