12/23/15 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser
“On this Christmas
day, may the good Lord bless you
as your dear ones
gather ‘round. May your laughter be hearty,
love and joy abound.”
An Irish Christmas
Blessing
It’s two days before Christmas and I’m running behind. That
means I’ve made my lists and checked them twice but there’s still a lot more to
do before the big day arrives. Will I get it all done? Probably.
Every year it is more difficult to get the basics checked
off. Things like getting the house decorated take longer. Trimming the tree
doesn’t happen (no tree this year). Less is more when entertaining. Writing our
annual family Christmas newsletter happens at New Year’s. But the biggest job
of all is choosing, wrapping and mailing gifts.
Christmas gift buying was easier when our children were at
home. And it was a lot of fun when the grandsons came along. Now, it’s a
different story. As our grandsons get older (can you say college age?) gifting
is more of a challenge than a joy. What do you buy teenagers that doesn’t cost
a zillion dollars? Gift cards to the rescue. Of course, then I have to make the
decision of who gets what, address and put them in their proper envelope and
mail them on time.
One thing that is seldom on the menu is Campbell’s
green bean casserole. My kids have never liked it. However, I
am thinking of changing things up this year with Paula Deene’s fresh green
bean, onion and mushroom version. After all, the others mostly ignore
vegetables on holidays and I love mushrooms.
One thing that’s always on time is Christmas dinner. The
menu choices are predictable and everyone is happy with the meal: shrimp
cocktails, baked ham (not a spiral cut), a potato dish, a vegetable, yeast
rolls and cranberry sauce. Dessert is almost always pumpkin pie unless we’re
having the Sweet Potato Casserole below. Then it’s likely to be cherry topped
cheese cake.
Christmas morning always begins with Pat Huff’s delicious
sweet rolls. They are put together the night before and left to rise on the
counter. Christmas morning they are baked and served with some protein-laden
scrambled eggs. We start the day on a sugar high.
On this last column of the year 2015, please know that I
count the readers of my columns among my blessings and I wish each of you a
very merry Christmas! Shalom.
PAT
HUFF’S PULL-APART-ROLLS
3/4 cup chopped nuts
1 package frozen yeast
rolls
1 3 ounce package
butterscotch pudding
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Butter
bundt pan well. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Arrange 18-24 frozen Parker
House rolls on top of nuts. Sprinkle package of butterscotch pudding(cooked type) dry over rolls.
Melt
butter with brown sugar and
cinnamon. Pour over top of rolls.
Leave
out on counter overnight — uncovered. Bake the next morning at 350° for 30
minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Invert on serving dish. Topping will ooze
over the top. Scrumptious! Serves 8 generously
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (I use yams)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Brown sugar topping (see recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased 9x12”
casserole dish. Cover with brown sugar topping. Sprinkle with reserved chopped pecans and bake 30 minutes or
until hot and bubbly.
Serves 8.
BROWN SUGAR TOPPING
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup pecans, chopped (reserve)
Mix brown sugar, flour and butter with fork until medium
crumbly. Add more flour if still not crumbling well (about 1 tablespoon at a
time).
PAULA
DEENE’S GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
1/3
stick butter
1/2 cup
diced onions
1/2 cup
sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups
sliced green beans
3 cups
chicken broth
1 (10
3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1
(2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings
Pinch
House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 cup
grated Cheddar
Preheat
the oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt
the butter in a large skillet. Sauté the onions and mushrooms in the butter.
Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green
beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and House Seasoning to the onion mixture.
Stir well. Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes,
then top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or
until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.
House Seasoning
1 cup
salt
1/4 cup
black pepper
1/4 cup
garlic powder
Mix
ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
LIBBY’S
PUMPKIN PIE
3/4 cup sugar
1/2
teaspoon salt
1
teaspoon cinnamon
1/2
teaspoon nutmeg (original recipe calls for ginger)
1/4
teaspoon cloves
2 large
eggs
1 can
(15 oz.) Libby’s Pure Pumpkin
1 can
(12 fl. Oz.) Carnation Evaporated Milk
1
unbaked 9-inch (4 cup volume) deep dish pie shell
Whipped
Cream
Preheat
oven to 425° F.
Mix
sugar with spices in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and
sugar-spice mix. Gradually beat in evaporated milk.
Pour
into pie shell. Bake in preheated oven for 15 min. Reduce temperature to 350°
F. Bake 40-50 min. or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on
wire rack 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerated. Top each serving with
whipped cream.
Note:
This is the best and quickest recipe for pumpkin pie. Use Libby’s pumpkin and
Carnation milk for best results.
Keep it simple and keep it seasonal!
Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s
Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes
that are delicious, family
oriented and easy to prepare.
