Fran's Mashed Potatoes

This is how you make perfect mashed potatoes. This is my grandmothers recipe from rural Virginia that mom made all the time.  I never understood why people always complimented these until I tasted how other people make them.  Water?  Really?

5 lbs regular baking potatoes
1 stick butter
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
salt
pepper

Fill large stock pot with water and about 2 tablespoons salt and bring to a boil.  Peel potatoes and cut in half, quarter each half, then place in pot.  Drain when soft and tender, about 30 minutes.

 In a large bowl mash the potatoes with a hand mixer until creamy.  Add butter and milk and beat until smooth.  Add pepper to taste.

Orange n Berry Blondies

Thanks NikNak for this tasty treat!

½ cup white chocolate chips

1 cup brown sugar packed

¾ cup dried cranberries

2 large eggs, fork beaten

2 tsp grated orange zest

2 tsp vanilla

1 ½ cup flour

¼ tsp salt

Place oven rack in center position, preheat oven to 375°.

Put butter and white chocolate chips into heavy saucepan on lowest heat,

stirring often until chocolate is almost all melted.  Remove from heat.

Stir chocolate/butter mixture until smooth and pour into large bowl.  

Add next 5 ingredients and stir well.  Add flour and salt and stir until just moistened.

Grease a 9”x9” baking pan with cooking spray.  Spread mixture evenly in pan.

Bake in oven for approximately 25 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let blondies cool in pan then cut into squares.

Blondies are a lot like brownies except more fun, sweet cranberries and zippy orange zest will start a party on your tongue.

Ginger Snaps

This recipe came from Bath and Bodyworks.  It was on the side of a basket of gingerbread-scented items.  It has since become a family favorite.  I f you  cook them longer they flatten out and are crisp.  Shorter cooking time makes them soft.

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

4 tbsp molasses

1 egg

sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, cloves and cinnamon.  set aside.

cream shortening. add sugar, egg and molasses.  Beat well.  add flour mixture and beat until smooth.  mixture will be very stiff. take a teaspoonful of mixture, roll into a ball, then roll ball in sugar. bake on greased cookie sheet for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Caramelized Onion and Cornbread Stuffing

I stole this from Tyler Florence.  It's the best ever!!

2 tablespoons butter
2 onions, chopped
6 large cornmeal muffins, cubed
Handful fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.

Add the onions and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes, or until soft and caramelized. Add sage and scrape into a large mixing bowl. Add the cornbread pieces, season well with salt and pepper, and give it a good toss until it's well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, and stock, and pour that over the cornbread. Stir the stuffing together and stuff the cavity of the turkey. You could also spoon it into a buttered baking dish and put it in the oven along with the turkey. Bake until hot and crusty on top, about 30 minutes.

**I make it a day in advance and keep it in a ziplock bag.  It gets all mooshy and the flavors meld together.  The only reason I don't eat it raw is because of the egg.**

Crunchy Cabbage Casserole

If making a day ahead, don't top it off with the crumbs.  Wait until it goes into the oven.

This is a great casserole to make at Thanksgiving, Christmas or St. Patrick's Day.  Being from the South, all good casseroles use Cream of something soup.

2 1/2 cups Panko crumbs (original recipe calls for corn flakes but I like to mix it up)
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise (no substitutions)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350; grease a 13x9 pan, set aside.  I actually use a smaller oval casserole dish that is taller so it's not as flat after it cooks.

Toss Panko crumbs & butter; sprinkle half into pan.
 
Layer cabbage, onion, salt & pepper.   I really pile it up because it will  cook down.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine soup and mayonnaise; spoon over other stuff, sprinkle with cheese and remaining Panko mixture.

Bake, uncovered for 45-50 minutes (golden brown).