Baked Stuffed Pork Chops

Having a savory smell wafting through the house on a non-descript cold winter day in February is a welcome treat.  With the smell of apples and pork you just know that there's going to be something great for dinner. What is it about that combination of flavors? Haven't been able to figure it out, but it's magical good and this recipe is great as is . I wouldn't change a thing except maybe to prepare this stuffing for our next Thanksgiving turkey. It's already passed the test with pork and I honestly think it could go famously with chicken or turkey too. My only suggestion is not to use a heavily pre-seasoned stuffing mix like Stove Top. It's just a little too rich for this dish.

Baked Stuffed Pork Chops

1/2 pound Italian sausage (remove if in casing)

3 cups Pepperidge Farm dry cornbread stuffing

1 can chicken broth

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced

1 small onion, diced

1 rib celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoon butter

Pepper

8 thin sliced boneless pork chops

Preheat oven to 350F.

Brown Italian sausage over medium heat until cooked and crumbly. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat in the pan. Using slotted spoon, mix sausage with dry stuffing and can of chicken broth in large bowl.

Pepper both sides of pork chops and place in heated pan used to cook sausage. Cook on each side approximately 3-4 minutes until brown.

While chops are cooking, melt butter in separate pan and saute apple, onion, celery, and garlic. Combine with sausage, stuffing and broth mixture.

When chops are cooked, place in buttered 9x13 baking dish and use ice cream scoop to place scoops of stuffing mixture on top of chops in baking dish. 

Bake 30-40 minutes or until chops are fully cooked (160 degrees on meat thermometer).

Christmas Prime Rib

Christmas was Grandma's favorite time to really shine in the kitchen. She typically planned the menu weeks in advance and executed the plan flawlessly and on budget. As she grew older, the only real assistance she required was to lift the heavy pan from the oven. She took care of all the rest with her loving hands.

She didn't have prime rib every Christmas but we were filled with glee when she did because it always tasted better than what we could ever get at a local restaurant. I think it was because she made it with so much more love and care! 

Here are her technical "secrets." (Add your own love and care for your family!)

Grandma would always be up early when she was cooking for us on holidays and the first thing she did was take out whatever meat she was cooking and let it sit on the counter to "warm up." She knew it helped make it tender and flavorful. Matter of fact, she used to do this with almost every meat she cooked...get it warmed up on the counter. That was her first "secret."

The second "secret" was sealing in the juices by searing. But how do you sear a prime rib, you ask? Because a prime rib is usually quite large, it's impossible to sear it in the traditional way, so Grandma would rely on a very hot oven for about a half hour or forty-five minutes to form that wonderful crust on the outside of the roast and seal in the juices. (She told us that you could do this with smaller roasts too. Even an inexpensive cut of beef could be made into a mock prime rib, but it's quite expensive to heat up the home oven to that temperature for a small roast, so stovetop searing was totally adequate and the preferred economic choice.)

We will be using her Prime Rib recipe this year, bringing back so many of those special Christmas memories. Grandma will be supervising...in spirit, I'm pretty sure of it!

Christmas Prime Rib

1 10# standing rib roast

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp salt (we use Kosher crystals)

2 tsps ground pepper

Take the roast out of the refrigerator (and out of its wrapping) 2-3 hours before you plan to cook it to bring it to room temperature. 

When close to cooking time, adjust your oven rack to accommodate your larger roasting pan, and preheat to 450F. Place the roast in the pan, rub with garlic all over, then spread a thick coating of salt and pepper on the outside.  Roast for about 30-45 minutes leaving the door closed the entire time. 

After initial cooking time, lower the temperature to 325F keeping the door closed. Continue roasting in this slow oven for 1-2 hours until internal temperature reaches 120F or to your desired level of doneness. (115F for rare; 120-125F for medium). Continue cooking until desired temperature is reached.

When done, place uncovered on a cutting board to let the meat "rest" before serving (about 15 minutes). Slice 1/4-1/2 inch pieces and serve.

Hot Buttered Rum Mix

There is nothing that fills you with warmth on a cold winter day than this creamy rich Hot Buttered Rum recipe. Grandma wasn't much for anything alcoholic, but in moderation (which meant only one drink with one tablespoon of rum) she enjoyed this comforting drink at Christmastime. The beauty of this recipe is you can make a batch and freeze it so you have it on hand all winter long or you can spoon it into jars and give some away! Make sure you attach the recipe and prep instructions to the jar with a beautiful ribbon.

Hot Buttered Rum Mix

1 cup butter, softened

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup sifted powdered sugar

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1 pint vanilla ice cream

Cream together butter, brown sugar, powdered sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon with electric mixer.  Blend in softened ice cream. Turn into 4-cup freezer container. Seal and freeze (mixture will not freeze solid.)

