Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

6 slices of thick pepper jack cheese

3 slices of American cheese

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese

½ cup chopped pecans

2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese

4 drops of liquid smoke

Assorted fruits; apples, oranges, pineapples, and grapes

Entertainment crackers

Instructions:

In a mixer cream the cream cheese. Once smooth begin to add pepper jack cheese and blend until well mixed.
Mix in the liquid smoke. (Be careful, to much liquid smoke will make your cheese ball bitter.)
Gradually add in the cheddar cheese then the American, blend until mixture becomes incorporated into a ball.
Turn cheese mixture out onto a flat wax paper covered surface. Form the cheese mixture into a ball. Wet your hands lightly to better handle the molding of the cheese ball.
On, another piece of wax paper sprinkle out all of the nuts. Then gently roll the cheese ball onto the nuts until all nuts adhere to the cheese ball.
On a display plate add cheese ball to the center and arrange fruit and crackers to your liking.

Dutch Oven Series: French Onion Pot Roast

Ingredients:

1 5 lb. chuck roast
6 small potatoes
2 carrots
4 ribs celery
2 small onions, quartered
3 cups water
1 envelope of French Onion Soup Mix
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic
2 sprigs of Marjoram
1 tbsp of butter
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp Kitchen Bouquet
Non stick cooking spray
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees.
Mix French Onion Mix and water together and then set aside.
Peel potatoes and place into a bowl of cold water then set aside.
Clean, peel and cut carrots, celery and onions then set aside in a large bowl.
Rinse roast.
Spray the inside of the Dutch oven with the non stick cooking spray. Then melt the butter in Dutch oven over medium high heat.
Once butter is melted add the roast. Brown the roast on top and bottom, season both sides with black pepper.
Once roast is browned remove from the Dutch oven and place on a clean plate.
Stir the flour into the roast’s drippings until drippings form into pea size balls.
Then stir in onion soup mixture. Continuously stir until drippings dissolve.Stir in remaining seasonings.
Return the roast back into the Dutch oven, and then add all vegetables except for the potatoes. Submerge vegetables and meat in the sauce.
Cover the Dutch oven then place into your oven and cook for 1 hour 45 minutes; periodically checking for liquid levels, roast and vegetable tenderness. Drain water from potatoes and add into the Dutch oven around the roast where the sauce is highest.
Continue to cook roast until it is fork tender.

***If you don’t have a Dutch oven you can use a heavy roasting pan with a lid. If you don’t have a roaster you can use a heavy pan that can go into the oven and top with aluminum foil to keep in moisture. ***

Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients:

3 large sweet potatoes or
(3 cups mashed sweet potatoes)

1 stick butter

2 eggs

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

2 9-inch pie shells

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pressure Cooker
Peel and slice potatoes into large chunks.
Place potatoes into the pressure cooker and add enough water to cover potatoes.
Place the lid on your pressure cooker and cook potatoes for 5 minutes.
After the 5 minutes is up remove cooker from the heat then run cold water onto the top of cooker.
Remove the lid and smash the potatoes with a heavy wire whisk.

Stove Top:
Add potatoes into a large pot of water and boil until tender or until an inserted fork slides in and out of potatoes easily.
Once potatoes are tender cool then peel and smash with a heavy wire whisk.

Pie Filling:
In a mixer cream butter and sugar together. Mix in the eggs.
Then add mashed sweet potatoes and mix well.
Stir in milk, vanilla and salt and thoroughly mix all ingredients.
Once all ingredients are mixed pour pie filling evenly into both pie shells.
Place into the oven and bake pies for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Notes: If using canned sweet potatoes, do not use ones canned in syrup. When using a commercially frozen pie shells, use a 9-inch deep dish shell.

Thanksgiving Turkey

Ingredients:

18 lbs. Turkey

3 sprigs of thyme

3 sprigs of sage

3 sprigs of rosemary

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tsp cayenne

1 tbsp tarragon

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp Rotisserie Style Seasoning *Lawry's

1/2 red onions, coarsely chopped

2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped

1 carrot, coarsely chopped

1 stick of butter

turkey baser

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Melt butter and stir in black pepper, cayenne pepper, tarragon, onion, garlic, and Rotisserie seasoning making a paste, and then set aside.

Rinse and clean turkey and remove neck and giblets.

Rub paste all over top and bottom of turkey.

Place turkey into roasting pan then into the preheated oven.

Base the entire turkey on every hour with turkey drippings.

Cook turkey until it reaches an internal temperate of 170 to 175 degrees then remove from the oven and let rest for 20 to 25 minutes.

Cook turkey at least for 4 and half hours. Note: if you stuff your turkey with dressing it will take longer to cook.

Brownies

Ingredients:

½ cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup all – purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder
Icing

3 tbsp butter, softened
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Instructions:

Brownies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
In a large saucepan, melt ½ cup butter. Remove the butter from heat and let it cool slightly so you won’t cook your eggs. Then stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, ½ cup flour, salt and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.

Icing

Combine 3 tbsp butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar.
Frost the brownies while they are still warm.

*Credit to Angie of allrecipes.com