Brined, Roasted Turkey

Our turkey was one of the best I've ever had, I didn't take very many pictures of it so I'll be sure to give you the links where needed. 

We started out brining our turkey with these instructions: Turkey Brine and Instruction

The only thing I will add to the link I've just given you is this, we did brine a defrosted frozen turkey and it was just fine.  Although, maybe I like salt more than the rest of you but I doubt it since we ate at a friends house who also brined her frozen turkey and it was delicious also.  You will not need to salt the gravy if you're making it out of the turkey drippings however.  Plenty of salt there.

Once you've brined your turkey and you're ready to cook it.  Click here: Cooking a Brined Turkey

I took mine out of the oven after cooking for half the time and slathered melted butter onto it and put it back in for the remainder of cooking time just as she instructs.  Our turkey was amazing!

Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Apples

Yet another recipe from our Thanksgiving dinner is this stuffing.  I particularly liked the contrast in flavors between the three different breads, the sausage and the apples.  This was a nice change from the Stove Top we're used to.

First things first, I had to make the cornbread for this recipe. I'll post that recipe separately from this one.  You'll want to cut these cubes in advance so they can dry out for several hours or overnight.

When you're ready to begin making this stuffing you'll want to go ahead and start with the mushrooms since they have to cook in the oven at a different temperatures than the stuffing.  I just cut these button mushrooms in half, stem and all.

While the mushrooms are in the oven, get started browning the sausage and cutting the onions.

Once the meat has browned - put it into a dish and set aside.  Put the cut onions into the same pan as the sausage (no washing needed) and caramelize the onions.  Once they are a nice color add the diced apples. You can add the brown sugar in with the apples also. Once the apples have browned a bit, add a cup of white wine and let it bubble for a few minutes.

Pour the apple, onion mixture into a bowl and set aside.  I'm sorry I didn't pictures of these next several steps but I had a lot going on.  Refer to the original recipe for more photos. 

In the same pan that the onions and apples just came out of you'll want to pour in the chicken broth and add the seasonings and the rosemary.

Now, in a big bowl put your bread cubes first, then the sausage meat and juice...

Then add the apple/onion mixture.

Now the mushrooms.  You pick the order, it doesn't really matter.

Now slowly add the broth mixture and stir after each addition of the broth so you can determine how moist you want your stuffing to be.

I ended up putting this into two 9x13 inch pans so I could get more crunchy bits on the top.  Cook until golden brown.  I also froze one entire pan since this made A LOT!  I'll let you know how the frozen pan  tastes after we've eaten it.  My husband really enjoyed this stuffing and so did I.  This is a good recipe if you've got a large crowd to cook for!  I'll be trying some other recipes throughout the year just for some comparisons.  Give this a try this holiday season!

Here's where you can find the recipe: Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Apples

Cranberry Sauce

Another one of my husbands favorites from our Thanksgiving Day dinner was this cranberry sauce. Sweetened with maple syrup and cranberry juice.  Amazing.  Try it.  You won't regret it.

Add one bag of fresh cranberries to a large sauce pan. Pour in one cup of 100% cranberry juice

Then add the maple syrup (REAL maple syrup).

Add a splash of orange juice

Stir well and then turn the heat onto high.

Watch out for those bubbles, some of mine spilled over the edge.

Cook for 10 minutes or until the juice is thick. You can skim the foam if you'd like.  I didn't.

Now place this wonderful goodness into a jar and refrigerate.  Its delicious, enjoy.

You can find the recipe here: Cranberry Sauce

Pumpkin Cream Pie

Today begins my Thanksgiving dinner and dessert items, so prepare yourselves!  One of the biggest hits of our dinner was dessert.  My husband said this is one of the best pies hes ever eaten and has already requested it again for Christmas dinner.  I made all my recipes from the same blog this year and was very happy with them all. I hope you'll give this one a try this holiday season; its a keeper for sure.

Start by crushing up the graham crackers either in a food processor or by putting them into a bad and beating the heck out of them with your rolling pin. One of these methods is also a stress reliever. :-)

Next add the melted butter and the powered sugar and mix until the entire mixture is damp.

Press this mixture into a pie plate and refrigerate until solid.

Next, in a medium saucepan add the vanilla pudding mix.  The Cook and Serve kind, a 3 oz box.

Now add the half and half, and spices and whisk together.

