Cornbread Stuffing w/ Sausage, Apples, & Crispy Sage

Stuffing is probably my least favorite item on my Thanksgiving plate.  Every time I try to eat it I just think of soggy bread and it is completely unappetizing to me.  My mom made her stuffing recipe this year, so I decided to try making a cornbread stuffing as well since I absolutely love cornbread.  Although, it was much better than the normal stuffing to me, it still wasn't one of my favorite turkey day sides.  However, if you like stuffing, and cornbread, I think you will love this one!  Courtesy of The Pioneer Woman, its stuffed with sausage, apples, mushrooms, & onions, plus I added crispy sage to the top after making this lasagna!

Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage, Apples, & Crispy Sage

Ingredients:

1 package White Button Mushrooms
Olive Oil if needed
4 cups Cornbread, Cut Into 1-inch Cubes
4 cups French Bread, Cut Into 1-inch Cubes
1/2 pound Spicy Sausage
2 cups Diced Onion
1 or 2 Granny Smith Apples, Large Dice
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 cup White Wine
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
32 ounces, fluid Low (very Low) Sodium Chicken Broth, may not use all
1 teaspoon Ground Thyme
1/2 teaspoon Sage (more To Taste)
1 teaspoons Rosemary
1/2 teaspoon (additional) Kosher Salt
Black Pepper To Taste
Fresh Parsley, Minced to taste
Fresh Sage leaves, optional

Method:

Allow diced bread to sit out on cookie sheets for several hours or overnight, until dried out.
Increase heat to high and add mushrooms, diced apples, brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until deep golden brown.  Add in thyme, sage, rosemary and stir to combine.

Decrease heat to medium and pour in wine (be careful if you're using an open flame). Stir and cook to reduce liquid by half, about two to three minutes. Pour apple/onion/mushroom mixture into a bowl and set aside.

Add bread to a large bowl, then add browned sausage, mushrooms, and apple/onion mixture (and juice that might have accumulated.) Next, add broth gradually as you toss the ingredients, being prepared not to use all of the liquid according to your taste.

Check seasonings at the end and add in minced parsley. Pour into a large baking dish and lay fresh sage leaves over the top.  Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top and sage has crisped up.

Homemade Apple Pie

Let me tell you, there is nothing like making your own apple pie all the way down to the crust.  It makes you feel so much more appreciative of the pie and really just tastes a whole lot more amazing all together when its homemade.  I have to say though, this recipe was a really great one.  We loved the flavor that the hint of brandy gave the apple filling.  I also added some lemon zest to the crust after making this peach tart with the lemon zest crust.  It just adds a freshness, but not a too lemony flavor.  Try it, you will feel very accomplished!

Old Fashioned Apple Pie
via Simply Recipes

Ingredients:
Crust Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

1/2 cup finely ground blanched almonds or almond flour (can substitute 1/2 cup flour if you don't have almonds)

16 Tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, chilled in freezer for at least 15 minutes

1 teaspoon salt

1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar

3 to 6 Tbsp water, very cold

1 or 2 teaspoons lemon zest (optional)

Filling Ingredients
2/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 pounds of 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices of peeled and cored good cooking apples such as Granny Smith,

Pippin, Golden Delicious

1 1/2 tablespoons brandy

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Egg Wash

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp cream

Method:

1 In a food processor, combine flour, almonds, salt and brown sugar, pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add water 1 Tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready, if not, add a little more water and pulse again.
Remove dough from machine and place on a clean surface. Carefully shape into 2 discs. Do not over-knead the dough! You should still be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These bits of butter are what will allow the result crust to be flaky. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2 Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F.

3 Combine sugar, flour and spices in large bowl. Use your hands and mix in the apples so they are well coated, then add brandy and vanilla extract.

4 Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some lemon zest then flour on top of the disk. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12 inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, use a metal spatula to check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. Add a few sprinkles of flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Gently fold in half. Place on to a 9-inch pie plate, lining up the fold with the center of the pan. Gently unfold and press down to line the pie dish with the dough.

5 Spoon in apple filling, mounding slightly in center.

6 Roll out second disk of dough, as before. Gently turn over onto the top of the apples in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold dough under itself so that the edge of the fold is flush with the edge of the pan. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork.

7 Stir yolk and cream in small bowl to blend. Brush over top of pie. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake pie until crust begins to turn golden, about 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F. Tent the rims with aluminum foil or a pie protector if the edges are browning too quickly. Bake until crust is golden and juices are bubbling, anywhere from an additional 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the type of apples you are using. Transfer to rack; let stand 1 hour. Serve pie warm or at room temperature.

