Pretzel-Topped Sweet Potatoes

So I really loathe this picture, but I just always feel the need to have a picture with the recipe regardless of how bad it looks...Anyway, don't let the picture fool you, this is such a delicious recipe! I love sweet and salty, which is why I love the combo of these sweet potatoes and pretzels. I didn't mash the potatoes I just put them in whole(after I drained them)and added the topping. Amazing!

* 2 cups chopped pretzel rods (about 13)
* 1 cup chopped pecans
* 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 cup butter, melted, divided
* 1 can (2-1/2 pounds) sweet potatoes, drained
* 1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

* In a large bowl, combine the pretzels, pecans, cranberries, brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter; set aside.
* In a large bowl, beat the sweet potatoes until smooth. Add the milk, sugar, vanilla and remaining butter; beat until well blended.
* Spoon into a greased shallow 2-qt. baking dish; sprinkle with pretzel mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are bubbly.

Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home

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Praline Sweet Potatoes

 

This week I tried a yummy new sweet  potato recipe. I was so happy that my kids love it too, seeing that I have such a hard time getting them to eat vegetables, especially my son. My daughter had 2 helpings and my son ate his entire serving. Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamin A and they also provide a nice amount of vitamin C. I found this recipe on the back of the Princella sweet potato can. It was super easy.

Ingredients:

29 oz can of sweet potatoes in light syrup

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1/3 packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons flour(I used 5)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Heat oven to 350. Place drained potatoes in an ungreased 1 & 1/2 quart casserole dish. In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Blend well. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

 

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Turkey Alfredo

Now I am sure at this point you all must think that we only make the most fattening foods we can find. While I do love a good, full fat treat, the majority of my meals include fish and this year alone I have lost 76 lbs while enjoying all of these foods in moderation. It is my intention to start posting my fish recipes at the beginning of the year when everyone wants to get off the holiday weight. I made this tonight for my family, using light whipping cream. I will write all of my changes next to the recipe but I want to post the original for three reason- 1. not everyone is dieting, 2. this is a great, fast and easy treat to enjoy once in a while and 3. it will help you get rid of any leftover chicken or turkey. It truly is delicious and so much cheaper than a restaurant.

Chicken Fettuccine in Alfredo Sauce

courtesy of Kevin Larson

3/4 cup heavy cream or half and half (I used light whipping cream but try with milk)

3/4 cup butter (I used 1/2 stick which still gave it a buttery taste though maybe not as rich)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (I used 1/4 cup of the real stuff, grated from a block)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup white wine (optional)

pinch of Italian seasoning

pinch of garlic salt

1 1/2 lbs boneless cooked chicken cut into strips (I used left over white meat turkey, shredded)

Fettuccine or other preferred wide noodle (I used Whole Wheat spaghetti noodles)

In large deep skillet, pour 3/4 cup of heavy cream. Add butter. Warm slowly until butter melts. Turn up heat up it starts to simmer. Add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese and garlic. Simmer 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add Italian seasoning and garlic salt. Spoon off 1/4 cup of sauce, put into small bowl and add 1-2 TBL flour, mix until smooth and add back to pan. Continue cooking until thicker, add chicken, cover and simmer for 2-4 minutes longer. Serve over noodle of your choice.

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Caramel Pecan Bars

We have posted this recipe as a "tart" before, but I thought I would show how they turn out as a bar. I made these for Thanksgiving yesterday and they were a huge hit. This is such an easy recipe to make.  To me, these are even better than a traditional pecan pie. I have a pretty hard time keeping my hands off of them and was even eating them for breakfast last time I made them....and lunch...and dinner...sigh.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter, cubed(I prefer salted butter in this recipe)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup butter(I prefer salted)
3 tablespoons whipping cream
Preparation
1. Arrange pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes or until completely cool.

2. Pulse flour, powdered sugar, and 3/4 cup butter in a food processor 5 to 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pat mixture evenly on bottom and up sides of a lightly greased 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom.

3. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes or until completely cool.

4. Bring brown sugar, honey, 2/3 cup butter, and whipping cream to a boil in a 3-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in toasted pecans, and spoon hot filling into prepared crust.

5. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes or until completely cool.

Caramel-Pecan Bars: Prepare recipe as directed, pressing crumb mixture evenly on bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of a lightly greased heavy-duty aluminum foil-lined 13- x 9-inch pan. When completely cool, using the aluminum foil as handles, carefully lift the tart from the pan, and transfer to a serving tray. Cut into squares.

