Poached Egg over Stuffing and Kale Cups - Good Cook Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe #96

*Disclaimer - I am part of the Good Cook Blogger Program and received these products for review. All opinions and experiences are my own. 

This year my Mom came from Florida to visit over the holidays. Usually after Thanksgiving I take a few days off of cooking and we exist on straight-up leftovers for at least 2 days. With company though, I wanted to transform those leftovers into something slightly different. That is how this breakfast was born.

It reminds me a little of the toad in a whole that my Mom used to make for me as a kid. I combined kale from my Thanksgiving rubbed kale salad with my homemade stuffing that already has bits of pancetta in it. So, it totally has the whole bacon, egg and toast thing going on. As always, my hens supplied the eggs and this brunch beauty came together in a snap.

Any green will do, but I happened to need to use up this kale. It was dressed in olive oil and lemon juice, but that didn't hurt anything. I used 2 eggs to bind together my cups and a little grated Parmesan cheese for added flavor.

Give it all a good mix...

Then fill up the Good Cook Nonstick Muffin Pan, that holds 6 cups. This is the same muffin pan that I used for yesterday's Cranberry Orange Oat Muffins. I used this pan in particular because it created perfect little individual servings for us. Again, this pan cleaned up beautifully and the stuffing cups popped right out. You can find both these recipes here or find the whole 101 recipe list of fun on the Good Cook site. 

Right before serving I poached my eggs to top the stuffing cups with. It was a lovely and simple way to use up those leftovers.

Poached Eggs over Stuffing and Kale Cups

You Will Need:

• butter for greasing the pan
• 2 c. leftover stuffing
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 c. kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
• 1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese
• 6 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Use butter to grease the muffin pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the stuffing, eggs, kale and Parmesan cheese. Fill each muffin well with about 1/3 cup of the stuffing mixture. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, until the cups are set and golden brown.

While the cups are cooling, start a large pot of water to boil. Turn it down to low when it just begins to simmer. I like very small bubbles in the water, but very little movement. Crack each egg into a small ramekin before gently pouring into the water. Pour slowly so the egg white doesn't spread too much. Test the eggs by gently pushing on the yolks. Remove with a slotted spoon before the yolks are solid. Serve immediately over the stuffing cups.

Enjoy! 

Cranberry Orange Oat Muffins - Good Cook Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe #84

*Disclaimer - I am part of the Good Cook Blogger Program and received these products for review. All opinions and experiences are my own. 

Every year I make homemade cranberry sauce. We have a gorgeous abundance of cranberries grown here in Oregon... bet you didn't know that. Some are even grown and sold through the Ocean Spray cranberry growers. It is a local item we carry at the farm market. No, we don't grow them here on our farm, but they thrive well on the Oregon coast.

This year the fresh cranberries were especially lovely. Dry picked, they are lasting much longer than the floated alternative. We ate several straight after delivery and savored all the tart crunch each little berry packed.

With my Mom visiting from out of town, I actually made two batches of sauce. Good Cook challenged their bloggers to get creative with their leftovers, but I was up a creek if I didn't even have any leftovers to work with!

I was sent that lovely assortment of goodies before the holidays and knew I wanted to create an easy after-Thanksgiving muffin recipe. I mean, I am wiped out from turkey day and still have a house full of hungry people to please. I'm a people pleaser, people.

This recipe had to be a little healthy, not the average cake and fruit combo that gained Jim Gaffigan fame for his muffin/cake jokes. No, mine had to have whole wheat flour, oats, nuts and still let the tart gorgeous cranberries shine through.

Are you with me?

Now, I like to make my muffins pretty. Don't hate. I always save out a few extra cranberries, some walnuts and oats to decorate the tops. It doesn't take that much longer, but they sure do come out pretty.

This recipe was perfect to pair with a big mug of herbal tea.

Again, I created this recipe with the Good Cook Nonstick Muffin Pan, that holds 6 cups. I love how easily the pan washed up afterwards. My muffins baked evenly and the pan seems sturdy enough for all my muffin and cupcake needs.

Now, all the Good Cook bloggers are getting together to contribute their leftover best recipes. You can see the original article on Good Cook. Also be sure to browse the linky below the recipe for even more great leftover inspiration.

Cranberry Orange Oat Muffins

You Will Need:
1 c. flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. old fashioned oats
1 Tbsp. cake enhancer
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
1 1/2 c. cranberry sauce
3/4 c. whole milk
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 egg
1 c. walnuts, chopped
Whole cranberries, oats and walnuts reserved for topping the muffins *optional

Preheat the own to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with baking papers. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, mix together the vanilla bean paste, cranberry sauce, milk, oil and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just to combine. Fold in the nuts.

