Thanksgiving recipes 2017

Thanksgiving is near!

Here are several of Phillis Carey's favorite Turkey Day recipes.  Enjoy them!

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes    Serves 8 to 10.  
5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut in 8 pieces
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softened
1-1/2 to 2 cups sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt to the water. Cook potatoes until fork tender, about 15 minutes longer.

2. Place butter, cream cheese and 1 cup sour cream in the bottom of a large bowl. Drain potatoes and garlic and let air dry for 5 minutes. Press potatoes and garlic through a ricer into the bowl on top of the other ingredients. Stir to combine until smooth adding more sour cream as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Mashed potatoes may be served immediately or transferred to a buttered 4-  quart casserole. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate, covered with foil, for up to 48 hours. Bake, covered, at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes or until very hot.

Tangerine Cranberry Sauce     Makes 1 1/2 cups.  
12 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh squeezed tangerine juice (orange juice also works well)

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until cranberries pop, about 10 minutes. Watch for hot splatters. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate up to 5 days.

Fresh Mango And Cranberry Relish   Makes 2 1/2 cups. 
1 lb. mangoes (about 2), peeled and cubed
2 cups cranberries (8 oz.)
1/2 medium unpeeled orange, seeded, cut into large pieces
½ cup sugar

Place mangoes, cranberries and orange in processor and pulse to coarsely chop.  Transfer to bowl and stir in sugar.  Let relish stand at least 30 minutes before serving.  Keeps 3 days in refrigerator.

Sausage, Apple And Dried Cranberry Stuffing           
Serves 10 to 12. 
1 lb. firm white bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
1 lb. sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
1/4 cup unsalted butter
6 cups sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 3 large leeks)
1 lb. tart green apples, peeled and chopped 
2 cups chopped celery with leaves 4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 cup dried cranberries
4 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 eggs, beaten to blend (optional)
1 1/2 to 2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide bread cubes between 2 large baking sheets. Bake until slightly dry, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

2. Sauté sausages in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, crumbling coarsely with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl. Pour off any drippings from skillet. Melt butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks, apples, celery and poultry seasoning to skillet; sauté until leeks soften, about 8 minutes. Mix in dried cranberries and rosemary. Add mixture to sausage, then mix in bread and parsley. Season stuffing to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Mix eggs into stuffing if you wanted a firmer more set dressing.

3. To bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 15x10x2-inch baking dish or 2 smaller casseroles. Mix 1 1/2 cups broth into stuffing or enough to moisten the bread well. Transfer to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil and bake until heated through, about 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown if desired, about 15 minutes.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Pine Nuts  Serves 8. 
1 1/4 lbs. small Brussels Sprouts
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup water
2 T. unsalted butter
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

Halve Brussels sprouts lengthwise. Cut lengthwise into thin (1/8-inch) slices or slice with food processor. Heat oil with garlic in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sprouts; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until brown at edges, 6 minutes. Add water and butter; sauté until most of water evaporates and sprouts are tender but still bright green, 3 minutes. Toss in the toasted pine nuts.

Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots        Serves 10. 
6 T. unsalted butter, divided use
1/2 lb. shallots, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and pepper to taste
2 T. balsamic vinegar
 4 tsp. sugar
1 T. salt
2 lbs. thin green beans
Salt and pepper to taste 

1. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until soft and golden, about  10 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar. Stir until brown and glazed, about 3 minutes. (Shallots may be cooked the day before.)

2.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the salt.  Add the green beans and boil 3 to 4 minutes or until just tender and still bright green.  Drain and rinse in cold water.  (Beans may be cooked the day before.) 

3. Melt remaining 3 T. butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the green beans and cook and toss until heated through, as much as 10 minutes.   Add shallots and heat through; season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Roasted Butternut Squash With Red Grapes, Pine Nuts and Sage                         Serves 4 to 6. 
1 (2 1/4 lb.) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces    (I just buy the already cubed squash—1 1/2 lbs.)
1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes (about 8 oz.)
1 medium onion, cut into 1 inch cubes or chunks
2 T. thinly sliced fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine butternut squash, grapes, onion and sage in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil and season generously with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat. 

2. Spread squash out onto a parchment-lined large baking sheet and roast until squash and onion begin to brown, stirring occasionally, about 50 minutes (less time with the already cubed squash).  Serve sprinkled with toasted pine nuts.

The Best Pumpkin Pie Ever!     Serves 6 to 8.  
Crust: 
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
6 T. chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 T. chilled Crisco, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 T. (or more) ice water

Filling:  
2/3 cup golden brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
2 T. real maple syrup
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Sweetened whipped cream, for serving

1. To make the crust, mix flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Add butter and Crisco and pulse to process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle 3 T. ice water over mixture. Process just until moist clumps form, adding more water by tsp. if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball and flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

2. Roll dough out into a 12 inch round. Transfer dough to a 9 inch pie pan. Trim edges and fold under. Crimp edges decoratively. Refrigerate until very cold.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line pastry with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake 12 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake until very light brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Cool crust on a rack.

4. For filling, place brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, salt and spices in a large bowl. Whisk until combined. Whisk in pumpkin, maple syrup and eggs and then cream. Pour mixture into crust. Bake until edges puff and center is just set, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool completely on a rack. Serve with whipped cream.