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Favorite Holiday Recipes

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Cranberry Jello Salad
 
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) or 1 pkg. (8-serving size) Raspberry Flavor Gelatin
1 can (16 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce (I highly recommend using the Ocean Spray brand)
1 medium apple, chopped (you can do it with the skin off or on, I leave it on)
sweetened whipped cream
  1. Drain pineapple, reserving juice in 1-qt. liquid measuring cup. Add enough cold water to reserved juice to measure 3 cups; microwave until it comes to boil. Add gelatin; stir at least 2 min. until completely dissolved.
  2. Add cranberry sauce; stir until well blended. (Note: Due to the presence of whole berries in the cranberry sauce, the gelatin mixture will not be smooth.)
  3. Pour into large bowl (I use a trifle bowl, but a 9 x 13 would work too). Refrigerate 1-1/2 hours or until slightly thickened (consistency of unbeaten egg whites.)
  4. Stir in remaining drained pineapple and chopped apple; stir gently until well blended.
  5. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Top with sweetened whipped cream just before serving. Store leftover gelatin in refrigerator.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

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Ingredients:

1 (10 3/4 oz.) canCAMPBELL'S® Cream of Mushroom Soup

3/4 cupmilk

1/8 tsp.black pepper

2 (9 oz. each) pkgs.frozen cut green beans, thawed*

1 1/3 cupsFRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions

Directions:

MIX soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2 -qt. baking dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup French Fried Onions.

BAKE at 350°F for 30 min. or until hot.

STIR. Top with remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 min. until onions are golden.

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Sausage, Apple, and Walnut Stuffing
 

Ingredients

  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 3 ribs celery, finely diced
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and finely diced
  • 1 pound spicy sausage, casing removed, broken up into bite-size chunks
  • 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch dice
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1/2 bunch sage, leaves finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
  • 10 cups stale rustic bread, crusts discarded, cut into 1-inch cubes; or fresh bread slices toasted until crispy but no color, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 to 3 cups chicken stock

Directions

Coat a large saute pan, over medium heat, with olive oil and add the onions and celery. Season with salt and cook until the veggies start to become soft and are very aromatic. Add the garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until the sausage browns. Stir in the apples and apple cider and cook until the apples start to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the sage leaves and the walnuts and turn off the heat.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the diced bread and toss together. Pour in the chicken stock and knead with your hands until the bread is very moist, actually wet. Taste to check for seasoning and season with salt, if needed, (it does). Transfer to a large deep ovenproof dish (roughly 9 by 11 inches) and bake until it is hot all the way through and crusty on top.

Remove from the oven and serve.

 

Christmas Goose

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Ingredients

  • 1 (10 pound) goose
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 medium apple, peeled and quartered
  • 1 navel orange, peeled and quartered
  • 1 lemon, peeled and quartered
  • 1 cup hot water

Directions

  1. Sprinkle the goose cavity with salt and pepper. Place the apple, orange and lemon in the cavity. Place goose breast side up on a rack in a large shallow roasting pan. Prick skin well with a fork. Pour water into pan.
  2. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 2-1/4 to 3 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 185 degrees F. If necessary, drain fat from pan as it accumulates. Cover goose with foil and let stand for 20 minutes before carving. Discard fruit.

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The Perfect Turkey

Ingredients

  • 1 (18 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
  • 2 cups kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
  • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup dry white wine

Directions

  1. Rub the turkey inside and out with the kosher salt. Place the bird in a large stock pot, and cover with cold water. Place in the refrigerator, and allow the turkey to soak in the salt and water mixture 12 hours, or overnight.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Thoroughly rinse the turkey, and discard the brine mixture.
  3. Brush the turkey with 1/2 the melted butter. Place breast side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 onion, 1/2 the carrots, 1/2 the celery, 1 sprig of thyme, and the bay leaf. Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting pan, and cover with the white wine.
  4. Roast uncovered 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Carefully turn the turkey breast side up about 2/3 through the roasting time, and brush with the remaining butter. Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving.

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Figgy Pudding
 
You probably remember it from the old Christmas song. Figgy pudding is a spice cake-like souffle made with figs and walnuts. It is moist, delicious, and easy to make.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 2 cups dried figs (about 1 pound), stems removed, chopped fine
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Garnish: Whipped cream

Preparation:

In an electric mixer, cream the butter until fluffy. Add the eggs and molasses and beat again. Add the figs, lemon peel, buttermilk, and walnuts. Blend 1 minute. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend until everything is incorporated.

Grease and flour and 8 by 4-inch souffle dish and pour in the batter. Bake in a 325-degree F. oven for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Spoon the pudding out onto plates or cut it into wedges. Garnish with the whipped cream.

Yield: 12 servings

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