Mamaw's Spinach Rockefeller

My sweet, precious Mom's Classic Spinach Rockefeller.  This is a dish that is always included in the McCormick holiday feasts.  I like this dish also because it can be prepared a day ahead of time.

4 packages chopped fresh or chopped frozen spinach (10 oz each)

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup fine, dry bread crumbs

1/2 white onion, chopped fine

2 cloves of garlic, chopped fine

2 eggs

Pinch of fresh Thyme

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 tsp celery salt

1½ tsps Worcestershire sauce 

Dash or two of Tabasco

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 pinches of Accent

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt to taste

Cook spinach as directed on the package or if fresh, steam for 5 - 10 minutes. Drain very well.  In a sauté pan melt the butter and lightly sauté onion and garlic.  Mix the remaining ingredients with the onion, garlic and butter in a bowl. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9 " baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  If prepared the day before and is refrigerated you might need more cooking time.

Serves 10 - 12

Savory Corn Pudding

Another Southern staple.  Prepare this dish a day or two ahead of time.  Bake as directed, let cool, and then cover and chill up to 2 days. Reheat covered with foil.

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

2 tablespoons granulated sugar 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

2 teaspoons kosher salt 

6 large eggs 

2 cups heavy cream 

1/2 cup salted butter, melted and cooled 

2 tablespoons canola oil 

6 cups fresh corn kernels (from 8 ears) 

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion (from 1 onion) 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl until blended. Whisk together eggs, cream, and melted butter in a medium bowl until blended.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add corn and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 Tbsp. thyme. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir flour mixture and corn mixture into egg mixture. Spoon into a 13- x 9-inch (3-quart) baking dish, and bake in preheated oven until set and golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp. thyme.

**This recipe is adapted from Southern Living's Magazine.

Cheesy Hash Brown Potato Casserole

Yes, you can freeze this casserole. Simply freeze them without the cornflake topping.  When ready to use, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake with the cornflake topping as directed.  Instead of Corn Flakes for the topping you can substitute crushed potato chips such as Ruffles Potato Chips.  Just add mixture prior to cooking minus the cheese.  The chips should look toasty and not burnt

2 lbs hash brown cut potatoes

1 - 16 oz container sour cream

2 cups cheddar cheese, plus 1/2 cup for the topping

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup 

1 small onion, finely chopped or a bunch of green onions 

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 tsp pepper

2 - 3 cups crushed corn flakes cereal

1/4 cup butter, melted

In a very large bowl mix sour cream, 2 cups of the cheese, both soups, onion, garlic and pepper.

Add the hash browns and mix together thoroughly.

Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9 " baking dish.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 - 50 minutes or until hot and heated through.  

While casserole is cooking, mix the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese with 3 cups of corn flakes and melted butter.  

After baking 40 - 50 minute cover top with corn flake/cheese mixture and bake an additional 15 minutes until potatoes are bubbling and top has browned.

Serves 10 - 12

Classic Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce can be made 2–3 days ahead of time before serving.

24 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (6 cups)
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 wide strips orange zest, plus 1 cup fresh juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or 1 cinnamon stick, discarding before serving)
1/4 tsp Kosher salt


In a saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, orange zest and juice, cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst and mixture thickens slightly, 12 to 15 minutes. (Sauce will thicken more as it cools.) Remove from heat; let cool completely. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 week.

**This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Another classic side dish that can be made a day ahead of time.  You'll want to make sure that you don't over beat the potatoes to ensure that they stay smooth and fluffy.  When making ahead of time, give them 30 minutes on the counter to adjust to room temperature prior to putting in the oven.

5 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and rinsed
1 1/2 sticks regular salted butter, plus more for dotting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup or so half-and-half
A splash heavy cream
Salt and black pepper
3 to 5 heads roasted garlic

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Dice the potatoes and boil in a pot of water until fork tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and return to the pan over low heat. Mash the potatoes for 5 minutes to allow a lot of the steam to escape.

Add the butter, cream cheese, half-and-half, cream, some salt, pepper and roasted garlic. Stir/mash to combine. Test and adjust the seasonings.

Spread the potatoes into a large buttered baking dish. Dot the top with butter. Bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.


**Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Traditional Southern Style Cornbread Dressing

 

I grew up with my Mom and Granny always including cornbread dressing with our Thanksgiving feast.  This is a recipe I found that reminds me of their classic recipe, but with some twists with the addition of saltine crackers and cream of chicken soup.  You could also add cooked pork sausage and some chopped walnuts or pecans too for a heartier dressing.

Cornbread enough to fill a 9x13 or Pepperidge Farm Dried 

1 sleeve ritz or saltine crackers

3 medium eggs lightly beaten

1 large yellow onion diced

5 cloves garlic minced

5 sage leaves OR 2 1/2 tsp ground sage

2 tbsp olive oil

4-6 cups chicken broth

14 oz cream of chicken

2 tsp seasoning salt

1 tsp coarse black pepper

1 tsp thyme leaves

3 stalks celery chopped

Start chopping, and dicing all of the vegetables such as the celery, onions, and garlic. Also chop up the fresh sage.

