More is Better

We love to give homemade gifts at work and this year I made the soup mix jars. The recipe is from Eating Well November/December 2010. The layering is pretty. You can add chicken or pork or ham to it as well. Thanks to my co-worker Jenn B as she sent me a picture of it made up this weekend! 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/3 cup dried black beans 1/2 cup pearl barley 1/3 cup dried kidney beans 1/3 cup dried great northern beans Layer chili powder, cumin, oregano, black beans, barley, kidney beans and great northern beans in a clean, dry 2-cup jar or bag To turn the soup mix into a pot of soup: Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 diced large onion, 1 diced celery stalk and 1 diced carrot; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 9 cups water, 4 cups broth and the soup mix. Bring to a lively simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and c...

I decided for our holiday celebration with the newlyweds since we never got to eat the delicious crab dip at the wedding that I would make it for them. I added about 1 cup corn (either frozen or canned). This was delicious served with crostini and tortilla scoop chips . *****I will not be held responsible for weight gain after consuming half the dip***** 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1 cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons OLD BAY® Seasoning 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Mustard, Ground 1 pound lump crabmeat 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, Old Bay Seasoning and ground mustard in medium bowl until well blended. Add crabmeat; toss gently. 2 Spread in shallow 1 1/2­quart baking dish. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and additional Old Bay Seasoning, if desired. 3 Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with assorted crackers or sliced French bread

When I was recently rearranging my pantry I came across a package of LENTICCHIE ( lentils) from our trip to Assisi and since it was a cold rainy weekend decided I needed to make a lentil soup. Found a recipe to go by on Food Network by Mario Batali --the only thing is I needed to add a lot more broth than the recipe called for I finally decided because like pasta it just continues to absorb all liquid that I would store the leftover lentils then when ready to reheat spoon lentils into bowl and add more broth for reheat. I also topped it with halved cherry tomatoes like they served it to me in Rome. The only thing this recipe didn't use was large diced celery (as I had in Rome) and would definitely add next time. 3 cups castelluccio lentils 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 medium red onion, chopped into 1/8-inch dice 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced plus 2 whole cloves 4 cups chicken broth, hot Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 pound Tuscan or Umbrian country bread ...

This was on The Chew by Mario Batali and looked easy --was topped with Arugula so making it healthy AND I had one package of leftover Aloutte from my Thanksgiving meal. Made a great fast post work dinner! 1 Pizza Dough (rolled out to 1/4" thickness, 6"x13" rectangle) 8 ounces Spreadable Garlic and Herb Cheese 1/4 pound Salami (such as Calabrese, thinly sliced) 2 cups Baby Arugula 2 cups Red Romaine (chopped) Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Red Wine Vinegar Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper Preheat a griddle over medium-high heat. Place the stretched dough on the hot griddle and cook until crisp. Flip and continue to cook until dough is light golden and crispy on both sides. Set aside. Spread the cheese on top of the cooked flatbread, leaving a 1-inch border. Top with sliced salami. In a separate bowl, combine the arugula and romaine. Dress with olive oil and red wine vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Top flatbread with greens. Cut and serve

This recipe is from America's Test Kitchen and was shown on The Chew by Tyler Florence -- I did a pre-Thanksgiving test run with a chicken a few weeks back and we did make it for our Thanksgiving dinner --it was fabulous and moist. A definite make again recipe. Stuffing can be made ahead which is great and the turkey cooks in HALF the time. ****AGAIN I cheated and used package stuffing per instructions and added the cooked crumbled sausage before I used the food processor.I am showing multiple pictures of before after and serving-- note how delicious it looks on the plate with the stuffing under the skin! 10 pound   Turkey ( I used 14 lb) 1 recipe Test Kitchen Stuffing  (in a piping bag or zip-top bag with a corner snipped off) Grapeseed or Vegetable Oil (as needed) Kosher Salt Freshly Ground Black Pepper 1  Bunch Sage 1  Bunch Thyme Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the heart and giblets and reserve; discard the liver. Flip the Turkey upsid...

From Food Network Magazine saw this at the last minute and new I had to make it --I would definitely consider making it as BARS next time and serve in squares as it is very rich and yummy! This is an extreme closeup picture! For the brownie filling: 1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for the pie plate 1 12 -ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt For the pumpkin filling: 1 cup pure pumpkin puree 1 cup heavy cream 1 large egg 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1/4 teaspoon salt Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional) Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and side of a 91/2-inch deep-dish pie plate. Make the brownie filling: Heat the butter, chocolate chips and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium hea...

