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CalifChick -> RE: Thanksgiving Recipes (11/18/2007 4:36:44 PM)
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Because I tend to make elaborate desserts, I often do simple side dishes, but I do have a few. The traditional Green Bean Casserole makes me want to hurl, so I do my green beans this way:
Green Bean Bundles
10 slices bacon
1 pound fresh green beans
1 cube beef bouillon
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until partially cooked. Drain, cut each piece in half, and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the green beans in a steamer basket over the boiling water. Cover with a lid so that the steam does not escape. Steam for a few minutes until the green beans are done. Set the green beans aside. Reserve about 2 cups of the water and dissolve the bouillon cube in it.
Take a bundle of green beans (4 or 5) and wrap them with a piece of bacon. Secure with a toothpick if necessary. Place the bundles in a shallow baking dish that can stand the heat of the broiler.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the reserved stock with the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, butter, brown sugar, and garlic powder. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Pour the sauce over the bundles and bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 20 minutes or until the bacon is done. If you like, turn on the broiler and broil briefly to crisp up the bacon.
Notes: This can be made ahead. After you pour on the sauce, just cover the whole thing and put in the fridge overnight. Then take out and bake/broil. Sometimes I skip the sauce and just make the bundles, sprinkle generously with garlic powder, and broil.
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I usually make this as an appetizer:
Stuffed Mushrooms
1 1/2 pounds medium sized mushrooms (around 30)
1/2 pound spicy pork sausage
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Remove stems from mushrooms and chop the stems to 1/4 inch dice. Set aside.
In large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until well browned. Remove sausage from pan, reserving sausage drippings. Return about 2 tablespoons of the drippings back to the same skillet (no need to wash the skillet), and saute the mushroom stems over medium heat until they are tender, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove skillet from heat, stir in sausage, cheese and crumbs. Fill mushroom caps with misture. Put stuffed mushrooms in a shallow baking dish and bake at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes.
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If you want to dress up plain corn, used a name brand of canned whole corn, such as Del Monte (or use frozen). The kernels will be plumper and will hold together better. Heat in a saucepan with about a teaspoon of garlic powder added and a small handful (1/4 cup or so) of shredded cheese (add right into the water).
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This is a scalloped potato side dish that I like to make with ham at Christmas, since most people want mashed potatoes with their Thanksgiving turkey.
Potatoes Grandmere
6 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8" slices
salt and white pepper to taste
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Layer sliced potatoes in a 9x13" glass baking dish and season with salt and white pepper. Combine cream, mustard, garlic, and butter in heavy saucepan and heat just to the boiling point. Pour over potatoes. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove cover and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake 30 minutes longer or until cheese is golden brown and potatoes are tender. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.
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The little ones like this dish, it's creamy and cheesy and they don't usually notice the broccoli hiding in it.
Green Rice
1 stick butter or margarine
1 cup chopped onions (1/4 inch dice)
1 cup chopped celery (1/4 inch dice)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
8 ounce jar processed american cheese (Cheez Whiz)
2 packages chopped broccoli (frozen, in a box)
2 cups of cooked rice (measured after cooking)
1/4 cup or so of grated cheddar cheese
Cook and drain broccoli.
In the meantime, saute butter, onions and celery together in a skillet. Add soup and cheez whiz. Heat until blended together and hot. Add cooked, drained broccoli. Pour over rice and mix well. Pour into casserole dish and top with the grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly.
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And one more I make as an appetizer, we really like this one:
Crab Bites
1 can (12 ounces) dungeness or other crab meat (any fresh or frozen crab meat will do)
1/3 cup fine soft bread crumbs
2 tablespoons dry sherry (or wine or chicken broth)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 slices bacon, cut in thirds
Thaw crab meat if frozen, drain, pick through and discard any shell. Chop crab meat. Combine all ingredients except bacon. Portion crab mixture with a tablespoon, shaping into small rolls. Wrap bacon around, secure with toothpicks. Broil about four inches from the heat for 8 to 10 minutes (watch closely). Turn them all over and broil another 5 minutes until crisp (again, watching closely).
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If there is something specific you're looking for, whether it's an ingredient (like an oyster dish) or a style of dish (a green vegetable with a sauce), let me know. I've got tons of stuff. One of the dreams I used to toy around with was opening my own catering business for small dinner parties.
So, how many more people should I be expecting for dinner? [;)]
Cali
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