Velvety Pumpkin Soup With Blue Cheese and Bacon

SUBMITTED BY: lis36d PHOTO BY: SunnyByrd INGREDIENTS 2 (15 ounce) cans pumpkin 1 quart chicken stock 1 cup half-and-half 1 shallot, minced 1/4 cup molasses 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 6 slices bacon 1 cup crumbled blue cheese DIRECTIONS 1. Stir together the pumpkin, chicken stock, half-and-half, shallot, molasses, butter, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large stockpot over low heat; simmer 10 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook until crispy; remove to paper towels to drain, then cool and crumble. 3. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with bacon and blue cheese.

Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce Recipes

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence and JoAnn Cianciulli Ingredients 2 pounds fresh cranberries 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup Grand Marnier liqueur 1 orange, zested and juiced Directions Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, pulse several times to breakdown the cranberries and incorporate the ingredients; it should still be a bit chunky. Allow the cranberry relish to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, so the flavors can marry.

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe by Kraftfoods.com

Prep Time: 45 min Total time: 6 hr Makes: 16 servings What You Need 1-1/2 cups finely crushed NABISCO Ginger Snaps (about 38 cookies) 1/4 cup finely chopped PLANTERS Pecans 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted 4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 1 cup sugar 3 Tbsp. flour 1 container (8 oz.) BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream 1 cup mashed cooked fresh pumpkin 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp. vanilla 4 eggs Make It PREHEAT oven to 325°F if using silver 9-inch springform pan (or to 300°F if using dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan). Mix ginger snap crumbs, pecans and butter; press firmly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of pan. BEAT cream cheese, sugar and flour in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream, pumpkin, spice and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour into crust. BAKE 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator. Kraft Kitchens Tips Size-Wise Enjoy a serving of this rich and indulgent treat on special occasions. How to Cook Fresh Pumpkin Cut a 4- to 5-lb. pumpkin in half with a large knife. Scoop out seeds and stringy fiber. Save seeds for roasting, if desired. Cut pumpkin into 1-1/2-inch cubes. Place pumpkin in large saucepan. Add water to 1-inch depth. Bring to boil; cover. Reduce heat and simmer 25 to 30 minutes or until pumpkin is fork-tender. Drain well; cool just until pumpkin is easy to handle. Remove peel. Mash with potato masher for a chunky mixture. For a smoother consistency, process pumpkin in a food processor. Drain mashed pumpkin in sieve for about 20 minutes to remove excess liquid. Store in refrigerator up to 5 days. Cooked pumpkin can also be frozen up to 6 months in sealable freezer-weight plastic bags. Cooking Know-How Mashed, cooked fresh pumpkin might have a higher moisture content than canned pumpkin purée. For best results, do not substitute canned pumpkin purée in recipes calling for homemade mashed pumpkin.

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Desserts

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Desserts Recipe courtesy Patty Ronning as adapted by Paula Deen Ingredients Bars: 4 eggs 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 15-ounce can pumpkin 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda Icing: 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars. To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Autumn Potato Gratin

Autumn Potato Gratin Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Ingredients 4 pounds mixed baby potatoes , such as Red Bliss, Peruvian Purples, and Fingerlings 2 cups heavy cream, plus some to cover 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick) 2 sprigs each fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary 2 garlic cloves, cracked Salt and pepper 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Directions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Halve the potatoes and toss them into a large baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, put the cream, butter, herbs, and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, to infuse the cream with flavor. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the hot cream mixture through a strainer over the potatoes, (discard the herbs and garlic), if there is not enough cream to go 3/4 of the way up the potatoes then pour some additional cream on top to make up the difference. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and top begins to brown. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

French Cut Green Beans with Almonds and Fried Onions

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray Ingredients 1 pound fresh green beans or frozen French-cut green beans Salt 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup slivered almonds (2-ounce package) 1/2 lemon , juiced Ground black pepper 1 can fried onions Directions Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a high-sided saute pan. If using fresh beans, cut them lengthwise while you wait for the water to boil. Add salt and green beans to boiling water and cook until just tender. Drain beans and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the butter. When butter is melted, add the almonds and cook until golden brown. Return the green beans to the pan, along with the juice of 1/2 a lemon, add salt and pepper, to taste. When warmed through, top with fried onions.

Roasted Turkey Tenderloin with New Potatoes and Tarragon Broth

Copyright, 2006, Robin Miller, All rights reserved

Roasted Turkey Tenderloin with New Potatoes and Tarragon Broth Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 (1 1/2 pound) turkey tenderloins Salt and ground black pepper 2 pounds new red potatoes or baby red potatoes, quartered (if bigger, cut into 2-inch pieces) 2 shallots, chopped 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves 4 tablespoons store bought peach, cranberry or mango chutney Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place oil in a large baking dish. Season turkey tenderloins all over with salt and black pepper and place in baking dish. Arrange potatoes all around turkey and turn to coat with oil. Season potatoes with salt and black pepper. Arrange shallots over potatoes in pan. In a small bowl, combine wine, broth, vinegar, and tarragon. Pour mixture over turkey. Roast turkey and potatoes 40 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer registers at least 160 degrees F. Let turkey rest 10 minutes before slicing crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Serve half of the turkey and potatoes with this meal, with all of the broth from the pan over top. Serve spinach on the side. Reserve remaining turkey and potatoes for additional meals.

