Pulled Pork Sandwiches - Dinner

These are awesome pulled pork sandwiches with a mustard based BBQ sauce!

Below is the original recipe from foodnetwork.com, and below that are my notes. I made a few adjustments...


Ingredients
Dry Rub:
· 3 tablespoons paprika
· 1 tablespoon garlic powder
· 1 tablespoon brown sugar
· 1 tablespoon dry mustard
· 3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
· 1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt
Cider-Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:
· 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
· 1 cup yellow or brown mustard
· 1/2 cup ketchup
· 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
· 2 garlic cloves, smashed
· 1 teaspoon kosher salt
· 1 teaspoon cayenne
· 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
· Pan drippings from the pork
· 12 hamburger buns
· 1 recipe Cole Slaw, recipe follows
· Pickle spears, for serving
Directions
Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Put the pork in a roasting pan and roast it for about 6 hours. An instant-read thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the pork should register 170 degrees F, but basically, what you want to do is to roast it until it's falling apart.
While the pork is roasting, make the barbecue sauce. Combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Take it off the heat and let it sit until you're ready for it.
When the pork is done, take it out of the oven and put it on a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While it's resting, deglaze the pan over medium heat with 3/4 cup water, scraping with a wooden spoon to pick up all of the browned bits. Reduce by about half. Pour that into the saucepan with the sauce and cook 5 minutes.
While the pork is still warm, you want to "pull" the meat: Grab 2 forks. Using 1 to steady the meat, use the other to "pull" shreds of meat off the roast. Put the shredded pork in a bowl and pour half of the sauce over. Stir it all up well so that the pork is coated with the sauce.
To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom half of each hamburger bun, and top with some slaw. Serve with pickle spears and the remaining sauce on the side.
Cole Slaw:
1 head green cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, grated
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 green onions (white and green parts), chopped
1 fresh red chile, sliced
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
Pinch sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
Several dashes hot salt
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine the cabbage, carrots, red onion, green onions, and chile in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss gently to mix. Season the cole slaw with the celery seed, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper. Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

My Notes:
I bought a 2 lb. pork loin, which is all the grocery store had, because of that I had to reduce pretty much everything else. Then, I cooked it for about 8 ½ hours in crock pot on the low setting. It was plenty for Brittany and I for a couple days, and I had about 2 sandwiches with every serving.

To adjust for the smaller chunk of meat I reduced all of the ingredients of the dry rub by using teaspoons instead of tablespoons. Then, I cut all of the ingredients for the BBQ sauce in half, well actually I adjusted that a bit more because most of the people who commented on the recipe said it was too vinegary.

Here are my adjustments to the sauce:

1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup brown mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (it's pretty spicy so you could even go 1/4 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
Enjoy!

-Joel

pavlova

Yummy.Yummy.Yummy

4 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch kosher salt

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whipped Cream

1/2 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

1/2 pint fresh blueberries

1/2 pint fresh raspberries

Or any fresh fruit

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees F.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Draw a 9-inch circle on the paper, using a 9-inch plate as a guide, then turn the paper over so the circle is on the reverse side. (This way you won't get a pencil mark on the meringue.)

Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. With the mixer still on high, slowly add the sugar and beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the mixer, sift the cornstarch onto the beaten egg whites, add the vinegar and vanilla, and fold in lightly with a rubber spatula. Pile the meringue into the middle of the circle on the parchment paper and smooth it within the circle, making a rough disk. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 hour. It will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Invert the meringue disk onto a plate and spread the top completely with sweetened whipped cream. Combine the strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in a bowl .Spoon the berries carefully into the middle of the Pavlova, leaving a border of cream and meringue.

