EASTER MENU

SPIRAL HAM

MY FAVORITE CHEESY POTATOES

1 HOUR SOFT AND BUTTERY DINNER ROLLS

COMPOUND BUTTER

ROASTED VEGGIES

ECLAIR CAKE

RESERECTION ROLLS

CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE

3–4 lb. corned beef brisket with spice pack

4 cups of beef broth or Guinness

1 small onion

6 cloves of garlic

1 small head of cabbage cut into 6 pieces

3–4 large carrots, cut into large chunks

6 medium sized red potatoes cut into large chunks

1. Place steamer basket in Instant Pot.

2. Add broth/Guinness, onion, garlic & spice packet. (put spices into a tea ball if you don’t like crunching into them later)

3. Place the corned beef brisket on top, fat side up.

4. Set to cook high pressure for 90 minutes. (usually take about 20 minutes to come to pressure)

5. Natural release for 10 minutes, then manually release the rest of the steam.

6. Remove the corned beef, wrap in foil to keep warm.

7. Add in the cabbage, carrots and potatoes.

8. Set to cook high pressure for 7 minutes.

9. Quick release.

Slice the brisket and enjoy!

ANDES MINT COOKIES

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix

 1/2 cup oil

 2 eggs

1/4 tsp mint extract

Andes Mints (need 40 total mints)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Chop 16 mints into bits.

Mix the cake mix, oil, eggs, extract and chopped mints.

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet.

Bake 6-9 minutes

Put one full mint on top of each cookie while still hot so mint will melt.

Spread the melted mint over the cookie like frosting.

*7 minutes was perfect on air-bake pans

*Makes 2 dozen, medium cookie scoop

CARAMEL APPLE CIDER

1 Gallon Cider or apple juice (128 oz/16 cups)

2 & 1/2 TBL mulling spice* (substitute 2-3 tsp pumpkin pie spice)

16 Caramels or 1 & 1/4 cup caramel sauce

Whipped cream & caramel sauce for serving (optional)

1.  Put everything in a slow cooker (5-6qt).  If using mulling spices, put them in

     a tea infuser or just strain before serving.

2.  Cook on low 4-6 hours, high 2-3 hours.

3.  Serve and top with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce if desired.

The caramel sometimes separates when the cider is very hot. Just stir before serving.

*see recipe for Williams Sonoma Kopy Kat on this blog.

MULLING SPICES - WILLIAMS SONOMA KOPY KAT

For 5.75 oz of mulling spices:

1 c (2.25 oz) dried orange peel

1/2 C (1.5 oz) cinnamon sticks (pulverized)*

1/4 c (1 oz) whole allspice

1/4 c (1 oz) cloves

To mull cider, gently simmer 1 quart apple cider with 2 TBL mulling spices for up to 20 minutes.  (use a tea ball infuser or just strain before serving)

*To break the cinnamon sticks into chunks I popped them into a ziplock bag then used the flat side of a meat tenderizer to pulverize them.

SMOKED TURKEY

Smoke @ 300 degrees @ 15 minutes per pound until 165 degrees at thickest part of breast.

Baste every hour

DRY BRINE (optional)

1/3 cup salt

1 TBL pepper

1TBL sugar

Rub in cavity and over exterior and place in fridge for 2-4 hours

Rinse off brine prior to smoking and prepping bird

PREP THE BIRD

BUTTER RUB:

In a ziplock baggie, combine --

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup olive oil

1 TBL pepper

1 TBL garlic powder

1/2 TBL paprika

Loosen the skin

Cut a small hole in the corner of the ziplock bag and squeeze butter under and over the skin.

STUFF THE CAVITY:

1 onion quartered

2 carrots quartered

2 celery stocks quartered

1 lemon quartered

1/2 tsp thyme

Make tin foil balls for the bird to set on so it is not sitting in juices.

Put bird in roasting pan with 1 cup stock in bottom of pan

COMPOUND BUTTERS

Fresh Berry Butter

1 pint clean berries

1 cups butter at room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

Combine all well. Serve on pancakes, or hot fresh bread.

