Thanksgiving Traditions

When it comes to cooking, I'm a creature of habit.  When I find culinary combinations that work well, I tend to stick with them.  For instance, I always serve Marinated Baked Chicken with Mushroom Rice Casserole

and Baked Ziti with salad and garlic bread.

This habit comes in handy at Thanksgiving, especially when the fourth Thursday in November falls early like it does this year.  My Thanksgiving menu will be reminiscent of years past which, in reality, is almost identical to what my mother served every year at Thanksgiving.

There will be slices of roast turkey on a colorful turkey serving platter and a big bowl of Cornbread Dressing.  To save time, I bake the frozen biscuits and packaged cornbread mix the day before.  The recipe makes a lot -- 8 to 12 servings -- so if there's any left, you can freeze it and use it later.

A lot of people serve mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving, but my mother always served Potato Salad and so do I.  In fact, it's the only Thanksgiving recipe I use that came from my mother.  This tasty side dish can be made one or two days ahead of time.  You can substitute a 24 ounce package of Ore-Ida Steam 'n Mash cut Russet potatoes and avoid peeling, dicing and cooking the potatoes.

If you prefer sweet potatoes, I've got two recipes to share.  Sweet Potato Souffle, a fancy name for sweet potato casserole, can be made with three pounds of sweet potatoes or a package of Ore-Ida Steam 'n Mash cut sweet potatoes.  It can be made a day or two ahead of time and reheated in the oven or microwave.  If you leave it in the dish you baked it in, no one will even know it was made ahead of time.

Quick and Easy Candied Sweet Potatoes are a nice alternative to the traditional casserole.  You don't have to peel potatoes because this recipe uses canned sweet potatoes.  Unlike the sweet potato souffle that can be made ahead of time, this is best made right before serving.  It only takes a few minutes and is cooked on the stove top, which is helpful when the oven is already being used.

If you're a cranberry lover like me, I've got three tasty recipes that share some of the same ingredients, but with completely different textures.  The first one, Cranberry Orange Relish, is a sweet-tart combination made with fresh cranberries, apple, orange, pineapple and sugar.  It can be made up to two weeks ahead of time and stored in the freezer.

Southern Cranberry Salad is a congealed salad that combines whole berry cranberry sauce, mandarin oranges and pineapple with cherry gelatin. It can be made a couple of days ahead of time.

Cranberry Orange Casserole also uses whole berry cranberry sauce and mandarin oranges, but not pineapple.  The sauce and oranges are combined with lemon juice and sugar and baked in the oven.  Unlike the other two cranberry recipes that can be made ahead of time and served cold, this one is best served hot from the oven.  The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

My mother made homemade rolls from scratch, but I use a bread machine to make One Hour Buttermilk Rolls, which means they take longer than an hour to make.  If you don't have a bread machine, the recipe includes directions for making the rolls by hand.  The rolls can be made a month ahead of time, stored in the freezer and reheated in the oven or microwave.

To quench everyone's thirst, I serve Fruit Tea.  This sweet tea is combined with pineapple juice, lemon juice and, the secret ingredient, ginger ale.  It's best made the day it's served.

I'll be posting some new Thanksgiving recipes next week, including a dessert that combines two traditional Thanksgiving flavors.

© Margaret's Morsels

                                                     

Easter Menu: Part 2

This is the second of a three part series with recipes from my Easter menu.

Several readers emailed and asked if I was ever going to share the recipe for the rolls pictured above.  Since Easter is less than a week away -- and I make these rolls for every holiday -- this seemed like the perfect time.


My mother was a wonderful baker.  She made homemade bread, biscuits and rolls from scratch.  Unfortunately, I didn't inherit that gene.  However, thanks to my mom, I'm able to make rolls, but not the way she did.


In 1999, my mother gave me a bread machine for Christmas.  Thanks to this thoughtful gift, I'm able to put a basket of homemade rolls on the table every holiday and special occasion, just like my mother used to do.

One advantage of using a bread machine is the device does all the work. Once the ingredients are added and the machine turned on, the mixing, kneading, rising and, if you're making a loaf of bread, baking are all done for you.