Sweet Potato Salad

My new favorite vegetable combination...and I don't even like beets. Sweet Potato Salad 2 lbs sweet potato 2 beets 2 pears 10 Fresh Sage leaves 10 fresh Tarragon leaves (if you don't have the fresh herbs, it tastes just fine with sage/tarragon from your spice rack) Olive Oil Preheat oven to 375 Chop sweet potatoes, beats, and pears into similar size chunks Spread vegetables out on a roasting pan toss the vegetables with some olive oil Add chopped Tarragon and sage Cover dish with foil Bake for about 45-60 minutes or until the vegetables are soft Salt and pepper to taste

Baked French Toast

Ingredients:
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
12 slices of bread
confectioners' sugar
Directions
Combine brown sugar, butter and cinnamon; spread evenly in a greased 9x13 baking pan; set aside. Combine eggs, vanilla, and milk in a shallow dish; place bread in dish and soak well, turning once. Place bread over sugar mixture. Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve brown sugar side up; this means flip it over! Dust with confectioners' sugar. Yum! Found this one on All Recipes and made a few little changes; Mason's favorite now!

Magnolia Cupcake Recipe

It is no secret that Scott and I have a favorite cupcake place in the city. Magnolia is by far our favorite and still holds up against the competition. I found the recipe online and decided I would try to make it. It tasted almost exactly like the cupcakes from the bakery, but my texture was not up to snuff with theirs. I only baked the cupcakes for about 22 minutes, whereas I think they could've gone for at least 25-26. I also cut the recipe in half because it is for 24 cupcakes and there is no way we were going to have 24 cupcakes hanging around our apartment. I would recommend using the vanilla bean paste (at Williams Sonoma) anytime they call for vanilla extract because it really made a difference.

Try them. you will love them.

MAGNOLIA CUPCAKES:
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soften
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

ICING:
Vanilla Buttercream (recipe follows) or Chocolate Buttercream
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
3. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
5. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. At the bakery we ice the cupcakes with either Vanilla Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream.

Note: If you would like to make a layer cake instead of cupcakes, divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans and bake the layers for 30-40 minutes.

Vanilla Frosting
Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes*

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Smashed Peas and Ricotta Pasta

This was last night's dinner. I had some leftover basil and ricotta cheese from Thanksgiving so I used them up in this recipe. It was tasty, the basil and sausage together is a good combo. I would add maybe a little bit of half and half or heavy cream, just a little, to make the pasta a little creamier. I used angel hair because I am not a huge fan of thick cut pasta like fettucine or tagliatelle. I paired it with a toasted baguette that I sprinked some olive oil and romano cheese over.

Tagliatelle with Smashed Peas, Sausage, and Ricotta Cheese

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:

5 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

10 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle pasta (or other wide, long pasta)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 pound frozen peas, thawed
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 bunch fresh basil leaves chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes if dry or according to package directions if fresh. Drain pasta reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil and garlic over medium-high heat and add the sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into bite-sized bits. When the sausage has browned, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add the peas to the pan and, using the back of the wooden spoon, smash the peas. Turn off the heat. Add the ricotta cheese along with the cooked pasta and toss to coat, adding the pasta cooking water in 1/4 cup additions, if needed, to make the pasta moist. Return the sausage to the pan. Add the basil, Pecorino Romano cheese, and salt. Toss gently to coat and serve immediately.

Stir Fry

Venison Stir-fry

1 ½ pounds cubed venison or beef
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 sm. Onion, minced
1 pkg. mushrooms (your choice of kind), chopped
½ C. diced carrots
3 cloves garlic
3-4 tbls. oil
2 cups beef broth
2 Tbls. Oyster sauce
1-2 tbls. Soy sauce
2 tsp. 5 spice powder
black pepper to taste
red pepper to taste
cornstarch for thickening

Saute in a wok the venison in 2 tbls. Oil, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1 tsp. of the 5 spice powder. Pull out meat. Then sauté the vegis. Add the meat back ing with all other ingredients, except cornstarch. Let the sauce come to a boil, then add cornstarch mixed with water to the sauce for thickening. Serve over hot rice.
I made this one up one night and Brandon thought I should write it down, so I did!

Apple-Cranberry Pie

I sort of merged a couple recipes and made this over the weekend. I'm not going to lie, it was amazing.

