Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner!

Recipe #3:  Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts, Mushrooms and Bacon 

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, plus more for baking dish
• 8 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 large onions, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 pound baby bella mushrooms, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (7.4-ounce) jars roasted peeled whole chestnuts, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 pound day-old ciabatta bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth, plus more if needed
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 15 by 10 by 2-inch glass baking dish.


Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a plate lined with a paper towel.


Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Saute until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes.


In a large bowl, add the sauteed vegetables, the chestnuts, Parmesan and bread. Add enough broth to the stuffing mixture to moisten. Add the cooked pancetta and eggs. Season the stuffing, to taste, with salt and pepper and add the parsley. Stir to completely combine all the ingredients.


Transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish. Bake until the stuffing is heated through and the top is golden brown, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/ciabatta-stuffing-with-chestnuts-mushrooms-and-pancetta-recipe/index.html

Recipe # 4: Perfect Roast Chicken

 Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
• 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
• 4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
• Olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

Old Family Recipe: Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

1 bag cranberries

3/4 cup sugar

21 whole cloves

3 cinnamon sticks

1 1/2 cups water

Directions

1.  Add water,  cloves, and cinnamon sticks into a dutch oven.  Bring to a boil

2.  Add cranberries.

3. Boil approximately 20 minutes, until all of the berries burst.

4.  Play hunt for the cloves.  The winner gets good luck for the rest of the year!