From November Cooking Light I was looking for a lower calorie alternative to the Pecan streusel crusted high caloric sweet potatoes casserole I normally make  --this did not disappoint --the caramelized shallots and rosemary were a great touch, Again can be made ahead which is great. 5 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 2 medium) 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar 1 1/3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1. Heat 4 teaspoons oil in a medium skillet over low heat. Add shallots to pan, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with sugar; cook 20 minutes or until shallots are golden, stirring occasionally. 2. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 8 minutes or until tender. Drain. Place potatoes in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add rosemary, salt...

This recipe was from Southern Living and was delicious I was able to make it ahead for easy reheat Thanksgiving day and was a great alternative to creamed onions. The bacon was a great touch 1/2 (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated pie crusts 3 thick bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 tablespoon butter 2 pounds onions, thinly sliced 1/2 cup crème fraîche 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 1. Preheat oven to 400°. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch tart pan lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake crust 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. 2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels. Reserve drippings in skillet. 3. Reduce heat to medium, and melt butter with drippings; add onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, 5 minut...

From Southern Living --it is so good Kevin was eating it at breakfast --this will definitely always be on our Thanksgiving table! I CHEATED on the crust using store bought roll out and rolling the finely chopped pecans in the dough -- a really nice touch - I am not responsible for pounds gained with this pie!!! CRUST or see my CHEAT above! 1/2 tablespoon butter 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans Pinch of kosher salt 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon table salt 1/4 cup cold butter, cubed 1/4 cup cold shortening, cubed 3 to 4 Tbsp. buttermilk FILLING 1 cup dark corn syrup 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup Tennessee whiskey* 4 large eggs 1/4 cup butter, melted 2 teaspoons plain white cornmeal 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon table salt 2 1/2 cups lightly toasted pecan halves REMAINING INGREDIENTS Vegetable cooking spray 1. Prepare Crust: Melt 1/2 Tbsp. butter in a small skillet...

From Ina Garten in her new Make Ahead Cookbook. I loved that this can be made ahead! I would definitely make it again --delicious! 3 pounds large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut in 3/4-inch chunks 5 large garlic cloves Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 7 to 8 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese, at room temperature, such as Montrachet 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 1/2 cups sour cream 1/2 cup half-and-half or milk 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the potatoes, garlic and 1 tablespoon salt in a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until very tender. Drain the potatoes and garlic and process them together through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade set on top of a bowl. While the potatoes are still hot, stir in the goat cheese, butter, sour cream, half-and-half, 4 teaspoon...

I am not much of a bourbon drinker but love having a Signature Cocktail and this was perfect -- for me it was definitely a just one drink --not to drink all day !! It from the Williams-Sonoma catalog. 2 oz. (60 ml) bourbon 1 oz. (30 ml) maple syrup 1 oz. (30 ml) lemon juice 1 lemon twist Directions: Pour all the ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Stir until the drink is thoroughly chilled, about 20 seconds. Strain into a double old-fashioned glass with a large cube of ice. Garnish with a lemon twist and serve immediately. Makes 1 drink. Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen

Katie also made this for guests recently and raved about how good it was and that everyone took seconds! Pork Tenderloin with Double-Apple Sauce  From the KEEPERS cookbook by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 ¼ pounds), patted dry Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 large yellow onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced 2 firm sweet apples, such as Honeycrisp or Golden Delicious, peeled, cored and sliced 4 fresh sage leaves, cut into slivers or 1 heaping teaspoon rubbed dried sage 1 cup hard cider, such as WoodChuck Granny Smith, or regular apple cider Preheat the oven to 400F, with a rack in the middle position. In a medium Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper, add to the pot, and cook until golden brown all over, about 6 minutes total. Transfer the tenderloin to a plate and set aside. Add the butter to the pot and heat it over medium hea...

Katie made this for some friends for dinner and really loved it as a nice and easier to prepare than arborio recipes. Toasted Orzo Risotto-Style  From the KEEPERS cookbook by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon ½ yellow onion, finely chopped 1 ½ cups orzo 2 cups water 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth at room temperature, plus extra, if needed ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving Salt and pepper Grated zest of 1 lemon (optional) Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional) In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the orzo and cook, stirring often, until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Add the water, raise the heat, and simmer, stirring often, until the water is absorbed, about 6 minutes. Add the broth as you would if you were m...

This is an Emeril's recipe that Katie s coworkers swear by how delicious it is and with my NEW southern Son-in-law I knew we had to have Macaroni and Cheese on our Thanksgiving table --he loved it - prepared lovingly by his new wife!! Great that it could be made ahead as well! 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/2 pound elbow macaroni 9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 3 cups whole milk 1/4 teaspoon ground white or black pepper 3 cups grated Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces) 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs 2 teaspoons Baby Bam Make sure the oven rack is in the center position and preheat the oven to 350?F. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt, the oil, and macaroni, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a long-handled fork or spoon to prevent the macaroni from sticking together. Using oven mitts or pot holders,...