Blackberry Honey
1/2 lb softened Butter
1/4 cup Honey
1/4 cup Blackberries

Jam Butter

1 cup (2 sticks) butter at room temperature

1/2 cup good raspberry jam (seeded)

1/4 cup powdered sugar (you could add more–depending on the sweetness of your jam and your taste)

Mix thouroughly and store in fridge. Enjoy!

Honey Butter

½ cup butter, softened

½ teaspoon vanilla

½ cup honey

Texas Road-House Cinnamon Butter

½ cup sweet cream butter, softened

1/3 cup powder sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Beat butter until fluffy and smooth. Add sugar and cinnamon mix until blended. Refrigerate

Cream Cheese Nut Butter

4 oz cream cheese

1/2 stick of butter

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 c. powdered sugar

chopped pecans or almonds

Blue Cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, 1 stick
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbled
1/4 tsp rosemary or thyme, finely chopped
1/4 tsp garlic powder
black pepper to taste

DINNER IN A PUMPKIN

1 small to medium pumpkin (about 4 lbs.)

1.5 lbs ground beef

1/2 of an onion diced

1 can cream of mushroom soup

4oz fresh mushrooms sliced (can sub 4oz can)

8oz can water chestnuts, diced

2 TBL soy sauce

2 TBL brown sugar

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 cup grated cheese

Wash outside of pumpkin, cut off top and clean out seed and pulp.

Brown hamburger with onion. Combine with soup, mushrooms, water chestnuts, soy, sugar rice and cheese.

Fill the pumpkin with mixture and put lid back on.

Put on baking sheet and cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until pumpkin is tender.

Remove top and serve. Scoop out cooked pumpkin to serve as a side.

PUMPKIN PUREE

Wash outside of pumpkin. Cut in ½ and pull out seeds and goop. Put on roasting pan.


Cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees


3 sugar pie pumpkins = about 8 cups of puree.

EASY PEEL HARD BOILED EGGS

Put eggs in pan.

Cover with cold water to at least 2” above eggs.

Add 1-2 TBL vinegar.

Cover pan and on medium high heat, bring to a hard boil.

Leave covered and remove from heat.

Let sit in covered pan for 13-14 minutes.

Put eggs in ice bath to stop cooking process.

Tap egg all around so cracks are everywhere.

Peel under cold running water.

RESERECTION ROLLS

12 Rhoades rolls, (take out of freezer 1 hour before you’re ready to make)

4 TB sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

12 large marshmallows

1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside

Roll marshmallow in butter

Roll in cinnamon sugar mix

Press each portion into a flat circle

Place1 large marshmallow in the center of each roll

Pinch roll dough very firmly around the marshmallow. Roll each into a seamless, or nearly seamless, ball with your hands.

Put each roll into 1 cup of muffin tin

Brush rolls with remaining melted butter. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture over rolls.

Cover rolls with plastic wrap and put in the fridge overnight.

On Sunday morning, preheat oven to 350°.

Take rolls out of fridge and bake for 15 minutes until rolls are golden brown. Be careful not to overbake. (These may also be baked without sitting overnight. After wrapping the marshmallow in them, let them rise for about an hour or so and then bake them as usual.)

Symbolism:

Marshmallow – Body of Jesus

Butter – Oils for Embalming

Cinnamon/Sugar – Spices used to anoint body

Roll – Wrapping of Jesus’ body

Oven – Tomb

Hollow roll – Empty tomb after Jesus has risen

GLAZED HAM

If baking, follow directions on package

Crock-Pot Method:

WITH SPICE OR GLAZE PACKET

10lb. spiral ham

20oz Crushed Pineapple with juice, don't drain

1 ½ cups brown sugar

1 cup ginger ale

Put 1 cup brown sugar on bottom of crock pot

Cut ham off bone and place slices sitting up-right on brown sugar

Sprinkle with ½ cup brown sugar

Drizzle with glaze packet that came with ham (if spice packet, make glaze 1st

Pour pineapple over top

Pour ginger ale over top

Cook on low 4-5 hours.

To thicken sauce/drippings, pour into sauce pan with cornstarch slurry and cook to desired thickness.

