Sweet Potato Casserole is a great holiday recipe. This one has added dimensions of flavor with the addition of rum and nuts. This is a rich filling side dish that you may want to enjoy year-round!

Ingredients:

• 4 Cups boiled and riced sweet potatos
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 1 Tbls grated orange peel
• melted butter for topping
• salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped almonds or pecans (optional)

Instructions:

1. Put sweet potatos in a mixing bowl
2. Beat in butter, cream and nutmeg
3. Mix thoroughly while slowly adding rum
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste
5. Put sweet potato mixture in a casserole and sprinkle with melted butter and grated orange peel
6. Add chopped nuts to the top if desired
7. Bake in 400° F oven until lightly brown on top

Turkey Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 3-4 loaves of white bread (or 5 if you like leftovers)
• water
• chicken broth
• insides of the turkey
• 2 bunches of celery
• 1 or 2 onions
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1/2 tsp. sage
• oysters (optional)
• mushrooms (option)

Instructions:

1. The night before you want to eat the stuffing, break the bread into small pieces (about 1 inch squares) into 2 huge bowls or pots. Let the bread sit overnight to dry out.
2. The next day, after you remove the insides of turkey, boil them in water in 2/3 qt. sauce pan until cooked (about 20/30 minutes). Remove insides for later use or discard. Keep water and put aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Chop onion and celery and place into food processor until minced.
5. Melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter in large saucepan.
6. Saute onion and celery until heated through. Do not brown! (Saute mushrooms also at this time if wanted). Depending on how much stuffing you want and how much celery and onion you’ve chopped, you may have to saute the onion and celery in two parts.
7. Once cooked, pour the onion/celery mixture directly over the dried out bread.
8. Pour 1/2 tsp. sage over bread/onion/celery mixture.
9. Then take your reserved water and pour slowly over bread. The bread will shrink as you do this. Be careful not to pour too much water in.
10. Mixture thoroughly and smell/taste for perfect stuffing.
11. If you need more liquid, open a can of chicken broth and pour over bread. If you need more spice, add more sage.
12. If you are using oysters, add them now.
13. Once stuffing is of a consistency that it will stick together and does not look too dry, do not add more liquid.
14. Either stuff in turkey to be baked in oven, or put in 9 x 13 pan.
15. If using oysters, it is recommended that you bake the stuffing in a pan so as to ensure the oysters will be cooked through.
16. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour. You want the stuffing to have a nice brown crust on top.

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Roast Turkey

A Thanksgiving staple, roast turkey can be made many different ways. Here is one simple, but flavorful recipe using an herbal rub.

Ingredients

• 1 13-Pound WHOLE TURKEY fresh or thawed
• 1 Medium onion quartered
• 1 lemon quartered
• 1/4 Cup vegetable oil
• 1 Teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 Teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Remove giblets and neck from turkey and reserve for broth.
3. Rinse turkey with cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place onion and lemon quarters in neck and body cavities.
4. In a small bowl, mix oil with herbs, salt and pepper. With your finger tips, gently loosen skin from the breast without pulling off the skin.
5. Place 1 tablespoon of herb mixture under skin; replace skin. Rub cavities and outside of turkey with remaining herb mixture.
6. Secure the neck skin to the back with skewers. Fold wings under back of turkey. Place legs in tucked position. May be prepared to this point, covered and refrigerated for several hours.
7. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow (no more than 2-1/2 inches) deep roasting pan. Insert an oven-safe thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, being careful it does not touch the bone.
8. Cover bird with a loose tent of foil. Roast turkey in a preheated 325 degree F. oven for about 2-1/2 hours.
9. Remove foil and baste bird with pan juices. Continue to roast for about another hour until meat thermometer registers 180 degrees F. in the thigh.
10. Remove turkey from oven and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. Transfer to a large platter and serve with gravy.

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