Ultimate Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes

Out of all of the yumminess of the day this has to be our best find at Budget Savvy Diva.  Steve is my butter and sauce man, everything has to have something on it but not these, he ate them plain!  The other fantastic thing is that we made them in the crock pot which made them so easy.  If they are done early just leave your crockpot on warm and do a little relaxing.  You don't have to soak your potatoes but I read that it helps remove some of the starch.

5 Pounds Russet Potatoes - we used red
1 garlic clove minced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup butter, cut into small cubes chunks
1 1/4 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup milk, warmed - we left this out, they just didn't need more liquid
2 ounces of light cream cheese

Peel potatoes, optional, and cube trying to get 12 cubes per potato.  This can be done up to 24 hours in advance and soaking them in water.  You can also cut up your potatoes and soak them for 30 minutes and then drain.



Place potatoes in crock pot along with chicken broth and butter.  We used the 8 hour setting but you could also use the high setting and they should be done in 4 1/2 hours.

Roughly mash potatoes – then add garlic, sour cream, salt, pepper, milk, and cream cheese and finish mashing.

Pecan Pie

I am not a pecan pie fan but my brother-in-law is so I found this recipe from Martha Stewart.  I have never made a pecan pie and of course I would want to try and alter it without ever trying it.  Our Thanksgiving party was a whooping 5 people so I opted for mini pies which worked out fantastic but that meant I needed to cut the recipe down.  The top recipe is for the full size pie and the smaller portion recipe is below.

1 pie crust
4 large eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups pecan halves
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. with rack set in lowest position.

Using kitchen shears or a paring knife, trim dough to a 1-inch overhang. With floured fingers, fold overhang under itself to form a rim; pinch between thumb and forefinger to form a uniform edge around rim of pie plate. Crimp with fingertips. Transfer dough-lined pie plate to refrigerator.

Make filling: In a large bowl, whisk eggs, corn syrup, sugars, butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth; mix in pecans. Pour mixture into chilled pie crust; place pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until filling jiggles slightly in the center when gently shaken, 50 to 60 minutes.

Cool pie completely in plate, 5 to 6 hours. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

2 mini pie crust
1 large eggs
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon & 1 teaspoon cup packed light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
3/4 cup pecan halves
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Bake 30 minutes

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake

This recipe comes from Glorious Treats and I got rave reviews so another keeper for Thanksgiving.  I don't own a fancy mini cheesecake pan (I would like to) so I used foil muffin liners.

Crust-
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Filling-
1 (8oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
pinch of cloves
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350*F

Prepare crust by combining crust ingredients in a small bowl. Mix to combine with a fork. Add one rounded tablespoon of moist crust crumbs into each mini cheesecake space. Use a small bottle (such as a spice bottle, or a shot glass) to press down the crumbs, to form a crust.

Prepare the filling-
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs, sour cream, sugar and spices. Blend until combined. Add flour and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Pour filling into prepared crusts. Divide batter amoung the 12 spaces.

Bake mini cheesecakes in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool about 15 minutes. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours minimum.

Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Honey Butter

Found this recipe on Pinterest but the link doesn't go anywhere so I can give credit to it's creator.  Served it up with our Thanksgiving dinner.  It may just have to be a new tradition.  I never have unsalted butter in the house so I just used what I had.

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. honey
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Whip the room temperature butter with whisk attachment for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar, honey and cinnamon and beat until completely combined and very smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl and turn up speed and whip for a minute or two or until really light and fluffy. Makes about 3/4 cup

Cranberry Sauce

I like craisins and cranberry juice so why not cranberry sauce. I kept seeing recipes for homemade sauce so I gave it a whirl. I didn't have the exact ingredients, like an orange, can you believe that they didn't have an orange at the store they had tangerines but no oranges, so I did my own thing.

3/4 cup water

1/4 orange juice

2/3 cup sugar, plus more to taste

12-16 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries

Combine the water, orange zest and juice, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the cranberries and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer uncovered, about 15 minutes, until the cranberries have popped and the sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Store in the refrigerator and let come to room temperature before serving.

Coconut Cream Pie

Thanksgiving is the only time I make this because Steve is the only one in my immediate family that will eat it. It is one of his favorites, it ranks right up there with banana cream.  I have also included the proportions for mini pies.

1 (9-inch) baked pastry shell
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 2/3 cups water
1 (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (7 oz.) sweetened, shredded coconut
Whipping cream or Cool Whip

In heavy medium sauce pan, dissolve cornstarch in water; stir in sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; add margarine and vanilla. Cool slightly. Stir in coconut. Pour filling into pie shell. Chill 4 hours or until set. Serve with whipping cream.

