Cheesy Potatoes & Thankfulness

Thanksgiving menus are being planned, emails and phone calls this week are filled with discussions about "What should be on the Thanksgiving table?" and "Who's bringing what?". Our family loves to eat and Thanksgiving is our chance to make a lot of tasty dishes.  There are times in life that the saying "less is more" is an appropriate principle, however, the philosophy of Thanksgiving Dinner with my family, is that "more is more".  We are thankful that we have a full house coming to the Dinner this year, so that we can justify having multiple starches and salads and a couple of meats and a buffet filled with desserts!

Dave suggested that I post this recipe, to pitch it for your consideration as you are planning your Thanksgiving meal.  These are certainly special occasion potatoes (since the main ingredients, other than potatoes, are lots of cheese and heavy cream). We have been making them for Easter dinner for the past few years, but today I share them with you in case you want to make them for your Thanksgiving meal.

These Cheesy Potatoes  have just a few ingredients and are simple to layer and put together.
You can slice the potatoes ahead of time and keep them in water until the time of assembly.
You can choose which cheese you want to use, though we have stuck with Havarti because the flavor is so amazing and it melts so nicely.

Cheesy Potatoes

3 ½ pounds baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

3 cups shredded Havarti cheese, divided

6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

3 cups heavy whipping cream

6 tsp. chicken bouillon granules or chicken base, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray large baking dish with cooking spray. 

Arrange 1/3 of the potatoes in the dish. 

Peel

Sprinkle with 1 tsp. bouillon and season to taste with freshly ground pepper. 

Add 1/3 of the cheese (about 1 cup) and 2 Tbsp. flour.

Continue adding 2 more layers of potatoes, bouillon, pepper, flour and cheese.

In a bowl, combine whipping cream and remaining 2 tsp. of bouillon. 

Pour mixture over the potatoes.  Bake for 55-60 minutes or until top is golden brown and the potatoes are tender.

Slice thinly with a good knife

Or slice with a food processor

layer potatoes, cheese & dry ingredients

bake until golden and bubbly

Photos do not do this justice...I wish this was a
"scratch and taste" blog!

However, If you already have plans for the potato dish at your table, or if you think that dressing and rolls and sweet potatoes are enough starches for the menu,  then you might want to consider one of these favorites:

This cranberry salad is delicious and holiday-worthy. I have been craving it for weeks now! It's sweet and tart and chock full of yumminess.  It is a perennial favorite!

[Since my post about this salad last fall,  I learned the history of this dish in our family. In 1964, my parents were celebrating their first Thanksgiving as a married couple and were living in Texas, 750 miles from home.  My mom was excited to make her first Thanksgiving feast and was determined to do it right.  She invited a couple, the Smiths, friends of the family, who didn't have plans for the holiday, to join them for the meal.  

This is a copy of mom's recipe,
which she wrote while Mrs. Smith
dictated it over the phone!

Mom committed to make her first turkey and asked Mrs. Smith, a more seasoned cook, to share a good cranberry recipe that Mom might fix. This was the recipe she gave her.  And 47 years later, with just a little tweaking over time, it has remained a favorite at our family table.]

And this sweet potato apple scallop is simple and lovely and very verstile.










And in the midst of it all, let us not forget to be thankful.  We have a day set aside for Thankfulness!  Let's Seize this Day of Gratitude.  And though busyness, and football, and cooking, and cleaning (and sometimes complex family dynamics) may dominate this day, hopefully we can practice and pursue gratitude.

At our house we have gathered the branches from the yard and set up our Thankful Tree as a focal point for our thankfulness this week.  What are you doing to pursue gratitude?  There are so many simple things you can do. Start a list on the fridge of things for which you are thankful and add to it when the thought strikes you, make a thankful tree, write notes of gratitude to people in your life, spend some time in prayers of thanksgiving...and give thanks as you enjoy a tasty feast!

Traditions: Old and New

‘Tis the season for traditions!  I love them- some from my household growing up, some from generations past, and some that we have created in our home.  Here are a couple I want to share with you.

Old Tradition: Cheese Rolls

Cheese Rolls have been a favorite in our family for years.  For parties, holidays and special meals, we made cheese rolls:  a crowd pleasing and kid-friendly dish.

