None of us want to end up like A Christmas Story and have the neighbors dogs eat the Turkey and your entire family end up at the a Chinese Restaurant on Christmas Day(unless of course you plan to end up at the Chinese Restaurant!).  Over the past few years I have asked every good cook I know and read lots of turkey recipes.  So this is my own version…. a little barfoot contessa, a little from a dude I met at a company retreat(that looked like Mike Brady), and a little from a friend…  I love a turkey at Christmas but I also love it other times of year.  It makes a great dinner and of course left over sandwiches!

My Turkey… I hope you like it!

A 10-14 pound Turkey(I have read and figured it out once on my own that over a 14 lb Turkey does not cook evenly)

Sage

Thyme

Sea Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

2 sticks of salted butter

truffle oil

1/2 bottle of chardoney

2 red apples

1 white onion

aluminum foil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  First make sure the turkey is fully defrosted, this is really important.  Read the directions on the package of your turkey.  I like to buy an organic free range turkey but whatever you buy most turkeys have thawing directions. (If you have never cooked a turkey… it takes several days or at least overnight)  Take 1 stick of butter (at room temperature) and whip with a few drops of truffle oil (to taste).  Set aside.  Then take fresh sage and thyme and chop finely.  About 4 stems of each.  Mix with the truffle butter.  Set aside.  Take the turkey.  Tuck the wings under the turkey.  Turkey should be breast side up.  salt and pepper the entire outside of the turkey.  Then take the other stick of butter and coat the outside of the turkey.  Chop the apples and onion.  Stuff the turkey with both the apples and onions.  Then take the truffle butter, sage, and thyme  and rub under the skin of the turkey.  Take the aluminum foil and cover the breast only.  Bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours and remove from oven, remove aluminum foil, and pour the half bottle of wine over the turkey and return to the oven for an additional 1 and 45 mintues to 2 hours.  The total cooking time is approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes to 4 hours.  Always use a meat thermometer for your turkey.  The internal temperature must reach 180 degrees.  After the turkey is finished let it stand 10-15 minutes prior to carving.

butter, sage and thyme....oh my!

Apples and onions for stuffing!

The sage, thyme, truffle butter.... can't you just smell it!

Ready for the Turkey

Hello Mr Turkey...

Start stuffing...

Butter mixture being placed under the skin.

Salt and peppered....

Butter the skin....

Almost ready to go!

Ready to go in the oven!

Ready to eat!

I have to start this post with an explanation…. I am southern, my husband is midwestern.  Mark grew up in Minnesota and his parents are originally from North Dakota.  There are some differences and some similarities in the recipes and food traditions of our childhoods.  But one thing that is different is “hot dish”.  When we met Mark told me about his favorite hot dish and I said “What is a hot dish?”  Well… the answer to that question is a casserole.  Minnesotans call a casserole a hot dish.  Well whatever you call it Mark’s favorite is a favorite winter comfort food at our house.  It is great served with green beans or a salad.

Tater Tot Hot Dish

1.5 lbs of ground beef

2 cans of Cream of Mushroom

1 32 oz bag of tater tots

salt

pepper

8oz of extra sharp cheddar cheese(grated)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Thaw tater tots (refrigerator temperature).   Brown the ground beef in pan, salt and pepper to taste.  In a 9×13 pan spread tater tots evenly.  Top with ground beef.  Spread cream of mushroom soup evenly over the top.  Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Take the dish out of the oven and add grated cheese  Bake for additional 10 minutes.  Serve immediately.

I always use an iron skillet to brown ground beef. I have my grandmother's iron skillet which I love.

Tater tots are ready to be hot dish!

Ready for the oven!

Yum! Dinner time!

I love to bake around the holidays… a gift of food to friends and family or a little something to add to a holiday party.  There is always someplace to go and take a little holiday joy. Sausage balls are a family favorite in my family.  My dad remembers his mom making them every Christmas and the tradition has been passed down.  The recipe is easy and loved by all.  I think starting traditions like this are great in a family.  Even if everything is unpredictable a few food traditions are a great way to create great holiday memories.  Here is the recipe and pics of Sausage Balls!

