Thanksgiving Tidbits

 

My Grandma Neelly was notorious for cutting people's heads off. 

Don't get me wrong: She was the most mild-mannered, even-tempered lady. But give her a camera, and she'd chop off your head in a heartbeat.  Lisa said she must have been channeling Grandma Neelly when she took the photo of her Thanksgiving crowd. Randy was the victim in this case. (He should have moved into Lisa's chair. Oh well!)

All is forgiven. We were just thankful to be included in the Thanksgiving feast hosted in Clay Center. And it was a good laugh while we remembered. My brother was the chauffeur for my parents, and we joined the Bauer crew for a delicious traditional meal.

The next day, Randy and I had a different kind of Thanksgiving at Jill's. Daughter-in-law Susan and daughter Jill came up with the idea to do an appetizer competition for our little family's Thanksgiving. It was just as tasty. We were all supposed to add our offering to a Google Doc so we didn't end up with eight versions of the Cranberry Relish Dip over cream cheese. As it turned out, no one brought that. (I'm sure it will be on my Christmas menu.)

Most people complied with revealing their contributions, though Brent was adamant that his would remain a secret until the event. Jill developed a ballot, and everyone scored each appetizer with a 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. If someone refused to even take a taste of the appetizer, you had to give that dish a 3. (There was some controversy concerning that scoring decision among our participants).

And, drum roll please: My appetizer won. (A caveat ... None of these food photos is great. Most were taken after we'd already eaten and not taken very creatively. But maybe they are better than nothing.)

I brought homemade soft pretzel bites with a warm beer cheese dip.  (I also had a platter of fresh veggies you could dip, too.) 

My offering was one of several that came off our family's go-to recipe website, Sally's Baking Addiction. As Jill says, "Sally never lets you down." 

I've made a lot of yeast bread. In fact, I also took the yeast crescent rolls for our Thanksgiving celebration at Lisa's. But this was the first time I'd used a soda water bath. I'd always been kind of intimidated by the thought, but it turned out to be easy - though a little messy. 

Still, I'm already thinking about making them again for our family's Christmas "charcuterie" evening meal. (We'll have the traditional ham with trimmings for our noon meal and go the appetizer route for supper.)

Brooke's focaccia turkey sliders and Kinley's fruit kabobs.

Brooke also used Sally's arsenal of recipes, making homemade focaccia to make turkey sliders. We were all highly complimentary of her efforts. 

Remember Brent's huge mystery contribution? It was Candied Prosciutto Crackers. Yummy! 

Susan brought Sausage Stuffing Balls, also a contender. 

Eric used his love of Little Smokies and turned them into an appetizer version of pigs-in-a-blanket with a cranberry/mustard dipping sauce. There were only two left when I got around to taking a photo at the end, so they were popular, too.

Jill said she knew that her Harvest Salad probably wouldn't be the most popular. But it was a nice, fresh addition to our menu. And it was a winner among those of us who like a little green with our meals.  

It seemed that effort was rewarded among our voters. Kinley's fruit kabobs and Randy's shrimp cocktail platters received the lowest scores, though we enjoyed them, too. (Randy knew what he was bringing as soon as the appetizer theme was announced. And, bonus points: He shopped for his own contribution rather than just adding it to my grocery list for me to pick up.) 

We are thankful that son-in-law Eric has long arms so that we could all end up in a selfie. 

There was a bonus optional competition for desserts. (I didn't get photos of those, but they were just as delicious.) Brooke made a banana cream pie, and Eric made a coconut cream pie. Susan contributed a blueberry-pear galette, and Jill made an apple-cranberry bar, also from Sally's website. (She used the filling recipe from the Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie and the crust recipe from Salted Caramel Apple Bars. The caramel apple bars are a family favorite already.)

I brought the leftover pecan, coconut and pumpkin pies that I'd made for the Bauer Thanksgiving. We had plenty of sweet treats! (I use the same syrup for both the coconut and pecan pies.)  

I am not including the recipe for the Pretzel Bites - just giving you the link. Sally's Baking Addiction has great, detailed instructions, and you might as well get it straight from the source. She even has a video, if you're a visual learner. She had a cheese sauce linked, but I used a different one. 

I saw this recipe from a Hutchinson kitchen store, Apron Strings, and wanted to try it. It was a hit, too, and I'm sure I'll make it again.

Beer Cheese Dip

From an Apron Strings email  

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup lager beer
1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated (1-1/2 cups)
1/2 cup Gruyère cheese, grated
2 tablespoons chives, finely minced (opt)

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Create a roux by gradually whisking in the flour until all is incorporated.

Reduce the heat to low and add the cream, beer, and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to stir. Whisk in the spices. Slowly add the cheeses and stir until melted and the sauce becomes smooth. Taste and add additional salt or spices, if desired. Garnish with chives, if desired. Enjoy immediately.

I doubled the recipe to take to Jill's.  

***

All the girls went on a Black Friday shopping expedition to help me fulfill the wishes for two sisters from our Stafford community's Angel Tree. As we were coming back, Kinley wanted to know if they could wrap them, too. What a huge help!  

 

Then, on Saturday, Randy and I froze along with other Wildcat fans at the K-State vs. Colorado football game. The stands were definitely not packed. 

It was brisk! We had all the weather covered - rain, sleet, snow and even a little sunshine - very little sunshine. 

