Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

 Original recipe found here

Sweet Potatoes

• 3 1/2 - 4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping

• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons butter unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Fill a large pot with sweet potato pieces and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until fork tender. Drain potatoes and place back into pot. Mash potatoes with a potato masher or blend with an electric mixer, until mostly smooth. Add remaining ingredients (except topping ingredients). Mix until combined.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8”x10” casserole dish (8x8 or 9x9 works too).
3. Spoon sweet potatoes into casserole dish and smooth out. Sprinkle top of sweet potatoes with marshmallows.
4. Melt butter in a medium microwave safe bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Mix with a fork. Sprinkle over top of casserole.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until streusel is crisp and marshmallows are golden brown.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Croissant Bread Pudding w/ Pecan Toffee Sauce

Original recipe found here 

Bread Pudding:

6 jumbo croissants (8 large, or 12 small)

3 cups heavy cream

6 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

Pecan Toffee Sauce:

3/4 cup brown sugar, tightly packed

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup toasted pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350F. 
2. For the bread pudding:
3. In a large bowl mix together the egg yolks and sugar.
4. Then whisk in the heavy cream and whisk until fully incorporated.
5. Tear croissants into pieces and place half of the croissants into a 9x13 baking dish that has been sprayed with baking spray.
6. Pour half the custard over the bread pieces in the pan.
7. Press down the bread pieces with your hands until the bread is soaked with the custard. 
8. Add the remaining croissant bread pieces, and the remaining custard mixture. 
9. Bake the bread pudding for 45-55 minutes until golden on top.
10. Cool for 10 minutes and serve warm. While it cools, make the pecan sauce.

For the pecan toffee sauce:

1. Stir brown sugar and butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes.
2. Add cream and almond extract and bring to a simmer.
3. Simmer for about 5 minutes and then add pecans.
4. Serve on top of bread pudding.

Mom's Crescent Rolls

5-6 c. flour

2 TBS yeast

1/3 c. sugar

2 1/2 tsp salt

1/3 c. melted butter or oil

2/3 c. powdered milk

1 egg

2 c. warm water

Directions:

1) Mix ingredients by hand or with wooden spoon

2) Let dough rise in warm oven after turning off heat.

3) Punch down dough, then rest.

4) Divide dough into 3 equal portions

5) Roll each portion into a circle.

6) Spread with melted butter.

7) Cut into triangles

8) Roll up each triangle

9) Bake at 350 for 15 mins

Cheesy Garlic and Chive Potatoes

*from Our Best Bites: Savoring the Seasons cookbook*

Single Recipe for 8x8" pan:
2 pounds baking potatoes (russets)
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup freshly chopped chives OR 2 TBSP dried chives
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP grated onion
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 1/4 cup grated swiss or Gruyere cheese, divided

Doubled for 9x13" pan:
4 pounds baking potatoes
3 cups sour cream
1/2 cup freshly chopped chives OR 1/4 cup dried chives
6 cloves garlic, minced (1 TBSP)
1/4 cup grated onion
1 TBSP kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, divided
2 1/2 cups grated swiss or Gruyere cheese, divided

1) Cook potatoes a day ahead. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash potatoes, with skins on, under cold water. Pat dry, Pierce each potato a few times with a knife and then place directly on the oven rack. Bake about 1 hour or until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a knife all the way through. Remove from oven and cool completely. Cover potatoes with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.

2) NEXT DAY: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a large hole box grater, grate potatoes with skins on. Some of  the skin will naturally peel off and you can discard it. Combine sour cream, chives, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add grated potatoes and gently toss to combine. Add 1 cup of Cheddar Cheese (or 2 cups, if doubling), and 1 cup of Swiss/Gruyere cheese (or 2 cups, if doubling) and fold in to combine.

3) Spray 8x8 (or 9x13) pan, and place mixture in the greased pan. Sprinkle leftover cheeses on top. Bake 30-40 minutes, until hot and bubbly and lightly browned around the edges. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip--Our Best Bites

7oz jar roasted red peppers (about 1C diced)
4 C grated pepper jack cheese(3/4 lb)
8oz cream cheese (I use low-fat) 
3/4 C mayonnaise
2 T minced onion 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
1 T Dijon mustard
1 cup of frozen or canned corn (optional)

1) Preheat oven to 350. Remove peppers from jar and blot excess water with paper towels. You want to make sure they are dry so they don’t add moisture to the dip. Then dice ‘em up.

2) In a bowl, soften cream cheese in microwave so it will be easier to stir. Add in mayo, onion, garlic, and dijon. Stir to combine and then add in grated cheese, diced peppers, and corn (if using). Place in an 8×8-ish dish (pie plate works). At this point you can pop it in the fridge if you’re going to cook it later and you can even make it a couple of days ahead of time. Place in the oven and cook for 30-45 minutes. Baking time depends on the dish. It will start to bubble and brown on the outside edge, and you want it to be bubbly all the way through to the center. It will be nice and golden brown on top, especially around the edges. Mine usually takes 40-45 minutes.