To serve spoon 2 to 4 Tbsp ice cream mixture into each mug. Add 3 Tbsp rum and ½ cup boiling water.  Stir well. Garnish with a cinnamon stick, if desired. Makes 12 to 24 servings.

Holiday Spritz Cookies

During the Christmas season there's no cookie more famous than the Spritz. 

At about 4 or 5 years old, I remember sharing the Spritz "adventure" with Grandma. She would make up a batch, grab a handful out of the mixing bowl, put it in the cookie press, and hand it to me! She even taught me how to change out the little plates so we could make all kinds of beautiful (or so I thought) holiday shapes--trees, candy canes, little flowers and snowflakes, long wavy stripe-like things, and a ton of others. I probably ate more of the dough than what I was supposed to--and Grandma knew it too--but she never said a word. This was a celebration of butter, sugar, and loving companionship!

But the fun didn't end there. After the cookies came out of the oven and were still a little warm, we would shake sprinkles over them and add on some of the little silver balls--dragées, I think they're called (never would have known that without Martha!). This was one of my most vivid Christmas memories and it wasn't limited to my preschool years. We continued making these every Christmas until I had children of my own and then we inducted them into the family "Spritz-pressing club."

Isn't is amazing that food can provide such meaningful memories? I think there's a lesson to be learned here about what's really important not only at Christmas but all year long. It's not about money or the stuff money can buy, but connecting and taking the time to just BE with one another doing something simple--no pressure and no expectations! In this case, it's just a 1/2 pound of butter, some sugar, flour, a cookie press, your loved one and your time!

Spritz Cookies

 1½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg (room temperature)

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp almond extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 400F. 

Thoroughly cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, vanilla, and almond extract; beat well.  Stir together flour and baking powder. Gradually add to cream mixture, mixing to make a smooth dough.  Do not chill. Place dough into cookie press and press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400F 6-8 minutes. Remove cookies from sheet and cool on rack. Makes about 6 dozen.

Creamy Turkey (or Chicken) Noodle Soup

After all the hard work of planning and preparing the Thanksgiving feast, the "gift" that keeps on giving is the leftover turkey. Depending on the size of the turkey you cooked and the leftovers you have, you can create some great meals.

Grandma usually started the morning after Thanksgiving by making turkey broth using the leftover carcass. She would pull out her biggest stockpot, throw in the carcass, cover it with water and add onion, garlic, and whatever other vegetables she had on hand. She didn't peel or chop anything, she just washed it and threw it in.  Today we might add in some of our own rosemary and thyme growing outside our kitchen door (if it has survived the chill winter air), otherwise we use the dried variety. These wonderful herbs add flavor and depth to the broth. Here's the process (which can be used for either leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken):

Chicken or Turkey Broth

Turkey carcass with enough water to cover it in the pot

Vegetables (like onion, garlic, celery and carrots)
Herbs (like rosemary, thyme or sage)

Salt and pepper to taste

Throw everything in the pot and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer for several hours (2-3 hours is best). After it has simmered, remove the carcass, strain the liquid through cheesecloth or a sieve so you end up with plain broth. Remove whatever meat is left on the carcass Store broth and meat in a separate containers in the fridge or freezer until use.

*  *  *

After all the hearty eating on Thanksgiving, Grandma would prepare something "light" and usually a turkey noodle soup with a green salad and some leftover bread or rolls satisfied what little hunger remained the day after the big meal. This recipe even uses the leftover mashed potatoes, if desired!  The recipe can also use leftover chicken any time of year, plus it's a healthier alternative to the ubiquitous canned cream of chicken soup.

Keep in mind, if you're "turkeyed out," the broth and meat will be safe in your fridge for a couple days until you're ready, otherwise try this creamy turkey noodle soup. It's delicious!

Creamy Turkey (or Chicken) Noodle Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ dried thyme
¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
5-6 cups turkey (or chicken) broth
1 cup leftover mashed potatoes* (or whisk in 1/4 cup flour)
2-3 cups cooked turkey (or chicken) cut into chunks
1 cup half & half (or heavy cream)
salt and pepper to taste

*If you do not use the mashed potatoes, whisk in about 1/4 cup flour to the broth to thicken things up.

Heat up the oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot. Add in onion, carrots and celery and sauté 3-4 minutes until softened and golden brown. Stir in garlic and cook about 1 minute. Stir in oregano, thyme and poultry seasoning for about 1 minute until blended.

Slowly pour in the turkey (or chicken) broth then add in mashed potatoes (or whisk in 1/4 cup flour) and heat mixture slowly to boiling.

Reduce heat and add in the turkey (or chicken) and half & half (or cream) until heated through, then season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. 6 servings.

3-Can Silky Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving just wouldn't be the same without the desserts and other temptations that come to our holiday tables.

