Ocean Springs Seafood Crabmeat Stuffed Potatoes

Ocean Springs Seafood Crabmeat Stuffed Potatoes (BULK)



My mom, Linda Fayard, developed this recipe that is often credited to my grandma, Ruby Fayard. In reality, Maw Maw probably cooked thousands of the amazing little things over the course of her years selling them in the Ocean Springs Seafood Market before Katrina; but, the credit lies with Mom :) I have two personal additions that were not included in the original recipe as noted with (*).

16 medium Idaho potatoes
1-5 pound white crab meat
3/4 pound butter
1 pound shredded cheddar
1 pound sour cream
Paul Prudhomme's Vegetable Magic Seasoning
Salt to Taste (There is salt in the vegetable magic so don't overdo it...)
Red cayenne pepper to taste
Paprika garnish
*Old Bay Seasoning garnish
*Pad of butter per potato garnish

Bake potatoes until done. About 1.5 hours for 16. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the meat. Reserve the skins for later. Place the meat in a large pot and add butter, cheese, sour cream, and seasonings (all to taste). Mix well until there are no large chunks of potato left. Add the crab and mix it again. Fill the skins back up with potato mixture (it will mound above the skin line.) Sprinkle with paprika and bake or freeze.

*Personally, when I bake them, I sprinkle with Old Bay and stick a pad of butter in the top*

Mom’s Baked Beans

Ingredients :

• 1 to 1.5 Quarts Baked Beans
• 1/2-1 C Brown Sugar
• 2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 Pods crushed Garlic
• Bacon

Mix all ingredients and top with bacon. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min until Bacon is done.

Fruit Salsas

Credit: Taste of Home

Strawberry Salsa

Combine:
1 pt chopped strawberries
4 seeded and chopped plum tomatoes
1 finely chopped small red onion
1-2 minced peppers
 2 TBS lime juice
1 TBS olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves
Refrigerate 2 hours

Gingered Mango Salsa:

Combine:
1 cup chopped mango
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
2 TBS minced fresh mint
1 TBS minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
Stand for 30 min

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad

*Stolen from Kristin L.'s facebook page. Dunno who she stole it from :-)*

Salad Ingredients

• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 1/3 cup raisins, craisins, or dried cherries
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion

Dressing Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Mayo
• 2 TBS Sugar
• 2 TBS Lemon Juice

Toppings 

• 8 slices bacon fried crisp & crumbled
• Sunflower seeds

Mix salad ingredients in large bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and then stir into the salad. Top with bacon & seeds when served.

Cowboy Caviar (Salsa type dip)

Cowboy Caviar

We used to have a friend that made this every time we'd go down to the beach and it was awesome! I could eat the whole bowl with a spoon! We were always served tortilla style dippers with it. Best if chilled overnight. Beautiful in a glass bowl!

Chop everything pretty fine. You want to be able to get a little of everything on your chip!

1

can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed 

1

can (14.5 oz) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1

can (7 oz) white shoepeg corn (or extra sweet yellow), drained and rinsed

4

Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and diced small

3

ripe but firm avocados, diced small

4

green onions, sliced thin and/or half of a purple onion, diced)

1/2

cup wish bone zesty Italian dressing

1/2

bunch cilantro, chopped finely

Juice of 1-2 limes +  Salt and Pepper to Taste                                            

Mom's Amazing 4 Ingredient Party Dip

This is a very easy dip to be served with triscuits, fritos dippers, wheat thins or other cracker. Mix it all together and chill.

One cup each:

-chopped pecans
-mayonaise
-green onions
-grated cheddar cheese

Fabulous!!!

Mari’s Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Wrap bundles of  3-4 fresh asparagus with 1 piece of bacon. Place in a baking pan. (We use toaster over baking pan )

Make sauce

Sauce:

1/4 Cup light brown sugar

2 tbs butter

2 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper

Cook sauce ingredients until boiling on med high. Stir so it doesn’t burn. Pour over asparagus.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min then broil for 3-5 min

Cajun Sweet Potato Salad

Cajun Sweet Potato Salad

This recipe was a total accident and a HUGE hit! I was making potato salad to go with Gumbo (it's great in a bowl of gumbo instead of rice!) and I was out of potatoes. It was late so I didn't want to go to the store. I happened to have a bag of sweet potatoes so I improvised. I added the seafood boil to the boiling potatoes in hopes of cutting the sweetness in exchange for some savory and spice. Worked great and I think this is how I'll and making all of my future potato salad! Enjoy! 