Refrigerate until cool so that it cuts easier. You'll also notice that I didn't top mine with the fancy graham cracker/brown sugar topping that she suggests.  This is mostly because I forgot.  Since I'm making it again soon I'll be sure to try the topping. Enjoy!

Here's where you can find the recipe: Pioneer Woman's Pumpkin Cream Pie

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Let me start out by saying that I wasn't able to get a picture of this on a plate with me ready to dig into it because I made it for a work function, and didn't bring my camera to the function.  I am told that it was very good however.  I will be making it again just to verify and give more details.  This was very easy to make, and I didn't get any cracking like I sometimes do with other cheesecake recipes.  This is probably due to the mixture that is added to the top layer. 

I'm sorry for the lousy photographs you are about to see.  I made this at night so.....

Above I have mixed together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.  Mix until smooth and then add the eggs and blend again. 

Remove 1 cup of the mixture and pour it into the bottom of a graham cracker crust.

With the remaining cream cheese mixture add the pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Once mixed, carefully fold in the whipped topping.

Pour the pumpkin cream cheese mixture over the first layer of cream cheese and carefully smooth it out.

Sorry, I was in a hurry and put it in the oven before I took a picture of it. 

Here it is cooked, it had a beautiful orange color and was sort of firm around the edges while the center wasn't quite set all the way.  This is what you want.  This also made my house smell really good.  Quick and easy dessert, I wish I could comment about its taste but honestly I didn't even get to try some at my company event.  I was told it was very good though.

Here's where you can find the recipe: Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Apple Squares

Yes its true, I still haven't used up all my apples. I made this recipe for the first time when my family and I recently drove up to Boston.  My husband said he wanted apple pie.....not very portable and even harder to eat while driving.  I found this recipe and I'm so glad I did, it's full of apples and portable too.  Can't go wrong here.

In the bowl above is the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Here we have the brown sugar, white sugar, and butter.

After those ingredients have been mixed, add the eggs.

Incorporate the flour mixture.

Add the apples and stir by hand to combine.

Pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan.

Top with cinnamon sugar mix and bake.

Bake until it turns nice and golden on top.

Let cool before cutting into squares.  The texture is very much like a moist cake.  The apples chunks are perfect.  I left out the nut option and just added more apples in their place.  My husband can't get enough of this so I had to take the rest to work, to save ourselves from it.  Enjoy!

Here is the original recipe, my modified version will be below: Apple Squares

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter - melted
1 cup of packed brown sugar
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups apples - peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350.

Add the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into a bowl and stir to combine.
In a separate bowl add the melted butter and both sugars and mix to combine.  Next, add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix.
Slowly add the flour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture until combined.  Add the chopped apples and stir by hand to combine so the apples don't break apart.  Pour into a prepared 9x13 inch dish and top with the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the top begins to turn a golden brown.  Let cool in the pan before cutting.

Apple Dumplings

Before I begin, let me just say that this is a totally wonderful dish that will probably shorten your life...I'm just sayin.

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs (http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/) and knew I would have to make it.  I did succeed in avoiding it for an entire six months and then the stupid apples came into season and I bought a bunch and I HAD to use them up.  Right? Right!

First, buy two 8-ounce refrigerated containers of crescent roll dough.  Peel two apples, core them, then cut them into 8 pieces. Now wrap each apple in a crescent roll triangle and put them into a 9x13 inch dish.

Melt two sticks of butter.  This is only the beginning of the reasons I tried to avoid it....

Add 1 1/2 cups of sugar.  Do you feel your arteries clogging yet? Don't stir the sugar until it dissolves, in fact just stir it until its all wet from the butter and then stop.

Turn off the heat and add the vanilla.

Pour the mixture over the apples wrapped in crescent dough making sure to cover all the apples.  It will be lumpy and that's what you want.

Now pour 12 oz of Mt. Dew around the outer edges.  I don't know why you just pour it around the outer edges but I bet Pioneer Woman can answer it for you if you ask her.

Sprinkle the tops with Cinnamon.

Put into a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.

The tops get nice and crispy while the bottom stays soft and the sauce forms into a nice thick syrup...

Pioneer Woman suggests serving this with vanilla ice cream and putting some of the syrup over the top.  I would have totally done that if I'd have had vanilla ice cream.  This is one of those quick and easy desserts that you will just keep going back for more.  That's one reason I tried so hard not to make it.  But I'm glad I did, now please come over and help me eat it.  Help!

Here's where you can find the recipe and detailed instructions:
Apple Dumplings