They are too easy! They are made from frozen roll dough with melted butter and shredded cheddar cheese. (If you haven’t used frozen roll dough, you should try it.  It is found in the freezer section of the grocery near the frozen biscuits.  It is versitle and can be used for Stromboli, cinnamon rolls, cloverloaf rolls, and many other treats.)

My mom taught my sister and me to make cheese rolls when we were young girls.  She recalls a party at our house where my sister (at age 10) and I (at age 8) made the cheese rolls for the entire dinner party.  I tell you this for two reasons: 1.  If you are not confident in your baking skills, try this recipe!  It's hard to mess up.  It is simple enough for a child.  2.  This is a good moment to talk about involving kids in the cooking.  My mom’s philosophy has always been:  “Let kids help in the kitchen as soon as they are interested, even though it makes more of a mess and complicates and slows down the process!  You are training little cooks that someday will help you cook dinner.” 

My children love to help cook.  My almost 3 year old has recently been obsessed with being my sou chef.  If she sees me cooking she says, “You cooking mommy? I wanna watch you!  I help you? Get the stool please!”   This is sweet and cute, and yet overwhelming.  But I see the great value in drawing her in.  I keep reminding myself that my son could crack an egg without getting the shells in the batter when he was about 4 years old from all the "helping" he did in the kitchen at this age. And the kitchen is a great classroom, for science lessons, math lessons (fractions, counting, addition) and creating beauty.  So this morning I had a little helper assisting with the cheese rolls.

1. Stretch the thawed dough

2. Dip the dough

3. Sprinkle with cheese

4. Fold and place in pan (notice my
little helper)

5. Finished Product

New Tradition:  Thankful Tree

The Thankful Tree

The past couple of years we have made a Thankful Tree to encourage gratitude during this season of Thanksgiving.  This is a free activity:  branches out of the yard, a repurposed pasta jar, scraps of paper, twine, and an invitation to add your “thankfulness” to the tree.  Last night I had the tree ready to be filled and had started the gratitude with a couple of my “Thanksgivings” placed  on the tree.  As I was getting dinner ready, my kids spontaneously gathered around the tree and excitedly began writing their “thanksgivings” to hang on the tree.  They are sweet sentiments ranging from: my teacher, to oxygen, to books, to my home and shelter, to God providing all we need.  At dinner my 6 year old used the tree as her guide to thank God in her dinner prayer. 

I just had to share this with you.  If this doesn't seem to fit your season of life get creative and start (or continue) your own way of encouraging gratitude in this season.  Before I had kids, I would write a note on a small piece of card stock with a simple fall leaf glued to the front with a personalized greeting to each loved one: I am thankful for your______________(kindness and generousity in my life) to give to friends and family. 

This week enjoy traditions, old and new....Happy Thanksgiving!

Cranberries are in...better stock up!

Years ago, when my friend Hannah had her baby Frances, I wanted to take her a tasty baked good and squeeze that little girl.  I found a cranberry orange muffin recipe in a Martha Stewart cookbook, whipped them up, and took them over to her.  Hannah is one of the most lovely gift recipients!  She expressed her gratitude on the spot.  Then a few days later I received this postcard from her.

My inspirational bookmark

It was a thoughtful note that I wanted to keep, so I stuck it in the cookbook as my bookmark for the cranberry muffin recipe.  It continues to be my bookmark (and inspiration to give the gift of muffins).





The next year I decided, when planning a brunch with some ladies, that those muffins would be a good fit for the menu.  I volunteered to bring them.  Little did I know that cranberry orange muffins in February are NOT a reality UNLESS you have done some stowing away of the cranberries.  I was not aware that the “cranberry season”  lasts all of 2 weeks…okay a little longer than that…2 months maybe.  I had no idea!  And unlike the blueberries and strawberries that I can find in the freezer section of my grocery, I cannot find cranberries (which by the way I do not understand… there is money to be made on these amazing berries year round)!  Appalled, I called my mom and she said, “Oh, did you not know?  They have a very limited availability in the stores and you have to stock them up and freeze them!” 

So I learned my lesson.  My mom, who is a bulk-buyer (in life) suggested that she and I buy a case and split it when the season rolls around again.  I said, “YES! That should last me a calendar year”.  Well, when my 13 bags of cranberries arrived and we were trying to fit them into my one little side by side freezer/fridge Dave said, “Really?  Do we need this many?  What are we making with them?”  I said, “You know muffins and stuff”.  Of course, my mom has 6 freezers in her life, so the storing is not that big of an imposition.  At my house we were eating bowls of ice cream and cooking meat from the freezer that week to make room for the cranberries.