Bread machines have a variety of settings, such as basic, French, sweet and whole wheat to name a few.  You can also adjust the color of the loaf from light to medium to dark.  I hate to admit I've never used any of those settings.  In fact, I've never used my bread machine to make a loaf of bread.  The only setting I ever use is the dough/pasta setting.


The dough/pasta setting mixes and kneads the roll ingredients and allows them to rise in a draft free environment.  Once the dough is ready, all I have to do is shape the rolls, let them rise again and bake them in the oven.


Although the rolls I make are called One Hour Buttermilk Rolls, it definitely takes longer than an hour to make them in a bread machine.  I don't mind, though, since this gives me time to do other things.


If you want to make these rolls in a bread machine, make sure to follow the directions for your particular model.  Most machines require the ingredients to be placed in the pan in a certain order.  Sometimes the ingredients also need to be at room temperature.  If you're not sure, check the user's guide.


If you don't have a bread machine or want to make the rolls in less time, I'm also including the directions that came with the recipe.  I've never made the rolls this way, but a friend did and she said they came out perfect.


Regardless of the method used, there's two important things to keep in mind concerning the ingredients.  First, as the name implies, the recipe uses buttermilk.  I don't recommend substituting regular milk because buttermilk makes baked goods tender.


Second, the recipe calls for all-purpose flour.  I recommend substituting bread flour.  Bread flour, which can also be used in a bread machine, is made from hard wheat making it ideal for baked yeast goods such as rolls.

Here are some tips that may come in handy, especially if you're using a bread machine.


Once the dough/pasta cycle is done, let the dough stay in the machine an additional 30 minutes.  The dough will continue to rise which makes the baked rolls extremely tender.

The dough at the end of the dough/pasta cycle.

Thirty minutes after the dough/pasta cycle is over.

After you remove the dough from the bread machine, knead it a couple of times on an unfloured bread board.  You can make the rolls into any shape, but I make them into cloverleaf rolls.

To make cloverleaf rolls, divide the dough into 18 equal pieces; divide each piece into 3 pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball.  Put three balls in each greased muffin cup.  The rolls are prettier when I roll the dough on the bread board with the palm of my hand instead of rolling it between my palms.

Shaped and ready to rise.

Once the rolls have been shaped, cover the pans with a clean towel and put them in a warm place free from drafts.  I put the pans on top of the dryer.  If the rolls don't rise enough, I turn the dryer on to help speed up the process.  Once the rolls have doubled in bulk, put them in the oven and bake them for 15 to 18 minutes.

The dough after it's risen and ready to be baked.

The recipe only makes 18 rolls so, if I'm cooking for a crowd, I make two batches.  I make one the day before, the other the day of the dinner.  You can serve the first batch at room temperature, but they're better reheated. To reheat the rolls, put them on a cookie sheet.  Cover the pan with foil -- you don't want the tops to get any browner -- and put them in a 350° oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through.

There's nothing like the smell -- and taste -- of freshly baked bread.  The rolls may be the last thing to come out of the oven,  but they're the first thing to disappear off the table.  

One Hour Buttermilk Rolls

18 Servings

2 (1/4 oz.) pkg. active dry yeast

1/4 cup very warm water (115° to 120°)

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (at room temperature)

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use bread flour)

BREAD MACHINE DIRECTIONS:  Put the ingredients in the pan in the order and temperature listed by the manufacturer.    Close the lid and turn the machine on the dough/pasta cycle.  When done, let the rolls rise in the machine an additional 30 minutes.  

Remove dough and knead a couple of times on an unfloured bread board. Shape rolls into the desired shape and place in greased muffin cups. Cover with a towel and put in a warm draft free place to rise until doubled in bulk.  Bake at 400° for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden.

TO MAKE WITHOUT A BREAD MACHINE:  In a bowl, stir yeast into warm water until dissolved.  Stir in next 5 ingredients until combined (mixture will be lumpy).  Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, until soft dough forms.  

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 8 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Shape rolls into the desired shape and place in greased muffin cups.  Cover with a towel and put in a warm draft free place to rise until doubled in bulk.  Bake at 400° for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden.

© Margaret's Morsels