Holiday Cooking

The Penny Pincher's Thanksgiving

Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

3 sweet potatoes (about 21/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked or shredded coconut
11/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup orange juice
Recipe

Preheat oven to 375°F. Layer sweet potatoes, coconut and nutmeg in a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish and then drizzle all over with orange juice. Cover with foil and bake until almost tender, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until tender and coconut is golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Serves 8 

No-Cook Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

1 bag (12 oz) cranberries, picked over

1⁄2 orange, cut up (with peel), seeds removed

1⁄2 apple, cored, cut up (with peel)

3⁄4 cup sugar, or to taste


Recipe

Put all ingredients together in a food processor and pulse until fruit is finely chopped. Yields 2 3/4 cups. can be made up to two days in advance if stored tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Old Fashiond Cornbread Dressing

First you will need to make the cornbread

Ingredients


1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
1 cup milk
¼ cup shortening or lard




Recipe


Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using a large mixing bowl add the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Mix until thoroughly blended.
Add the egg and milk and then stir until the mixture is moist not too thick and not too runny.
Using a large iron skillet, add the shortening or lard and then place in the preheated oven. Allow a few minutes for the shortening or lard to melt and then remove from oven and swirl the hot grease slightly to cover the bottom and sides of the skillet.
Pour off any extra melted shortening into the cornmeal mixture and then stir to mix well. Pour the cornbread mixture into the hot skillet and then return to oven to bake for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown.
After baking the cornbread remove from oven and allow cooling.


Then you will need to make the dressing


Ingredients

1 completed cornbread recipe
4 beaten eggs
½ cup diced celery
½ cup diced onions
¾ teaspoon sage
¾ teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup turkey broth
Salt and pepper to taste




Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using a large mixing bowl crumble cornbread inside and then add the eggs, celery and onions and then fold to mix lightly.
Add the sage, poultry seasoning, soups, turkey broth, salt and pepper and then mix thoroughly. This mixture will have a soupy consistency. If it seems a bit too dry, add some more broth or hot water to the mixture and blend well.
Pour into a large baking pan and place in preheated oven and allow to bake for approximately 30 minutes or until it is firmly set yet moist.

Microwaved Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

4  Medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound)

6  Tablespoons  1% low-fat milk
4  Tablespoons  brown sugar, divided
1/4   teaspoon  salt
2  Tablespoon  butter, softened
2  Tablespoon  chopped pecans, toasted
1/4   teaspoon  ground cinnamon

Recipe

Pierce potatoes with a fork; arrange on paper towels in microwave oven. Microwave potatoes at HIGH for 10 minutes, rearranging the potatoes after 5 minutes. Wrap potatoes in a towel; let stand for 5 minutes. Scoop out pulp; discard skins. Combine pulp, milk, 2 tablespoon brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl; mash.
Combine 2 tablespoon brown sugar, softened butter, pecans, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Top each serving with pecan mixture.






Spinach Squash Soup


Ingredients


10 ounces frozen chopped spinach
1 small yellow squash, diced
1/2 small onion, minced
2 carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounces V8 or tomato juice
1/2 cup navy beans
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt

Recipe
Combine all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on high for 10-12 hours