Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Food

No turkeys in this bunch

Consider adding one of these tasty tried-and-true recipes to your Thanksgiving repertoire.

By Janet K. Keeler
Published November 15, 2006

Thanksgiving is a meal made from traditions, some born in your grandmother's kitchen and others you start for yourself.

I am a bit of a dabbler when it comes to the big feast. Yes, we must have turkey and gravy, cranberry, stuffing, some sort of vegetable and mashed potatoes. How those dishes are made changes from year to year, along with where we eat them. (Sometimes it's a restaurant or another house.)

As a food editor, I've been exposed to more turkey and cranberry sauce recipes than you can imagine. Some seem more trouble than they are worth, but several have stuck with me and even earned a spot in my recipe box. I actually have one of those old-fashioned recipe collectors.

As you plan for next week's feast, consider one of these recipes. The stuffing recipe, from Lisa Smith of St. Petersburg, was a star in last year's Wishbone U. series. It has a lot of ingredients but the flavor is excellent. Smith recommends you start this dish on Tuesday. That's one less thing to worry about on Thanksgiving.

Cranberry sauce is easy to make and usually gets lots of raves. Have a chilled can of jelly or whole berry on hand for those who refuse to stray from the norm.

I am pushing the Whipped Sweet Potatoes With Pears again this year because I still can't believe how good it is. Try it, you'll love it.

Look for more Thanksgiving recipes, and the second year of Wishbone U., in our special holiday Taste section on Sunday.

Janet K. Keeler can be reached at (727) 893-8586 or jkeeler@sptimes.com.

SIDE DISH

Corn Bread Sausage Stuffing for a Crowd

Corn bread:

6 eggs

3/4 cup oil

3 cups canned creamed corn

3 cups regular sour cream (see note)

3 boxes Jiffy corn bread mix

Stuffing:

2 tablespoons butter

2 pounds Jimmy Dean maple sausage, cooked and well drained

1 celery heart, thinly sliced (see note)

3 medium white onions, diced

1 pound carrots, trimmed, washed and grated

2 Gala or Fuji apples, peeled, cored and diced

8 eggs, well-beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons sage

1 1/2 teaspoons marjoram

1 1/2 teaspoons thyme

3 tablespoons dried chives

1 to 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 cup chicken stock, divided use

Timing alert: Stuffing needs to be refrigerated overnight before cooking and corn bread needs to be made at least 8 hours before stuffing to give it time to cool and dry slightly. For Thanksgiving, start this dish on Tuesday night.

- To make corn bread: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In medium bowl, beat eggs with mixer. Add oil, corn and sour cream, incorporating on low speed. Add Jiffy mix and blend. Do not overmix; there should still be some lumps.

- Heavily butter a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Pour batter in pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes until top is puffed and golden brown.

To make stuffing: Melt butter in large saute pan over medium heat. Add celery, onion and carrots. Stir. Cook covered on medium heat until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Veggies will become soft but not brown. Put in a bowl and set aside.

- In a large bowl, crumble corn bread. Add sausage, cooked vegetables, eggs and seasonings, including salt. Add diced apples. With well-washed hands, mix thoroughly. Add 1/2 cup of stock. Blend well.

Heavily butter a 9- by 13-inch pan and one 8- by 8-inch pan. Spoon stuffing into prepared pans.

- Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle leftover 1/4 cup of chicken stock over both pans. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Raise heat to 375 and bake another 30 to 35 minutes or until golden.

Note: Low-fat or fat-free sour cream will add too much moisture to the corn bread. Celery hearts usually come three to a package and look like a skinny bunch of celery. Use one whole bunch (or heart) including leaves, but trim tops and bottoms.

The larger pan will feed 12 to 15; the smaller one 4 to 6.

Source: Lisa Smith of St. Petersburg

SIDE DISH

Cranberry Sauce With Dried Cherries and Cloves

2 1/2 cups cherry cider or black cherry cider or cranberry juice cocktail

1 8-ounce package dried tart cherries about 2 cups

1 cup sugar

1 12-ounce package cranberries

1/4 teaspoon (generous) ground cloves

- Bring cider to simmer in heavy, large saucepan. Remove from heat. Add cherries and let stand 8 minutes. Mix in sugar, then cranberries and cloves. Cook over medium-high heat until cranberries burst, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes.

- Refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours (sauce will thicken as it cools).

Note: Can be prepared 4 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.

Source: Bon Appetit magazine

SIDE DISH

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Pears

8 medium sweet potatoes

4 pears, peeled, cored and chopped

1 cup evaporated milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pinch of ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 cup chopped pecans

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

- Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake 1 hour, or until tender.

- Peel the baked sweet potatoes. Place in a medium bowl and whip with electric beater until smooth.

- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, gently cook the pears 10 minutes, or until tender. (The pears will emit enough juice; you won't need water.) Process the pears in a food processor or blender until smooth.

- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix the evaporated milk, vanilla, brown sugar and butter. Heat until scalded. Blend into the sweet potatoes.

- Mix the pear puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange juice and pecans into the sweet potato mixture. Transfer to a large baking dish.

- Bake in the preheated oven 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

- Makes 8 servings.

Note: You can skip the oven browning and serve just heated. The dish is delicious both ways.

Source: Adapted from www.allrecipes.com

[Last modified November 14, 2006, 11:04:34]