Blog Archives

Thanksgiving: Traditional Green Bean Casserole

11/25/2021

It's Thanksgiving Day, and I trust you are planning your menu accordingly. Don't be stuck at the last minute completing recipes while your company enjoys themselves.

Today is pie day! Get all those favorite pies, baked, wrapped, and stored so that life will be easier on the big day.

Here's a few trustworthy favorites to include:

Fresh Ground Pumpkin Pie
Quick Coconut Cream Pie
Easy Chocolate Cream Pie
Ultimate Pecan Pie

At our local food bank Thanksgiving always arrives with a large food basket. Packed full in a laundry basket, all kinds of goodies can be had. I did note this year contained canned green beans and French's fried onions along with a sturdy can of mushroom soup. I've made the Classic Green Bean Casserole in previous years, but no one seemed to care for a second helping. This year my youngest son has prompted me to try it once again feeling this may be something he will enjoy now that he's older. So here goes an old family recipe.

2 cans green beans
1 can mushroom soup
1 tsp. soy a sauce
dash ground pepper
1/4 cup milk
1 can (2.8 oz.) French's French Fried Onion

Drain beans and place in heat proof serving container. Put oven on 350 degrees to warm up. In a small bowl mix soup, soy a sauce, pepper, and milk. Stir in 2/3 cup of the fried onions. Cook casserole for 25 minutes. Top with remaining onions the last five minutes of baking.

0 Comments

Best Ever Shortcake

11/23/2021

0 Comments

For a dazzling dessert, you can’t beat juicy strawberries and fresh whipped cream over homemade shortcake. My son added even more indulgence to this recipe by buttering the shortcake. This is the best strawberry shortcake recipe.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons cold butter, divided
1 large egg, room temperature
1/3 cup half-and-half cream
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, combine egg and half-and-half; stir into crumb mixture just until moistened.

Spread batter into a 6-in. round baking pan coated with cooking spray, slightly building up the edges. Bake at 450° until golden, 13-15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

In a small bowl, beat whipping cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Cut cake horizontally in half. Soften remaining butter. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with butter. Top with half of strawberries and cream mixture. Repeat layers of cake, strawberries and cream.

0 Comments

Butter Pecan Cheesecake

11/6/2021

0 Comments

Fall always makes me yearn for this pecan cheesecake, but it’s delicious in any season. You’ll want to put it on your list of favorite holiday desserts.

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
filling:
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring
3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, pecans, sugar and butter; set aside 1/3 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan.

Place springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, vanilla and butter flavoring. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in pecans. Pour into crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.

Bake until center is almost set, 70-80 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled. Remove sides of pan.

0 Comments

Easy One-Dish King Cake

11/6/2021

0 Comments

Lord knows there’s no shortage of King Cake around here. There’s an Original King Cake which is essentially a giant cinnamon roll rounded into a cake shape. There’s Cinnamon Roll King Cake which slices the rolls into a ring. There’s my favorite Galette des Rois Cookies that turn a traditional French King Cake into small cookies using a homemade quick puff pastry. And there will be more because Mardi Gras is about excess (and glitter and parades and throws and friends and cocktail and jambalaya and the most fun – it’s really just the most fun).

FOR THE CAKE BATTER:
unsalted butter to grease the pan
1–1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 teaspoons RapidRise or Instant Yeast
2/3 cup very warm milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

FOR THE CINNAMON MIXTURE:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1–1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
pinch of kosher salt

FOR THE GLAZE:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
purple, yellow, and green sprinkles and a plastic baby

Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with butter.

Add the dry ingredients including the yeast to the cake pan and whisk to combine.

Add the milk, melted butter, oil, and beaten egg. Whisk to combine and use a spatula to coax any flour from the corners of the pan.

Allow to batter to rest in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. While the cake rests, make the cinnamon topping.

In a small bowl stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and salt until the mixture is moistened and sandy.

Top batter evenly with cinnamon mixture. Use a butter knife to swirl the cinnamon sugar into the batter. Allow to rest for 5 more minutes.

To bake the cake, place pan in a COLD oven; set temperature to 350°F; bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned and firm in center. Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes. Combine icing ingredients in the same bowl used to make the cinnamon mixture and drizzle over the just warm cake.

Sprinkle generously with Mardi Gras colors and tuck a little baby inside. Enjoy!

0 Comments

Thanksgiving: Traditional Green Bean Casserole

Best Ever Shortcake

Butter Pecan Cheesecake

Easy One-Dish King Cake

Food Facts

Author

Archives

Recipes