Cranberry Pineapple Freeze

 

Cranberries may be a classic holiday ingredient, but they rarely get the spotlight they truly deserve. This charming frozen cranberry salad changes all of that. Lightly tart, delicately sweet, and beautifully layered, it brings a refreshing contrast to the richness of winter meals while still feeling completely at home on a festive table.

 Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner, planning a Christmas buffet, or simply looking for a special make-ahead treat to serve during the holiday season, this frosty salad delivers elegance with remarkable ease. It’s one of those nostalgic recipes that feels both vintage and timeless—a dish that could have graced a mid-century holiday table just as easily as it dazzles today.

 What truly sets it apart is its texture: a dreamy combination of whipped cream, cream cheese, tart cranberry, juicy pineapple, and crunchy pecans—frozen into charming molds using something as simple as paper cups. It looks sophisticated, but the prep work is blissfully simple. Even better, you can make it up to a week ahead, so it’s ready and waiting when your guests arrive.

 Serve it as a festive side dish, a palate-cleansing intermezzo, or a light, refreshing dessert. However you choose to present it, this pretty little salad is sure to spark conversation—and requests for the recipe. 

Cranberry Pineapple Freeze

 1 14-oz. can jellied cranberry sauce

1 8.25-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

3 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 c. heavy cream

1 3-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/3 c. Duke’s mayonnaise

½ c. confectioners’ sugar

1 c. chopped pecans

Leaf lettuce, for serving 

Light cream and mint, for garnish

 Place the cranberry sauce in a medium bowl and break it up with a fork. Stir in the pineapple and lemon juice until well blended; set aside.

Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Add the cream cheese, mayonnaise, confectioners’ sugar, and chopped pecans, mixing until smooth and creamy.

 Using eight 5-oz. paper cups, alternate layers of the cranberry mixture and the cream mixture, beginning with cranberry. Arrange the filled cups in a 9” × 9” pan and freeze until firm.

 When ready to serve, place a fresh leaf of lettuce on each plate. Peel the paper from the frozen salads, invert one onto each leaf, and press lightly into place. Garnish with a spritz of light cream and a sprig of mint. Allow to stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

 This frosty holiday salad is the perfect touch of festive cheer—a seasonal classic that brings color, flavor, and old-fashioned charm to any winter celebration.

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Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

 

Here we are in November, and I’m still stuck somewhere back in September. I cannot believe how frighteningly fast the time flies.Year after year, I vow to simplify Thanksgiving, but I never quite manage it. This year, I decided that I’m going to simplify  the most stressful part of my repertoire: the gravy. When the turkey emerges from the oven, reducing juices, stirring seasonings, and making a roux sends me into a panic—resulting in clumpy gravy that needs straining and cools too quickly while I hunt for a strainer.

This year, I found a make-ahead recipe and tweaked it to perfection. Preparing it in advance lets me work relaxed, taste and season perfectly, then freeze it until the night before. On serving day, a quick stovetop simmer is all it takes.

If you're serving turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas (or any other time of the year for that matter, because there is no hard and fast rule that turkey can only be consumed on these two holidays), try this—you'll never make gravy another way.

 Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy

 6 turkey wings

2 medium onions, peeled and quartered

¾ c. flour

2 qts. chicken broth, divided

¾ c. chopped carrots

½ c. chopped celery

½ t. dried thyme

Pinch of rubbed sage

Pinch of poultry seasoning

Salt, to taste

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ c. heavy cream

 Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange turkey wings in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Scatter onions over the top. Roast for 1¼ hours or until browned.

Transfer browned wings and onions to a 5-quart stockpot. Place roasting pan over medium heat; sprinkle flour over the surface. Whisk continually until a roux forms. Add 1–2 cups broth and whisk, scraping up browned bits. Pour into stockpot.

 Stir in remaining broth, carrots, celery, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 1½ hours.

 Remove wings to a cutting board; cool. Pull off skin and meat (discard skin; reserve meat for another use). Strain stockpot contents through a large strainer into a 3-quart saucepan. Press vegetables to extract liquid; discard solids.

