Great for upcoming holiday dinners
Last week at our Thanksgiving meal, several family members brought really tasty dishes that I want to share because they are also great for any upcoming holiday dinners you may have planned. This first casserole was made by nephew John D. Boyd, who looked quite the chef in his starched white apron. His cooking chops are pretty solid, I think. This corn casserole has a strong helping of onion, which I loved, but use half an onion if you’d like it a little less onion-y.
John D.’s Corn Casserole
1 (16 oz.) can cream-style corn
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (16 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed
1 onion, chopped (or to taste)
1 large egg
3 T. sugar
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (like Eagle Brand)
1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Tabasco to taste
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together. Pour into a buttered ovenproof casserole and bake for 50-60 minutes. Serves six. John D. Boyd.
*** My sister Lynnelle made these cranberries and I just loved them. Lots of flavors, crunch and color. This would be great over cream cheese or heated Brie as an appetizer, too.
Lynnelle’s Cranberry Chutney
1 lb. (16 oz.) fresh cranberries
1 (10 oz.) jar jalapeno jelly
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup honey
2 cups sugar
1 cup raisins (or golden raisins)
1T. granulated garlic
1/2 t. each: cinnamon, ground allspice, ginger, salt and crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups toasted chopped pecans
Cook the cranberries in a saucepan with a small amount of water for several minutes or until they pop open. Set aside. Heat the jelly with the vinegar, honey and sugar in a saucepan. Simmer until the sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Add the drained cranberries, raisins, garlic, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, salt, pepper flakes and pecans. Mix well. Let stand for 1 hour for the flavors to blend. You may substitute 1 or 2 garlic cloves, finely minced, for the granulated garlic if you like. Makes six cups. Lynnelle Boyd.
*** This green bean casserole was delicious and a little different from the standard recipe with canned mushroom soup. You can make your own thin cream sauce or just use heavy whipping cream (as John did) instead, to make it easier. John used whole green beans, which were very good, and you can also use French-cut beans or haricots vert.
Grown-Up Green Beans
1 oz. French fried onions (in can at grocery or make your own)
4 oz. button mushrooms
24 oz. green beans
2 t. chicken broth concentrate (or chicken bouillon cube)
1 T. grated Parmesan cheese
2 t. seasoned salt, or just salt and pepper
3 thyme sprigs
4 fl. oz. (1/2 cup) thin cream sauce (your recipe) or heavy whipping cream
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Trim green beans if necessary. Cut mushrooms into 1/4” slices. Stem and mince thyme. Place a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add 1 t. olive oil. Working in batches if necessary, add green beans, 2 T. water, a pinch of salt and pepper to the hot pan. Cover and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain. Transfer green beans to a casserole dish.
Add mushrooms to the hot cooking pan. Cook undisturbed until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a casserole dish with green beans and stir gently to combine. Put heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and add thyme, seasoned salt (or salt and pepper) and chicken concentrate. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 4-6 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in Parmesan. Pour sauce over green bean mixture.
Bake the casserole until bubbling, 1517 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with crispy onions and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes. Serves about six. John D. Boyd.
*** This apple pie is delicious and different because it has a rustic look and a hearty, home-style look and flavor. Sister-in-law Lori Benold made and brought it to everyone’s delight. We served it with vanilla ice cream, of course.
Lori’s Cast-Iron Skillet Apple Pie
6 medium to large apples
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 to 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 package refrigerated pie crusts (like Pillsbury in red box)
1 egg white
2 T. sugar
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel apples and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges. Toss apples with cinnamon and white sugar. Melt butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and place 1 rolled-out pie crust into a skillet over the brown sugar mixture. Spoon apple mixture over the pie crust and top with remaining crust. Whisk egg white until foamy. Brush top of crust with egg white and then sprinkle with 2 T. sugar. Cut four or five slits in the top so steam can escape. Bake for 1 hour or a little more, until golden brown and bubbly, shielding with foil during the last 10 minutes if necessary to prevent excessive browning. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before serving. Serves 10-12. Lori Benold.
*** Yummy tastes for a traditional holiday table. Thanks to John, Lynnelle and Lori for sharing this week. In the next three weeks, I’ll have lots of holiday recipes to come. Enjoy all of the preparations for the festive weeks ahead and stay well.