Holiday Cheese Ball Appetizer

 

Tempt your guest’s appetites during the holidays with this bold-flavored cheese ball appetizer.

 

Serves 16

 

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese spread (crock-style), softened

4 ounces blue cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

crackers to serve

 

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese spread, blue cheese, onion powder, and garlic powder with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until mixture is blended. Using a spatula, fold in the walnuts. Mound the cheese mixture on a large piece of plastic wrap. Bring up sides of wrap to cover completely, and using your hands, shape mixture gently into a ball. Refrigerate for at least 30 to 60 minutes, until cheese ball is slightly firm. After chilling, uncover cheese ball, roll in sliced almonds, and sprinkle with smoked paprika (regular paprika can substitute). Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days before serving. Serve with crackers.

 

Notes:

 

Smoked paprika from Spain really adds an interesting taste to this dish. Find smoked paprika at Central Market or order online at www.tienda.com.

 

To toast the walnuts and almonds, bake on a baking sheet in a preheated 350° F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until toasted and light golden brown in color.

 

 

Grandma Dorothy’s Turkey Dressing

 

by NBC5 Weekend Today news anchor Kristine Sorensen

 

This is my favorite family holiday recipe. It comes from my Grandmother on the Sorensen side---Grandma Dorthy Freres Sorensen, from Racine, Wisconsin. She was third generation French, and this recipe was passed down through her family, the Freres family. I think it's the sausage (definitely a must in Wisconsin!) that gives it so much flavor.

 

1 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped white onions

1/2 pound pork sausage

1/2 cup margarine or butter

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 loaf bread crumbs/dry bread cubes (about 4 cups)

1 cup chopped apple

2 eggs

1 cup chicken broth

 

In a saucepan, cook celery, onions, and pork sausage in butter on medium heat until vegetables are tender and sausage is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in poultry seasoning and salt. In a large bowl, mix bread cubes, chopped apple, and eggs with sausage/vegetable mixture. If dressing is too dry, add only enough chicken broth to moisten. Place dressing in a casserole dish and bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350° F oven for 30 minutes, or until mixture is warmed through. To cook dressing inside turkey, be sure to cool dressing thoroughly before stuffing. Loosely pack the body and neck cavities with the dressing. Roast as directed on package of turkey. Dressing is safe to eat when it registers at least 160° F on an instant-read thermometer. Serves 8 to 10.

 

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Carol will be presenting a live cooking demonstration at 3:30 pm on Saturday, November 2, at the Texas Cooks! Culinary Expo & Market Place in Arlington. Here is more information:

Texas Cooks!

The Dallas - Ft. Worth Culinary Expo & Market Place

Arlington Convention Center

Saturday, November 2, from 10 am to 6 pm

Sunday, November 3, from 10 am to 6 pm

For ticket prices and more information, visit www.texascooks.net or call 1-866-629-7828

Potato Sweet Potato

 

Serves 6

 

3/4 pound sweet potatoes (about 2 small), peeled

3/4 pound red potatoes, washed

2 tablespoons margarine, cut into small pieces, divided use

salt & pepper to taste

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

 

Preheat oven to 425° F. Using a sharp knife, a food processor fitted with the slicing disk, or a mandoline, slice the sweet potatoes and potatoes very thinly, about 1/8-inch. Arrange half of the margarine in the bottom of a one-quart baking dish. Layer the potatoes alternately---sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc.---lightly sprinkling each layer with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange remaining margarine on top and drizzle water and oil over all. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

 

 

Grandma Wolf's "Texas Trash"

 

by NBC5 Weekend Today Meteorologist Krista Villarreal

 

Makes 6 pounds

 

Mom has told me that she makes a double amount of sauce because that's the way we like it. You can use any combination of the cereals. Sometimes she uses alphabet cereal and sometimes she doesn't. This is our favorite munchie around Thanksgiving.

