4 of Our Favorite Holiday Recipes

Happy Thanksgiving!  At this time of year, we want to express how thankful we are for YOU – our clients and friends. We are so grateful for your business and continued support. As a small “thank you”, here are a few of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes – from our families to yours.  And we’d love it if you would return the favor and send us your favorites by posting them to our Facebook page. 

Sandy’s Brussels Sprouts (borrowed from Rachel Ray)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, such as small, baby Brussels sprouts
• 1/2 pound dried chorizo, diced (the chorizo is a surprising change from the usual bacon – but feel free to sub bacon here if you prefer)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large cast iron or non-stick pan. Add the sprouts and cook until gently browned, about 3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to brown on all sides. Add the chorizo and cook for about 2 minutes; the sprouts will start to take on a nice, rosy color from the sausage. Add the lemon juice, chicken stock and salt and pepper, to taste, and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced and the sprouts are tender.

Finish with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and serve.

Pete’s Sausage, Apple & Sage Stuffing

Ingredients

• 14 -ounce bag stuffing cubes
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan and topping
• 1 pound fresh bulk sage sausage (Jimmy Dean or similar)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped
• 2 cooking apples, such as Grannies, Rome, or Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
• 1 to 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock, homemade or “Better Than Bullion”
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• big pinch of chopped fresh sage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the stuffing cubes in a large bowl and set aside. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break up with a wooden spoon, leaving it in largish chunks. Cook until it loses most of its pink color, but not so much that it’s dry, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, celery and mushrooms and cook till soft, about 5 minutes. Melt the remaining butter in the pan.  Add the broth, sage and parsley and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Pour the sausage/vegetable mixture over the stuffing cubes and toss until evenly moistened. Loosely pack the stuffing in the prepared pan and cook uncovered until the top forms a crust, about 40 minutes. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of turkey pan drippings or melted butter over the top. Cook until the top is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes more. Serve warm.

Tips: Put the stuffing in the oven during the last hour of cooking the turkey

Liz’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 12 oz chocolate chips
• 1/2 – 1 cup nuts (optional)

Cream together butter and sugar, add pumpkin, egg and vanilla.   Mix.  Add dry ingredients and mix.  Mix in chocolate chips.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or longer (depending on size of cookies).

Liz’s Yummy Homemade Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 – 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 packages of active dry yeast
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 eggs

In large mixing bowl combine 2 cups of the flour and the yeast. In saucepan heat milk, sugar, shortening, and salt just until warm (about 115-120 degrees), stirring constantly to melt shortening. Add to dry mixture in mixing bowl. Add eggs. Beat at low speed with electric mixer for 1/2 minute, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. By hand, stir in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough. Turn out on a lightly floured surface; knead till smooth and elastic (5 to 8 mins). Shape into a ball.

Place in lightly greased bowl; turn once to grease surface. Cover; let rise in warm place til double (1 to 1 1/2 hours).

Punch dough down; turn out on lightly floured surface. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Shape dough into rolls and place evenly spaced on baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 30-45 mins). If desired carefully brush with melted butter. Bake at 400 degrees till done, 10-12 mins. Remove from pans. Makes 2 to 3 dozen rolls.