Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

I know I’ve said this before, but when I cook a large meal I tend to run out of oven and/or stove burner space. I also don’t seem to have time for futzy-putzy dishes. I decided this last time around to try making mashed potatoes in a crockpot. This not only saved me time, it kept me from using a burner on the stove and they turned out amazing!These were fantastic mashed potatoes. Since they cook for such a long time with a ton of moisture they are amazingly soft and smushy when you go to mash them. I highly suggest using a potato masher or a hand mixer to mash these. It will save you a lot of time and energy when you probably don’t have much to spare.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:157]

Gluten Free Crockpot Apple and Sausage Stuffing

When you’re cooking a giant meal the last thing you need is to run out of space in the oven. I always run into this problem with a big meal so I decided to try and make as many things in the crockpot as I could the last time we had family over. We have two different sized crockpots and a large roaster so this is a viable option for us.Stuffing is a huge part of any family holiday celebration and since I was trying to make an entirely gluten free Christmas feast the stuffing had to be included. I had two loaves of Udi’s bread that had been sitting in my freezer for several months and I decided it was time to make use of them. I find Udi’s too dry to eat by itself so I was saving it for an occasion such as this.The other large alteration I made to this stuffing recipe was to cook it in a crockpot. Although this didn’t give the crispy crust some people love it did work well. If you’re really concerned about a crispy top you can always stick the finished product under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up right before you serve it.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:155]Source: Adapted from: Food Network Magazine, November 2015

Nana’s Pink Stuff

This recipe is a holiday tradition in my family. As long as I can remember this has been served at every single family holiday gathering. I have no idea where this recipe originated, Mom or an Aunt, any idea who introduced this recipe? I have to admit to you, I actually can’t stand this recipe. However, I’ve started making it for Alex’s family gatherings because it doesn’t feel like a holiday if this isn’t on the table.The nuts in the recipe are completely optional. My Mom makes it both ways when she brings it to a family gathering since one of my cousins doesn’t like it with the nuts. It is entirely up to you if you want to add them. I had maple candied pecans on hand so that’s what I used, you can use walnuts too if you like.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:145]

Happy Thanksgiving!

Are you looking for a last minute pie for your Thanksgiving celebration? Here are a few great ideas your guests will absolutely love!Maple Pecan PiePumpkin Brownie PieMaple Toasted Pecan PieApple Cranberry Crumble PieGerman Apple Pie 

Maple Pecan Pie

Alex needed a pie for a work event and I really wanted to make something he’d enjoy. He absolutely loves pecan pie so I decided this was the perfect thing for him to take to work. I actually forgot to take a photo of this pie before Alex took it to work, so the photo on this post is from Alex!I wanted to “spice up” a traditional pecan pie recipe. Since I’ve been so obsessed with the maple and pecan combination I decided this was a perfect way to make a regular pie a little more interesting. Everyone who tried this pie absolutely loved it. This is the perfect option for your holiday feast, your guests will be highly impressed.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:139]Source: Adapted from – Food Network Magazine, November 2015

Maple Toasted Pecan Crème Pie

I think at this point I can call myself an accomplished baker. I’ve posted over 200 recipes in the last year, and that’s only what I’ve made in the last year. However, this was one of the most difficult recipes I have ever made. The first time I made this recipe it turned into a pile of sticky goo so I had to make it a second time! I have no idea why since I followed the directions to the letter, but it just didn’t work the first time around. The second time it was fine but I still don’t know what I did differently.This was a SUPER yummy pie! I’m planning to revise the directions/ingredients in the future to make it more user friendly. However, if you’re feeling adventurous you might want to try this recipe. Make sure you have extra Maple syrup on hand in case you need to make this more than once.I used Trader Joe’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup for this recipe. It provides the finished product with a light, yet super maply flavor. It pairs perfectly with toasted pecans sprinkled throughout the pie and all over the top. The finishing touch is the fresh whipped cream, it is the perfect light compliment to the rest of the pie.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:138]Source: Adapted from – Food Network Magazine, November 2015

Cranberry Apple Crumble Pie

I don’t often make apple pie since it isn’t Alex’s favorite. But I decided since we were having guests over, and apples are in season, that I needed to try something new. This pie is the result! It is tart yet appley, and instead of a full crust on top you get a wonderful crumble!When I made this pie I used several different types of apples to give it a rounded taste. I used Granny Smith, Jonathan and JonaMac. I felt this combination would really bring a tart yet sweet taste when used together. I personally had frozen cranberries on hand, but fresh will work just as well.If you want more of a traditional apple pie flavor you can substitute apple pie spice for the spices called for in the recipe. Or you could add in additional cloves, nutmeg and cardamom. This will really compliment the apples in the pie and make this pie a little more traditional.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:137]

How To: Blind Bake a Pie Crust

With Thanksgiving fast approaching you may see pie recipes that call for “blind-baking” or “pre-baking” your pie crust. This is a very simple step that may be highly confusing to some cooks, especially if you don’t often bake pies.The first thing you need to realize is that blind-baking is VERY easy. You are simply prebaking the pie crust before you add the filling. This is most commonly called for when you have a cream filling or anything else that you don’t need to bake. Here are a few steps you can follow if you need to blind-bake your crust.First, you will want to use pie weights. This is key, in that if you don’t you will end up with a shrunken pie crust. If there is no filling inside the crust will slide down the sides while baking and you will end up with something that is unusable.If you don’t have pie weights on hand, you can simply use rice! I know, it’s a cool little hack that will save you a bunch of time searching for pie weights and money. You can reuse the rice over and over again since it never actually touches the pie. I keep mine in a ziplock bag after I use it and it has cooled. I just make sure to clearly label the bag so I don’t accidentally use this rice for cooking.You want to fill the pie crust as full as possible with rice. This will prevent any sliding of the crust what so ever. Make certain to put a piece of foil or baking parchment down first or else you will never get all the rice out of the crust.Bake your pie crust at the temp called for on the box or in the recipe. You typically will blind-bake a crust for 15 minutes with the pie weights, then remove the weights and bake for another 10 minutes. This will ensure your crust is crispy and cooked all the way through. Make certain it does not brown too much though as that can throw the taste of the finished pie off.Once you’ve cooled your crust you can add any type of filling you like to it. I hope this clears up some of the confusion you may have around holiday pie baking. (Keep an eye on the blog next week for this amazing Maple-Pecan Cream Pie recipe!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

May you thoroughly enjoy your family and friends today. Happy Thanksgiving!