 

1 pound butter or margarine

1 cup vegetable oil

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon celery salt

2 1/2 tablespoons ground allspice

2 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder

red pepper to taste

1 small box Accent

2 boxes pretzels

1 box Wheat Chex

1 box Rice Chex

1 box Cheerios (or 1 box corn Chex)

1 box Alphabet cereal

1 pound pecans

1 pound mixed nuts

 

In a small saucepan over low heat, cook butter, vegetable oil, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, allspice, garlic powder, red pepper to taste, and 1 small box Accent. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until butter is melted and flavors have blended, stirring occasionally---do not boil. Combine all remaining ingredients in a large roasting pan, stirring to mix. Pour butter mixture evenly over cereal mixture, stirring to combine. Bake at 200° F for 3 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

 

(Air Date: November 9, 2002)

Carol’s Thanksgiving Turkey

 

1.  Thawing the turkey: There are two ways to thaw a frozen turkey. The preferred method is to thaw it in the refrigerator. Place the wrapped turkey (in its original wrapping) in a shallow pan in the refrigerator and let it thaw 24 hours for every 5 pounds of weight. For example, a 9 to 12 pound turkey will thaw in about 2 days. Keep in mind that the turkey should be roasted within 24 hours of thawing.

 

Do not thaw a turkey on the counter at room temperature. Bacteria could multiply to dangerous levels on the surface of the turkey. Instead, to thaw the turkey quicker than the time it requires in the refrigerator method, place turkey (in its original wrapping) in a sink or deep pan filled with cold water to cover. Change the water at least every 30 minutes. Make sure water is always cold. Allow 30 minutes of thawing time for each pound of turkey for this method. For example, a 9 to 12 pound frozen turkey will thaw in about 5 to 6 hours. If you are using a fresh turkey, continue with the recipe.

 

2.  Preparing the turkey: Remove turkey from the wrapping and place in a clean sink. Without cutting, undo the legs if tucked under a band of skin or metal clip. Remove neck from body cavity. Remove giblets from neck cavity. Rinse neck and giblets; set aside. I usually discard the liver---it is high in cholesterol and is not preferred in the giblet gravy. Rinse turkey with cold water, drain, and pat dry with paper towels. If desired, stuff turkey with cold dressing, spooning it in lightly and leaving room for expansion. If turkey will remain unstuffed, rub about 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper on the inside of the turkey cavities. Tuck legs back under the band of skin (or metal clip), or tie together with kitchen string. Place turkey, breast-side-up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush the turkey with vegetable oil to keep it moist, and lightly salt and pepper to taste.

 

3.  Roasting the turkey: Preheat oven to 325° F. Lightly "tent" the turkey with foil to prevent it from browning too dark. Roast the turkey in the center of the oven according to the timetable below (15 to 20 minutes per pound):

    weight                             stuffed                          unstuffed

  9 to 12 lbs.                   3 1/2 to 4 hours               3 to 3 1/2 hours

12 to 16 lbs.                  4 to 4 1/2 hours               3 1/2 to 4 hours

16 to 20 lbs.                  4 1/2 to 5 hours               4 to 4 1/2 hours

20 to 24 lbs.                     5 to 6 hours                  4 1/2 to 5 hours

 

I usually remove the foil for the last hour of roasting. Baste the turkey (with pan juices) once an hour to help keep it moist, if desired.

 

4.  Cooking the giblets: While turkey is roasting, place neck and giblets (sans liver) in a saucepan with water to cover by 5 inches. Simmer, uncovered, on medium-low heat for 2 hours. Remove giblets and reserve liquid (in the refrigerator) for turkey gravy. Chop giblets and add to gravy or stuffing, if desired---otherwise discard.

 

5.  Checking the turkey for doneness: Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh next to the body---do not touch the bone. The internal temperature should read between 185° F and 190° F. Insert the thermometer in the stuffing (if the turkey is stuffed)---it should read 165° F to 170° F. Also, you can pierce the skin of the thigh with a fork---if the juices run clear, the turkey is done. Remove turkey from oven, carefully transfer to a shallow pan, and cover with foil to keep warm. Let stand at least 15 minutes before carving.

 

6.  Preparing the gravy: While turkey is cooling, prepare Turkey Gravy (see recipe) using reserved giblet broth (and chopped giblets, if desired) and the juices remaining in the pan from roasting.

 

7.  Carving the turkey: Place turkey on a large cutting board and remove stuffing, if any. Using a sharp carving knife, cut the band of skin or string holding legs together (or remove the metal clip). Grasp a leg and cut between the thigh and body to the joint. Bend leg outward and cut at the joint to remove it from the body. Cut thigh away from drumstick at the connecting joint. Remove wing at joint. With a sawing motion, slice thigh meat off bone (as much as possible) and place it on a serving platter. Slice breast meat and arrange it on the platter. Remove a wing at the joint. Place wing on platter, if desired. Depending on the size of the turkey, you may wish to carve and serve half of the bird at a time, so the other half will not dry out. Cover turkey with foil and keep warm until ready to serve.

