I'm dreaming of Thanksgiving Dinner...

So I'm going to be a supermom this Thanksgiving and we will be going to both sides of our families on Thursday, so I can make everyone happy. Our crazy, hectic day will start very early and put on a small ham (some of the family can't eat pork but the others like it, so we do both). Thankfully my mom and mother-in-law both let me get away with just bringing a side dish and my hubby's famous apple pie. I just wanted to share with you what I'm making this year and would love to hear what you will be bringing too...

Broccoli & Cheesy Rice Casserole

Ingredirents

• 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1 bag (16 ounces) frozen broccoli florets or cuts (whichever is on sale), thawed
• 1 cup shredded Velveeta cheese (4 ounces)
• 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs (this time I will be using some crackers that I need to use up)
• 2 teaspoon butter, melted
• 2 cups cooked white rice

Directions

Stir the soup, milk, mustard, broccoli, cooked rice, and cheese in a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish.Stir the bread crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the broccoli mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbling.

*********************************************

 Paul Dean’s Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

• 1/3 stick butter
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 cups sliced green beans
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings
• Pinch House Seasoning, recipe follows*
• 1 cup grated Cheddar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Sauté the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and House Seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.

*House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

¼ cup black pepper

¼ cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

 

*********************************************

Alton Brown’s Super Apple Pie

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 6 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 ounces vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 5 to 7 tablespoons applejack
• 12 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 2 3/4 cups, plus extra for dusting
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For the filling:

• 3 to 3 1/2 pounds apples, mixture of Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn and Golden Delicious, about 6 large apples
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• 3 tablespoons tapioca flour
• 2 tablespoons apple jelly
• 1 tablespoon apple cider
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise

Directions

For the crust:

Place the butter, shortening and applejack into the refrigerator for 1 hour.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar by pulsing 3 to 4 times. Add the butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until the texture looks mealy. Add the shortening and pulse another 3 to 4 times until incorporated.
Remove the lid of the food processor and sprinkle in 5 tablespoons of the applejack. Replace the lid and pulse 5 times. Add more applejack as needed, and pulse again until the mixture holds together when squeezed. Weigh the dough and divide in half. Shape each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

For the filling:

Peel and core the apples. Slice into 1/2-inch thick wedges. Toss all of the apples with 1/4 cup of the sugar, place in a colander set over a large bowl and allow to drain for 1 1/2 hours.
Transfer the drained liquid to a small saucepan, place over medium heat and reduce to 2 tablespoons. Set aside to cool. Toss the apples with the remaining sugar, tapioca flour, jelly, cider, lime juice, salt and grains of paradise.

For assembling and baking the pie:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator. Place the dough onto a lightly floured piece of waxed paper. Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and roll out into a 12-inch circle. Place into a 9 1/2 to 10-inch tart pan that is 2-inches deep. Gently press the dough into the sides of the pan, crimping and trimming the edges as necessary. Set a pie bird in the center of the bottom of the pan.
Place the apples into the unbaked pie shell in concentric circles starting around the edges, working towards the center and forming a slight mound in the center of the pie. Pour over any liquid that remains in the bowl. Roll out the second pie dough as the first. Place this dough over the apples, pressing the pie bird through the top crust. Press together the edges of the dough around the rim of the pie. Brush the top crust with the reduced juice everywhere except around the edge of pie. Trim any excess dough. Place the pie on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake on the floor** of the oven for 30 minutes. Transfer to the lower rack of the oven and continue to bake another 20 minutes or until the apples are cooked through but not mushy. Remove to a rack and cool a minimum of 4 hours or until almost room temperature.
**If you're using an electric oven with coils on the bottom of the oven, place the pie on the sheet pan on the lowest rack over the coils, NOT directly on top of them.

(I do have to say that this year we will be using store bought pie crusts, we like Pillsbury Pie Crusts, to save us time and our sanity!)