Advertiser staff shares favorite holiday recipes
December 25, 2019
Granny’s Stuffing
Submitted by Shanna Harter
• 20 slices white bread, lightly toasted
• 1 bag Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing (blue bag)
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 lg. onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 C. chicken broth
• 1 ½ Tbsp. rubbed sage
• 2 ½ tsp. garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
Allow the toasted bread to sit approximately 24 hours, until completely hard.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Break the bread into pieces. Place the bread and stuffing mix in a large bowl.
Mix in the onion, celery, rubbed sage, garlic powder, salt and pepper and toss.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and celery and slowly cook until soft. Remove from heat and drain.
Mix the eggs and chicken broth into the bread. The mixture should be moist, but not mushy. Toss the mixture a bit so that the broth mixes with the bread. Use more chicken broth, if necessary, to attain desired consistency.
Press the mixture into the baking dish. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the top is brown and crisp. I usually cover with foil for 45 minutes then uncover the last 15 minutes.
Spinach, Mushroom & Feta Quiche
Submitted by Charlea Estes-Jones
“This is a family favorite for breakfast and can be made a day or two ahead of time.”
Serves: 6 Active time: 20 min. Total time: 1 hr. 10 min.
For the filling:
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 small onion, diced
•1 cup diced mushrooms (I used portabella)
•12 oz. fresh baby spinach (two bags), chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 cup feta cheese, divided
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 2 TBS dried)
• 4 TBS chopped fresh basil (or 1 TBS dried)
• 2 TBS chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
• 2 TBS chopped fresh sage (or 1 tsp dried)
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
Pie Crust:
• 1/2 cup butter, cold and cut into small pieces (approx., can use a little less)
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
•1 tsp sugar
• 3 TBS (more or less) cold milk
Preheat oven to 375°F. In a skillet, sauté onion in butter for three minutes over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook over medium or medium-low until tender, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, stir, and turn off heat, but leave on the burner. Add the spinach and put a lid on the skillet, allowing the steam to wilt it. After five minutes (or however long it takes you to make the crust), add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and all but 1/8 cup of the feta and stir to combine. It doesn’t have to fully melt.
In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, milk, and herbs. Spoon the spinach filling into the pie crust in a deep dish pie pan. If you don’t have a deep dish pie pan, spoon about ½ to ¾ the mixture into a regular pie crust and pour the remaining filling into another pie crust or in a greased baking dish. Pour the eggs over the filling to about ¼ inch from the top of the crust. (If you split the mixture, split egg mixture evenly, as well.)
Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes, or until set. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar and 1/8 cup feta and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Crust:
Either in a bowl or food processor with the blade attachment, add flour, butter, salt, and sugar. Cut in butter until in pea-sized or smaller pieces either by pulsing your food processor or using a pastry cutter or knives. Add milk 1 TBS at a time, pulsing until combined. Once the dough starts to hold together and ball up, don’t add any more milk, you do not want it slimy. Think that you just want enough milk to hold the butter and flour together. Press into a pie pan.
Note: This is a good crust for any pie. If it’s a sweet pie instead of savory, I add an additional teaspoon of sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla extract.
Chopped Apple Cake
Submitted by Renée Bear
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups oil
Mix together. Add:
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups flour
3 cups peeled and diced apples
1 cup nuts
Mix together. Batter will be very stiff. Pour in 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Vegetarian Black Bean Chili with Ancho and Orange
Submitted by Adriana Keeton
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• Kosher salt & pepper
• One 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• Three 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• Cilantro leaves, for garnish
• Greek yogurt, for serving
In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, chile powder, cumin, oregano and cayenne and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, black beans, honey, 1/2 teaspoon of the orange zest and 2 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until all the flavors meld and the liquid is slightly reduced, about 20 minutes. Stir in the orange juice and season with salt and pepper. Divide the chili into bowls and garnish with cilantro leaves and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest. Serve with yogurt.
Granny’s Stuffing
Submitted by Shanna Harter
• 20 slices white bread, lightly toasted
• 1 bag Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing (blue bag)
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 lg. onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 C. chicken broth
• 1 ½ Tbsp. rubbed sage
• 2 ½ tsp. garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
Allow the toasted bread to sit approximately 24 hours, until completely hard.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Break the bread into pieces. Place the bread and stuffing mix in a large bowl.
Mix in the onion, celery, rubbed sage, garlic powder, salt and pepper and toss.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and celery and slowly cook until soft. Remove from heat and drain.
Mix the eggs and chicken broth into the bread. The mixture should be moist, but not mushy. Toss the mixture a bit so that the broth mixes with the bread. Use more chicken broth, if necessary, to attain desired consistency.
Press the mixture into the baking dish. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the top is brown and crisp. I usually cover with foil for 45 minutes then uncover the last 15 minutes.
Spinach, Mushroom & Feta Quiche
Submitted by Charlea Estes-Jones
“This is a family favorite for breakfast and can be made a day or two ahead of time.”
Serves: 6 Active time: 20 min. Total time: 1 hr. 10 min.
For the filling:
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 small onion, diced
•1 cup diced mushrooms (I used portabella)
•12 oz. fresh baby spinach (two bags), chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 cup feta cheese, divided
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 2 TBS dried)
• 4 TBS chopped fresh basil (or 1 TBS dried)
• 2 TBS chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
• 2 TBS chopped fresh sage (or 1 tsp dried)
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
Pie Crust:
• 1/2 cup butter, cold and cut into small pieces (approx., can use a little less)
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
•1 tsp sugar
• 3 TBS (more or less) cold milk
Preheat oven to 375°F. In a skillet, sauté onion in butter for three minutes over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook over medium or medium-low until tender, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, stir, and turn off heat, but leave on the burner. Add the spinach and put a lid on the skillet, allowing the steam to wilt it. After five minutes (or however long it takes you to make the crust), add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and all but 1/8 cup of the feta and stir to combine. It doesn’t have to fully melt.
In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, milk, and herbs. Spoon the spinach filling into the pie crust in a deep dish pie pan. If you don’t have a deep dish pie pan, spoon about ½ to ¾ the mixture into a regular pie crust and pour the remaining filling into another pie crust or in a greased baking dish. Pour the eggs over the filling to about ¼ inch from the top of the crust. (If you split the mixture, split egg mixture evenly, as well.)
Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes, or until set. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar and 1/8 cup feta and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Crust:
Either in a bowl or food processor with the blade attachment, add flour, butter, salt, and sugar. Cut in butter until in pea-sized or smaller pieces either by pulsing your food processor or using a pastry cutter or knives. Add milk 1 TBS at a time, pulsing until combined. Once the dough starts to hold together and ball up, don’t add any more milk, you do not want it slimy. Think that you just want enough milk to hold the butter and flour together. Press into a pie pan.
Note: This is a good crust for any pie. If it’s a sweet pie instead of savory, I add an additional teaspoon of sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla extract.
Chopped Apple Cake
Submitted by Renée Bear
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups oil
Mix together. Add:
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups flour
3 cups peeled and diced apples
1 cup nuts
Mix together. Batter will be very stiff. Pour in 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Vegetarian Black Bean Chili with Ancho and Orange
Submitted by Adriana Keeton
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• Kosher salt & pepper
• One 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• Three 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• Cilantro leaves, for garnish
• Greek yogurt, for serving
In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, chile powder, cumin, oregano and cayenne and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, black beans, honey, 1/2 teaspoon of the orange zest and 2 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until all the flavors meld and the liquid is slightly reduced, about 20 minutes. Stir in the orange juice and season with salt and pepper. Divide the chili into bowls and garnish with cilantro leaves and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest. Serve with yogurt.