Pumpkin pie, of course, is one of our favorites. Some variation of it may have been served at the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving table, having been introduced to them by the Native Americans. Perhaps it was a sweet potato or squash pie. Either way they are delicious desserts on their own or with a dollop of real whipped cream on top.

This particular pie was one Grandma discovered in a newspaper and once she got a hold of it, she was hooked (and so were we).

For this pumpkin pie recipe you'll need only need one No-Fail Pie Crust, so you can make the full recipe and put the other one in a freezer bag to store in the freezer. Then you can make this again for Christmas (or for the day after Thanksgiving)!

3-Can Silky Pumpkin Pie

1 can (15 ounces) 100% pure pumpkin

½ tsp salt

1 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp allspice

2 large eggs, plus 2 yolks

1 cup canned evaporated milk

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

9-inch prebaked pie crust

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300F.

In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the pumpkin, salt, and spices to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Add milks; cook until heated through.

In a blender or large food processor, purée eggs and yolks.  With the blender running, add pumpkin filling—a spoonful at a time at first, then more quickly as the eggs heat up. Blend to form a silky texture. Pour warm filling into a prebaked pie shell. Bake until a thin-bladed knife inserted near the center of the pie comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.

Amazing Turkey Gravy

Grandma's gravy was unsurpassed.  It was never lumpy or fatty and it was even more delicious the day after. 

Getting the gravy perfect is a relatively simple process using heat, a whisk, and flour. The trick is to get the flour mixture or "roux" as smooth as possible (hence no lumps) and get as much of the fat out of the pan juices as possible. This can be tricky since the turkey Grandma used to make was similar to Martha's...doused hourly with a butter and white wine mixture. The butter would always wreak havoc with the fat content, but there are all sorts of fat separators and other tricks to remedy this. Namely pouring the pan juices in a big Pyrex bowl or measuring cup, putting it in the fridge until the fat comes to the surface, and skimming it off with a spoon. This usually did the trick and made the gravy flawless! Bet it will work for you too! 

Amazing Turkey Gravy

Pan juices (with fat removed)
1 cup dry white wine
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cups turkey giblet stock, including reserved cooked neck and giblets

Pour pan juices into heat safe container and put in fridge to quickly separate the fat. While this is chilling, pour white wine into pan and deglaze over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

Pour one cup of liquid from simmered giblets plus reserved pan juices (with fat removed) into saucepan with the flour and whisk until smooth over medium high heat about 3 minutes. Slowly add wine mixture and whisk continuously until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing

Lessons in Thanksgiving preparations...

Grandma told us about the differences between stuffing and dressing very early on. She used to cook one of each to accommodate our various tastes, but it was the stuffing that always won us over. There is nothing like stuffing the turkey and letting the juices do their magic. Grandma always used Mrs. Cubbison's cornbread stuffing in the big box. Now this is no advertisement for Mrs. C's, but I will attest that theirs is the best (unless, like Martha, you bake real cornbread rather than buy store bought).

Here is Grandma's recipe for Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing. This particular recipe from the newspaper about 10 years ago was identical to hers. She would typically have the potatoes peeled, the casseroles prepared, the pies made, and salads chilling the night before, so her Thanksgiving day wasn't fraught with frenzy. 

The turkey was fresh, so there was no need to thaw, but she would take it out of the fridge to sit at room temp for about an hour before putting it in the oven, remove the wrapping and giblets (or "innards" included with the turkey) and put these in a pan of water to simmer all morning--except the liver, which was bitter. She would then use this simmered water later in her gravy roux.

The stuffing was the first thing Grandma made on Thanksgiving Day. This was strategic on her part, because if it was made the day before the bread would be soggy--and you can't have that! She would also never consider stuffing the turkey the day before either--mainly because raw turkey is known to cause serious illness if not properly dealt with.

Once the stuffing was prepared, she would place it loosely (loosely being the key word here) into the turkey so it didn't end up as a blob of bread and/or be difficult to remove once the turkey was cooked. That being said, there was always plenty to make a side dish of "dressing." It just was never as good as the stuffing!

This truly is a winner and you and your guests will love it!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Right about now Grandma would have been busy pulling out her recipe books and planning her Thanksgiving menu. The weekend would be spent organizing coupons and local grocery deals, then going to the various stores early Saturday to buy the ingredients before everything was picked over. Shopping was a little different then because once a store was out of something the chances of getting it restocked were slim, so the early birds got the goods! Grandma would also order her turkey on Saturday morning so it would be ready by Wednesday (and perfectly prepared by Thursday afternoon!).

Her menu typically consisted of the tried and true traditional dishes with variations every year. From year to year she might change up her salad, side dishes and dessert, but her turkey was always amazing with no need to change anything. As she got older, Grandma settled on the family favorites and kept things familiar for those last few years she hosted our family day.