Sausage Balls

1 lb uncooked Sausage (I used Jimmy Dean)

1 lb sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated

3-1/2 cup Bisquick (just the mix do not add liquid)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all three ingredients together in large ball.  The mixture will look really dry but just keep mixing it together.  (Sometimes it is easier to use your hands).  Roll in balls (3/4-1″ in diameter).  Freeze well before cooking.  Use a cookie sheet with a brown paper grocery sack over it and then place the sausage balls on the sack (the sack helps soak up any grease and keep the balls crispy).  Bake for 20 minutes.

Serve warm.  Bake them as needed.

This recipe is great because you can make it ahead and make several batches and use them over time during the holidays!

The recipe from my favorite family recipe book!

Grated cheese and sausage.

Then add the bisquick and mix!

Serve them warm and crispy!

Enjoy!

XO,

Paige

Sage cream corn is one of my family’s favorite sides.  A friend introduced this recipe to us while she was visiting us a couple years ago.  It is also the base for a pasta I will show you at a later date.  It is great all year but I made it for Thanksgiving  this past week and wanted to share it with all of you!  I make this without a recipe but I measured and wrote it all down.  It does not have to be very specific with exact measurements so just have fun and enjoy!

The recipe.

Sage Cream Corn

8 ears of corn

Olive oil

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 bunch of fresh sage

salt

Cut the kernels off of 8 ears of corn (you can use whole kernel frozen corn, around 24 oz, if fresh is not available- NOT canned).  Place corn in pan with olive oil(around 1 Tablespoon).  Cut while stirring for around 10 minutes.  Finely chop fresh sage.  Add sage to corn and saute for 3 mintues.  Add heavy cream and salt to taste.  Heat until heavy cream is bubbly (this happens really quickly).  Then serve warm!

Here are a few photos of the process.

I bought this corn at the grocery store but the best corn is sweet corn straight from my dad's farm!

This is a huge portion because I was making this for 23 at Thanksgiving.... so yours will have less corn according to this recipe.

The corn with the sage is so pretty and taste soooo good.

Enjoy!

XO,

Paige

Hi all!  I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  We had 23 people in our home.  It was a great day.  So much good food was had by all.  I will share some of the recipes and our fun table decor with you over the next few days.  First, I want to share the recipe for apple crisp.  The recipe is award winning after all!!!  You may remember it from my last post {here}.  On Thanksgiving morning my mom, my daughter and I made this yummy treat.

The recipe.

Apple Crisp

7 cups of peeled sliced cooking apples

1 Tablespoon of  lemon juice

2 Tablespoons of water

3/4 cup of packed brown sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts but it also works with with pecans)

Preheat oven to 375.  Place peeled and sliced apples in a 9″ square of 11×7 pan.  Sprinkle evenly lemon juice and water. (Fresh squeezed lemon juice is always better)  Combine brown sugar, flour,  rolled oats, cinnamon and nuts.  Cut in butter until crumbly.   Sprinkle over apples.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until apples are tender.  Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream.  Serves 8-10.

While we were making the apple crisp we took a a few photos to show you the process.

First, we gathered all of our ingredients. I hate when you are half way through making a dish and you realize that you are missing something.

I used light brown sugar but the recipe works with dark brown sugar also.

Our bowl of brown sugar, four, rolled oats, cinnamon, butter, and walnuts.

Here is where we cut in the butter. You can use a pastry knife but if you don't have one we are showing you how to use and fork and knife. Literally you use a cutting motin to mix the ingredients. Do not stir.

The apple crisp is ready for the oven!

Yum! Where is that vanilla ice cream?

My mom and Mallory(my daughter) being "hams" for the camera... I guess being a ham on Thanksgiving is acceptable!