If you had terrible dressing or awful sausage balls over Thanksgiving, whoever made them either isn’t from here or just can’t cook. Keep reading. I’ve got this. Once we rectify those situations, I’ve got some easy items that will be great for entertaining this month and give you a chance at a Thanksgiving redemption meal.
1.) Oh, Balls
If you hate the sausage balls you’ve had before, give mine a chance. My recipe is a variation of the traditional Bisquick one but done better. Way better. Premium meat is the key.
Ingredients: You will need 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 3 cups baking mix, 1 pound mild Italian sausage, 1 pound hot Italian sausage, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon dried Parsley flakes, and 1 tablespoon crushed rosemary leaves.
Directions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Smoosh (technical term) the two types of sausage together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine your two cheeses and herbs with your meat in the big bowl. Add the baking mix a cup at a time, squishing (more technical jargon) with your hands to combine. Add the milk and knead it all together. Roll into balls and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with ranch dip.
Tips: The sausage will only absorb so much of the baking mix, and that’s OK. You’ll know when they look right. Don’t force in the extra mix. That’s how you end up with hockey pucks. For a more decadent version, substitute the milk for heavy cream or undiluted evaporated milk. As for rolling the balls, honestly, you can just use an ice cream scoop. Done and done.
2.) Say Cheese
This festive Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball by Timeless Recipes is definitely not your Grandma’s cheese ball. This one is “bursting with the flavors of tangy cranberries, creamy cheese, and crunchy pecans — perfect for your holiday table!”
Main Ingredients: Gather 8 ounces softened cream cheese, 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup finely chopped dried cranberries, 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Coating Ingredients: The final items needed are 1/3 cup chopped dried cranberries, 1/3 cup chopped pecans, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.
Directions: Mix both cheeses, the chopped cranberries, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until well combined. Transfer the mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap, shape it into a ball, leave it wrapped, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up. For the coating, combine chopped cranberries, pecans, and parsley and roll the chilled ball in the mixture until evenly coated.
Serving Tips: Place the cheese ball on a serving platter and surround it with crackers, crostini, or vegetable slices. Garnish with extra pecans and parsley for a festive touch.
3.) Let’s Talk Turkey
Butterball recently debuted a Cook-from-Frozen Whole Turkey. It’s pre-brined and effortless, “giving you a delicious centerpiece without any hard work in the kitchen.” This product avoids the whole when-to-thaw-the-turkey debate. It’s already ready already.
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the frozen turkey from the outer bag. Loosen the inner wrapping by running under cold water for a minute and massage. Use grip and tear to remove the turkey. Place the bird in a 3-inch deep roasting pan with breast side up on a rack, coil, or foil. Do not cover or add water. Brush or spray turkey with oil. Position in the center of the oven. Roast until fully cooked. Roasting time will vary by oven. After 4 hours, loosely tent the breast with foil to avoid overcooking. It’s done cooking when the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees in the breast and thigh. Remove from oven. Be careful of hot juices. Rest 20-30 minutes in pan. Carve and serve.
Tips: Do NOT thaw. Do NOT deep fry. Do NOT pass go. Do NOT collect $200.
Courtesy Butterball
4.) Stuffing Your Face
Unless you put it up the turkey’s bum, you’ve got dressing, not stuffing. Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, here’s how to do a great Southern dressing. My recipe is a modification of a Southern Living favorite.
Ingredients: You will need 3.5 cups of chicken or turkey broth, 3 cups of crumbled cornbread muffins, 3 cups of crumbled biscuits, 1.5 cups of diced onions, 1 cup of chopped celery, 1.5 tablespoons dried sage, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 stick of butter, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and a dash of garlic powder.
Directions: Preheat your oven to 385 degrees. Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the celery and onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, thyme, and pepper and sauté for 2 more minutes. Let cool. Whisk the eggs in a large baking pan, then add your sauteed mixture and the broth and mix well. Dump in your breading and combine it with your hands. Bake for 40 minutes. Check halfway through cooking, and if it’s already browning, pour a little more broth/stock around the edges so it doesn’t dry out too much.
Tips: Green’s Produce stocks pre-chopped onions and celery around the holidays, and Town Talk always has turkey broth at a discount. Layer the flavors by sprinkling some ground sage and thyme into the cornbread batter when baking them. Speaking of cornbread, the muffin/cupcake format gives you more golden edges and, therefore, texture. As for the biscuits, canned ones are fine, but avoid the ones with “flakey layers.” You just want good old plain biscuits for this. If you are cooking for a big crowd, double the recipe but still cook it in two pans. Apartment dwellers, if you don’t have large baking pans, you can also use the crock from your crock pot in the oven.
