Thanksgiving Turkey Again!

I am using the same method of baking my turkey as last year, since it was easy and delicious and I don't feel like experimenting with my husband' s Thanksgiving work party turkey! I don't think I have to bake the "real" thanksgiving turkey this year, since I'll be with FAMILY! ! ! woohoo!

Sweet Potato Soufflé

I LOVE Thanksgiving! ! ! ! I especially love the food that only seems to appear on the table at this time. I made this for a church dinner the other night, and it was a hit. I made a few adjustments to my mom's recipe, not that it needed it. I just wanted to experiment. I'm posting the original recipe for future use. Thanks to my Granny for reading this whole thing to me over the phone :)

Sweet Potato Soufflé
from the kitchen of Carol R. Cheesman

• 3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans

Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add ½ cup butter. Beat until smooth. Spoon into greased 2qt. casserole.

Combine flour, sugar, 1/3 cup butter. Add pecans. Sprinkle over top of casserole.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

NOTES: I threw in a dash or two of nutmeg and cinnamon while I was beating the potatoes in my kitchen-aide. I'd seen a few other recipes which called for them and it seemed very holiday-ish. I really couldn't tell that it was in there, but it tasted really fabulous, so I thought I would mention that I did so.

I also substituted marshmallows in for the streusel on top. Add the marshmallows AFTER you bake the sweet potatoes, then put in the oven just long enough to melt the marshmallows. I also sprinkled some brown sugar on top because I thought it might look cool, but there was no cool factor at all. I'd leave that out next time. I toasted the marshmallows on accident, but I think I like it better that way.

Mr. John's Stuffed Peppers

Yum. Definitely will make it again. Got this at FoodNetwork.com.

Mr. John's Meat-Stuffed Bell Peppers

• 6 green bell peppers, tops cut away and seeds removed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell peppers
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 cups cooked long or medium-grain white rice
  
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• Water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling water, parboil the peppers until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels.

In a large saute pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and chopped bell peppers and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the beef, pork, garlic, parsley, salt, black pepper, and pepper flakes. Cook until the meat is browned, stirring with a heavy wooden spoon to break up the lumps, about 6 minutes. Add the rice and tomato sauce and stir well. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning, to taste.

Pour enough water into a baking dish to just cover the bottom, about 1/8-inch deep. Stuff the bell peppers with the rice mixture and place in the baking dish. Bake until the peppers are very tender and the filling is heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Mango Chicken Curry

Yum Yum Yum. Found this on the internet and I don't know where. The person didn't say where they got it from either. I was trying to find Tofu recipes and I found this instead. The way I made it was very different from this recipe... but still good.

Mango Caribbean Chicken Curry

• 1/2 c. chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. lime or lemon zest
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. corn starch
• 12 oz. chicken breasts or thighs
• 2 tsp. cooking oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 c. sliced red onion
• 2 cups chopped, peeled mango or papaya
• 2 cups hot cooked rice
• lime peel strips

For sauce, in a small bow stir together broth, lime juice, lime zest, brown sugar, curry powder, and cornstarch; set aside.
Rinse chicken; pat dry, cut into bite-sized pieces
In a large skillet/wok, heat oil until very hot. Stir fry garlic for 30 seconds. Add onion slices; stir fry for 3 minutes. Remove onion from wok or skillet.
Add chicken and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Push chicken into center of pan.
Stir sauce mixture. Pour sauce into center of pan; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return onion to work.
Add mango or papaya. Stir ingredients together to coat with sauce. Cook 2 minutes or more until mixture is heated trough.
Serve over rice, garnish with lime peel strips.

Makes 4 servings.

NOTES: Okay, the way I made this was way different due to circumstance, but I wanted to have the original in my records to try another time. Today, I wanted to slow cook this. I did not have a lime, so I just used lemon juice. I only had bottled Mango, not fresh. I also wanted to try to use some Tofu (my first time!). I added a whole block of tofu and three chicken breasts and increased the ingredients a bit. I just browned the chicken, dried the tofu, dumped all the ingredients together in a crockpot and cooked it on high for three hours. I took out some of the juices and added cornstarch to make a gravy in a pan, but this time my gravy was runny. How do you master that?! I think I've only made gravy well one time! EVER! We have this divine mango coconut chili sauce that we drizzled on top for fun after a few bites. I didn't tell Justin there was tofu in it till the end, and he hadn't even noticed!

McCormick Recipes

I just want to say that whoever came up with this idea of pre-packaged herb combos for those of us who may be herbally challenged is a genius for whom I am grateful.
The three I have tried out so far are (ranked in order of deliciousness)

-Apple & Sage Pork Chops
-Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas
-Spanish Chicken Skillet

They added some variety to the tastes that come out of my kitchen, and I plan on buying more as they create more in the future.

Mom's Sweet & Sour Pork or Chicken

I made this tonight with chicken, but pork works well too. Justin kept commenting on how delicious it was throughout the meal. I felt like a cook tonight.

Mom's Sweet & Sour Pork or Chicken
from the kitchen of Carol R Cheesman

• 6-8 pork chops or 4-5 chicken breasts
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 can of water (or chicken/beef stock)
• 1 can mushrooms (optional)
• 1 large green pepper, sliced
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/3-1/2 c. brown sugar (I used 1/2. I was going for taste, not health this time.)
• Pineapple chunks (optional)
  

Brown meat in electric fry pan. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over meat. Simmer for 2 hours or put in Dutch oven and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. (Carol's preference). Add pineapples if desired. Serve over rice.

Layered Enchilada Pie

There were ooh's and aah's during the whole dinner from both me and Justin while we ate this yummy meal.

Layered Enchilada Pie
by Sherry Newell, from Family Favorites Cook Book, p. 23

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 minced clove garlic
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder (or more)
• 1 (4 1/2 oz.) can chopped ripe olives
• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 6 tortillas, lightly buttered
• 2 c. shredded cheese
• 2/3 c. water

Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic in butter. Add seasonings, olives and tomato sauce. In a round casserole pan, alternate layers of buttered tortillas, meat sauce, and 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese on top of tortilla. Pour water at edge into bottom of casserole. Cover. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from pan to serving plate. Cut in wedges.