Next, drizzle the olive oil into a large pan, then place the pan over medium heat.

Once the oil is nice and hot add in the onions, celery, and garlic. Cook until nice and tender.

Now toss in the fresh sage. Continue to cook for 2 minutes. Turn the heat off.

Crumble the cornbread into a large mixing bowl, along with the crackers.

Now add in the cooked vegetables. Fold the ingredients until everything is well combined.

Now pour in the broth followed by the cream of chicken soup.

Add in the eggs, and mix everything until well combined.

Sprinkle in the seasoning salt, thyme and pepper.

Now mix until well combined.

Preheat the  the oven to 350 F.

Lightly oil a 9x13 bake dish, then pour in the dressing mixture.

Bake the dressing uncovered for about 45 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

**This recipe is adapted from I Heart Recipes

Classic Green Bean Casserole

This is a classic side dish for any holiday, that is easy to prepare.  Prepare this dish a day or two before. Store covered in your fridge until ready to bake. Add about 10 extra minutes of bake time because it will be cold when it goes in the oven.

3 (15-oz.) pkg. frozen French-cut green beans, thawed and well drained

½ cup salted butter, divided

1 (8-oz.) pkg. sliced fresh cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped

1 large shallot, chopped

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups whole milk

4 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded (about 1 1⁄2 cups)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 (8-oz.) can diced water chestnuts, drained

1 cup crispy fried onions or shallots (about 2 oz.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Squeeze green beans lightly in hands to remove water.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add mushrooms and shallot, and cook, stirring often, until mixture is deeply browned and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a plate, and without wiping out Dutch oven, add remaining 6 tablespoons butter to Dutch oven.

Melt butter over medium-high; whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, whisking until smooth. Cook, whisking, until thickened and bubbly, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and whisk in Parmesan cheese, kosher salt, and black pepper until melted and smooth. Stir in green beans, mushroom mixture, and water chestnuts; spoon into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven until bubbly around edges, 15 minutes. Remove from oven; top with fried onions or shallots. Return to oven; bake until topping is golden brown, 15 minutes.

**Recipe adapted from Southern Living

This is the recipe I will try next year:

2 lb. green beans

Kosher salt

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced, divided

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided

4 large sprigs thyme

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1¼ cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

4 garlic cloves, finely grated

1 (8-oz.) can diced water chestnuts, drained

½ cup grated Parmesan

Freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup French’s fried onions

Preheat oven to 375°. Working in batches, cook green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green and halfway to tenderness, about 3 minutes per batch. Drain and let cool; trim stem ends.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook half of mushrooms, without stirring, until golden brown underneath, about 2 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes more. Add 2 Tbsp. butter and 2 thyme sprigs to pan. Cook, tossing occasionally, until butter browns and mushrooms are dark brown and very tender, about 4 minutes longer. Season with salt and transfer to a plate. Repeat with 2 Tbsp. butter, salt, and remaining oil, mushrooms, and thyme.

Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in a large saucepan over medium-low. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking occasionally, until roux is golden brown and smells mildly nutty, about 4 minutes. Whisk in milk and cream. Increase heat and bring to a simmer, whisking often, and cook until béchamel sauce is thick and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in garlic, water chestnuts and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper.

Arrange green beans and mushrooms in a 2-qt. baking dish. Pour sauce over (it may not look like enough, but it will get saucier as it bakes). Cover tightly with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling, 25–30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until casserole is lightly browned on top and around the edges, 15–20 minutes longer. Top with fried onions and continue to bake just until onions are slightly darker and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes to set before serving. 

**Recipe adapted from Bon Apetite

Roast Turkey

Happy Fall y'all!!  Can you believe, it's already that time of year again?!!  I for one cannot...time flies.  It's one of my favorite times of the year, with the cooler temperatures, the changing colors of the trees, all the beautiful and fun decorations beginning to go up on display to help everyone get in the holiday spirit. Between all the McQuaid and the McCormick clans, we usually host a pretty big shindig for Thanksgiving, with all the fixings, and then some.  We have so many blessings to be grateful for.  One is most definitely being together for the holidays.  With so many of us scattered here and there these days we love to seize this opportunity to host a big feast and gather as many of us who are in town as possible.  And of course, we'll be rooting on the Cowboys, for their annual turkey day game.  Happy Holidays (and feasting) to you and your's! :)

Roast Turkey

23 lb Butterball Turkey

3 sticks of Butter, melted (1 full stick of butter equals 1/2 cup, or 8 tablespoons)

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

If the turkey is frozen, thaw it either slowly in the refrigerator or in cold water. A turkey weighing 8 - 12 pounds will thaw in about 2 days in the refrigerator. A turkey weighing 20 - 24 pounds will thaw in about 5 days in the refrigerator. A whole turkey can be safely thawed in cold water. Leave the turkey in its original wrap, free from tears or holes. Place in cold water, allowing 30 minutes per pound for thawing, and change the water often.