Chocolate Cookies w/ White Chocolate Chips & Walnuts

One of Corey's favorites.  After I made my 10 cookie long list, I asked Corey if there were any he wanted me to make and he immediately said these and Lemon bars.  I basically just used this chocolate cookie recipe and then added white & dark chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.  They were so yummy!

Adapted originally from How Sweet
yielded 18 cookies

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
3/4 cups sugar
1 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup dark or semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Method:
Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix until combined.  Fold in chips and nuts.

Spoon onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  Leave on a baking sheet to cool & harden up for a few minutes and then transfer to wire cooling rack.

Cheddar Herb Muffins

These are the perfect thing to serve with soup!

Cheddar Herb Muffins

via Eat at Home Cooks

yields 6 muffins

Ingredients

3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornmeal (I used corn muffin mix!)
1/2 Tbs. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of ground red pepper
1/2 tablespoon italian seasoning
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup milk
1 egg white
1/2 cup + extra shredded cheddar cheese

Method
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease 6 muffin cups. In a large bowl, with a fork, combine the dry ingredients.

Melt the butter and cool it slightly. Stir in the milk, then beat in the egg. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Divide the batter into the muffin pans and top each muffin with a bit more cheese.

Bake for 15-20 min until toothpick comes out clean.

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

This is a soup I made last winter once and loved...unfortunately Corey for some reason said he wasn't crazy about it.  Well I was so I made it again this year, and guess what, he loved it!  This soup is a mainly broth based soup but has a bit of creaminess to it because it includes a roux mixed with milk.  Its really simple and really yummy!  I always make it with these cheddar herb muffins and we just crumble them on top.  So amazing! 

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

via Eat at Home Cooks

serves about 8

Ingredients
64 oz chicken broth (2 boxes or 4 cans)
1 box Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice Blend (and about 1/2 the seasoning packet)
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. flour
2 cups milk
salt & pepper
about 2 cups cooked chicken

Method
Bring the broth to a boil in a stockpot.  Add the rice, onions and celery.  Simmer for 35-40 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan.  Stir in the flour, cooking for just a minute over medium heat.  Gradually whisk in the milk.  Cook over medium heat until it’s bubbly and thickened.  Add the poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.

When the rice is cooked, stir the white sauce into the soup.  Add the chicken.  Adjust the seasonings and heat through.

Tamale Pulled Pork w/ Cornbread

Time for a break from Thanksgiving side dishes!  I've made this pork before and its so incredibly easy and really really good!  Its sort of a mix between pulled pork & mexican.  Plus, pork loin is a leaner cut of meat than pork shoulder used for pulled pork.  This is one of those great meals that you throw in the crock pot and have a home cooked meal when you get home from work.  Plus, we had plenty of leftovers for at least another two meals each.  You make some cornbread muffins and serve over the top!  I also made homemade refried beans to go alongside this one.

Tamale Pulled Pork with Cornbread

recipe via Eat at Home Cooks

Ingredients

large pork loin
2  28oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 onion, diced
2 tsp. cumin
4 chilis from a can of chilis in adobo sauce, chopped fine (or more if you like spicy, less if you don't)
1 tsp. salt
corn bread muffins

Place all ingredients except cornbread in slow cooker and cook 5-6 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. 

When it is fully cooked, shred the meat with a fork (it was so incredibly tender at this point it just fell apart when I put the fork in it).  Serve over the cornbread.

Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole is one of the few dishes I truly get excited for on Thanksgiving.  I think its the creamy filling and crunchy top that makes this dish so good!  This recipe comes from Paula Deen.  I wanted to make the whole thing from scratch, but wasn't sure if I would have time with all the other dishes.  So in the interest of making things a little easier on myself, this one I would call semi-homemade.  While you still do a little work by cooking fresh (or frozen in my case) green beans & sauteing some onions and mushrooms, the rest is easy using cream of mushroom soup & french fried onions.  I doubled her recipe to make one 9 x 13 inch pan, reduced the soup as I thought it was too much filling and not enough green beans, and left out the cheese in her recipe.   

Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

2/3 stick butter

1 cup diced onions

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

4 cups sliced green beans (I used frozen green beans)

3 cups chicken broth (I used half broth half water)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings (I think I used more)

Salt & Pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain.

Add the green beans, mushroom soup, and about 1/4 of the onion rings to the onion & mushroom mixture.  Stir well. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the rest of the onions and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and onions are crispy.