This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Mission Foods. All opinions are 100% mine.
I particularly enjoy using flour tortillas to make a quick cinnamon sugared snack chip. Simply cut the tortillas into wedges, spray with some cooking spray or brush with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture and bake at 350 for a few minutes. MMMM good. Plus the kids can get in the kitchen and make this simple and fun treat for the family.
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Other than boiling water, I didn’t know how to cook so my pantry was filled to the brim with boxed dinner kits, canned soups, sugary cereals, “fruit” flavored drinks and frozen meal kits. We have been invited to a friend's home for Thanksgiving Dinner this year so it looks like my kitchen will get a break from tomorrow's cooking marathon! I can hear it screaming a big "THANK YOU" right now! Lol I'm sure all of you who are cooking already have your menus selected and your ingredients ready. If you're a smart cookie, you're in the kitchen now cooking a few dishes ahead of time.
Still, I'm willing to bet there are a couple of you out there finding it hard to get motivated or just wait till the last minute to get things going (like I often do). I have a few tips and easy last minute additions to your menu to add that WOW factor!
All about the Gravy.
Many folks wait to make gravy till after the turkey's done. The problem with that is, you have to wait till the turkey's done! Why not get it done ahead using drippings from some cooked crumbled sausage? What to do with the sausage? Add it to your stuffing mix to give it an extra gourmet flair. If you need a fast stuffing recipe, try my Apple Walnut Stuffing I used in these pork chops. So yummy and flavorful.
Easy Gravy Recipe
Over medium heat, mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of the sausage drippings with enough flour to absorb the drippings (approximately ¼ cup). Let it simmer for a few minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. Then add about a cup of chicken or turkey stock (from a jar, can, cubes, carton, etc). Whisk or stir it all together really REALLY well. Let it simmer for a few minutes. If it's not thin enough, add a bit more stock-slowly. Hot gravy should be slightly thinner than what you prefer since it will thicken as it cools. Be careful. Thin gravy is very difficult to thicken. If in doubt, air on the side of caution, leave your gravy a little thick. Once it's cooled and you see it's too thick, whisk in a little more HOT stock.
Do the Mashed Potato!
Make your mashed potatoes today! Give it some zest! Mix in some herbs (fresh or dried) and/or some cheddar and parmesan cheeses. Place in a greased casserole dish, sprinkle with fine bread crumbs mixed with some more herbs and parmesan cheese, cover and pop in the fridge till tomorrow. Tomorrow, allow the dish to come to room temperature and rewarm it in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. The bread crumbs and parmesan cheese will form an ooey gooey crust and taste yummy! You can do the same with macaroni and cheese but I use cheddar cheese bread crumb mix for my topping. Mmmm!!!
Cranberries, anyone?
I'll be the first to admit, I'm not a big fan of cranberries. I have images of red gelatin stuff sitting in a bowl in the shape of a can. Ick! However, I made my own cranberry relish last year out of hubster's request for cranberries. (Didn't realize he was talking about the funky gelatin stuff!) It was fast easy and surprisingly tasty. Simply mix pureed cranberries with pureed pineapple (2 to 1 ratio). I dissolved about ¼ cup of sugar into some of the pineapple juice to kick up the sweetness but you may not need it depending on your taste. Refrigerate till ready to serve!
Here's a few other last minute recipes you can add to your menu: Mason Jar Cobbler
(great in ramekins if you don't have mason jars), Toffee
(mix in chopped almonds for extra umph) and Spiced Apple Pie Cocktail
(which I plan to take to our friend's house).
Need help with the bird? Butterball's got you covered. Get help here or 1-800-BUTTERBALL or find them on twitter, facebook or their mobile page. The only turkey tip I can offer you: Start thawing that sucker out NOW so he will be ready to cook tomorrow!
Happy Thanksgiving and hoping all your day's plans turn out as well as you hope.
It's a quiet Friday night after a long day of work & school. The kids and hubby are all anxiously awaiting dinner. You, being the brilliant domestic goddess you are, had the forethought to roast a chicken in the crock pot today so now all that's left are to whip up a few side dishes. NO PROBLEM-the domestic goddess can handle it! Dinner's on the table 20 minutes later and the fam is happy. You're happy cause clean up's a breeze since you used a crock pot liner. The chicken is de-boned, veggies get shuffled to a Rubbermaid like container and it all goes neatly into the fridge. Dishes in dishwasher, quick wipe down and the kitchen is CLEAN! Everyone spends the rest of the night watching movies, gaming, and having a peaceful night.
Then comes the hectic Saturday you never planned being THIS crazy busy. Grocery shopping, thrift store hunting, laundry, vacuuming, shuffling kids to practice and games, you get the idea-it happens just about every other weekend! Dinner time's here in no time flat, the mob is HUNGRY. No problem, you have LEFTOVERS to save the day. Suddenly there's a sound that sends you reeling from the fridge...it's the collective "AWWWW Leftovers again!?!" said in the tone only a mother/wife knows all to well! Now what to do? Never fear-my Universal Casserole is here.
This recipe is super easy, oober fast, and uses the ingredients you have on hand so you can customize it with whatever's in your kitchen!
Ingredients
Directions
Cook anything that's not already cooked (or partially cooked) as normal. Cook starches to al dente so they're not mushy later. Layer it however you choose in a deep casserole dish of your choosing. Bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes!
Jenn's Tip: I normally layer my casserole with starches on bottom to soak up any juices from the top layers, then based on quantity of remaining ingredients. If I have more veggies than meat then my layering goes something like this: starch, veggies, meat, sauce generally topped off with shredded cheese! If your family loves spicy foods then add a packet of chili, taco, fajita or other spices to meats, veggies, sprinkled on top, etc. Don't add any extra salt for low sodium. Skip the cheese if your lactose intolerant.
Noticed there weren't any measurements? That's because it's based on what you have on hand. You know about how much food it's going to take to feed your family. You compensate for what your low on with something you have an in abundance. If you don't have a ton of veggies but have half a chicken left then you'll make it with more meat than veggies and your layering will be different.
Convert it to a One Pot Wonder by cooking your starch & frozen veggies first. Cook pasta to al dente, toss in refrigerated meat till it's warmed. Drain most of the liquid. Add your binding sauce. Heat through, top with shredded cheese, cut off stove eye and put lid on till cheese is melted.
This will be my first year preparing a traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner for my family as well as a few of our friends. I cook on a daily basis for my bunch without a major plan so I'm not completely useless in the kitchen. I've always been able to cover for the unexpected dinner guest with little problem but November 27th will be quite a different day. I know it will be hectic and stressful since Rick has to work most of the day leaving me to wrangle all the cooking and cleaning with the kids underfoot. This is why I'm putting together a game plan. In order for me to survive the Day of Thanks with my sanity in tact, I need to be prepared with an agenda.