Do what you will for the crust. I cheated. Double-crust.

4 cups pared, sliced apples (I used Granny Smith)

2 cups fresh/frozen cranberries

(Um, you can play with the above amounts. I think mine was maybe closer to 5 cups apples/1.5 cups cranberries? Fill the pie)

1/2 brown sugar

1/2 sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp cinnamon (or 1 1/2 tsp)

zest & juice of 1 orange

Splash of Apple juice

Combine filling ingredients & mix. Pour into pastry-lined pie plate. Cover w/ top pastry & crimp edges to seal. Brush with apple juice (or milk or egg white or whatever you've got). I didn't, but I bet you could sprinkle w/ some sugar. Bake 50 minutes at 425 or until golden brown. You'll have to Cover the edges with foil after about 20 minutes.

Try it. You'll like it.

Pumpkin Sage Pasta--an RR Recipe

I might overpost. We'll know if MB revokes my author privileges. This isn't in our normal rotation, but MB requested because we were "talking" about pumpkin pasta the other day. It's a Rachael Ray.

• 1 pound penne (pasta with lines)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 10 sage leaves, cut into thin slivers
• 1 can pumpkin puree (14 ounces)
• 1 cup shredded Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (eyeball it)
• 1 bunch chives, chopped

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add EVOO and brown the sausage, breaking it up with the back of a spoon. Transfer sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan. Cook over moderate heat until tender but not brown. Add the wine and return the sausage to the skillet, then continue to cook a couple of minutes. Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, sage and pumpkin. Bring up to a bubble and simmer until thick, a couple of minutes. Add the pasta and cheese and season with the nutmeg. Toss to coat the pasta with the sauce. Taste and check seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the pasta garnished with a sprinkle of chives.

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

In my experience, this pleases even people who aren't pumpkin fans. Oh yeah, I just used chicken stock for the wine.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies

Ginger snaps happen to be my all-time favorite cookie. These ones I got off of allrecipes.com and they are delightful little gems. Soft and a little spicy (especially if you add extra ginger, which I do). I love them. I have a hard time not eating them all by myself. Ginger Snaps II

Rated: Submitted By: Sherry Tollesfon Photo By: Texastwinkie Servings: 18

"These cookies are no fail and taste so good!"

Ingredients:

3/4 cup shortening 1 cup white sugar 1/4 cup light molasses 1 egg 2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.	Cream together shortening and sugar, add egg and beat until fluffy. Stir in molasses and mix well.
2.	Sift all dry ingredients-twice, then add to molasses mixture and mix well
3.	Using a cookie scoop or spoon scoop out spoonfuls of dough and form into round balls. Roll tops of balls in sugar.
4.	Place the round balls on a cookie sheet, these cookies flatten as they bake.
5.	Bake for exactly 9 minutes in a preheated 350 degree (175 degree C) oven. Remove from baking sheet and cool.

Garden Chowder

Here is another Kelsey recipe. She made it for a Relief Society social and they sent the recipe around and I made it a couple weeks ago. It is easy and really good, very hearty. I added potatoes and I think if I make it again I will put some sausage in it or something. As far as the husband liking it - well, he ate it the first night I made it but he didn't eat any of the leftovers. I was eating soup for lunch for like 2 weeks. He says he just isn't a big soup person...which is a crying shame because soup is one of my favorite things to eat.

Garden Chowder

Ingredients:

3 TBS butter

2 medium zucchini, diced

1 medium onion, diced

2 T fresh parsley, chopped

2 T fresh basil, chopped

1/3 Cup flour

3 Cups chicken broth

1 tsp lemon juice

2-3 tomatoes, diced

2 cups heavy cream

1 can (14.5 oz) corn

1/3 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 Cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper



Directions:



Over medium heat, saute the zucchini, onion, parsley and basil in
butter until vegetables are tender.

Add flour, stir until vegetables are coated. Slowly add chicken broth
and lemon juice. Bring to a boil.