*recipe provided by www.findmyrecipe.com/Southern Living, NOVEMBER 2007

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Pumpkin Pie Parfait

I absolutely looove pumpkin pie. Especially  covered in cool whip! Well in honor of National Parfait Day, November 25th,  I made a pumpkin pie parfait. When I  found out that Parfait Day was coming up, my first thought was, parfaits aren't very fallish. When I think of a parfait I think of flavors like strawberry or raspberry. Something that would make a nice summertime treat. Well that doesn't really work for fall so off I went to find a parfait made with another fruit, pumpkin. I only tried one recipe and in my opinion it's perfect. The parfait tastes  like a bite of pumpkin pie smothered in cool whip. The gingersnaps give this recipe a delicious "crust". Another great thing about this recipe is that you can lighten it up by using sugar free pudding and light cool whip, making it a much healthier alternative to pumpkin pie.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cold milk(I used 2%)
  
• 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix(I used sugar free)
  
• 2 cups whipped topping
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup chopped pecans(I left the pecans out this time, although I do love pecans) (If I were to use them I would probably toast them first)
  
• 1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnaps
• additional whipped topping

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat milk and pudding mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Stir in THE whipped topping, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice; mix well. Fold in pecans.
2. Spoon half of the mixture into parfait glasses; top with half of the gingersnap crumbs. Repeat layers. Top with additional whipped topping. 

Original recipe courtesy of  Lorraine Dorocha

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Sweet Potato Cranberry Casserole

My favorite Thanksgiving side dish is sweet potatoes. My all time favorite sweet potato recipe is the one my mom use to make for Thanksgiving dinner. I believe it originally came out of one her old church cookbooks. This recipe uses canned sweet potatoes although I'm sure you can use fresh sweet potatoes if you sweeten them first.

Ingredients:

All of the amounts will vary depending on the size dish you want to serve

1-4  29oz size cans of sweet potatoes in syrup, drained (I used 1 can for a 1.5 quart casserole dish, but I have used as many as 4 when I'm using a deep baking pan.)
Fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained (about 3/4 cup for 1.5 quart dish)
1 jar of orange marmalade (about 1/2 cup for 1.5 quart dish)
1 bag of mini marshmallows (1/4 of bag for 1.5 quart dish)
Chopped pecans (1/2 cup for 1.5 quart dish)

Put the sweet potatoes in a greased dish/pan of your choice. I used a 1.5 quart casserole dish this time. It made enough for 3-4 people. Usually if I'm bringing this recipe to a Thanksgiving dinner I use a deep 9X13 pan. I also like using disposable foil pans, as the marshmallows get baked onto the sides of the pan. Sprinkle cranberries over the top then sprinkle the pecans over the top. Now, dot the casserole with orange marmalade. Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes. Pull casserole out, cover with marshmallows. Put back in the oven and bake until marshmallows are golden brown. You can also broil if you prefer, but KEEP AN EYE on the marshmallows, they brown VERY FAST this way. Pin It

Tangy Green Beans

Here is another recipe that my mom made for Thanksgiving Dinner. It has become a traditional recipe for our family. Bacon and Italian dressing really add a lot of flavor to these green beans. This is one of those recipes that doesn't really depend on exact ingredient measurements. You can make adjustments as desired.

Fresh green beans, rinsed with ends cut off (amount will depend on how many servings you wish to make)
1/2 onion
1/4 - 1/3 lb of bacon, cut into 1in. pieces
Italian Dressing (1/2 bottle to whole bottle)
2 T. Butter

Fry bacon in a medium to large size pot.  After a couple of minutes add the onion. Cook for a few more minutes until onions are tender. Bacon does not have to be completely cooked(mine was still tender). Add green beans. Fill pot with water, covering 3/4 of green beans. Add butter and dressing(amount of dressing depends on the amount of green beans) Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Pin It

Mom's Stuffing/Dressing

This is the stuffing recipe my mom has made for as long as I can remember. The smell and taste bring me lots of wonderful memories of  Thanksgiving. I have yet to try a stuffing that I like better. The original recipe comes from Betty Crocker, but my mom has made a few little changes to it. Tonight was the first time I have ever made it and it was very simple to make. We always make our stuffing outside of the bird, instead of in it. That is how I prefer it, but you could also use this recipe to stuff your Turkey.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups chopped celery with leaves
3/4 cups butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup chicken broth
9 cups of soft bread cut into little cubes(I used an inexpensive white loaf)
1 teas. salt
1/2 teas. ground sage(I used rubbed sage and it worked fine)
1/2 teas. thyme
1/4 teas. pepper

Melt the butter in a large stock pot. Add celery and saute until tender. Add spices and broth, stir. Add bread cubes and mix it all together. Once completely mixed pour into a  9X13 pan. Bake covered with foil at 375 for 30 minutes. Pin It

Sweet Potato Bake

I can't imagine having a Thanksgiving  or Christmas dinner without a sweet potato dish on the side. I have been making the same sweet potato dish for years(recipe to come soon). I love my stand by recipe, but I thought it would be fun to try out a new recipe. Who better to go to for Thanksgiving comfort food, then Paula Deen. One of the recipes I picked for this week's rotw was Paula Deen's Sweet Potato Bake. It was such a wonderful recipe! It is so sweet and delicious, it could almost substitute for a dessert. It looks like now I might be making two sweet potato recipes during the holidays!


Ingredients:

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes(I used 3 fresh, boiled them and then mashed them)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Mix together with fork; sprinkle over top of casserole.
Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients together except for cream. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add cream;mix well. Pour into greased casserole dish ( 1 1/2 quarts). Add topping. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.



Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen Pin It