Fill each muffin paper just shy of the top. Mine were a little higher than 3/4 c. full. They won't rise too much. Bake for 20 - 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Ready to Talk Turkey? Join the Good Cook Twitter Party (11/25)

I am posting this as part of the Good Cook Blogger Program.  All opinions and experiences are my own.

Come join me, Good Cook, TheFrugalMom and other Good Cook Kitchen Experts! 

The Ultimate Thanksgiving Twitter Party 

Monday, November 25, 2013 at 6:00 pm to 7:00pm EST 

chat using the hashtag #Thanksgivingtips

Join in as we talk about everything Thanksgiving from turkey prep to decorating the table. Plus get a chance to win a special gift and one of three $200 Thanksgiving Baskets that will arrive in time for your dinner.

Be among the first 500 to RSVP by November 23, 2013 and receive a free set of Turkey Lifters 

Click here RSVP. 

You're Invited! Our Progressive Dinners Start Friday

I have to admit, I can hardly contain my excitement! Starting this Friday, the Progressive Dinners Series will bring you a full menu of holiday ideas from my kitchen as well as 4 other talented blogs. This is going to be a delicious Holiday Blog Hop Series with chances for you to win some great items from our generous sponsors.

Yes, this is where I have been for the past week or two. I have been cooking, baking, photographing and preparing for this fun series.

Joining in on the fun are Glenda Embree from Busy-At-Home, Arlene Mobley from Flour on My Face,  Nicole Cook from Daily Dish Recipes and Tonia Larson from The Gunny Sack. I can't wait to see what each of them will be bringing to our virtual holiday table each week. These ladies are talented and if you haven't checked out their blogs yet, be sure to give them a peek. If you aren't a fan yet, you will be by the end of this series.

Each Friday stop by my blog to see the full menu and find step-by-step photo tutorials for each dish in the series. It will run from October 25th through December 13th. We will be taking a break for the week of Thanksgiving, but in total will be bringing you 20 recipe tutorials, 10 holiday pot-luck or gift ideas, 7 reviews for products to make your holiday meal shine, and chances each week to win those products.

Glenda from Busy-At-Home created the gorgeous e-zine below with teaser pictures and the upcoming menus. Be sure to click on the graphic and see why you don't want to miss the upcoming weeks. 

Also be sure to follow our #Holiday Progressive Dinner Pinterest Board. It will be filling up with all our featured recipes.

Kikkoman Saved Our Last Minute Thanksgiving - Soy Sauce Brine #Recipe #JuicyBirdProject

You can imagine this Mom's last-minute panic as she realized her sick crew wasn't well enough to enjoy Thanksgiving with the family. With fevers and coughing galore, I quarantined us to the house, but didn't want the kids to miss out on a Thanksgiving celebration.

So, what to do?

With a fear of dry and tough birds, I decided to try a simple brine. Now, a brine is just water and salt...you can also add sugar and herbs as desired, but, in my kitchen I can do better than that. With a simple bottle of Kikkoman Soy Sauce, I am half way to a tasty and juicy bird for my table. Yes, the brine will do the work, I just have to let it do it's thing.

I opted for a chicken for our meal because my husband is not the biggest fan of turkey, and I just happened to have one on hand. Kikkoman has great recipes right on their site you can use, including this basic brine recipe. Be sure to check it out for a new twist for dinner.

I used a big stock pot that would accommodate my bird and the brine mixture. I will post the recipe at the end of this post.

We opted to cook our bird on the smoker since it would be easy and free up my oven for other holiday cooking. After sitting in the brine solution overnight the chicken was ready to cook We trussed up the bird, placed it in a foil container and placed the heat-proof thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. Then leaving my husband in charge of watching the temperature, we left it in the smoker.

The final product was amazing!! It took very little prep work and the bird was flavorful, juicy and perfectly cooked. My husband offered to do this again and I have a feeling the Kikkoman brine will be a new tradtion in our house.

Thanksgiving was saved and we had a beautiful bird to enjoy at our intimate family dinner for 4. Now we have those succulent leftovers to use in other creations. So many possibilities!

Have you ever brined a chicken or turkey? Have you used Kikkoman Soy Sauce in a brine?

Kikkoman Chicken Brine Recipe
adapted from the Kikkoman website

You Will Need:

• 1 gallon water
• 3/4 c. Kikkoman Soy Sauce
• 3/4 c. Kosher Salt
• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. sage, dried
• 1 Tbsp. celery seed, dried
• 1/2 Tbsp. thyme, dried
• 6 peppercorns
• 5-6 lbs chicken, thawed

I pulsed up the Kosher salt in the food processor so it would dissolve faster in my brine. This is optional.