8 medium Sweet Potatoes 

1 1/2 Cup Mayo

2 tbs Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Tbs sugar

2 Tbs Yellow Mustard

1 Tsp Tony's Seasoning

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 Tsp Pepper

2 ribs of celery sliced

1 cup finely chopped onion

5 eggs

1/2 cup- 1 cup Zatirains Pro Boil (or other all in one powdered seafood boil)

Paprika

Start your water to boil. Peel the potatoes and chop into small cubes. Add the seafood boil seasoning. The amount you add depends on the amount of water. You want the water to be salty but not unpalatable so taste it and add more if needed. Add the potatoes and eggs. Boil for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are completely cooked. Dump into a colander when done. 

While the potatoes and eggs are cooking : 

In a bowl, mix together all ingredients except the chopped veggies and eggs. Stir until well combined.

Peel & chop the eggs

Add all ingredients except the egg and stir still well combined. I like to take a potato masher and just mash the mixture a few times but not a lot. You still want to see cubes of potatoes. Taste it and see if it needs more salt, pepper, mustard , etc. Gently stir in the chopped eggs and top with Paprika. Chill before serving.

Shrimp and Grits Dressing

My Sister-In-Law requested this one for Thanksgiving 2016. It didn't replace the actual dressing but was a nice side dish.It was really very good. Southern living called it "dressing" but I'd define it more as a Shrimp & Grits casserole. It was originally posted on Good Housekeeping and has made the rounds on social media this year!

Shrimp and Grits Dressing

1 pound peeled, medium-size raw shrimp

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground red pepper

1 cup uncooked regular grits

1/2 cup butter

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs (I use gluten free)

1 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Devein shrimp, if desired.

Bring broth and next two ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in grits, and return to a boil; reduce heat to low, and stir in butter. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat.

Stir together eggs and next four ingredients in a large bowl. Gradually stir about one-fourth of hot grits mixture into egg mixture; add egg mixture to remaining hot grits mixture, stirring constantly. Stir in shrimp until well blended. Pour grits mixture into a lightly greased 11-x 7-inch baking dish.

Bake at 325 degrees for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until mixture is set. Let stand 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread

·        

2    PUMPKIN BREAD

       2 cups canned or prepared  pumpkin

·         3 cups sugar

·         1 cup water

·         1 cup vegetable oil

·         4 eggs

·         3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

·         2 teaspoons baking soda

·         2 teaspoons cinnamon

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

·         3/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)

Heat the oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, sugar, water, vegetable oil and eggs. Beat until well mixed. Measure the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and ground cloves into a separate bowl, then stir until combined (great job for the kids). Slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, beating until smooth.

Grease two 9- by 5-inch loaf pans and dust them with flour. Evenly divide the batter between them. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from pans by inverting them into a rack and tapping the bottoms. Slice and serve plain, buttered, or with cream cheese.

Mari's Favorite Cajun Fried Corn

Not a bit healthy! Beware! Barely counts as a vegetable!

Ingredients

32 oz Frozen Corn
1 lb chopped bacon
1 yellow onion chopped
2 bell peppers chopped (different colors if you want)
Salt & Pepper OR Cajun Seasoning

Cook

1. Fry on med-high heat in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven. Should be browned and fat rendered but soft. Add in peppers and onion. Saute about 10 minutes until veggies are cooked.
2. Reduce heat to low and add corn. Cook about 15 min until corn is cooked through
3. Season to taste with s&p or cajun seasoning

DO NOT AT ANY STAGE DRAIN THE BACON GREASE! RESIST THE URGE!

