BAKED STUFFING CUPS

Thanksgiving is so close I can almost taste it. I don't think I am alone in saying this, but I look forward to eating stuffing even more than I look forward to eating turkey. I'm always looking for yummy new recipes, and here is one that is not only delicious but gives you a different way of serving stuffing for your holiday.

Brendan McCaskey created these delicious stuffing cups, and I had the pleasure of devouring them.  They were so moist! The opposite of what I would think, honestly. My tastebuds are proof that this method is just as good and prettier. I hope you enjoy.

Baked Stuffing Cups
by Brendan McCaskey

Yields 12 servings

Overall Time: 1 hour and 5 minutes

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

- 3 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped

- 6 stalks of celery, chopped

- 4 carrots, peeled and sliced into half moons

- 2 cups mushrooms, chopped

- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

- 1 tablespoon worcestershire

- 16oz loaf of country bread, cut into cubes

- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock (can substitute w/ vegetable stock)

- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

- 1 egg, lightly beaten

- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Method:

Preaheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat olive oil in large saute pan. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add celery and carrots and cook for another 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 4-5 minutes.  Add vinegar and worcestershire to pan. 

Remove from heat and transfer vegetable mixture to a large bowl with bread cubes. Add chicken stock, parsley, and egg. Mix everything together. Season with salt and pepper.

Place parchment squares into a standard muffin tin cups tray (12). Fill each parchment cup with a heaping mound of stuffing.  Place in the oven in the middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the tops of cups are crisp and golden brown.

Remove from oven, and set aside to slightly cool for 2-3 minutes. 

Serve cups on cooling rack or tray.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer

TRI-COLORED SCALLOPED POTATOES

Potatoes cooked in any shape or form are always a "yes" in my home. Scalloped potatoes is a dish I grew up with, and when I have a bit more I like to make them instead of mashed potatoes. Often times you see scalloped potatoes made with golden Yukon potatoes, but I thought it would be really pretty to make this dish with purple potatoes and sweet potatoes. 

This is definitely a side-dish that is pretty enough to serve for dinner parties, and will always win people over with taste because it's comfort food. When you pour a cheesy cream sauce on top how can you not win? Am i right? haha!  In fact, I may just make this dish for Thanksgiving instead of mashed potatoes. Although I anticipate the traditionalists in the family may need the gravy and mashed potatoes too. 

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Tri-Color Scalloped Potatoes
by Brendan McCaskey

Yields 6 servings

Overall Time: 1 hour & 30 minutes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour & 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Potatoes:

- 3 yellow potatoes, peeled & sliced 1/4" thick

- 3 sweet potatoes, peeled & sliced 1/4" thick

- 3 purple potatoes, peeled & sliced 1/4" thick

- 3 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cream Sauce:

- 3 tablespoons butter

- 3 tablespoons flour

- 1 1/2 cups milk

- 1 teaspoon salt

- pinch of cayenne pepper

- 1 1/2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese, separated

- 1 cup bread crumb

- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
 

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss potato slices with olive oil, salt, & pepper in a large bowl. Spread evenly on two parchment lined baking sheets. Place in oven for 10-15 minutes, switching and rotating baking sheets half way through cooking time. Potatoes will be tender, and a fork should be able to go through easily. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Lower oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small sauce pan on medium to high heat, melt butter and add flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes creating a roux. Whisk in milk and lower heat to low to medium. Stir and cook sauce until it begins to thicken, and is smooth and boiling, about 8 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in salt, cayenne, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese.

Layer potato slices in a casserole dish on their side, alternating each color, in rows.  Carefully pour sauce over potatoes, and top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Toss bread crumbs in melted butter and sprinkle over the top of the potatoes.  Place in 375 degree F oven for 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly. Remove pan form oven and set aside to cool for 4-5 minutes. Serve family style from pan.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; Recipe by Brendan McCaskey

TAKE ME HOME

This post is sponsored by Gold Peak Tea.

When people ask me where I'm from I don't ever know how to answer them because I've lived in four different states (California, Wisconsin, Texas and Arizona). I usually just tell people I'm from all over. So, the word "home" is not so much a place as it is a feeling. Gold Peak Tea invited me to to share with you what feels like home to me as part of their Take Me Home Contest where one lucky winner will win a trip and a custom experience that takes them home (hurry, deadline ends September 1st, 2016).

To me, home feels like sunshine, warm breezes, snuggles with my kids, belly laughs, and sharing food and drink accompanied by good conversation with my friends and family. Home always feels comfortable, warm and easy. 

Holidays are often moments in time that we remember most because we are with family and friends. They can also feel stressful, which is the antithesis of what I want my home to feel like. So, easy entertaining is key. I wanted to share with you some "friends-giving" inspiration that's simple and easy and that showcases memories of my home growing up and my own home in Arizona.

Being an only child, our holidays were always spent with friends, especially when we lived in Texas. You could say we were doing "friends-giving" long before it was popular. Each year you could count on four things to be there: turkey, sweet potatoes, pecan pie and tea. Everyone always brought a dish instead of the host preparing the whole meal, but if you are going to do the whole thing here are some tips. 

Keep your place settings simple. White plates, classic linen napkins and a low key centerpiece. I simply placed a bundle of wheat in the middle of the table with some tea-lights. I also picked an accent color of coper to keep the palette warm and contrast with my blue rug. 

Make your dishes ahead of time. We did a turkey breast in the crock pot, stuffing in muffin tins (you can prep before), green beens lightly roasted (such a fast way to do it), potatoes scalloped instead of mashed (you can prep it before), pecan pies and galettes made in advance. 

There's nothing like eating a big meal and washing it down with some ice cold tea. Instead of having to brew it, you can count on Gold Peak Tea to give you the perfect, at-home taste. A lot of people like to add lemon or peaches to their tea. Instead, we add apple and citrus to the tea with cinnamon and star of anise to make it taste like fall. Stay tuned for the delicious recipe, and you can thank me later for giving you fall in a cup. 

Thanksgiving always started at dinner time in our house and went late into the night. The adults would sit at the table for hours talking and drinking, and us kids would go play and until it was time for dessert and eat second helpings of pie. 

That's what we do at our house. Foods change here and there, but I know our kids will have fond memories of this. Heck, even our dog loves the holidays. 

I'd love to hear what feels like home to you too! Please share in the comments below, and also be sure to enter the Gold Peak Tea contest too to win a trip home. The deadline for entries is September 1st, 2016. Stay tuned for some delicious recipes. 

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; Food by Brendan McCaskey, Styled by Alex Evjen, Copper cups designed by Katie Sterbenz