Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
3/4 cups Butter
1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
1/2 cup (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper

1. Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes.

3. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

4. Drain the potatoes in a large colander.

5. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove.

6. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

7. Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half.

8. Mash, mash, mash!

9. Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

10. Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish.

11. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

Crockpot Turkey

Yes. I am making turkey in a crockpot. This year for Thanksgiving my family will be in Orlando Florida at Walt Disney World. We will be missing Thanksgiving. (We're actually eating at a Chinese Restaurant in Epcot for Thanksgiving.) My husband LOVES Thanksgiving. How could I deprive him of one of his favorite meals, and so close to his birthday? So this year we're calling it "Fakesgiving". It's our fake Thanksgiving. Taking lots of short cuts, and making a smaller meal. . . thus a crockpot turkey. Don't judge me. It's moist, buttery, and tasty, not to mention virtually NO WORK!

Crockpot Turkey

1 5-7 lb turkey breas, thawed
1/2 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1. Toss all ingredients into crockpot.

2. Cook on low heat for about 10 hours or until cooked through.

3. Take turkey out of crockpot, and let set for about 25 mintues.

4. Cut and eat!

Layered Cranberry Orange Jello

Layered Cranberry Orange Jello

2 cups grahm cracker crumbs
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 8oz pkg. cream cheese
2 8oz tubs of Cool Whip
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 large pkg. orange jello
1 can cranberry sauce
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 can mandarin oranges

1. Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved.

2. Add cranberry sauce; stir until melted.

3. Stir in cold water. Refrigerate about 1-1/4 hours or until slightly thickened (consistency of unbeaten egg whites). Gently stir in mandarin oranges.

4. Meanwhile, stir crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and butter in 13x9-inch dish. Press firmly onto bottom. Refrigerate until ready to use.

5. Beat cream cheese and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl until well blended.

6. Gently stir in 1 tub of the whipped topping. Spread evenly over crust; cover with gelatin mixture.

7. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Garnish with remaining tub of whipped topping just before serving.

Boursin Potato Gratin

Boursin Potato Gratin

2 1/2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Boursin cheese
Salt
Pepper

1. In a saucepan, combine heavy cream, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic.

2. Cook until boiling, then reduce heat and simmer stirring constantly until slightly thickened.

3. Add in cheeses and stir until melted.

4. In a 9 x 13 pan, layer 1/3 of the potatoes, with 1/3 of the cream mixture.

5. Continue layering until all the ingredients are gone.

6. Bake at 350 for 1 to 1 1 /2 hours.

7. Let set for about 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

Bacon Fried Corn

Packed with heavy cream, butter, bacon, and bacon fat. . .this is not a very healthy veggie. But for the Holidays, it sure is a delicious one! I mean, really, how can you go wrong with this combo?

Bacon Fried Corn

6 slices bacon
2 to 4 Tbsp butter
1 10oz bag of frozen corn, thawed
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
1 to 2 Tbsp sugar
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt
Pepper

1. Chop bacon into tiny pieces. Fry until crisp.

2. Save 2 Tbsp of bacon fat.

3. In a separate saute pan, melt butter.

4. Add in corn, onion, and 2 Tbsp bacon fat.

5. Sprinkle on the sugar, salt , and pepper.

6. Add in the cream, and stir continually until corn is tender and slightly browned.

7. Toss with crumbled bacon and serve.

Caramel Apple Galette

Caramel Apple Galette

1 pre-made pie crust
3 large Granny Smith Apples
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbsp heavy cream
3 Tbsp sugar

1. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp of flour on your baking pan.
2. Line with pie crust.
3. Peel and thinly slice apples.

4. Lay apples over pie crust leaving two inches at the edges.

5. Mix together brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.

6. Cut in butter until course and crumbly.

7. Spoon brown sugar mixture over apples.8. Fold up the edges of the pie crust.9. Brush pie crust with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar.10. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Golden Pumpkin Pie

This is my mom's recipe. She's made it every year. Almost always with fresh pumpkin. I have tried many pumpkin pie recipes, and come back to this one each time. I won't even bother with another recipe. This one is it!!! It's got the perfect amount of spice, and it's just creamy, pumpkin, delicousness. It's the heavy cream. Has to be. This is not a calorie conscience recipe by any means, but it is tasty!

Golden Pumpkin Pie

1 unbaked pie shell
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1 3/4 cup pumpkin
1 cup whipping cream

1. Line your pie dish with the pie shell.

2. Mix together all the rest of the ingredients.

3. Pour into pie shell, and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until set.

Chocolate Chip Pie

I made this pie today because it's my sister Amanda's favorite. She has a VERY busy life. She's working full time at a hospital as a surgical technologist, (all sorts of odd hours!) And also a full time nursing student. She has a full plate, between work, school, and studying! I don't see her very often, but when I do, I enjoy spending time with her. She's coming over tonight to "use" my son for one of her nursing projects. So, I decided to make dinner, and her favorite dessert. This pie is like a chocolate chip cookie on steroids! It's big, moist, chocolatey, and very rich and buttery. One bite, and you'll be hooked!

Chocolate Chip Pie

1 unbaked pie shell
3/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Line pie dish with pie shell.

2. Sprinkle chocolate chips into pie shell.

3. Mix together butter, flour, sugar, and brown sugar.

4. Add eggs one at a time.

5. Pour batter over the chocolate chips, and bake at 350 for about an hour.

6. Cook until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.