Peach-Pecan Cornbread Dressing

INGREDIENTS 1 1/4 cups water 1 cup chicken broth 1 package (8 oz) cornbread stuffing mix 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks) 1/2 cup cut-up dried peaches 1/4 cup chopped pecans DIRECTIONS 1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. In 3-quart saucepan, heat water and broth to boiling. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon into casserole; cover. 2. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until hot. High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change. INGREDIENTS 1 1/4 cups water 1 cup chicken broth 1 package (8 oz) cornbread stuffing mix 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks) 1/2 cup cut-up dried peaches 1/4 cup chopped pecans DIRECTIONS 1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. In 3-quart saucepan, heat water and broth to boiling. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon into casserole; cover. 2. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until hot. High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

Herb Butter Roasted Turkey

INGREDIENTS 1 (14 pound) turkey 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper Herb Butter: 1 cup butter, softened 1 tablespoon fresh thyme 1 tablespoon fresh sage 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley 1 tablespoon fresh chives 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove giblets and neck from the cavity of the turkey. Rinse and dry bird. Fold wing tips behind the turkey. Season the cavity with salt and pepper. Combine butter and fresh herbs. Starting at the neck end of the turkey, loosen the skin by sliding your fingers underneath it, being careful not to tear it. Slide your hand as far as you can toward the other end of the turkey, separating the skin from the meat. Rub two-thirds of the herb butter over the entire breast. Tie drumsticks in front. Place the bird on a rack in a roasting pan breast-side up; cover loosely with a foil tent. Place bird in oven and decrease the temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Melt remaining herb butter. Remove foil tent from turkey during the last 45 minutes of baking and baste once with melted butter. The turkey is done when the thigh meat reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees F and the breast meat reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees F. When the turkey is done, remove from the oven; let stand 30 minutes before carving.

Roasted Turkey with Artichoke-Sausage Stuffing

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casing removed 2 cups sliced mushrooms, button or cremini 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 1 loaf bread (French or Italian baguette or artisan bread), cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 to 6 cups cubed) 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, or more as needed 1 turkey (about 12 pounds), giblets removed and discarded Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves 2 tablespoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add sausage and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic, and poultry seasoning and cook 3 minutes, until mushrooms soften. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add bread cubes, artichoke hearts, cheese, parsley, and 1 1/2 cups broth. Toss to combine, allowing liquid to soften bread cubes. If stuffing seems dry, add more broth to soak cubes. Season turkey all over with salt and black pepper. Place turkey in a large roasting pan and season the top and sides with thyme and rosemary. Loosely stuff bread mixture into turkey (place any leftover in a shallow baking dish). Place turkey in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Roast turkey 20 minutes per pound, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 180 to 185 degrees F. Bake extra stuffing alongside for 30 minutes. Let turkey stand 10 minutes before carving. Serve 1/2 of the carved turkey with all of the stuffing.

Recipe courtesy Robin Miller,2007

PHILLY Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition) 1 1/4 cups finely chopped toasted pecans 2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated margarine, melted 2 tablespoons sugar 32 KRAFT Caramels, chopped 3 tablespoons milk 3 (250 g) packages PHILADELPHIA Brick Cream Cheese, softened 3/4 cup white sugar 3 eggs 1 (8 ounce) package BAKERS Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted, cooled slightly 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted

DIRECTIONS Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover bottom of 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper. Combine chopped pecans, margarine and 2 tablespoon sugar; press onto bottom of pan. Microwave caramels and milk in microwaveable bowl on MEDIUM 4 to 5 minutes or until caramels are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring every 2 minutes. Spread over crust to within 1 inch of edge; cool. Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Stir in chocolate; pour over caramel layer. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until centre is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours. Sprinkle with pecans halves just before serving.

Awesome Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition) 1 1/2 cups cubed whole wheat bread 3 3/4 cups cubed white bread 1 pound ground turkey sausage 1 cup chopped onion 3/4 cup chopped celery 2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped 3/4 cup dried cranberries 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley 1 cooked turkey liver, finely chopped 3/4 cup turkey stock 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C). Spread the white and whole wheat bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl. In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavors. Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries, parsley, and liver. Drizzle with turkey stock and melted butter, and mix lightly. Spoon into turkey to loosely fill