Bethany’s Cornbread Dressing

Bethany’s Cornbread Dressing

My dear Nanny Kimble passed away about 20 years ago.  Upon her passing I was relegated as the official "dressin'" maker for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The problem is that my mother and other family folk are seeking a dressing that could only be achieved if Nanny were to pop down from Heaven and whip up a batch herself. A further problem is that even when Nanny made her dressing -God rest her sweet little soul - it was great some years, OK other years and virtually inedible on occasion. Of course the expectation is that I make it as good as Nanny did....when she did it well! SO, I have failed to meet the challenge thus far. I've tried all sorts of recipes, tweaked things, sought out the advice of really old people, added fun things like cranberries and even butternut squash to NO AVAIL! This year...Thanksgiving 2010...let it be known that I have officially nailed down the "Nanny Kimble" dressing! Yay! Here it is so I can't lose it!

I’ve been tweaking this one for several years! I’ve definitely realized that it’s better if you prep it 1-2 days in advance if possible. The flavors meld together much better! 

• Options: bake veggies in the cornbread, run all breads through a food processor
• 1 pint chicken livers
• 2 round pan yellow corn bread
• 1 round pan white corn bread
• 12 rounds toasted French bread (narrow loaf)
• Salt & pepper
• 1-3 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1 tsp dried poultry seasoning
• 2 packages fresh sage (chopped)
• 3 eggs
• 2 large onions, diced
• 3 stalks celery, thinly chopped
• 1 stick unsalted butter- cut length wise in half, flip and cut length wise again. Then slice. You should now have small cubes of butter
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 6 cups chicken stock (make it with chicken flavored better than bouillon- not pre-canned)
• 2 sprigs rosemary. Chop up the leaves and throw away the stems.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 (have the cornbread already made up per the package directions- use milk not water)
2. Make up 6 cups of stock with better than bouillon.l in a pitcher. I add enough to where the stock tastes like chicken soup.
3. Make up Drain & wash livers. Place in small pot and add enough stock to cover them. Add one pack of chopped up sage leaves. Add chopped rosemary. Add cracked pepper and salt to taste. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 min.
4. Remove livers from stock. Pull out 2-3 livers and mush them up. Add mushed livers back to the pot and stir. Either eat or discard the rest of livers. Add the liver stock back to the pitcher of chicken stock.
5. Crumble cornbread and toasted French bread into a large bowl. Add pepper, onion, celery, butter cubes, cream of chicken soup, remaining chopped sage, and a few cups of the chicken stock. Stir until well-combined. Taste it. Add poultry seasoning and rubbed sage until it tastes the way you want it. Don’t add too much additional salt because the butter has salt and it’s not melted in yet. Add more stock until its kind of soupy but not liquid. You should be able to stir it with a spoon and it not slosh around. I usually end up using the remainder of the stock. **At this point, you can refrigerate for 1-2 days ahead of time**
6. Do a final taste test then mix in the 3 eggs
7. Pour dressing into a 9x13 baking dish and bake covered for about 30 - 45 minutes. Take off foil and bake another 30/34 min until top is browned and the whole thing jiggles. To test doneness, shake casserole dish lightly. If the center of the dressing moves more than the rest , then the dressing is not cooked through in the center. Continue to bake until the dressing is set throughout.

Roux

Roux

My grandmother, Ruby Fayard, taught me how to make a proper Roux when I was a young girl. I'd stand at the stove in our seafood market and stir until I thought my arm would fall off! I saw this article posted on a Cajun blog and it is pretty much the same way I was taught. I thought I'd share for anyone who dares...