Pecan Pie V--allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy, and stir in melted butter. Stir in the brown sugar, white sugar and the flour; mix well. Last add the milk, vanilla and nuts.
3. Pour into an unbaked 9-in pie shell. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until done.

Great Pumpkin Dessert--allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and spice. Mix well, and pour into a 9x13 inch pan.
3. Sprinkle dry cake mix over the top, then drizzle with melted butter. Top with walnuts.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies--allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
2. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.
3. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

Best Toffee EVER-allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup finely chopped almonds

Directions

1. In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a dark amber color, and the temperature has reached 285 degrees F (137 degrees C). Stir occasionally.
2. While the toffee is cooking, cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
3. As soon as the toffee reaches the proper temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top, and let it set for a minute or two to soften. Spread the chocolate into a thin even layer once it is melted. Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, and press in slightly. Putting a plastic bag over your hand will minimize the mess.
4. Place the toffee in the refrigerator to chill until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.

Sausage Cornbread Stuffing--Our Best Bites

9×13″ pan of cornbread (can be made a couple days ahead of time to dry out, but not necessary)
16-19 ounces sweet Italian sausage
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
3/4 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. melted salted butter
Sage (2 teaspoons rubbed sage or 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage)
Rosemary (1/2 teaspoon dry or  1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary leaves)
Thyme (1/2 teaspoon dry or 1 teaspoon thyme leaves stripped from the woody stems)
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more if necessary)
Tabasco sauce to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Crumble the pan of cornbread into a  very large bowl. Set aside.

Crumble the Italian sausage into a hot skillet and brown it over medium heat. Transfer the crumbled sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

If there are 2 tablespoons of rendered sausage drippings in the pan, add the chopped celery, apples, and onions. If not, add enough olive oil to have around 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan and add the chopped ingredients when the oil is hot. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent and fragrant. Remove from heat and add to the crumbled cornbread. Add the sausage and chopped herbs and toss until combined. Add the chicken broth and melted butter and toss to combine well. Season with salt and Tabasco to taste.

Press the cornbread mixture into a 9×13″ pan and bake for 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven or until the top is golden brown. Serves about 12.

Sweet Potato Casserole

4-6 cups mashed sweet potatoes (boil in water until soft, then mash)
3/4 cup white sugar
2 beaten eggs
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup coconut (optional)

Topping
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup flour

1) Mix the first 6 ingredients well.
2) Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
3) Mix together topping ingredients. Sprinkle over top of the sweet potato mixture.
4) Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.

BLT Dip

16 oz. Sour Cream (regular or light)
16 oz. mayo
15-20 grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
1 cup cooked crisp bacon, broken into small pieces

1) Cut each tomato in half, and remove the seeds using a paring knife and running water. You don't have to be exact with this, just get out as many of the seeds as you can.
2) Dice the seeded tomatoes into small pieces (I cut each half into 4 or 6 pieces).
3) Mix all 4 ingredients together well, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours. The longer it sits in the fridge, the better mixed the flavors become.
4) Serve with crackers. We love using the Club Cracker minis.

Potato Hash

My family had this dish with most holiday dinners.

2 lb. bag frozen hash browns (cubes or shredded)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 cups sour cream

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Topping:

10 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup crushed corn flakes

1) Combine all ingredients EXCEPT the topping ingredients. Mix well.

2) Spread potato mixture in a greased 9x13 inch pan.

3) Spread cheddar cheese over top of the potato mixture. Melt butter, and combine with the corn flakes while chopping corn flakes into smaller pieces.

4) Sprinkle on top of the cheese.

5) Bake at 375 for 45 minutes- 1 hour.

Streusel Cake

1 1/2 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup shortening

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

2 TBSP melted butter

1) Preheat oven to 375. Grease 8x8 pan

2) Blend all ingredients and spread half the batter in pan.

3) Sprinkle half of the topping mix over batter already in pan.

4) Top with remaining batter, then sprinkle remaining topping mix on top of batter.

5) Bake 25-30 minutes

Chocolate Trifle

*Recipe from my friend, Sara*

1 batch of Kirsten's Brownies (previous post), baked and cooled

8 oz container frozen whipped topping thawed
3.9 oz package instant chocolate pudding mix

12 oz container frozen whipped topping thawed
1/2 Cup water

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

8 oz. bag Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits

-Cut cooled brownies into 1 inch squares (I make them cake like brownie)

-In large bowl combine pudding mix, water, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth. Fold in 8 oz whipped topping until no streaks remain

-Layer in trifle bowl: place 1/2 brownies on the bottom, the spread 1/2 of the pudding mixture on top of the brownies, and then 1/2 of the 12 oz whipped topping. Sprinkle 1 cup of the milk chocolate toffee bits on top of whipped topping. Repeat layers.

Refrigerate 8 hours before serving for chocolate mousse to set.

*I have used homemade whipped cream with this recipe and it's delicious, but makes it much more rich. The whipped topping seems to balance out the sweetness and richness of the dessert.

**Using the Hershey's Heath Milk Chocolate Toff Bits is cheaper than buying the Heath candy bars and it saves you time, but the candy bars work great, as well. It takes 3 King Size candy bars, crushed into small pieces.