 

Servings:   9 to 12 lb. turkey      6 to 8

               12 to 16 lb. turkey     8 to 12

               16 to 20 lb. turkey   12 to 16

               20 to 24 lb. turkey   16 to 20

 

Notes:

 

Always refrigerate any leftovers as soon as possible after the meal. Remove all meat from the bones after the meal. Save the meat for other turkey dishes. Simmer bones to make turkey stock for turkey soup. Turkey meat keeps for 4 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer.

 

Don't put warm stuffing inside a cold turkey---harmful bacteria could develop.

 

Roasting: Oven-cooking food (often tender meat) in uncovered pans, which usually produces a well-browned exterior and moist interior.

 

Stuffed Baked Sweet Potato

by NBC5 crew member Trisha Maley

4 medium sweet potatoes
1/4 cup milk or half and half
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 package chopped pecans
1 cup marshmallows (optional)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine (optional)

Heat oven to 400° F. Pierce potatoes with fork; place on backing sheet. Bake 50 minutes or until tender. Reduce oven temperature to 350° F. Cut potatoes lengthwise, slice off top of each potato. Scoop out centers, leaving 1/8-inch thick shell. In medium bowl, mash potato pulp. Add milk, butter, and sugar, and beat until fluffy. Spoon into shells. Place shells in large shallow baking pans. Bake at 350° F for 10 minutes, or until heated through. With 2 to 3 minutes baking left, melt marshmallows and butter over medium heat in saucepan. Stir until melted. Remove potatoes from oven. Sprinkle pecans on top of potatoes. (Optional) Drizzle marshmallow liquid over potatoes and pecans. Let cool.

 

 

 

Cornbread Dressing

by NBC5 crew member Flint Arizaga

1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1/2 cup butter, melted
6 cups cornbread, crumbled
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cans chicken broth
3 eggs
3 teaspoons baking powder

Make 2 packages of yellow cornbread mix on day in advance. Crumble and let dry. Next day preheat oven to 400° F, sauté onion and celery in butter until soft, but not brown. Add cornbread, parsley, salt, pepper, and broth, and mix. Add beaten eggs and mix. Add baking powder, mixing well. Bake in glass pan for 40 minutes or until uniformly brown.

 

 

Tortilla Soup

by NBC5 crew member Marc Mahacek

As far as holiday tradition, it is not, but it is something that my family enjoys. We tend to only make it around the holiday season because of the time it takes to create it. If it looks semi-familiar, it is because it is a slight variation of a popular local chef's recipe.

Serves 8 to 10

3/4 cup coarsely chopped carrots
3/4 cup coarsely chopped celery
3 tablespoons corn oil
2 quarts low-fat chicken broth
salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
4 corn tortillas, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup fresh onion purée
3 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips and fried crisp
2 cups fresh tomato purée
1 tablespoon cumin powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 bay leaves
4 tablespoons canned tomato purée

 

In a large saucepan, on low-medium heat, simmer 2 quarts chicken broth with carrots and celery. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté tortillas with garlic and cilantro over medium heat until tortillas are soft. Add onion and fresh tomato purée and bring to a boil. Add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, canned tomato purée. Strain carrots and celery from chicken broth and pour broth over tomato purée mixture. Discard carrots and celery. Bring soup to a boil again, and then reduce heat to simmer. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes. Strain (if desired) and pour into warm soup bowls. Garnish with shredded cheese and fried tortilla strips. Serve immediately.

Turkey and Biscuit Pie

 

Transform turkey leftovers, a variety of vegetables, and fluffy biscuits into this comforting casserole.

Serves 6

2 cups chicken broth

3 cups frozen mixed vegetables

2 cups cubed cooked turkey

1/2 teaspoon dried dillweed

1/3 cup water

3 tablespoons flour

1 batch prepared biscuit mix (or 6 frozen biscuits, unthawed)

Preheat oven to 400° F. In a saucepan (or oven-safe shallow pan), bring chicken broth, mixed vegetables, turkey, and dillweed (and salt and pepper to taste, if desired) to a simmer on medium-high heat. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, shake the water and flour until blended (or stir mixture with a fork or whisk, until blended). Add water/flour mixture to vegetable/turkey mixture and cook over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until mixture is thickened, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture into a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish (or leave in oven-safe pan) and place biscuits on top. Bake at 400° F for 18 to 20 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown on top, and casserole is cooked through.

 

(Air Date: November 30, 2002)