 Bring to a gentle boil. Stir in the cream; season to taste if needed. Serve immediately, or cool and refrigerate/freeze in containers. 

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Spinach Casserole with Four Cheeses

 

If you’re looking for something different to serve for Thanksgiving, or for a holiday brunch, this easy, make-ahead casserole just might be the answer. It’s certainly more nutritious than popular favorites like green bean casserole or corn pudding, but despite the high nutritional value it’s not lacking in flavor. My guess is that if you make it once, it will soon become a family favorite. If you have a hard time moving away from the French fried onions, those bits of crispy deliciousness found atop green bean casserole, you can sprinkle some on top of this one before baking.Spinach Casserole with Four Cheeses

 3 large eggs, beaten

1 16-oz. container small curd cottage cheese

1 16-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 4-oz. container crumbled feta

½ c. shredded cheddar

½ c. shredded Parmesan

1 Melissa’s shallot, minced

¼ c. melted butter

⅛ tsp. garlic powder

⅛ t. freshly grated nutmeg

Freshly ground black pepper

Lemon wedges, if desired

 Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 1½-qt. casserole dish with PAM; set aside.

Place all ingredients into a large bowl, and mix with a wooden spoon until combined; transfer to prepared baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until the center is nearly set. If desired, sprinkle additional grated cheese on top during the last few minutes of baking, and bake until cheese has melted.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges. The freshly squeezed juice really brightens this dish.

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Sugarplum Fairy Salad

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A word of clarification, there are neither sugarplums nor fairies in this salad, but come on, look how cute it is! All fluffy and pink. Doesn’t that make you think of sugarplum fairies? It does me. No matter, it is delicious, and will be welcomed by your family. It can be made ahead (hooray for that), and works as well for Thanksgiving (Call it Cranberry Fluff Salad) as it does at Christmas.

Sugarplum Fairy Salad

3 c. miniature marshmallows
2 c. ground cranberries*
¾ c. white sugar
2 c. diced Granny Smith apple
½ c. Melissa’s Christmas Crunch Grapes, halved

½ c. chopped walnuts
¼ t. salt
Pinch of cinnamon
1 8-oz. container Cool Whip (or ½ c. heavy whipping cream, whipped)

Mix marshmallows, cranberries, and sugar together in a large saucepan over low heat.

Cook, stirring constantly until marshmallows melt, about 10 minutes.

Transfer to a heat safe bowl (I use Duralex), and let cool on the counter for 10 minutes before covering and putting in the refrigerator for four hours (or overnight).

Stir in apples, grapes, walnuts, salt, and cinnamon, mixing well.

Beat whipping cream in a chilled bowl using an electric mixer until stiff peaks form; fold into the marshmallow mixture. If you have chosen to use Cool Whip, you can just fold it in.

Garnish with a fresh cranberry and pair of lemon leaves.

*I pulsed mine in a food processor.

Dressing for Turkey or Chicken

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 This past Thanksgiving, the dressing was particularly good, if I do say so myself. The guests remarked favorably as well, my daughter-in-law eagerly asking after the recipe. I had to think about that. I told her that, basically, it was very simple. I took one package of Bob Evans spicy pork sausage minus a slice from which I made a sausage biscuit that morning. Then, I diced up the ribs of celery that I had left that weren’t limp, a very large, almost mutant, shallot, more parsley than I thought I would need, a half a bag of Pepperidge Farm stuffing that I found in the freezer, and then for good measure, two small pieces of bread slightly toasted. “That,” my son said, “is a blog post.” It certainly is. I managed to jot it down in a workable form so that I could share it, but trust me when I tell you, this recipe is very flexible.

