I know we have foodies here so, share your favorite recipes and share tips here through the Holidays. A long time ago I was treated to having a bone-in hambutt prepared this way. I'm not a fan of ham generally but this was the best I've ever had. If you like ham you have to try this. Don't blame me if you catch your kitchen on fire. I know it sounds weird but I'm telling you guys it's the shit. Sausage Balls: Ingredients: 1 lbs - Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage 3 Cups - Bisquick 10 Ounces - Grated sharp cheddar cheese Instructions: Mix well and knead. Make them into ping pong sized balls Set your oven to 350 and cook for 30 minutes. Corn Thing: Ingredients: 1 cup sour cream 1 7 ounce box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix 2 eggs 2-3 TBSP sugar ½ cup margarine Can of creamed corn USE: 8 ½" casserole dish or square brownie pan Instructions: Preheat the over to 375 degrees and melt margarine in pan. Mix everything together and pour into melted margarine which will the surround the mixture. Bake for about 40-45 minutes until the top cracks and the sides are golden brown. I know, heeeellllllloooooooooooooo fatty right? The balls and corn thing are stolen from elsewhere and not mine. What are your favorite recipes or helpful tips?
Shegirl, did you just write the words "bone in hambutt" on this board? Good luck with that. My grandmother used to make this sweet potato casserole. It's little more than mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar and cinnamon and then topped with marshmallows and baked until the tops of the marshmallows are golden brown and the bottoms are gooey and oozing into the sweet potatoes. It's heaven.
Pose questions here too like this one; what's the best way to thaw a frozen turkey? And Noland, yes I did. I figured I'd give the kids something to giggle about.
My favorite recipe is for sweet and sour meatballs 1 lb Ground Beef 1/2 cup chopped onions 2 Cups Ketchup 2 Cups Brown Sugar 1. Mix the beef and onion together and make golfball size or smaller meatballs. 2. Cook the meatballs in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes 3. Simmer the Ketchup and Brown Sugar together until its melted into a brown sauce 4. Put the meatballs and sauce together into a crock pot and cook for atleast 2.5 - 3 hours on low EDIT: If you have a gas oven, turn the temp down 25 degrees or cook it for 5 minutes less. Trust me, it makes a difference. (I didnt take this picture, but its exactly what they look like)
It's best leave it in the fridge for a couple of days until its fully thawed. If you're in a hurry, partially block the drain of your sink and run COLD water over the turkey. The goal is to get the side of the sink with the turkey in it to fill up and run over into the other side. That way the water is draining from both the bottom and top of the sink so it doesn't stagnate around the bird. (I'm assuming you have a double sink) DO NOT just leave it out on the counter to thaw. It takes so damn long you really run the risk of contamination. -- I'm looking for a good sweet potato/yam recipe. I used to have a killer recipe for yams with carmelized pears & bourbon, but can't find it anywhere. My mom always does the standard with marshmallows but I was hoping for something a little more difficult.
generally never leave anything on the counter to thaw. You're better served tossing it in a sink of cold water.
To thaw any meat: get a bowl large enough to fit whatever it is, then cover it completely with cold water. I can take a few large steaks out of the freezer and thaw them in about 15 minutes. Whatever water soaks into the meat, always just burns out when you cook it. It's to the point now where I rarely thaw anything in the fridge or on the counter; I just stick it in some cold water, heat up the grill, and by the time the grill gets to temp it's ready to go. (I imagine a turkey might take 1-1.5 hours.)
One of my favorite Fall recipes is really simple, but me and my dad are the only people I've ever met who actually cook it. You cut an acorn squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and then put a pat of butter and a little pool of maple syrup in it. Bake it at 350 degrees for an hour. It's freaking delicious, and the most difficult part is cutting the squash. But, I'm sure all you manly men will find that easier than I do. I have lots of other comfort food meals that I make this time of year, but they're pretty basic recipes. It's one of those things where I'm not even sure what I do to make it taste so different slash better than other people's versions. But, some ideas are: meatloaf, lasagna (my specialty), sausage and peppers and chicken pot pie the straight up 1950s housewife way (as in dump Campbells cream of mushroom soup, frozen mixed vegetables and chicken into a frozen pie crust and bake...I wouldn't have it any other way). PS I wrote "...taste so different slash better than other people's virgins" at first. It's fine. I'm drunk.
If y'all don't fry a turkey, I have to seriously ask you why. It is fucking amazing. Seriously does not come out greasy and imparts a considerably deep flavor. Emeril does a really nice rub/injection. Just inject the turkey all morning before you fry it. Ingredients For the Marinade: 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon liquid Zatarian?s Concentrated Crab and Shrimp Boil (optional) 1/4 cup apple cider 3/4 cup honey 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon ground allspice 1/2 cup Emeril's Creole Seasoning (Essence), (like Tony's or Emeril Essence or Paul Prudome mix) 1/4 teaspoon cayenne Pinch ground cloves This is seriously awesome. Whatever is left in the marinade bowl, just throw over the turkey skin and it will crust up i the hot oil like you wouldn't believe.
I personally don't like fried turkey NEARLY as much as the good ol' fashioned slow-roasted turkey, either injected or plain. I've noticed that if you brine them a couple of days beforehand, they come out even more juicy, less greasy, more flavorful, and ten times as good leftover the next day. Seriously, I find that leftover fried turkey is not worth a shit. One of the best things about Thanksgiving is all of the things you can do with the leftovers, and fried turkeys just aren't as good, in my opinion. Hell, fried turkeys were pretty much invented down here, but I'll take the roasted one every time. And I'm firmly of the opinion that you can make anything better by deep frying it. This just happens to be an exception. Normally our family divies up cooking responsibilities for holidays, which everyone cooking certain dishes (my mom ALWAYS does the turkey, though. And yes, it is roasted), but I don't know what I'm assigned yet. I'll let yall know what I get and how I do it.
Someone posted this recipe on the old board, maybe 5 years ago. I have made it for each Thanksgiving since. It's become a new family favorite. Try it, it's awesome!
That'd be me. I'm like The Pusher. I have to agree with BD about frying vs roasting the turkey. And wtf do you do about gravy? I was talking to a friend the other day he said he and his family are doing a ham. He raved about ham with horseradish (ew). When I asked what about the gravy he said he didn't need gravy. When I asked what he'll put on his mashed potatoes he paused and said, "Butter". Just butter. Isn't that like breaking some Turkey Day law? I love gravy. I make the gravy. I have to say gravy is one of those things you are either really good at making or completely suck. I don't use the cornstarch method either, I use a roux. It's delicious.
I wanted to add a joke here, but everything I came up with wasn't as funny as just reading these quotes.
Count me in as someone who sucks at it. As the daughter of a southern cook, I hang my head in shame. I told the old man last night that I'm getting jarred gravy this year because I'm sick of screwing it up. He said he doesn't want jarred gravy and will make it himself. I was okay with that till I read your post asking how you can make gravy if you are frying a turkey. That's a good question. Since the old man is also determined to fry the turkey this year, we'll have to figure something out.
You'll have to go jarred, prepackaged powered Turkey Gravy Mix (yuck) or you can try boiling the guts and other stuff that's in that bag for a while and then use that and go with the cornstatch or roux method. I'd opt for the last. Three things: When I make gravy I use homo milk, no skim, low-fat wtf ever bullshit milk, the real deal. The fat content in it makes for a smoother, thicker and just better gravy flavor all the way around. People, remember to remove "that bag" from, in some cases, BOTH ends of the bird. If frying the bird make sure you have open space and a fire extinguisher near by.