4 mini pie crusts
1 T cornstarch
9 T water
4.67 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 egg yolk
2 t butter
1/4 t vanilla
coconut

Grandma Sillitoe's Turkey Stuffing

1 loaf Sandwich bread
1 cup Carrots, shredded
Onion, diced
2 stalks Celery, diced
1/2 lb Sausage
Sage
Pepper
Chicken Broth

Break the bread into bite sized pieces and let them dry out in the air. Precook sausage. Mix sausage, carrots, onion, and celery in with the bread. Mix then add sage and pepper to taste. Pour in chicken broth, just enough to make moist not soggy.

Option -
Use 1 loaf whole wheat bread

Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C). Break or cut the bread into bite sized pieces. Spread the whole wheat bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.

In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. Add the celery, carrots, sage, and pepper; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavors.

Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Pour chicken broth over stuffing, add just enough to make moist not soggy, and mix well to combine. Butter an ovenproof dish and pack stuffing into it. At this point, you may refrigerate the stuffing, well wrapped, for up to a day before proceeding.

Bake at 350°F for about 45 to 60 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve hot.

Modifications
I was trying to find a recipe that would work in the oven better and I came across this one.  I combined the two to make one great recipe.  Below are the ingredients that I have added to the original recipe.  You will notice sage on both but now I have a measurement instead of a guess.

2 1/2 pounds (about 2 loaves) high quality sandwich bread or soft Italian or French bread, cut into 3/4-inch dice, about 5 quarts
 1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons dried sage
3 whole eggs

Adjust oven racks to lower middle and upper middle position. Preheat oven to 275°F. Spread bread evenly over two rimmed baking sheets. Stagger trays on oven racks and bake until completely dried, about 50 minutes total, rotating trays and stirring bread cubes several times during baking. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Increase oven heat to 350°F

In large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium high heat until foaming subsides (don't allow butter to brown), about 2 minutes. Add sausage and mash with stiff whisk or potato masher to break up into fine pieces (largest pieces should be no greater than 1/4-inch). Cook, stirring frequently until only a few bits of pink remain, about 8 minutes. Add onions, celery, carrots, and sage and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add half of chicken stock.

Whisk remaining chicken stock and eggs in medium bowl until homogeneous. Stirring constantly with wooden spoon, slowly pour egg mixture into sausage mixture. Add bread cubes and fold gently until evenly mixed.

Transfer to buttered 9 by 13 rectangular baking dish (or 10 by 14 oval dish), cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake until instant read thermometer reads 150°F when inserted into center of dish, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until golden brown and crisp on top.

Mom's Turkey Noodle Soup

1 Turkey carcass
Water
Country noodles, cooked according to package directions
Turkey gravy dry mix
Onions, chopped, optional
Celery,chopped, optional
Carrots, chopped, optional

Submerge turkey carcass in water, let it simmer as long as possible. A crock pot works as well. Remove bones and add more turkey meat if desired. Add turkey gravy mix to help with flavor. Add onions, celery and carrots if desired. When vegetables are tender add noodles, heat and serve.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Grandma Sillitoe loves lemon and she says this pie has the best flavor.  Mini pie proportions included below.

1 (9-inch) baked pastry shell
1 2/3 cups sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup lemon juice
4 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 300. In heavy saucepan, combine 1 1/3 cups sugar and cornstarch; add lemon juice. In small bowl, beat egg yolks; add to lemon mixture. Gradually add water, stirring constantly. Over medium heat, cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add margarine; stir until melted. Pour into prepared pastry shell. In small mixer bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form; gradually add remaining 1/3 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Spread on top of pie, sealing carefully to edge of shell. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until golden. Cool. Chill before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

4 mini pie crusts
6 tablespoons & 2teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoons & 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons margarine or butter
pinch of cream of tartar

Banana Cream Pie

Use these three ingredients in place of the can of sweetened condensed milk - 1/3 cup and 2 tablespoons evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons butter. Tried this and Steve said it tasted great!  Mini pie proportions below.

1 (9-inch) baked pastry shell
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 2/3 cups water
1 (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 medium bananas
Lemon juice
Whipping cream or Cool Whip

In heavy medium sauce pan, dissolve cornstarch in water; stir in sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; add margarine and vanilla. Cool slightly. Slice bananas; dip in lemon juice and drain. Arrange on bottom of pasty shell. Pour filling over bananas; cover. Chill 4 hours or until set. Serve with whipping cream

4 mini pie crusts
1 T cornstarch
9 T water
4.67 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 egg yolk
2 t butter
1/4 t vanilla
bananas