5.) Dangle that Carrot
Like many of you, along with general doomscrolling and hunting down new cat videos, social media offers an array of recipe choices supplied by influencers, home cooks, and your mom ’n’ ’em. Facebook is where I found these very beautiful, delicious-sounding Maple-Glazed Bacon-Wrapped Carrots. I mean, just look at them!
Directions: Ingredients: All you will need is 2 pounds small, peeled carrots, 1 pound thinly sliced bacon, and 1/4 cup maple syrup.
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wrap each carrot with one slice of bacon, starting at the thicker end. Place the wrapped carrots on a wire rack on a baking sheet to allow for even cooking. Bake for about 25 minutes until the bacon is crispy and the carrots are tender. Remove from the oven and brush each wrapped carrot with maple syrup on all sides. Return to the oven for an additional 8-10 minutes, allowing the glaze to caramelize.
Tips: Ensure the bacon layers do not overlap too much for even cooking. If you prefer to keep the maple flavor for breakfast time, substitute honey, which can be sourced locally (#KeepItLocal) and is available in various infused flavors.
Courtesy Pat Pinky
6.) Potayto, Potahto
I have a very specific morning routine. The cat wakes me up at about 5am. I roll downstairs, make some coffee, watch Good Day on Fox 4 until they run out of fresh content, then hop into my YouTubeTV library to watch recent LIVE with Kelly & Mark episodes. (Watching in real time is no longer an option, as they now come on at 11am. Sigh.) Every day last week, a different cast member demonstrated a favorite recipe as part of their pre-Thanksgiving coverage. When it was Kelly Ripa’s turn, she made an effortless but decadent dish called Kelly’s French Mashed Potatoes.
Ingredients: You will need 4 pounds of medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes, 4 cups heavy cream, 2 cups butter, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and pepper (plus more salt) to taste.
Directions: Peel and quarter the potatoes and put them in a large pot. Add enough water to cover them and add the kosher salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 12-14 minutes or until fork-tender. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the heavy cream in a medium pot to a near boil, then add butter until it’s melted. Drain the cooked potatoes and blend with an electric hand mixer. Add to the cream/butter mixture and whisk together, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Tips: Since two medium potatoes usually weigh about a pound and two cups of prepared instant mashed potatoes are roughly the same as two medium fresh potatoes, you could cheat the system and add 8 cups of dehydrated potato flakes directly to the cream/butter goodness instead of cooking fresh potatoes. As for the butter measurement, 2 cups equals 1 pound or four sticks. Yes, four sticks, so save the dieting for the New Year.
7.) Oh, Christmas Tree
What’s that appliance you use for smoothies and margaritas? Oh, yes, a blender. Armed with one of those and a few ingredients, you can make some simple but impressive Christmas Tree Cakes Milkshakes.
Ingredients: All you need are 2 cartons of Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes, 3 cups vanilla ice cream, 1 cup milk, 1 can spray whipped topping, and some holiday sprinkles.
Directions: In the aforementioned blender, add 4 of the Christmas Tree Cakes, milk, and ice cream. Blend until smooth. Add additional ice cream or cake until it’s the thickness you prefer. Pulse until chopped up and smooth. Pour into glasses and top with a spray of whipped cream, holiday sprinkles, and a whole Christmas Tree Cake as a garnish.
Tip: For a thicker shake, add more ice cream and keep blending until it’s the consistency you like. For a better time altogether, add some booze.
Courtesy Little Debbie
8.) Smells Like Holiday Spirit
Before any food prep, you’ll probably do some housekeeping. If you’re serving takeout and passing it off as your own by hiding the containers from your unwitting guests, you’d best do something to make your home smell like you’ve been up to something all day. The folks in the Meal Ideas & Recipe Swap group on Facebook have great suggestions for finding your nirvana, such as this Christmas Simmer Pot from Old Fashioned Recipes submitted by member Lisa Beauregard.
Ingredients: You will need 6 cloves, 4 pieces of star anise, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 oranges, 1 bag of frozen cranberries, 1 lemon, 1 sprig of rosemary, and a pot of water.
Directions: Cut the lemon and oranges into halves or quarters. Combine all of the ingredients in a pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Turn on low and keep it simmering all evening.
Tips: Frozen cherries would also work. Once this gets to the simmer stage, pour some into small mason jars and place on candle warmers in other rooms to spread the holiday smell.
