Thanksgiving!!

I wanted to share a few of my favorite dishes we had for Thanksgiving this year. A couple of them are repeats from previous years & there is a new one I found & changed around this year. Enjoy!!

Gramma's Dressing
This is the dressing that my gramma made when I was growing up. I changed it up just a little bit and added some herbs to it.

1 onion, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup white wine
2 T butter
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage
Freshly ground black pepper & salt, to taste

3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 loaves of white bread, torn
4 cups chicken broth, approximately
Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
In a large glass measuring cup, combine the onions, celery, wine & butter. Cook in microwave on high for 8 - 10 minutes or until the vegetables start to become tender.
In a large bowl, combine rosemary, thyme, sage, pepper, salt & eggs. Add vegetables & stir. Add the torn bread & combine with the rest of the ingredients. Add broth a little at a time while stirring bread until mixture is very wet. Transfer to a 3 quart baking dish, coated with cooking spray. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until middle of dressing is set & the top is golden brown.


Tara's Sweet Potato Casserole
No marshmallows here!! Just yummy sweet potatoes with a pecan topping!

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
2 cans (40 ounces each) sweet potatoes, drained & coarsely chopped

In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, butter & vanilla. Gently stir in sweet potatoes. Transfer to a 3 quart baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Topping:
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine the topping ingredients; spoon over sweet potato mixture. Bake uncovered at 350F degrees for 40-50 minutes or until bubbly & golden brown.

* You may need to slightly stir the casserole half way through the cooking time.


Pumpkin Pie Trifle
This is the newbie for this year. I got the idea from an ad I received from Kroger's. As you can guess, I used their recipe as a guide!

1 box Spice cake mix
1 small box of instant vanilla pudding
2 cups milk
1 can pumpkin pie mix
1 12 oz container Cool Whip, thawed
Pumpkin pie spice

Prepare cake per package directions & let cool. (You will have some cake leftover.)
Combine pudding mix & milk. Place in refrigerator for 5 minutes. Add pumpkin pie mix to pudding & stir.
In a trifle dish or other clear bowl, crumble approximately 1/2 of the cake in the bottom of the dish. Spread 1/2 of the pumpkin mixture over the cake. Spread 1/2 of the Cool Whip over the pumpkin. Repeat the layers one time. Sprinkle pumpkin pie spice over the last layer of Cool Whip. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*I would not make this more than 1 day ahead of time because the cake could become soggy.

Pizza Chicken

Just a little something I came up with tonight because I was tired of the same old chicken dishes.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
1 tsp black pepper
2 T butter
Approx 15 slices of pepperoni
26 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce
4 slices Provolone cheese
1/2 box rotini - cooked & drained


In a bowl, combine flour & spices. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat eggs.

Preheat oven to 425.

In a cast iron skillet, melt butter. Dredge chicken in eggs & then flour mixture. When skillet is hot, add the chicken. Brown on both sides. Divide pepperoni between chicken breasts. Spread 2 spoonfuls of spaghetti sauce on each piece of chicken. Place in oven for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

Remove from oven & cover the chicken with cheese. Place skillet back in oven until cheese melts.

Mix remaining spaghetti sauce with pasta & heat through.

Serve chicken on top of the pasta.

Briana's Chicken Alfredo Soup

This soup is easy, low-carb & delicious! Great for nights when you need something fast.


2 jars Alfredo sauce, any variety
2 small cans reduced sodium chicken broth
1 bag frozen broccoli - cooked
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 can chicken - shredded*
Granulated garlic - to taste
Salt & pepper - to taste

Combine all ingredients in pan & cook until heated through.

* You can use as much chicken as you like. You may also use fresh chicken breasts that have been cooked & cubed.
**I have also made this substituting 4 cans of crab meat for the chicken. I would think you could also do this with the canned small shrimp.
5 grams carbs per cup.

Crunchy Italian Cod Fillets

Let me be the first to say I am not a fish person. If it doesn't come from McDonald's or Wendy's I don't like it. However, this fish is really good. It's crunchy & flavorful & not too fishy tasting. And it's low carb! Only 6.5 grams per serving. Just keep an eye on it when it's in the oven. It may not take the entire cooking time depending on the thickness of the fillets. I adapted this recipe from one I found online to suit my family's taste.