Remove the package of giblets (gizzard, heart and neck), if present, from the neck cavity of the turkey, and discard. Rinse the cavity, or inside of the turkey, with cool water; pat dry with paper towels. Rub the cavity of turkey lightly with salt if desired, but do not salt the cavity if you will be stuffing the turkey.

Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush with melted butter and olive oil. It's not necessary to add water or to cover the turkey. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of thigh and does not touch bone, (this is optional, we can tell the turkey's doneness without a thermometer). Follow the timetable on turkey packaging for approximate roasting time. Place a tent of aluminum foil loosely over the turkey when it begins to turn golden. When two-thirds done, cut the band or remove the skewer holding the drumsticks; this will allow the interior part of the thighs to cook through.

Roast until the thermometer reads 165°F (for a whole turkey) and drumsticks move easily when lifted or twisted. Thermometer inserted in center of stuffing should read 165°F. When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and let it stand for 15 minutes for easiest carving. Keep turkey covered with aluminum foil so it will stay warm.

NOTES - We usually roast our turkey at 325 for 4 hours or so for a 12-14 pound turkey.  Or you can use the following timetable, roasting on 325 to 350 degrees for an unstuffed turkey.

10 to 12 lb 6 to 8 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours

12 to 14 lb 8 to 10 2 3/4 to 3 hours

15 to 18 lb 10 to 12 3 1/4 to 4 hours

18 to 20 lb 12 to 14 4 to 4 1/4 hours

20 to 22 lb 14 to 16 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours

23 to 24 lb 16 to 20 5 to 5 1/4 hours

Once the turkey starts turning a golden brown, place a tent of aluminum foil over to prevent it from drying out and baste it every 60 minutes (or more) and then re-covering it.

How Long to Thaw a Frozen Turkey:

Turkey Weight How Long to Thaw In the      How Long to Thaw In Cold 

                                    Fridge                                           Water

10 to 18 pounds 2 to 3½ days 5 to 9 hours

18 to 22 pounds 3½ to 4½ days 9 to 11 hours

22 to 24 pounds 4½ to 5 days 11 to 12 hours

24 to 29 pounds 5 to 6 days                                12 to 15 hours

It's extremely important to keep the whole turkey at a safe temperature throughout the thawing process to prevent bacterial growth that can lead to foodborne illness. That's why you never thaw a frozen turkey at room temperature on your kitchen counter, or in hot water.

On another note, I've read, a very old school method is you can lightly rub your turkey down with 1/4 cup of shortening to prevent it from drying out. That also apparently brings out and enhances the natural flavors for the turkey in addition to a great broth for making homemade gravy.  I've not tried this, but thought worthy of making note of it because I would like to try it sometime.

**Tips from All Recipes

Sole Meunière

This is a classic recipe and most definitely a new favorite of mine that I had to share.  Simply made with delicately breaded fish fillets (with a light coating of flour), and then sautéed in a hot lemon, butter sauce.  Who doesn't love a hot, lemon, butter sauce?!  Especially topped with some good, salty capers.  After researching this recipe, I came to find that apparently Sole Meunière was one of Julia Child's favorite French dishes...and I get it.  This is fantastically easy to prepare and would be amazing to serve at your next dinner party.  Bon Appetite!!

4 - 6 skinless/boneless sole or other thin fish fillets (best choices are Dover sole, tray sole, flounder, whiting, and trout), 4 to 6 oz each and 3/8" thick

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup or so flour on a plate

4 TBSP (or more) clarified butter (directions at the end of the recipe)

3 TBSP minced fresh parsley

4 to 6 TBSP unsalted butter

1 tsp grated lemon zest

6 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)

1 TBSB minced fresh parsley

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Capers (optional)

Pat the fish dry. Dust the fillets lightly on each side with salt and pepper. The moment before sautéing, rapidly drop each into the flour to coat both sides and shake off the excess.

Set the frying pan over high heat and cover the pan with 1/16 inch of clarified butter. When the butter is very hot but not browning, rapidly lay in as many fillets as will fit easily, leaving a little space between each.

Sauté a minute or two on one side, turn carefully so as not to break the fillet, and sauté a minute or two on the other side.  While the second side cooks, add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to the pan. 

The fish is done when just springy rather than squashy to the touch of your finger. Immediately remove from the pan to warm plates or a platter. (Or, if you are sautéing in 2 batches, keep the first warm for the few minutes necessary in a 200 F oven.)

Sprinkle each fillet with parsley. Wipe the frying pan clean, set over high heat, and add the fresh butter, remaining lemon juice and zest; heat until bubbling and pour over the fillets – the parsley will bubble up nicely. Decorate with lemon wedges and capers.  Serve immediately.

Clarified Butter:

There is no substitute for the taste of butter in good cooking, especially when you are sautéing delicate foods like chicken breasts, or fillets of sole, or when you are making croutons. Plain butter will burn and speckle rapidly because of the milky residue it contains, but when you clarify the butter you rid it of that residue.

The simple system is to melt the butter and pour the clear yellow liquid off the residue.

**Recipe adapted from The Culinary Travel Guide.