Monkey Bread

• 3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup raisins



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 or 10 inch Bundt® pan.

2. Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.

3. In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.

I quartered BUTTERMILK (these keep moist much better during cooking) biscuits and rolled each piece in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and layered it on top of the pecans. Three cans of Pillsbury's filled my pan exactly. Then I poured the brown sugar/butter mixture on top and baked it for about 40minutes and turned it over on a serving platter....it didn't stick at all, looked BEAUTIFUL, tasted absolutely delicious and gooey (I had no hard bottom layer, it was moist throughout). Will make for every birthday breakfast, holiday breakfast, etc for years to come....a recipe to pass down!

To make this recipe even quicker, use a pizza cutter to cut up the biscuits. Add a tsp of lecithin, (full recipe) with the butter, to keep the butter from separating from the caramel.

Stuffing Balls

Turkey giblets

8 tablespoon butter
4 ea celery tops
20 sl bread
16 oz pepperidge farm stuffing
2 cup chicken stock

2 each onions, chopped
2 cup chicken stock

Boil giblets, butter, and celery tops until done. Toast breads, then break toast into small pieces. Add Pepperidge Farm stuffing to toast.

Cook chopped onions in stock. When tender, add to bread mix. If dressing is too dry, add chicken stock for additional moisture.

Preheat oven to 350. Form into serving-size balls and place in buttered baking dish. Spoon additional broth over balls. Bake 1 hour or until brown.

This dressing is moist and is very easy to serve. If I have too much for Thanksgiving I freeze uncooked balls and use them at Christmas which helps speed up dinner that busy day.

Grandma's Cornbread Dressing and Giblet Gravy

This old-fashioned cornbread dressing is flavorful, tender and moist. Not fancy, its ingredients are simple. Grandma didn't hold with the notion that the more stuff you put in cornbread dressing, the better it is. The heart of the dressing is the cornbread, and the following recipe produces a coarse-crumbed, flavorful base for the dressing.

The Cornbread:

• 3 tablespoons bacon drippings
• 2 large eggs
• 1-1/2 cups corn meal
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1-1/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Put the bacon drippings in a 9x13-inch baking dish and put it in the oven while it is preheating. The drippings will melt while youre mixing up the batter.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl until frothy. Add the corn meal, salt, baking soda and baking powder, and stir to combine. Add the buttermilk and stir well. Remove the hot dish from the oven. Swirl the dish to coat it with melted bacon drippings, pour the bacon drippings into the batter and stir to combine.

Pour the batter into the pan, and bake 20 to 25 minutes. The cornbread will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Make the cornbread a day before you intend to make your dressing. Leave it out, uncovered, overnight.

The Dressing:

• 1 9x13-inch pan of cornbread, crumbled
• 10 white or whole wheat bread heels (left out overnight)
• poultry seasoning (see below)
• rubbed sage (see below)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large stalks celery, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped (2-1/2 to 3 cups)
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 3/4 cup butter (1-1/2 sticks)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup turkey pan drippings (from cooked turkey -- you are cooking a turkey, aren't you?)
• 3 large eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Crumble the cornbread and white bread into a very large baking dish or pan (This is the pan you will cook your dressing in, and you need room to stir it while it's cooking).

In a large skillet, sauté the celery, onion and green pepper in butter over medium heat until onion is transparent. Combine the sautéed vegetables with the bread crumbs and mix well. Note: The dressing up to this point can be prepared an hour or so in advance.

When you are ready to bake the dressing, add the beaten eggs, chicken stock and turkey pan drippings, and stir. (You may need a little more chicken stock -- better if it's too moist than too dry; the uncooked dressing should be a little on the slushy side.) Add 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage, black pepper, and mix thoroughly.

After baking for 15 minutes or so, stir dressing down from the sides of the pan so that it cooks uniformly (my mother's term was "rake through it"). Check the seasonings; that is, taste it. If you don't taste enough sage for your liking, add 1/4 teaspoon or so with a little chicken stock, stir it in, and taste again. Careful, a little sage goes a long way.

Total cooking time should be about 30 minutes.

Giblet Gravy:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup drippings from roasting pan that have been skimmed of fat
• 1 cup chicken broth
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon dry Sherry (not cooking sherry)
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups turkey giblets (chopped pieces of cooked liver and neck)

The Giblets: I use just the liver and pieces off the neck (I give the gizzard to the cat, and my husband eats the heart.) I always cook the neck with the turkey -- tuck it down in a corner of the pan. You can cook the liver the same way: submerge it in the broth in the roasting pan about 30 minutes before you expect the turkey to be done, or you can put it in a small saucepan, cover with a cup or so of lightly salted water and simmer it for 30 minutes. Since burner space is at a premium when preparing a holiday meal, I usually opt for the cook-it-with-the-turkey method.

Over medium-low heat, melt the butter in a large saucepan until it is bubbly, sprinkle in the flour and stir quickly for a minute or so to cook the flour. Slowly stir in the turkey drippings and chicken stock, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the gravy is smooth and thickened. (Note about lumps: Lumps are nothing to be embarrassed about. They happen. If you've got some lumps and want to get rid of them, strain the gravy now, because you won't be able to after you add the giblets.)

Reduce heat to low, and check the seasonings. Add salt and pepper only if you think it is necessary. Some people (me) like to add a tablespoon or two of sherry at this point. It makes a wonderful difference. Add the giblets and simmer for about 10 minutes.

You can make your gravy early, keep it warm, and heat it back up a bit just before serving, if you like.