1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Basil
1/4 teaspoon Oregano
1/4 teaspoon Parsley
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 (4 ounce) cod fillets
1 egg, lightly beaten



1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2.In a small shallow bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, cheese, cornmeal, oil, basil, oregano, parsley, garlic powder and pepper; set aside.
3.Coat the rack of a broiling pan with cooking spray. Salt & pepper both sides of the fillets. Place the cod on the rack, folding under any thin edges of the filets. Brush with the egg, then spoon the crumb mixture evenly on top. Press crumb mixture onto fish.
4.Bake in a preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork and is opaque all the way through.

Mexican Chicken

A family favorite! We serve it with Spanish rice & sweet corn with peppers.


3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
3 T butter
2 cups chunky salsa
2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese blend

In a bowl, combine flour, cayenne & black peppers. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat eggs.
Preheat oven to 425.
In a cast iron skillet, melt butter. Dredge chicken in eggs & then flour mixture. When skillet is hot, add the chicken. Brown on both sides. Spoon equal amounts of salsa on each piece of chicken. Place in oven for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
Remove from oven & sprinkle cheese over the chicken. Place skillet back in oven until cheese melts.
Serve with sour cream on top.

Cream Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes

3 Baking potatoes
2T Butter or margarine
2oz Cream cheese
2T dried or fresh Chives
Freshly ground salt & pepper
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Wash & dry potatoes. Pierce potatoes all over with knife. Place in microwave on paper towel. Cook on high for 11 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven & allow to cool long enough to be able to handle them.
With a sharp knife, cut an oval shape in the top of each potato. Remove the oval & place in a glass bowl after removing the skin. Spoon out the inside of each potato, being careful not to get to close to the outside of the potato, & place in same bowl.
Add the butter, cream cheese, chives & salt & pepper to taste. Mix well.
Spoon mixture back into potato shells, dividing evenly between the potatoes. Top with shredded Cheddar cheese & place in baking dish.
Bake at 450 degrees for approximately 15 - 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Gina's Perfect Roast Chicken with Gravy

This is a recipe I made tonight. It was wonderful!! Even my 9 year old loved it! I was lazy & used dried herbs, so I can imagine how awesome it would be with fresh ones. The sauce is not meant to be a thick gravy. It reminds me of the au jus that is served with roast beef. It is very dark & flavorful!! I didn't strain the gravy but picked out the large pieces of onion instead. The chicken is moist & practically falls apart. I used an 8 inch skillet for a 5 pound chicken & it just fit.

Gina's Perfect Roast Chicken with Gravy

Ingredients

Herb Butter:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
1 teaspoon freshly chopped sage leaves
1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium onion, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 (5-pound) roasting chicken, rinsed, dried and giblets removed
2 lemon slices
1 sprig fresh thyme, chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
1 sprig fresh sage, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
Herb Butter
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth

Directions

For the herb butter:

In a small bowl, add the butter, chopped thyme, rosemary, and sage. Season with salt and pepper and mix together with a wooden spoon. Reserve.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Lay onion slices down the center of a large cast iron skillet to create 2 rows that are touching.

Season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper, add lemon slices, thyme, rosemary, sage and garlic cloves.
Using your hands, gently separate the skin from the meat of the breast. Evenly spread the herb butter on the meat underneath the skin. Take the remaining butter and gently rub the skin. Wash hands and season the skin with salt and pepper. Tie drumsticks together using twine. Place the chicken on the onion slices.

Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and roast until the skin is golden brown and crisp, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the thighs have reached 165 degrees F.
Remove the chicken from the oven. Transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest.

Spoon off as much fat from the pan as possible. Place the pan over high heat and add white wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add chicken broth and let reduce to about half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Strain out the onions. Add the gravy back to the pan and keep warm.

Cut the twine from the drumsticks and carve. Pour the gravy into a serving bowl and serve with the chicken.


This recipe comes from Down Home with the Neelys on The Food Network.