http://acadianatable.com/first-you-make-a-roux/

Recipe by: George Graham - AcadianaTable.com

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups oil

Instructions

1. A Cajun roux starts out in a large cast iron pot on medium heat. With no distractions and approximately one hour of time at your disposal, begin by adding the flour and oil.
2. With a long-handled wooden spoon, begin to stir. Constant stirring and moving the flour around the bottom of the pot is the key to browning the flour evenly to prevent burning. This early stage will go slowly as you begin to see the white flour take on a beige and then a tan color.
3. Continue stirring slowly and evenly, scraping the bottom and the circular crevices of the pot to move the flour around in the hot oil.
4. At about the half-hour mark, you will begin to see a brown color developing and smell the first hints of toasted flour. This is where the stirring becomes even more crucial.
5. At this point, you begin to enter the quickly developing phase where the least bit of inattention could result in burnt flecks of flour appearing – a sure sign you’ve ruined the roux. Watch your heat and lower it if cooking too fast.
6. Constant stirring to keep the flour from staying in one place too long prevents burning. You will begin to smell an even nuttier aroma as you see the color turn darker mahogany. Most stop here, but you will keep going until you achieve a deeper, darker chocolatey consistency and color.
7. Forget time at this point since you are now cooking by instinct, sight and smell. The utmost attention is needed to your stirring, and when you see that Hershey chocolate darkness, you will know you have arrived.
8. Turn off the heat, but continue stirring until it begins to cool down and quits cooking.
9. Spoon the roux into a bowl and let cool.

Notes

I like the neutral taste of canola oil, but vegetable or peanut oil work fine as well. Refrigerate your roux in a glass jar for up to a week and place in the freezer for longer storage.

Favorite Copycat Recipes

My Favorite Copy Cat Recipes

COLESLAW 
Chick-fil-A Restaurant Copycat Recipe

Makes 4 cups

Dressing:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 tablespoon ground black pepper

Slaw:
1 small head cabbage, finely shredded
1 small carrot, finely shredded

Whisk buttermilk, mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper together in a bowl.
Toss cabbage and carrot together in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over the cabbage mixture; toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.

CHICKEN NUGGETS
Chick-Fil-A Copycat Recipe

Serves 4

dill pickle juice
3 cup peanut oil
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
2 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon salt
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into small bite size chunks
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Pour some pickle juice into a bowl/ziploc freezer bag.  Cut up your chicken breasts into small chunks and put them in the pickle juice and into the fridge to marinate for about an hour.

After an hour/when you are ready to make the chicken nuggets, mix the egg and milk into a bowl.  Remove chicken from pickle juice and place into the milk/egg mixture to sit a bit. While the chicken is sitting, in a separate bowl, mix together the Flour, Powdered Sugar, Garlic Powder, Paprika, Pepper and Salt. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture. (If you want to double coat the chicken you will need to increase the flour mixture amounts and repeat these two steps…I did a single coat and they were fabulous!)

Heat the oil to 375 degrees. You can use a deep fryer or I simply heat in a frying pan on the stove top.  I heated mine over medium high heat (a 5 out of 8 on my stove dial) and then sprinkled flour in it to see when it bubbled which means the oil is hot enough.  The coating makes the oil pretty messy and I just prefer to use a frying pan and discard the oil afterwards. Gently drop your chicken pieces in the heated oil and cook until golden brown, which for my smaller nugget size pieces were about 3 minutes per side more or less.

THAI CHICKEN PASTA
Cheesecake Factory Copycat Recipe

Peanut Sauce
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 teaspoons chili paste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup hot water
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Pasta
1/2 a pound thin spaghetti, fully cooked and drained
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, fully cooked and sliced diagonally
2 carrots, julienne cut
1 small can water chestnuts, drained
handful chopped peanuts, for garnish
bunch cilantro, chopped

To make the sauce, put all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until well combined. Store in the refrigerator until needed.

Blanch the carrots in boiling water for about 3 minutes, pulling them out while they’re still bright and crisp. Place in a large bowl with the cooked pasta, sliced chicken, water chestnuts, and cilantro. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to coat; top with more cilantro and chopped peanuts.

Notes: Looks like they also added some bean sprouts on top as a garnish.

BLUEBERRY COLD SNAP COCKTAIL
Bonefish Grill Recipe                                                                    

1.5 oz Your Favorite Vodka                                                                                                                    .50 oz Art in the Age Organic Rhubarb Liqueur                             
10 each Blueberries                                                                        
1.25 oz Fresh Sour Mix                                                                  
2-3 dashes Lavender Bitters                                                                               

Combine the blueberries and the sour mix in a pint glass and muddle well. Add your favorite vodka, rhubarb liqueur and 2- 3 dashes of the lavender bitters. Shake and strain into a glass over ice. Or if you are a fan of Martinis, shake and strain into a chilled martini glass! Garnish with a fresh lavender flower for an aromatic touch.