Place all ingredients, except the bird, in a large container (large enough to accommodate the chicken and brine), stir until the salt is dissolved. Rinse off the chicken and remove any giblets or the neck. Place the chicken in the brine and soak for overnight or at least 4 hours, keep refrigerated.

Remove from brine and bake as you normally would. We chose to smoke our according to the direction with our Traeger Smoker. It took about 3 hours on the smoke setting to achieve the internal temperature of  165 degrees.

Enjoy!

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Connect with Kikkoman on Facebook for more great idea and promotions.

*Disclaimer - I participated in the Kikkoman Smiley360 Blogger Program and received Kikkoman products to facilitate my review and blog post. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Easy Orange Cranberry Sauce #Recipe

If you are not a fan of cranberry sauce, I would love to ask, why?

If you are like me, you were probably raised on the jelly-filled can that came with convenient ridges - for easy slicing. Kinda like a giant jiggler for turkey-day.

I always put a little on my plate. That was rule. Odd, rubbery texture with a tangy, sour fruit flavor. It seemed rather alien and contrived. It was always a mandatory fixture on the Thanksgiving table, though.

Now, as an adult I have a different view of my food. I like to see it in it's natural state. I have ditched the cans, the boxes and anything that calls for me to, "just add water and stir".  So, when I tried making cranberry sauce a few years back I was shocked. It is so simple and I even have a great, crowd-pleasing recipe to share with you. I cut back on the sugar, but depending on your berries and tastes, you might want to adjust accordingly. You can make it a few days ahead, but I enjoy how it makes my home smell on the holiday itself.

The Oregon coast sells it's fair share of cranberries. I feel lucky to have them available so fresh and plump. No, I don't buy frozen, but if that is all you have available it is still better than jelled from a can.

Grab some fresh cranberries, or thaw frozen. With a little orange zest, orange juice and sugar, you can have yourself homemade cranberry sauce in about 30 minutes.

Orange Cranberry Sauce
adapted from Martha Stewart.com

You Will Need:

• 1 heaping cup of fresh, whole cranberries
• 1/2 c. fresh squeezed orange juice
• 2 large strips of orange zest
• 1/2 c. sugar

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring it up to a boil, stirring so all the sugar is dissolved. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and let it reduce for 20 minutes.

Let it cool then store in the fridge. It will thicken as it cools.

Enjoy!

Getting a Hand with Holiday Cooking from Handi-Foil

Mmm.... the holidays bring back some of my favorite childhood recipes, smells and memories. Now as a Mom I have my own food traditions to uphold. I enjoy the love I can put into my food and the chance to spend the holidays with my family. That doesn't mean I look forward to the mountains of dishes I will create.

Whether you are hosting Thanksgiving Dinner, throwing a holiday party or sharing your holiday favorites with friends, wouldn't it be nice if the cooking, taking and storing of your food was hassle free?

Handi-Foil is a great option for saving time. Handi-Foil offers a whole range of pan options to have all of your favorite holiday dishes covered. From simple storage containers for leftovers, to cake pans and roasters, there are even  Eco-Foil options that made from 100% recycled aluminum. I was sent an assortment of pans to use for some of my favorite holiday eats. I made an herb roasted bird and rosemary  potato rolls for my family.

The herb roasted chicken is a classic my Mom likes to make. My husband has never been a big fan of turkey, so this is my compromise. Simply dressed with an herb compound butter, the meat is tender, juicy and aromatic. Really, the recipe couldn't get much simpler.

I grabbed whatever herbs were still lingering in my garden. Some thyme, rosemary, chives, parsley, garlic and lemon will add big flavor without a lot of salt or preservatives.

I made up my compound butter ahead of time, it just needs to come to room temperature before dressing the chicken.

Herb Compound Butter

You Will Need:
1/4 c. unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic
1 lemon, zested
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 c. herbs, a combination of your choice
Olive oil to
Salt & Pepper to taste

Chop the herbs roughly and grate or press the garlic cloves. Add all the ingredients to a food processor or heavy duty blender, such as a Blendtec. Add enough olive oil so it will mix together. Refrigerate until you need it and let it come to room temperature before preparing the bird.

Preparing the actual chicken, or turkey with the compound butter is very easy. You can see how I do it from start to finish in my video.

Herb Roasted Chicken

You Will Need:

1 small chicken

Herb compound butter

2 onions

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, sliced

1/2 lemon

1 roasting bag

1 Handi-Foil roasting pan

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Let your chicken and compound butter come to room temperature for 15 - 20 minutes. 

Gently separate the skin from the chicken by slipping your fingers between the two. Work compound butter under the chicken skin and then on top of the bird. Tie up or poke legs back into the bird to keep them tight to the body. (Check out this slick, no-string trussing trick in the video)

Place your bag inside the roasting pan and create a layer of vegetables and herbs. Set the bird on top and close the bag. Pull the bag away from skin if possible.

