Green Bean Casserole with Three Mushrooms

This version of the classic green bean casserole from America’s Test Kitchen really jazzes it up and makes an incredibly flavorful dish. No cans of soup here, just fresh green beans with a lovely rich cream sauce and three kinds of mushrooms. The porcinis and creminis lend a nice woodsy flavor to the dish. If you can’t find creminis, they might be labeled “baby bella” or “baby portabella”

You can prepare parts of the dish ahead of time. I make the topping and cook the beans the night before and keep them in the frig, then just bring them to room temperature before baking the dish. The assembled casserole needs only 15 minutes in a 375° F oven to warm through and brown. For a small gathering, you can cut the recipe in half and use a 2 quart baking or gratin pan.

Equipment

food processor with blade attachment Read more

Pumpkin Pie

I’m catching up on my Thanksgiving food blogging. My original plan was to post the last three recipes on Thanksgiving day, but somehow the day got away from me in the midst of making dinner and taking care of the boys. So I will post them throughout today.

Some foods are an absolute requirement for Thanksgiving dinner, and for me that short list includes roast turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie; everything else is negotiable. Actually, I enjoy pumpkin pie anytime during the holiday season.

I grew up with the pumpkin pie recipe on the back of the pumpkin puree can, and I always enjoyed it. I like the dense texture better than “fluffy” pumpkin pies. This year I wanted to update the pie a bit, Read more

Cranberry, Apple, and Ginger Chutney

In our house, cranberry sauce is a must for a Thanksgiving turkey, and this recipe is very flavorful. The sweet apples provide a nice balance to the tart cranberries, and you can sense the overtones of the ginger but it doesn’t overwhelm. And making this couldn’t be easier, you just put all the ingredients in the pot and simmer for 30 minutes then let it get cold. I make this a day or two before and let it chill in the refrigerator.

Equipment

large pot Read more

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Green Chiles

My husband isn’t fond of sweet potatoes because they are, well, too sweet. I can certainly understand his sentiment given the many sweet potato dishes incorporating sugar or marshmallows and taking on a noxiously sweet flavor. I don’t like that kind of sweet potato dish, either, but due to my Southern heritage I enjoy and sometimes crave a baked sweet potato with a tiny bit of butter and a pinch of salt on top.

So you can understand how we were skeptical when my mother served us mashed sweet potatoes while visiting her last spring. We were sure that they would be too sweet, but we were pleasantly surprised Read more

« Previous Page