SPICY JACK CHEESE WEDGES
O'Charley's Copycat Recipe

Serves 6


1 (7 oz.) package pepper jack cheese
1/3 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1 egg


Cut cheese into 1/2-in. slices; cut each slice in half diagonally. In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and red pepper flakes if desired. In another bowl, beat egg. Dip cheese triangles into egg, then in crumb mixture.
Place on a greased baking sheet. Broil 4 in. from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until browned and cheese begins to melt.

Pepper Marinara Sauce:


2 (28-oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 red bell peppers, seeded, cut in 1/2-inch dice


In a mixing bowl, crush the whole tomatoes with your fingers to form a course puree. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper flakes, sugar, basil, and parsley Stir in and reserve.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until the onions begin to soften. Add the garlic and saute for cook for two minutes (do not brown the garlic). Add the tomato mixture, and simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell peppers, and simmer until the peppers are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Notes:  This makes a big batch of about 3 1/2 quarts which is more than needed for this recipe so you will have leftovers to use with pasta or freeze for later use.

CORN DOGS and CHEESE on a STICK
Hot Dog on a Stick Copycat Recipe

6 cups pancake mix
2 cups yellow corn meal
2 whole eggs, slightly beaten
6 cups water
hot dogs
cheese, cut into 1/2-inch X 3 inch sticks
chopsticks
canola oil, For frying
spicy mustard, for serving

In a large bowl, combine pancake mix and cornmeal. Stir to combine. Add eggs and water, adding more water as needed for the batter to become slightly thick. Start out by adding 4 cups, then work your way up to 6 cups or more.

Heat canola oil over medium high heat. Drop in a bit of batter to see if it's ready: the batter should immediately start to sizzle but should not immediately brown/burn. Insert sticks into hot dogs so that they're 2/3 of the way through. Do the same with the cheese sticks.

Dip the hot dogs into the batter and allow excess to drip off for a couple of seconds. Carefully drop into the oil (stick and all) and use tongs or a spoon to make sure it doesn't hit the bottom of the pan and stick. Flip it here and there to ensure even browning, and remove it from the oil when the outside is deep golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with cheese, allowing it to get as golden as possible so that cheese will melt completely. Serve with spicy mustard.

STEAK OSCAR
Ruth Chris Steak House Copycat Recipe

Serves 1


1 (8 ounce) filet of beef, wrapped in bacon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 ounces butter, divided
1 (2 ounce) crab cakes
5 asparagus spears
1 cup mashed potatoes
3 ounces bearnaise sauce
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped

Season both sides of the fillet with salt and pepper. Place on a hot grill and cook 4 minutes on one side. Turn steak over and cook additional 4 minutes. In separate skillet, add 1 ounce of the butter and the crab cake and sear on one side. Turn over and sear the other side. Cook crab cake until hot all the way through. Keep warm.

In separate skillet, add remaining butter and cook the asparagus. Cook until cooked through and hot. Turn heat down to keep warm. Remove steak from grill and top with the crab cake. Pipe the mashed potatoes to the side of the fillet. Lay the asparagus against the fillet and potatoes. Pour the bearnaise sauce over the steak and crab cake.
Garnish with chopped parsley.

HOOTERS WING SAUCE

Buffalo Sauce
1⁄2 cup louisiana hot sauce or 1⁄2 cup Frank's red hot sauce
4 ounces unsalted butter
1⁄4 teaspoon paprika
1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder
oil, for deep frying

To Make The Sauce: Combine in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter is mixed through.
Cover and keep warm over low heat.

Melting Pot Cheese Fondue Recipe

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 C. dry white wine

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 C. Swiss cheese, shredded

2 C. Gruyere cheese, shredded

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Pinch nutmeg

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer the garlic, wine, and lemon juice. Reduce

the heat to medium-low, add the cheeses, and blend well until melted. Add mustard and

nutmeg. Keep warm over Sterno with a fondue pot.

Dip assorted breads, meats, and veggies in the cheese. We diced French bread, salami,

and fresh mushrooms to eat with our fondue.