One of Grandma's favorites was this Sweet Potato Casserole. The source is unknown, but the result is nothing short of miraculous. It's different than the standard marshmallow or brown sugar laden variety, but oh so good! You will NOT regret incorporating this into your menu and you can bet your family will request it next year (or even for Christmas!).

Sweet Potato Casserole

2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled/cored/sliced

3 (15 oz) cans of yams or sweet potatoes, drained thoroughly and patted dry with paper towels

1 stick butter, melted

1/3 cup corn syrup

1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp brown sugar, firmly packed

2 Tbsp Madeira

½ to 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or combination of cinnamon/nutmeg)

Dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (rack in center of oven).  Grease a 10-inch round deep pie pan or deep gratin dish. Combine sweet potatoes (or yams), 6 tablespoons of the melted butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, Madeira, pumpkin pie spice and salt in the work bowl and puree until smooth. Scrape down sides when necessary. Spread half of this mixture in prepared dish.  Arrange half of the apple slices over the sweet potatoes overlapping evenly. Brush with melted butter. Spread second layer of sweet potatoes with apple slices on top. Brush top with melted butter. Bake until apples are tender and mixture is well heated through, about 30-40 minutes.

Cranberry Fruit Salad

I'm not sure where Grandma got all of her jello recipes--from friends, from relatives, from the recipe collections of her various clubs and guilds, from her own ingenuity--but at least one would find its way to our holiday table (and sometimes not just during the holidays)! They are so refreshing, they could be used any time of year.

This variation of the cranberry jello salad has the sweet and tart together using pineapple with a little bit of crunch from the celery. A delicious combination of flavors and textures!

Cranberry Fruit Salad

1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained, reserving juice

½ cup cranberry juice cocktail

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 (3 oz) pkg raspberry gelatin

1 (16 oz) can whole berry cranberry sauce

½ cup chopped celery

Combine reserved pineapple juice, cranberry juice and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add gelatin, stirring until it is completely dissolved. Break up cranberry sauce with a fork. Stir into gelatin mixture.  Refrigerate until mixture begins to set. Stir in pineapple and celery. Pour into a 4-cup mold. Chill until firm. (Makes 8 servings.)

Cranberry Apple Salad

I did some research on cranberries and why they're so darn popular during the holidays.

Did you know that the cranberry is one fruit that is native to the United States and was grown by Native Americans, who introduced them to the Pilgrims? Not only were they used as a food source (and a right healthy one at that!) but also pressed and used for dying fabrics, crushed and used as a healing balm, and also used as "money" for bartering! Amazing!

There's just something about the cranberry during the holidays.  Given a great combination of ingredients, cranberries can enhance a turkey dressing, a bread, a jello, or a drink (Crantini? Delicious!)

This cranberry jello dish is a delicious combination of sweet and tart all at once. If you use Granny Smith apples, the tartness of the apple blends with the sour of the cranberry in a delicious way.  You will absolutely love this one for your holiday table!

Cranberry Apple Mold

1-½  cup boiling water

1 pkg (8 serving size) OR

    2 pkgs (4 serving size) cranberry jello or ANY RED FLAVOR

1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce

1 cup cold water

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 medium apple (preferable Granny Smith), chopped

Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl 2 minutes or until completely dissolved.  Stir in cranberry sauce, cold water, and cinnamon.  Refrigerate about 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until thickened.  Stir in apple and spoon into 5-cup mold. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.  Unmold and garnish as desired.  

Holiday Cinnamon Molded Salad

Grandma did a lot of entertaining. She absolutely loved people and loved giving back to the community, so she belonged to many clubs and guilds that raised funds for disadvantaged youth or kids who needed medical care.  Her servant's heart ran deep.  

When a meeting place or special event location was needed, Grandma often opened her home. She was a natural at putting together something memorable, carried out with attention to every detail.

Her beautiful table always had a centerpiece of some sort with flowers or candles. She cared about each place setting and the silverware was deliberately placed in its proper location. There had to be order but she was never compulsive about it so things were very relaxed. Such a life lesson to be learned from that.

As she got older, the soirees began to diminish and she wasn't able to be a member of so many organizations, but she still had family over for holidays and other special events well into her 80s! Where she got all that energy was a mystery.

Family dinners always included some sort of gelatin salad and Grandma used to say that a good salad starts off a meal on the right foot...and they always did. Her holiday salad fixings were wonderful and with Thanksgiving around the corner these "tried and trues" should give you a few ideas for your own family gathering.

Holiday Cinnamon Molded Salad

½ cup red cinnamon candies (Red Hots--trust me on this)

4 Tbsp sugar

2 cups hot water

2 pkgs cherry Jello

2 cups cold water

2 cups diced apples

1 cup diced oranges

½ cup walnuts (optional)

Dissolve candies and sugar in boiling water then pour over 2 packages of cherry Jello.  Add cold water and chill until partially set, then add apples, oranges, and walnuts.  Chill until set.