Dressing for Turkey or Chicken

1 16-oz. pkg. Bob Evan’s Hot Pork Sausage*, with a ½” slice removed for making yourself a sausage biscuit
2 Melissa’s shallots, finely chopped
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ t. salt
¼ t. poultry seasoning
¾ -1 14-oz. pkg. Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing**
6 T. melted butter
1 cup chicken or turkey stock

Cook sausage until done (breaking it up into tiny bits all the while), but not brown; drain. Place sausage into a large bowl. Add shallots, celery, parsley, salt, seasoning, and stuffing mix; toss to coat. Stir in melted butter and stock. Stuff turkey or chicken and bake as directed. This can also be baked, covered with foil, in a casserole dish at 375°F for 25-30 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of baking, remove foil to allow the top to crisp up and brown. Drizzle with a bit of Turkey Gravy, and serve.

* Use original if you don’t like spicy.

** Not the cubed variety.

Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

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Year after year I tell myself that I am going to make Thanksgiving simpler, but I have yet to actually do that. This year, I did help myself out a bit by relieving myself of what is probably the most stressful item in my entire Thanksgiving repertoire...the gravy. When that turkey comes out of the oven, and I have to cook down those juices, and stir in seasonings, and make a roux, I totally freak out. Then I end up with gravy that’s clumpy, needs straining, and slowly cools off, all while I look a strainer. You get the picture.

This year, I decided to search for a make-ahead recipe, and this one, with my changes, is a winner. Making it in advance means it can be done so in a relaxed state, tasted, seasoned to perfection, and then frozen until it’s removed from the freezer the night before. On the day of serving, all it takes is a simmer on top of the stove, and it’s ready.

If you are serving turkey for Christmas this year, do give this recipe a try, once you have, you will never make turkey gravy any other way.

Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

6 turkey wings
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
¾ c. flour
2 quarts chicken broth, divided
¾ c. chopped carrots
½ c. chopped celery
½ t. dried thyme

Pinch of rubbed sage

Pinch of poultry seasoning
Salt, to taste
¼ t. freshly ground black pepper
½ c. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400° F. Arrange a single layer of turkey wings in a large roasting pan. Scatter onions over the top of the wings. Roast for 1¼ hours or until wings are browned.

Place browned wings and onions into a 5-quart stockpot. Place roasting pan over medium heat, and sprinkle flour over all. Whisk continually until a roux forms. Add 1-2 cups broth to roasting pan and continue to whisk, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour this mixture into the stockpot. Stir in remaining broth, carrots, celery, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, for 1½ hours.

Remove wings from the pot to a cutting board; set aside to cool. When the wings are cool, pull off the skin and meat. Discard the skin and save the meat for another use. Strain contents of stockpot through a large strainer into a 3-quart saucepan. Press on the vegetables to extract any remaining liquid; discard vegetables. Bring the contents of the pot to a gentle boil.

Stir in the cream, and season to taste, if necessary. Serve immediately or pour into containers and refrigerate or freeze.

Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon-Parsley Dressing

I’m sure that when I say the word cauliflower it doesn’t get you very excited. Honestly, I have been a cauliflower fan for as long as I can remember, so I don't quite get your lack of glee. Largely, I eat it raw in salads, or on a crudités tray with dip. Today, testing a number of side dishes for Thanksgiving, I roasted it and tossed with a lemon parsley sauce. Oh, my! It was so good that I ate it for lunch! I actually made yummy sounds while I was eating it. This is an easy, fool-proof, delicious dish that everyone is going to enjoy, whether they are a fan of this cruciferous vegetable or not.

Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon-Parsley Dressing

From epicurious.com

1 head Melissa's cauliflower, cut into florets

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

½  teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss cauliflower and 4 tablespoons oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden brown, 25–30 minutes.

Meanwhile, pulse parsley, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a food processor until very finely chopped; season with salt and pepper. Toss cauliflower with lemon-parsley mixture and top with lemon zest.

DO AHEAD: Lemon-parsley mixture can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Yep, it was that good.

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If you prefer your cauliflower in a smoother form, My Mother’s Cauliflower Soup is "soup"er good!