Add tomatoes, milk and corn. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for five
minutes or until corn is tender.



Just before serving, stir in cheeses until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Spiced Pumpkin Shake

One of my friends in my ward here has a special talent for food. She has a food blog, Kelsey's Kitchen that I stole this recipe from. She made it one time when we were over at their apartment and Scott's reaction when he tried it was something like, "Wow, this is really good!" and that coming from my husband's mouth made my own mouth DROP. So, it was GOOD.

Oh and she says "Vanilla bean paste preferred" you can get that at Williams Sonoma. I got a jar and paid $11.00. Scott was not too happy about the price but it is absolutely wonderful. I put it in the pumpkin pie I made and the whipped cream for the topping and it made it absolutely divine.

SPICED PUMPKIN SHAKE

Yield: 2 servings


INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup canned pumpkin

2 T brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon vanilla*

1/4 cup whole milk
2 cups vanilla bean ice cream
½ cup gingersnap or graham cracker cookies, crushed & divided

*vanilla bean paste preferred


DIRECTIONS

Place 2 glasses in freezer to chill.

Combine all ingredients excluding ¼ cup of the cookies in blender and blend thoroughly. When completely blended, top each serving with remaining gingersnap cookies.

Caution Flag Chili

This is our favorite chili recipe. It is OH.SO.GOOD. What really makes it special are the corn bread pancakes. I like the chili extra spicy but the more times I made it the less chipotle peppers I have put in because my husband is a weenie when it comes to spicy foods...it is a sad thing, I tell ya. You can freeze this for however long you want if you don't finish it. We usually eat it for our lunches/dinner for the next couple of days. Anyway, we discovered this recipe because of miss Janine and we are very grateful for it. I think it was the first thing I made that Scott actually really enjoyed.

Oh and we leave out the beer.

Caution Flag Chili with Flat Tire Toppers

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Prep Time:

10 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

20 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 2 poblano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
• 2 pounds ground sirloin
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons grill seasoning, a couple of palm fulls
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
• 2 chipotles in adobo, chopped, plus 1 tablespoon of the sauce
• 1/2 cup steak sauce (recommended: Peter Luger or A1)
• 1 cup beer (1/2 a bottle)
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy, made to package directions for corn pancakes, listed on the side of the box)
• Softened butter, for greasing a griddle
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, half a palm full
• 2 scallions, chopped

Directions

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium high to high heat. When oil smokes, add the sliced poblanos and char them a couple of minutes and scoot them off to the side of the pan and add meat. Break up beef and brown it a couple of minutes then add the onions and garlic. Season the meat with grill seasoning, Worcestershire and chipotles in adobo. Cook until onions are tender, 5 to 6 minutes more, then stir in steak sauce and beer. Cook beer off for 1 minute then add stock and tomatoes and reduce heat to low.

Heat a nonstick griddle pan over medium heat. Butter the griddle then pour in batter to make 3 3/4-inch corn pancakes. Season beans with cumin. Top each poured corn cake with a couple tablespoons of black beans and a little chopped scallion. Flip cakes when bottoms are deeply golden and cook another 1 to 2 minutes on the opposite side. You should be able to make 6 cakes in 2 batches.

Top bowlfuls of the chili with flat tire toppers and serve.

Serve with plenty of cold 40s or wine coolers (recommended: thunderbird). Put all firearms away before serving.

Almost made it to the table

These dishes were on my list of things to potentially make for Thanksgiving. Sadly, they did not make it to the dinner table. However, I am determined to try them...especially the mac&cheese. YUM.

Pear, Apple and Cranberry Crisp

2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

1 hr 0 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (4 pears)
• 2 pounds firm Macoun apples (6 apples)
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the topping:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel and core the pears and apples and cut them into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and toss with the cranberries, zests, juices, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish.

For the topping:

Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.

Place the baking dish on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm.

Grown Up Mac and Cheese

2007, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:

10 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

1 hr 0 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

2 servings

Ingredients

• 4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
• Vegetable oil
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
• 3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
• 2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• 2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.

Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Thanksgiving Recipes

These were my successful Thanksgiving dishes. I enjoyed making them all from scratch (minus the pie crust) and as we are STILL working on eating the gnocchi I am still enjoying it. For the gnocchi I put alot more flour in than they called for because the dough was just way too sticky. They turned out with a really good texture once I finally formed the dough. If you make them be prepared for the sweetness. I'd eat them as a dessert.

Sausage and Kale Thanksgiving Dressing

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

5 min

Cook Time:

50 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

8 servings

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 1 pound sweet Italian fennel sausage, casings removed, broken into small pieces
• 3 large leeks, white and light-green parts only, sliced
• 1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 bunch kale, leaves trimmed and chopped
• 1 pound stale onion focaccia, cubed
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or turkey stock
• 1 cup diced parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup shredded

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add the leeks and squash and season with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook until the leeks are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the kale, toss and cover until the kale wilts, about 4 minutes. Add the focaccia cubes and the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and toss until the butter melts.

Whisk the egg and chicken broth in a bowl until smooth; stir in the diced parmesan and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour the broth mixture over the bread mixture; cook until the liquid is absorbed by the bread, about 1 minute.

Transfer the bread mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Scatter the shredded cheese evenly on top and bake until golden and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Set aside for 5 minutes before serving.

Photograph by: Anita Calero

Pumpkin Pie

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time:

15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

30 min

Cook Time:

50 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
• 1 piece pre-made pie dough
• Whipped cream, for topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Maple Cinnamon Sage Brown Butter

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:

40 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

15 min

Level:

Intermediate

Serves:

6 to 8 servings (about 105 gnocchi)

Ingredients

For the Gnocchi:

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes
• 2/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/3 cup for the work surface

For the Maple Cinnamon Sage Brown Butter:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 20 fresh sage leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the Gnocchi: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Pierce the sweet potato with a fork. Bake the sweet potatoes until tender and fully cooked, between 40 to 55 minutes depending on size. Cool slightly. Cut in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes and transfer to a large measuring cup to make sure the sweet potatoes measure about 2 cups. Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes back to the large bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, salt, cinnamon, and pepper and blend until well mixed. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough in a ball on the work surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Roll out each ball into a 1-inch wide rope. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. Roll the gnocchi over the tines of a fork. Transfer the formed gnocchi to a large baking sheet. Continue with the remaining gnocchi.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the gnocchi in 3 batches and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the gnocchi using a slotted spoon onto a baking sheet. Tent with foil to keep warm and continue with the remaining gnocchi.

For the Brown Butter sauce: While the gnocchi are cooking melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted add the sage leaves. Continue to cook, swirling the butter occasionally, until the foam subsides and the milk solids begin to brown. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cinnamon, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Careful, the mixture will bubble up. Gently stir the mixture. When the bubbles subside, toss the cooked gnocchi in the brown butter. Transfer the gnocchi to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Pea and Basil Soup

Pea and Basil Soup

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:
15 min
Inactive Prep Time:
--
Cook Time:
10 min

Level:
Easy

Serves:
4 to 6 servings (6 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 small onion, diced
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 pounds (about 4 1/2 cups) frozen peas
* 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
* 2 cups chicken broth, divided
* 2 cups cream
* 4 to 6 very thin slices fresh mozzarella cheese
* 1/4 cup diced roasted red bell peppers (jarred is fine)

Directions

Place a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, butter, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the peas and basil, and heat until the peas are thawed.

Place the pea mixture in a blender. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth and pulse until pureed, adding more broth, if necessary, to puree. Return the pureed mixture to the pot. Stir in the remaining chicken broth and cream. Return the pan to medium heat and cook until hot, but not boiling.

To serve, place the soup in bowls. Float a thin slice of fresh mozzarella cheese on top of each soup and sprinkle with the diced roasted red bell peppers. Serve immediately.