About June, when we had approximately 10 bags remaining, and our household was having to alter our ice cream purchasing because of the cranberry stockpile, Dave suggested we ramp up the cranberry recipe making!  And we did. And eventually, about 2 years later, we made our way through them all. 

So I learned another lesson.  Buy in bulk proportionate to your freezer capacity and the amount you realistically think you will use in a calendar year.  I am getting better over time at predicting this.  And am trying to be sensitive to the small amount of freezer/refrigerator space, and the shared dominion over them.

It is November.  I have been watching and anticipating the cranberry season.  And I am thrilled  to tell you that I came home one day this week and opened my fridge and you won’t believe what I found stacked on the shelf in my refrigerator… 4 bags of fresh cranberries that Dave bought when he was at the grocery!  I let out a squeal! Not only are cranberries in, but Dave’s cranberry resentment is gone…he actually purchased them voluntarily!

Lucy, in her costume, helping me top the
bread with cranberries- a great counting game!

I have been having a cranberry fest this week.  I am writing about cranberries, talking about them and making cranberry recipes! Earlier this week Lucy, my 2 year old, and I made a Cranberry Pecan Bread recipe, that my friend Emily emailed to me recently. Yesterday my college student friend, Caroline, came to bake and we made Cranberry Oat Muffins and Cranberry Orange Salad.

It has been hard to decide what to post.  I have included the Martha Stewart –"Welcome baby Frances" Cranberry Orange Muffins I told you about, Cranberry Oat Muffins (my favorite), and my mom’s  Cranberry Orange Congealed Salad that I request every Thanksgiving!  They all have a cranberry-orange element to them, which I love.  There might be some more cranberry recipes coming on future posts, but I'll try to keep it under control.

In the meantime I suggest you go buy your stash of cranberries and clear some space in the freezer. The clock is ticking!

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Cranberry Oat Muffins

1 ½ cups Whole Wheat Flour (I use part whole    wheat/part white whole wheat)

¾ cup quick-cooking rolled oats

¼ cup buttermilk powder (dry milk)

2/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped

½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

1 Tbsp orange zest

2 large eggs

¾ cup milk

1/3 cup melted butter

Glaze: 

1 Tsp orange juice

½ cup powdered sugar

Whisk together the dry ingredients, stir in chopped cranberries and nuts.  Whisk together the orange zest, eggs, milk and melted butter.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stir until fully combined but don’t beat it or over-stir!  Fill greased muffin cups almost to the top. 

Bake in 375 degree oven for 16 to 18 minutes, until they are golden.  Remove from oven, leave in pan for 5 minutes.  Stir glaze ingredients together, adding powdered sugar and orange juice to get the desired thickness.  Dip the tops of the warm muffins into the glaze.

Using this handy pampered chef chopper makes the cranberrry and pecan chopping simple.

Zesting the orange!

Dipping the tops in orange glaze

Several years ago I found this recipe in a King Arthur Flour ad.  Because I believe in King Arthur Flour, I tried it and LOVED it!  It became my new favorite. They call them Cranberry Whole-Grain Muffins but I call them Cranberry Oat Muffins because the oats are such a defining characteristic of the muffin.  They have a crispy, craggy crown and a hearty, dense crumb which I appreciate in a muffin.  I love the wholesome complexity of them.

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The Cranberry Orange Salad is my favorite cranberry dish for Thanksgiving.  It is a congealed salad that my mom invented by merging a couple of other recipes.  It is chock full of fruit and texture and is both tart and sweet.  It goes great with all the creamy, rich, savory foods of the season.

Cranberry Orange Salad

1 (1 pound) bag of fresh cranberries

1 orange

1 cup sugar

3 3oz. boxes of jello (one each of lemon, raspberry (or cranberry) & orange)

20 oz. can crushed pineapple

Grind 1 bag of fresh cranberries and a whole orange (with rind) in the food processor.

Pour 1 cup sugar over and let soak for 1 hour.

Add 3 jello packages to  2 cups hot water.

Drain the juice from the crushed pineapple. Add water to the juice to equal 1 cup of liquid.
Add crushed pineapple.

Stir together all ingredients until combined well.  Pour into dish and refrigerate for several hours until set.

Great to make ahead!