Turkey Tips: Making Perfect Gravy

Preparing a smooth and savory gravy is easier than you may think. The trick to avoiding lumps is to cook together equal parts of flour with a fat, such as clarified butter, vegetable oil or grease. This mixture is known as a roux and serves as a thickener for gravy. As a general rule of thumb, a ½ cup of roux will thicken 4 cups of gravy. (See Making Roux for more information.) Any type of liquid can be added to a roux to make gravy, including the broth or drippings from beef, pork or chicken. If you're roasting a turkey, use the drippings from the roasting pan and turkey broth to make the gravy. To prepare your own turkey broth, simmer the neck, giblets and gizzards--omitting the liver--for 1 hour in a quart of water. (The liver can impart a bitter taste.) You may add aromatics such as a bay leaf, peppercorns, quartered unpeeled onion, coarsely chopped carrot and celery and parsley stems. Strain broth and skim off fat. Turkey broth can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Making Gravy Step 1: Heat 4 cups of turkey broth, chicken broth or water--or a combination of broth and water--in a saucepan until hot but not boiling. Step 2: Transfer the cooked turkey from the roasting pan and set it on a cutting board to rest before carving. Remove as much grease or fat as possible from the pan using a spoon, ladle or gravy separator. Reserve ¼ cup fat. Step 3: Place the roasting pan over two burners on the stove on medium heat. Deglaze the pan by adding ½ cup water or other liquid (wine, turkey or chicken stock). Stir constantly and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits. Pour off the liquid from the roasting pan into a measuring cup or the saucepan of hot turkey broth. Step 4: Add ¼ cup reserved fat to roasting pan over medium heat. Whisk in ¼ cup all-purpose flour. Cook gently, stirring constantly, until the flour loses its “raw” smell and the mixture becomes golden in color. Cooking the flour enhances the thickening power of the roux and adds color and nutty flavor to the gravy. Step 5: Whisk in the hot turkey broth and pan drippings and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until thickened. Step 6: Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a warmed gravy boat or serving bowl and garnish with fresh chopped sage. Other herbs and spices may suit your tastes as well; experiment with a pinch of cloves, a sprinkle of thyme and a touch of mace.

Making Gravy Step 1: Heat 4 cups of turkey broth, chicken broth or water--or a combination of broth and water--in a saucepan until hot but not boiling. Step 2: Transfer the cooked turkey from the roasting pan and set it on a cutting board to rest before carving. Remove as much grease or fat as possible from the pan using a spoon, ladle or gravy separator. Reserve ¼ cup fat. Step 3: Place the roasting pan over two burners on the stove on medium heat. Deglaze the pan by adding ½ cup water or other liquid (wine, turkey or chicken stock). Stir constantly and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits. Pour off the liquid from the roasting pan into a measuring cup or the saucepan of hot turkey broth. Step 4: Add ¼ cup reserved fat to roasting pan over medium heat. Whisk in ¼ cup all-purpose flour. Cook gently, stirring constantly, until the flour loses its “raw” smell and the mixture becomes golden in color. Cooking the flour enhances the thickening power of the roux and adds color and nutty flavor to the gravy. Step 5: Whisk in the hot turkey broth and pan drippings and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until thickened. Step 6: Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a warmed gravy boat or serving bowl and garnish with fresh chopped sage. Other herbs and spices may suit your tastes as well; experiment with a pinch of cloves, a sprinkle of thyme and a touch of mace.

Firecracker Grilled Alaska Salmond

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition) 8 (4 ounce) fillets salmon 1/2 cup peanut oil 4 tablespoons soy sauce 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 4 tablespoons green onions, chopped 3 teaspoons brown sugar 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon salt DIRECTIONS 1. Place salmon filets in a medium, nonporous glass dish. In a separate medium bowl, combine the peanut oil, soy sauce, vinegar, green onions, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, sesame oil and salt. Whisk together well, and pour over the fish. Cover and marinate the fish in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours. 2. Prepare an outdoor grill with coals about 5 inches from the grate, and lightly oil the grate. 3. Grill the fillets 5 inches from coals for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at the thickest part, or until fish just flakes with a fork. Turn over halfway through cooking.

bacon wrapped shrimp with chipotle sauce.

Ingredients 20 each Shrimp, 21-25 count, shelled, deviened 1/2 pound Bacon, partially cooked and cut in half 1/2 cup BBQ sauce 1/4 cup canola oil 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 ounces Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons chipotle pepper in adobo 1/2 teaspoon red chili flake 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoons black pepper 5 to 8 bamboo skewers Directions Soak bamboo skewers in water, to keep from burning during grilling. Cook bacon partially, cut in half, and let cool on paper towel. Wrap bacon around shrimp, and skewer with bamboo through the point where bacon ends meet, to keep from unraveling. Skewer 3 to 5 shrimp per bamboo. Combine all ingredients in blender, except bacon and shrimp, and puree. Separate the sauce in half, one for basting one for dipping. Cook bacon wrapped shrimp on grill over medium heat. When shrimp begin to turn pink, begin basting with chipotle sauce.

grilling made easy

SNI.Food.RecipeTools.init(); Ingredients 2 sides pork spareribs (about 6 pounds), separated 1 (28-ounce) can chunky tomato sauce 1/3 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Directions Place the spareribs in the bottom of a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Reserve 6 tablespoons for BBQ Pizza. Pour the mixture over the spareribs. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.