Fisherman’s Wharf Pie

1/3 cup melted butter

1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar

3 eggs

1/3 cup whipping cream

½ teaspoon vanilla

9-inch pie shell, unbaked

Whipped cream and nutmeg for garnish

Cream butter and sugar together for 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat until fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add cream and vanilla. Beat ...a few minutes. Pour mixture in unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream and grated nutmeg.

Red Beans and Rice -pressure cooker or standard

I

I threw this together in 45 minutes for Mardi Gras and it was a big hit!

2 lb red beans (soaked overnight)

2 lb smoked sausage

2 bay leaves

2 tbs Tony's seasoning

2 tsp salt

2 tsp dried parsley

Half tsp cumin

1 clove chopped garlic 

2 chopped onions 

2 chopped celery

Pressure cooker: combine all ingredients in the cooker. Cover with water just above the beans. Seal and set for 30 minutes.  When it's done, use a masher for a few strokes in the pot. Stir in the smushed beans to thicken up the pot. Serve with rice . If no pressure cooker, use a large pot and boil for about an hour. Then let it simmer for several hours.

Thanksgiving and Christmas Feasts!

Our family has always valued our time together at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The lunch-time meal (which we always call "dinner" for some reason) is a HUGE part of our celebration. Every year, little things or new traditions are added to our holiday celebrations; but,the meal VERY RARELY changes. It was a really big deal when we added the squash casserole about 10 years ago! One of the main reasons I started this little recipe collection was so that this particular meal created and orchestrated every year by my mother, Linda Fayard, can continue on forever!

The women of our family gather the day before the meal to prepare and refrigerate it all. This is not a sexist thing :) I am all about some girl power but this has just become a wonderful family tradition for us girls to get together and prepare the family meal and spend time together. The boys are welcome to join but so far none of them have showed up! We do make them cut the turkey and do all this dishes so it works itself out!

Most of the recipes for the sides and deserts are all individually here in this blog - just click on the name and it will open the recipe.  Have fun and enjoy!

The Menu

Oven Roasted Whole Turkey
Gravy (Turkey drippings mixed with jar gravy)
Cornbread Dressing & Cranberry Sauce
Squash Casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole
Green Bean Casserole
Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Watergate Salad
Seven Layer Salad
Uncle Ben's Wild Rice
Bake & Serve Rolls (With squeeze butter on top)
Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookies
Millionaire Pie
Pumpkin Pie (Thanksgiving only)
Cherry Cheesecake (no bake box mix with canned cherry on top)

Squash Casserole

VERY RICH!

2 Cups cooked squash (we slice it and boil it with skins on)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small jar pimento
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 stick butter or margarine (melted)
1 cup ritz cracker crumbs

Mix butter and cracker crumbs . Place half the mixture in the bottom of your casserole pan. We usually use a square one for this dish. Mix all other ingredients and pour on top of the crust. Top with the remaining ritz cracker mix. Bake at 375f for 1 hour.

Seven Layer Salad

We always serve this awesome salad at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is even better the next day so make it ahead of time if you can.

1 Head of lettuce (torn small or shredded)
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion (optional)
1 cup chopped celery
1 pkg frozen English peas
1 cup mayo
3 tbs sugar
2 cups finely grated cheddar cheese
Bacon bits (optional)
BIG GLASS SERVING BOWL

Layer the first 5 ingredients in the bowl. Mix mayo, sugar and cheese. Spread the mixture on top. Top with bacon bits if you'd like.

Broccoli and Rice Casserole

1 C cooked rice
1 C chopped celery
1 C chopped onion
1 small jar cheese whiz
1 pkg frozen chopped broccoli
1/2 stick butter
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Salt and pepper
1 can sliced water chestnuts

Cook broccoli, onion and celery in small amount of water for 10 minutes. Drain and add other ingredients. Place in casserole pan and add chestnuts. Bake 30 minutes at 350F.

Watergate Salad

1 20 oz can crushed pineapple unsweetened
1 3.5 oz pistachio pudding mix
9 oz cool whip
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients and chill overnight

Serve as salad or a desert