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Note: With dressing of any kind, seasoning and consistency are crucial to the success of the dish. Tastes vary widely, and that is why approximations are given for the poultry seasoning and sage. Start with the amounts given (I don't like my dressing too sagey), and if that's not enough to suit you, add more during the cooking process when you taste it.

As for the consistency, you can always add more stock to moisten it (I like mine nice and moist -- just about the same consistency as mashed potatoes), but I've seen dressing that had to be sliced like a loaf of bread -- too dry for my liking. But you'll probably want to make it the way your mother or Aunt Sally or whoever made it.

Brined, Herb Roasted Turkey

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2007
(Food Network)


Ingredients

Brine:

• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 oranges, quartered
• 2 lemons, quartered
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey
• 1 large orange, cut into 1/8ths
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• Salt and pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/8ths
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1/2 bunch sage
• 3 or 4 sprigs parsley
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or turkey stock, for basting

Turkey Broth:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Reserved turkey neck and giblets
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 1 small bay leaf
• 3 cups turkey stock, chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth
• 3 cups water

Gravy:

• 4 cups turkey broth
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Brine:

Directions

To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a nonreactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, food grade plastic storage bag). Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary. Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.

Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water.

Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels both inside and out. Place turkey, breast side up, in a large, heavy roasting pan. Rub breast side with orange segments and rub on all sides with the butter, stuffing some underneath the skin. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, remaining orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string. Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.

Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

For the turkey broth:

Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and saute until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside.

For the pan gravy:

Pour the reserved turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat.

Place the roasting pan on 2 stovetop burners over medium heat add the pan juice and 1 cup turkey broth and the white wine to the pan, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 3 cup of broth and bring to a simmer, then transfer to a measuring cup. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Add the reserved neck meat and giblets to the pan and adjust seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve.

Slice and serve guests with desired sides.

Southern Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients

• Cornbread, recipe follows
• 7 slices oven-dried white bread
• 1 sleeve saltine crackers
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 7 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sage (optional)
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (optional)
• 5 eggs, beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, dried white bread slices, and saltines; set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the stock, mix well, taste, and add salt, pepper to taste, sage, and poultry seasoning. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Reserve 2 heaping tablespoons of this mixture for the giblet gravy. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Serve with turkey as a side dish.

Cornbread:

• 1 cup self-rising cornmeal
• 1/2 cup self-rising flour
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into a greased shallow baking dish. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

To serve, cut into desired squares and serve with butter.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Chocolate Chip Pie

Recipe courtesy Deen Brothers (Food Network)


Ingredients

Pie:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup (2-sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups chopped walnuts, optional

Whipped cream:

• 2 pints (4-cups) heavy cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) pie plates; set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, and mix until fully combined. Fold in the 3 cups chocolate chips and, if desired, the walnuts. Divide the dough between the prepared pie plates and smooth the tops with a spatula.

Bake about 30 minutes or until pies are golden and slightly firm to the touch but still soft. If the pies begin to darken too much before they are baked through, cover with foil and continue baking. Let pies cool completely on a wire rack.

While the pies cool, whip the cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form (tips curl). Fold in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate whipped cream until ready to use. Spread the whipped cream over the pies and serve.

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen (Food Network)


Ingredients

• 2 heads garlic
• 6 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and quartered
• Salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 (12-ounce) carton sour cream
• 1 (8-ounce) block sharp white Cheddar, grated
• 1 1/2 pounds cooked bacon, julienned

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut tops off 2 garlic heads. Wrap in foil and roast for 30 minutes. When cool enough to handle remove the flesh from the garlic heads and set aside.

In a large stockpot, cook potatoes in enough salted water to cover for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender.

Drain and return to stockpot. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth; adding salt, to taste, pepper, butter, garlic and sour cream. With a spatula stir in cheese and bacon. Add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately.

Green Bean Casserole

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen (Food Network)


Ingredients

• 1/3 stick butter
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 cups sliced green beans
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings
• Pinch House Seasoning, recipe follows
• 1 cup grated Cheddar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and House Seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Deep-Fried Turkey

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen (Food Network)
Ingredients

• 5 gallons peanut oil*
• 10 to 15-pound unstuffed turkey
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons House Seasoning, recipe follows

Directions

*Cooks Note: To measure the amount of oil needed to fry the turkey, place turkey in fryer, add water to top of turkey, remove the turkey and the water line will indicate how much oil will be needed to fry your turkey. Having too much oil can cause a fire. The pot should not be more than 3/4 full or the oil could overflow when the turkey is added.

Pour peanut oil into a 10-gallon pot. Put pot on propane cooker and heat oil to 400 degrees F.

Have turkey completely thawed and dry turkey thoroughly. Tie 2 cotton strings around carcass so bird can be easily lifted out of oil. Carefully submerge turkey in oil.

Deep-fry for 3 to 4 minutes per pound and cook until turkey floats to the top. Remove bird from oil and place on a platter or cutting board.

In a small pan, melt the butter. Add the garlic powder, cayenne and House Seasoning. Brush turkey with butter mixture. Pour any remaining butter mixture inside the turkey. Allow to cool 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

Please be extremely careful when deep-frying the turkey. Do it outdoors on a level and non-flammable surface.

House Seasoning:

• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Good Eats Roast Turkey

Recipe courtesy of Food Network (Alton Brown)

Ingredients


• 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the Brine:

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 gallon vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
• 1 gallon heavily iced water

For the Aromatics:

• 1 red apple, sliced
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup water
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 6 leaves sage
• Canola oil

Directions

2 to 3 days before roasting:

Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:

Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.