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This post is linked to:

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Smells Good Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Full Plate Thursday

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Zippy Sweet Corn Pudding

It is corn season here in the heartland and, trust me when I tell you, it is plentiful! Supermarkets are selling it five and six ears for a dollar. A price like that is hard to resist, so I don’t even try. My dad, who is scouting out bargains at all of the local markets in his neighborhood, will often call me to tell me where I can get the most amount of corn for the least amount of money.

As I looked at my vegetable crisper this morning, laden with fresh ears of corn, to such an extent that I thought I heard the scallions gasping, I decided I needed to do something with it. I started rummaging around for recipes and I came up with one for sweet corn pudding. Just the sound of this recipe got me thinking about autumn leaves, crisp, juicy apples, a crackling fire in the fireplace, and cooler weather! 

This recipe looked so easy that I had to make it. While I was eating it, wishing for a larger spoon, I was thinking that even though it is way too early to start planning Thanksgiving dinner, this would be a perfect addition. There is absolutely nothing to it; everything gets thrown into the food processor and poured into a baking dish. It can then be refrigerated until you’re ready to bake. My friend, Linda, and says that my Smothered Green Beans are the best vegetable dish that she has ever tasted. Well, Linda, wait until you taste this! This is going to be a crowd pleaser, I guarantee, so you may want to make a bigger portion. Now, I think I may just need to stock up on some more of that fresh corn.

It’s not pretty, but it sure is good!

Zippy Sweet Corn Pudding

Slightly adapted from epicurious.com

4 cups fresh corn kernels

4 large eggs

1 Melissa’s pickled jalapeño, halved and seeded

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish, or similarly sized casserole dish. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until almost smooth. Pour batter into prepared dish. Bake pudding until golden brown and center is just set, about 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; serve.

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Another crowd-pleasing corn recipe is this Mexican Street Corn off the Cob.

This post is linked to:

Celebrate Your Story

Inspire Me Tuesday

Reader Tip Tuesday

Tuesdays with a Twist

The Scoop

Dream, Create, Inspire

Wonderful Wednesday

Whimsical Wednesdays

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Slow Cooker Sweet Potato & Yam Soup

Many people tend to confuse yams with sweet potatoes. In truth, they are nothing alike, particularly when talking about Japanese yams. The Japanese yam, which is definitely something to be tried, is a red-skinned, white-fleshed potato. It is not sweet nor does it taste like a sweet potato, but is more to the nutty side, like a chestnut.

Pairing a Japanese yam with the sweet potato makes for an ambrosial combination. I did just that when I made this wonderful, hearty autumn soup. If you're looking to make an exotic, spicy, warming soup, this is it. The yams and sweet potatoes complement each other beautifully giving the soup a not-too-sweet, lightly nutty flavor that is going to put this far and above any other sweet potato soup that you've ever tried. The addition of a wide variety of spices makes this extra special. This is a highly seasoned and spicy soup. Feel free to cut back to suit your own tastes. You can certainly cut the amount of chili powder by half or by thirds if you don't want a soup that is quite as spicy. Personally, I loved the zestiness of the soup; it is a real fall eye-opener.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato & Yam Soup

1 1-lb. package Melissa’s Organic Baby Japanese Yams

1-lb. Melissa’s Jewel Sweet Potatoes

2 (16 ounce) cans coconut milk

1 onion, sliced

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

Pinch of cinnamon

Pinch of cloves

Stir sweet potatoes, yams, coconut milk, onion, basil, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and cloves together in a slow cooker.

Cook on High for 6 hours (or on Low for 8 hours). Using an immersion blender, blend soup. (I didn't blend mine until smooth because I wanted a chunky main dish soup.) If you lack an immersion blender, pour soup into a countertop blender no more than half-full. Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Puree in batches until smooth. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro.

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This post is linked to: Over the Moon, Dishing It & Digging It, Art of Homemaking, Amaze Me Monday, Busy Mondays, Inspiration Monday, Cooking & Crafting with J&J, Inspire Me Tuesday, Tuesdays At Our Home, Two Cup Tuesday, Full Plate Thursday, and Foodie Friday & Everything Else