Thanksgiving is coming ~ and company too

Kraft's Food &Family arrived today and I must say, I love this little magazine. I've selected
some really good recipes to try before the Thanksgiving crowd arrives.  Joe and Glenda, Pam and George are arriving the day before, spending the night, so we can all cook together...well, the ladies will cook.  I can't say that much for the guys. George is a good help in the kitchen and he is my carver man.  He's the best!

We prepare two of these, one to eat here, and one to cut up so all the guests have turkey and dressing to take home after  turkey day.

This dish I am going to prepare for the over night guests' lunch or dinner or when they arrive.  It is slow-cooker pork cassoulet.  Now the French version is a long slow onerous dish to prepare.  This, however, is easy and tasty without all the fuss.

What you need:
1 lb. boneless pork shoulder cut into chunks
1/2 lb. Italian sausage, crumbled (I'm using zesty Bob Evan)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried herbs ( fresh herbs of your choice--I use more and I put in stalk and all) Then at the end, just fish out the stems.
2 can Northern beans, rinsed (I may soak dried Northern  beans the night before and cook them with the pork.) Depends if you are in a hurry.
4 slices bacon
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Make it: combine all ingredients except beans, bacon and cheese in slow cooker; cover with lid. Cook low 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours
add beans to ingredients (unless you've used soaked dried beans) and cook, covered on high 15 min. Cook the bacon crisp
crumble bacon; sprinkle over ingredients in slow cooker along with the cheese and serve.

You know I have trouble with pies and Pam is the pie baker now.  But, I will try to surprise them with this banana pie for a sweet ending.

 

bourbon caramel-banana cream pie

   what you need:

Bake a ready to use refrigerated pie crust
Melt 1/4 cup butter, add 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, stir 3 min.Remove from heat and stir in 3 tablespoons bourbon--I may slip and add a bit more

Beat 1 package of Jell-O flavored instant vanilla pudding with 1 cup of milk then whisk in 3/4 cup of sour cream

Slice bananas placing a single layer on the bottom of  baked crust; pour Bourbon caramel sauce over bananas; spoon pudding mixture over sauce; top with Cook Whip; refrigerate 1 hour

I think even I can manage this.

Cheesy baked ham roll-ups
This looks like a quick dinner treat or maybe even breakfast, since it has to wait in the frig over night.

                                              
                                               
  what you need

24 slices white bread, crust removed, flattened with a rolling pin
1 pkg. deli honey ham
12 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 pkg Kraft Mexican shredded four cheese with a touch of Philadelphia
2 sliced tomatoes

to make it

Top flattened bread slices with ham; roll up. Place, seam-sides down, in a 13x9 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray
Whisk eggs, milk, salt-pepper and fresh herbs; pour over roll-ups. Refrigerate overnight.

Heat oven to 350, top casserole with cheese and tomatoes, bake 45 min. or until center is set.

Remember the plucket bread that I raved about from Marie in My English Kitchen?  Well here it is again only with a twist.

                                          
  cheesy bread pulls
1 round loaf of sourdough bread (1 pound)
1 pkg. Kraft Colby Jack cheese slices with a touch of Philadelphia
6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tbsp. Kraft Zesty Italian dressing
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves minced garlic

Heat oven to 350
Use serrated knife to make diamond vertical cuts, 1 inch a part in the top of the bread loaf--don't cut all the way through
Cut each cheese slice into thirds; press into cuts in bread along with the bacon. Place loaf on large sheet of foil.
Mix remaining ingredients and drizzle over bread, then wrap bread in foil and place on a baking sheet. Base 15 minutes or until heated through and bake unwrapped for 15 more minutes.

This bacon-cheddar corn pudding is for Thanksgiving!

   What you need:

2 eggs, beaten
1 can (15ounce) cream-style corn
1 can (11 oz.) corn with red and green bell peppers, drained
1 pkg. corn muffin mix
1/2 cup Kraft classic Ranch Dressing
1 pkg. Kraft shredded cheddar cheese, divided
4 green onions, sliced
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Make it:
Heat oven to 375
Mix first 5 ingredients until well blended; stir in 1/2 cup cheese, pour into 2-qt. casserole sprayed wit cooking spray.
Bake 40 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining cheese, onions and bacon.  Top casserole with cheese mixture; bake 15 more minutes or until lightly browned.
I may have to double this because of the crowd. We are expecting around 30 people.                                                                                                             

Okay, It's Tater Tots, Okay?

Ode to the tater tot~



                                                                    






 I have never met a potato I didn't like. I adore tater tots and I make no apologies.  Today, Cook's Corner inspired me to take the help where and when I can get it and I have selected tater tots to save a busy day.

                                               
 I have secretly been stashing bags of frozen tater tots in my freezers and pulling out portions when I am pinched for time.  Gradually I have begun using them in flat form (like McDonald's hash browns) in casserole breakfast dishes. And since rave reviews resulted, I am coming clean with recipes using the wonder of  left over potato products.  It all started with a restaurant making french fries.  Odds and ends were left over once the fry shape was achieved and there were too many scraps left to throw away--too wasteful and so a  tot was born. It seems: the brothers Grigg had just started a frozen-food company to make, among other items, french fries.  But what to do with the spud scraps left behind? The pieces were too small to be turned into proper fries but too numerous to be discarded.  One day in 1953 one of the brothers conceived a delicious idea.  He chopped the potato scraps, shaped them into bite-sized cylinders, fried them golden and crunchy... and now we're talking! There are tons of recipes on how to make your own from scratch, but really, if you are pressed for time why would you go to all the trouble? Take the help where you can get it and go on with your life.

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

Author: Crystal @ Simply Being Mommy

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 cup diced onion (I use frozen to make it easier.)
• 1 pkg (32 oz) tater tots
• 1 can (10 oz) cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can (10 oz) cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• ½ tsp garlic salt
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• paprika, to sprinkle on top
• ¼ cup flat leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. While oven is preheating, brown ground turkey and onion; drain.
2. Grease a 9×13 inch-baking dish. Transfer turkey and onion mixture to baking dish.
3. In a large bowl, combine cream soups (undiluted), cheese, garlic salt and black pepper. Once thoroughly combined, toss in tater tots and coat evenly.
4. Transfer coated tater tots to the baking dish and place on top of turkey and onion mixture.
5. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the top begins to brown slightly.
6. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Give it a good sprinkle of Tabasco Sauce

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/29/tater-tot-recipes_n_2024417.html

She uses them in everything, because they are so good. Click on the above and enjoy tons of recipes for these little nuggets.