We sat in my folks' seats. If we'd have been in our regular seats, we would have faced that north wind the entire time, so we lucked out ... sort of. It was still cold!

But we got a victory to end the regular season and qualify for a post-season bowl game.

Through the purple smoke! 

And I left my car seat warmer on the entire way home.   

 

Ham & Cheese Pinwheels

Want to "wrap up" a quick supper before running out the door to yet another holiday event? Or maybe you need an appetizer to take to a holiday party. You'll be "on a roll" with these quick Ham and Cheese Pinwheels.

They would even work for a Christmas morning breakfast with the thinly-sliced ham and Swiss cheese making a savory alternative (or addition!) to cinnamon rolls. Using prepared pizza dough made it quick and easy after a morning with the cattle. I served the sandwich pinwheels with some fresh grapes for a quick and easy noon meal, but they would be equally tasty on a holiday buffet.

The taste is similar to the "Funeral Sandwiches" made with King's Hawaiian rolls. The sandwiches are marinated in a buttery sauce with both sweet and savory components. And poppy seeds also dress up the appearance - making festive accessories to a holiday appetizer spread.

Enjoy ... whether for lunch, supper, a party or for Christmas morning!

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Recipe from my Facebook feed

1 can classic-style refrigerated pizza crust in a tube
3/4 lb. thinly-sliced deli ham
12 slices Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
Glaze:
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 12- by 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.

Unroll the pizza dough onto a cutting board and press into an approximately 13- by 18-inch rectangle. Top with ham slices, then cheese slices. Roll up tightly, like for cinnamon rolls. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so the seam is face down. Cut into 12 slices, each approximately 1 inch wide. Arrange in prepared baking dish.

For glaze, melt butter in a microwavable measuring cup. Stir in remaining ingredients, whisking until all ingredients are well combined. (If you need to, heat a little more in the microwave until the glaze is smooth and all ingredients are combined.) Pour the glaze evenly over the rolls.

Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Or bake immediately, uncovered, for 25 to 30  minutes until golden brown. (Mine took a little longer than that to get brown. Just keep watching them!)

***

Today, I'm linked to the Weekend Potluck. It's their 200th "gathering," so click on the links to check out other holiday and everyday food from the hosts and their "guests."

• The Country Cook~ Brandie
• Sunflower Supper Club ~ Kim & Julie
• The Better Baker ~ Marsha
• Frugal Family Favorites ~ Tabitha
• Sweet Little Bluebird~ Mary

Million-Dollar Recipe?

(Photo from www.pillsbury.com)

Do you ever imagine yourself at Pillsbury's Bake-Off?

Me neither. I would be a nervous wreck with everyone watching my every move and a time limit and a different oven than I'm used to. Just thinking about it gives me a shiver down my spine.

Actually, watching a video about the history of the bake-off and seeing the winners accept their checks literally did give me goosebumps. (Yes, I know I'm a cooking nerd.)

Maybe I could get over my nerves if I knew I would win ONE MILLION DOLLARS?! Since 1949, more than 4,000 finalists have vied for the grand prize.

The recipe from today is from the 2000 Pillsbury Bake-Off. It wasn't the winner, but it's a winner around here.

I think I found the recipe among the coupons in a long-ago Sunday paper and I've used it ever since. I use it only occasionally because I like it too well.

While the recipe was originally classified as an appetizer (see photo above), I more often use it as a homemade (sort of) pizza pocket. I've taken it to the field as a warm alternative to a cold sandwich. I've also made it for supper at home.

I did use it as an appetizer for a New Year's Eve party once, though I prefer to have everything prepared before my guests get here, and this recipe needs to be baked right before serving.

It's easy and gets good reviews around here. I hope it's a winner for your recipe box, too.

And you may want to join me in visiting Pillsbury's website again. Things were looking pretty yummy over there. (And, no, unfortunately they are not paying me to say that!)

Enjoy!

Flaky Deli Slices (or Sandwiches)

1 15-oz. package refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on the box
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 lb. very thinly sliced cooked ham
1/4 lb. thinly sliced pepperoni
4 oz. (1 cup) shredded Cheddar cheese

Note: The ingredients are for using both pie crusts in the package. You can also halve the ingredients and prepare just one.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Remove crusts from pouches; unfold crusts. Press out fold lines. Sprinkle each crust with Parmesan cheese.

Top each crust with ham, pepperoni and Cheddar cheese to within 1 inch of edges. Loosely roll up each crust. Place rolls, seam side down, on ungreased cookie sheet. Fold ends under.

Bake at 450 degrees for 12 to 17 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Cut each roll into 16 slices. Serve warm.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ready in 35 minutes

***

No, I do not think I am The Pioneer Woman. But, just in case you're a visual learner:

A Step-by-Step Version in Photos:

Unroll your pie crust.

Put ham on top.
Put the pepperoni on top of the ham.

Sprinkle with the Parmesan and Cheddar cheeses. (I use a Cheddar/Monterey blend because that's what I usually have on hand.) I haven't looked at the recipe for quite some time; I just do it from memory. However, I now realize the recipe says to put the Parmesan cheese on the crust before you add the meats. It works either way.

Loosely roll it up.


Tuck in the ends.


Bake until it's golden brown and delicious looking.

Cut into 16 slices if you're serving as an appetizer. Cut into halves or thirds or fourths (depending on who's eating) if you're serving as a sandwich.