WITHOUT SPICE/GLAZE PACKET

10lb sl

iced ham

20oz Cruched pineapple with juice, don't drain

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground clove

1/4 cup honey

4 TBL butter

Place ham into crock pot.  

Mix remaining ingredients.

Pour over ham.

Cook on low 5 hours.

To thicken sauce/drippings, pour into sauce pan with a cornstarch slurry and cook to desired thickness.

PRIME RIB ROAST

4-5lb. Prime Rib Roast (have butcher cut bones off and tie them back on)
2 Cups A1 Sauce
4 Cups Rock or Kosher Salt
Inject Garlic Marinade (optional)


2 TBL horseradish
1 cup whipping cream


2 hours prior to cooking, inject with marinade, or just set out to bring to room temperature.


When ready to cook, pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.


Put a thin layer of rock salt (about the size of the roast) on a foil lined roasting pan.


Liberally coat the roast with A1 so that the entire roast is covered. set the top of the roast down into the salt, pressing down to embed the salt into the A1. Completely cover the remainder of the roast with the rock salt, pressing it into the A1.


Cook for 30 minutes, then turn oven temperature down to 375 Degrees.


Place roast rib side down on roasting pan.


Cook for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature of the roast is between 145-160 degrees F.  (if you pull out at 145, you end up with medium-rare, if you pull out at 160, you end up with medium)


Let the roast stand for 20-30 minutes to let the juices re-distribute.

The roast will be encased in a “shell of salt”. Just hit it with the back of a knife and it will come right off.


While roast is resting, whip the cream and fold in the sour cream.


Save the bones for yummy prime rib soup!!!

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES

1lb. tub of strawberries (approx. 20)

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp. shortening or oil

EGGNOG BLOSSOMS

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
1/4 cup eggnog
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour
 dash nutmeg
1/3 cup granulate sugar
32 Hershey's Kisses


Step 1
In a large mixing bowl cream the butter, eggnog, and sugar. Add the egg and mix well. Add the baking soda and baking powder and mix again. Add the flour and nutmeg and mix until incorporated. Cover and chill at least one hour.


Step 2
Roll dough into 24 balls and roll each one in granulated sugar. Place 2" apart on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes. They will stay very light in color - do not over bake! Place an unwrapped kiss in the center of each cookie. (makes exactly 24 with medium cookie scoop)


Allow to cool on sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

EASY TURKEY GRAVY

Yields: 7 cups

5 cups turkey stock with pan drippings, fat skimmed off

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1. Make a roux with the butter and flour. Add the stock and bring to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in soup, and season with poultry seasoning, pepper, seasoned salt, and garlic powder. If you have a gravy starter packet that came with your turkey, pour it in now. 

2. Reduce heat to low, and let simmer.

3. If needed thin with milk.

PERFECT TURKEY & HOW TO THAW & CARVE

Thawing turkey in the refrigerator is recommended. If short on time, you may thaw the turkey in cold water in the original wrapping, making sure the water is changed every 30 minutes to keep the turkey surface cold.

REFRIGERATOR TURKEY THAWING TIME:

8-10 lb. turkey = 2-3 days

12-16 lb. turkey = 3-4 days

16-20 lb. turkey = 4-5 days

20-24 lb. turkey = 5-6 days

PERFECT BRINED TURKEY

THE BRINE:

1 (12-18 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed

1.5 cups kosher salt

1 gallon chicken stock (16 cups)

1 TBL dried rosemary

1 TBL dried sage

1 TBL dried thyme

Place the bird in a large stock pot. (I usually put it in a roasting bag inside the stock pot). Mix salt, stock, rosemary, sage, thyme and cover the bird with brine mix. Place in the refrigerator, and allow the turkey to soak in the salt and water mixture 24 hours.

TO COOK THE BIRD:

½ cup butter, softened

¼ cup butter, softened

2 large onions, peeled and chopped

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 lemon quartered (optional) 

2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)

1 bay leaf

1 cup chicken stock

¼ cup butter (after foil is removed)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly rinse the turkey, and discard the brine mixture.

Pat dry. Rub ½ cup softened butter under and over the skin.

Place breast side up on a roasting rack or in a roasting bag, in a shallow roasting pan.

Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 onion, 1/2 the carrots, 1/2 the celery, 1 sprig of thyme, lemon, and the bay leaf. Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting pan or in bag, and cover with the 1 cup chicken stock. Cover tightly with foil if not using a roasting bag.

Roast for 2/3 of the total cooking time (see chart below). Take off foil or cut open the bag and peel back. Brush or rub with ¼ cup butter.

Roast for the remaining 1/3 of the cooking time until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving. Use the drippings to make the best gravy (recipe below)!

ROASTING TIMETABLE:

Turkey Weight            Total cook Time               Remove foil after

8 to 12 pounds           2-3/4 hours to 3 hours     1 hr. 45 min to 2 hours

12 to 14 pounds         3 to 3-3/4 hours              2 hrs. to 2 hr. 30 min.

14 to 18 pounds         3-3/4 to 4-1/4 hours        2 hrs. 30 min. to 2 hr 50 min.

18 to 20 pounds         4-1/4 to 4-1/2 hours        2 hrs. 50 min. to 3 hours

20 to 24 pounds         4-1/2 hours to 5 hours     3 hrs to 3 hrs. 15 min

24 to 30 pounds         5 to 5-1/2 hours              3 hrs. 15 min. to 3 hrs. 45 min.

Turkey is done when the meat thermometer inserted in the breast reads 170° F. and 180°F. when inserted deep in the thigh, not touching the bone. Juices should be clear.

HOW TO CARVE A TURKEY:

Use a long, sharp carving knife and meat fork to prevent the turkey from moving. Carve on a cutting board. Allow the turkey to stand 15 to 20 minutes after cooking before carving.

Remove the plastic clasp holding the drumsticks together.

Hold the end of the drumstick. Cut through the joint between leg and body. Remove the entire leg by pulling out and back. Serve whole or cut through the joint of the thigh and drumstick.

Make a long, horizontal cut into the breast just above the wing. Insert a meat fork in the top of the breast.

Starting halfway up the breast, carve thin slices down to the horizontal cut.
Continue to carve thin slices, starting at a higher point each time.

Repeat steps on the other side of the turkey.

THANKSGIVING MENU IDEAS

MAIN:

Perfect Brined Turkey**

APPITIZERS:

Veggie Tray

Turkey Cheese Ball

SIDE IDEAS:

Stuffing

Perfect Mashed Potatoes 2 Ways** 

Easy Turkey Gravy**

Glass Block Jello**

Rolls

Cranberry Sauce**

VEGGIE IDEAS:

Corn

Carrots & Cranberries

Bean
Green Salad
Bacon Cheddar Green Bean Casserole**

PIES & SWEETS:

Perfect Pumpkin Pie**

Apple Pie in a Bag**
Three Berry Pie**
Nutty Butter Peanut Butter Pie**
Butterfinger Pie**

**Recipe on Blog

CRANBERRY CREAM CHEESE HOLIDAY SALAD

1 1/2 cups crushed Almonds

4 1/2 tablespoons Splenda

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 tsp salt

1 cup Splenda

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1 (8 ounce) container frozen lite whipped topping, thawed

2 (3 ounce) packages sugar free raspberry Jello

2 cups boiling water

1 (16 ounce) package frozen raspberries

8 ounces of cranberries (chopped) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix together the almonds,1 tsp salt, 4 1/2 tablespoons Splenda and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool completely.

In a medium bowl, beat the Splenda and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

In a medium bowl, stir together the gelatin mix and boiling water. Mix in frozen raspberries and chopped cranberries then stir until thawed. Pour over cream cheese mixture in pan. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour.

*Can 1/2 the recipe in a 9x9 pan.

CARROTS & CRANBERRIES

1 lb. packages carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

1 cup dried cranberries, or more to taste

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 pinch ground cinnamon, or to taste

1. Put carrots and cranberries into a microwave-safe dish. Mix chicken broth, butter, and brown sugar together in a bowl; drizzle over the carrot mixture and stir to coat.

2. Cook in microwave on High for 4 minutes..

3. Continue cooking in microwave until carrots are tender, about 8 minutes more; cool at room temperature for 5 minutes and sprinkle with cinnamon.