Bake at 450 degrees for around 25 minutes. Then turn down the heat to 350 degrees for an additional 35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of your bird.

It was moist, juicy and simple. The herbs gave it a nice flavor to enjoy on it's own after roasting, but won't overpower the leftovers in case you want to use them in quesadillas or burritos later. That would be my husband's favorite way to enjoy that after turkey day stash.

Since the Handi-Foil pans were so easy to use, I also decided to make my husband's favorite potato rolls. I used one of the stuffing pans and it was the perfect size for one batch. I will be using my remaining 3 pans to make more rolls to freeze ahead for the holidays. That recipe I will share with you in my next post where I will also be able to give away Handi-Foil pans to two lucky readers. Stay tuned!

Be sure to check out the Handi-Foil website for a complete list of products to make your holidays easier. You can also connect with Eco-Foil on Facebook for more great recipes and ideas.

Now I want to know, what holiday dishes would you create up in your Handi-Foil pans?

*Disclaimer - This post is brought to you thanks to Handi-Foil, the most trusted name in recyclable container foilware products, made 100% in the USA. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Making my Thanksgiving Classics with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! #good2knowspreads

The holidays are almost here! This time of year I like to start collecting and pulling out recipes for our holiday  meals. I try to combine some of our beloved favorites with new flavors and foods each year.

In honor of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, I wanted to share two of our family favorites that use our favorite spread. Both recipes are from-scratch, simple classics I am sure your family will love as well. Many families make a green bean casserole for dinner, but our twist leaves off the fried onions and ditches the cans. You might be surprised to see how easy and delicious making your own cream of mushroom base really is.

Growing up my family always had a green bean casserole on the table, but it was rarely touched during the meal. Greasy and unappetizing, I decided to give it another go when making a holiday meal for my own children. This recipe now comes out several times a year, not just for the holidays, but has earned a yearly place on our Thanksgiving table.

First start out with a pound of mushrooms, I prefer white button or cremini, one yellow onion and 3 tablespoons of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!. Saute until tender and translucent.

Dust the veggies with flour, heat through and then add the stock and cream. As the mixture comes to a boil it will thicken up.

Then it is time to get the green beans ready.

Right now we still have fresh green beans in our field. Bright green, tender and crisp, they are a lovely compliment to the rich and creamy soup they get mixed with. I like to blanch mine for only 3 minutes, but go up to 5 minutes if your beans are older or very thick.

I adore seeing the large chunks of mushrooms in my homemade cream of mushroom soup. Sometimes I leave in whole slices, other times I dice finely, but there is always enough mushrooms to remind me why I take the time to make it myself.

Toss the beans and as much or as little soup as you like. I enjoy some finely grated Parmesan cheese over the top and then baked till warm and bubbly. If the onion topping is your thing, go for it. But, I found I didn't even miss it.

Green Bean Casserole with Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

You Will Need:

• 1 lb. mushrooms, sliced or diced uniformly
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 Tbsp. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! 
• 1/3 c. flour
• 2 c. chicken stock
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into pieces
• Parmesan cheese for the top

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a skillet, add the mushrooms, onion and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. Saute till tender and translucent.

Dust with flour, and heat through. Whisk in chicken stock and cream. Let the mixture come up to a simmer for one minute. Set aside

Blanch the green beans for 3-5 minutes. Shock in cold water and drain off excess water.

Toss with enough soup mixture to coat then pour into a baking dish. With a micro-plane dust the top of the casserole with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes, until bubbling. Serve warm.

Enjoy.

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Another vegetable we have growing well around the farm are squash. Of course squash is a stable on our everyday dinner table so I looked for a way to dress it up for Thanksgiving. This acorn squash, dressed with melted I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and dusted with cinnamon was a hit with the kids. No, I didn't say cinnamon and sugar, the acorn squash actually lends a lovely sweetness to the simple spice.

I love to serve squash during a holiday meal because it is a healthy, filling option that is very easy on the wallet. Just one acorn squash can serve 4 or more people. These are hearty portions, so you could easily cute each piece in half.

Baked Acorn Squash with Cinnamon Sauce

You Will Need:

• 2 acorn squash, quartered and seeded
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 Tbsp. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, melted
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, ground

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place the squash in a baking dish, in 1-inch deep water. Cover with foil and bake for around 35 minutes. The squash should be fork tender when done.

Melt the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and stir in the cinnamon. Brush the finished squash with the cinnamon mixture. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

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So what are your family's favorite Thanksgiving recipes? Share your favorites in the comment section below.

*Disclaimer - Thank you to Good to Know & Unilever Spreads for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.