Saturday, November 17, 2018

Sweet Potato Casserole
























I can't remember a Thanksgiving or Christmas that this dish was not front and center on our table.  My Mom used to say it was a "southern thing!" Everyone loves it and it goes fast. Creamy, sweet, and smooth sweet potatoes with a crunchy pecan crusted topping. This is my kind of holiday casserole!

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (3 pounds of yams)
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter


Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and bake the potatoes for about an hour or until soft and tender.  Let cool before peeling.  Turn oven down to 350 degrees.

























In a large bowl,  add sweet potatoes sugar, eggs, vanilla and milk. With an electric mixer, beat until smooth.  Add in butter and beat again until well blended.  Pour in a buttered 9 x 13 casserole dish and smooth out the top with a rubber spatula.  Set aside.

Pecan Topping

2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans

























Mix together brown sugar and flour.  Add melted butter and pecans and mix with until crumbly.   Sprinkle topping all over the top of the sweet potatoes.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until browned and hot and bubbly around the sides.
























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Monday, November 05, 2018

Chicken Biscuits 'n' Gravy























Go get your fat pants. You'll put on a few pounds just looking at this one! I can put this recipe way up there with my favorites. Probably just under chicken and dumplings. When I was young, I used to walk home from school wondering what my Mom was cooking for dinner and hoping it was this dish. It is amazing.  It is the ultimate comfort food.  

Chicken Biscuits 'n' Gravy 


Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup cold buttermilk

























 Whisk together the measured flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the cold butter pieces and toss to just coat them in the flour mixture. Place the bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes. 

 

Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, and working quickly so as not to soften the butter, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it’s in pea-size pieces. Drizzle in the buttermilk and stir just until moist and dough comes together.

Generously dust a work surface with flour. Scrape the dough out onto the surface and dust the top with more flour. Using floured hands, gently pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick circle. Using a 2-1/2-inch round cutter dipped in flour, cut out as many biscuits as possible (press straight down through the dough—do not twist the cutter, or the biscuits will not rise properly).

























Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 1 inch apart. Gather the scraps into a ball, pat it into a 1-inch-thick circle, and cut out more biscuits. Repeat as needed until you have 8 total. Discard any remaining dough. Bake until the biscuits have risen and are golden brown on top, about 15 to 16 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack. Meanwhile, make the gravy.

























Gravy

3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
3 1/2 cups whole milk or half and half
1 rotisserie chicken, torn into pieces (breast or thighs or both)

Boil potatoes until tender. Drain well and set aside. 

Heat butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the flour, salt and pepper. You can add a pinch of cayenne here if you’d like to kick it up a bit. Cook, stirring frequently, until the raw taste of the flour has cooked off, about 1 minute.

























Gradually stir in the milk, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Continue simmering, stirring often, until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 1 minute more (the gravy will continue to thicken as it sits). Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

Add the torn chicken pieces and the potatoes and stir to combine. Simmer on low heat for about 20 more minutes stirring every few minutes.  Serve in bowl or plate and top with a biscuit!

























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Thursday, September 27, 2018

Easy Oven Baked Short Ribs

 











 















There is nothing…..and I mean nothing….as delicious as slow cooked short ribs. Nothing.  Tender, succulent, fall off the bone perfection that just melts in your mouth with every bite.  I keep it as simple as I can and slow bake them in the oven first. Then I slather them down with a sauce to die for.  Guaranteed to get to get plenty of oohs and ahhs.































Easy Oven Baked Short Ribs

4-6 pounds meaty boneless beef short ribs
Lipton Onion soup
Beef broth
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  






























Pat dry ribs with paper towel. Season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper and then arrange in baking dish. It’s okay if it is a tight squeeze. Pack them in.  Sprinkle each rib with a generous amount of the soup mix.































Next, pour your beef broth on top and all around the short ribs.  Make sure that ribs are wet with broth.

 




























Cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Bake for at least 3 hours. While ribs are cooking, make the sauce.





























NOTE:  This recipe can also be made in a slow cooker.  Turn the heat on high and slow cook for at least 6 hours.  












  













Sauce

1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1-1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoons garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper


Combine all of the ingredients for the BBQ sauce in a small bowl and stir until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate until ribs are done. Uncover ribs and make sure they are fork tender. Pour off excess drippings in bottom of dish.  

































Note: the meat will look unappetizing at this stage; don't worry, it will look much better when it’s finished.


































Next, spoon 1/3 of the sauce (about 1/2 cup) over the short ribs. Using tongs, flip the ribs over and spoon another 1/3 of the sauce over top. Reserve the remaining sauce to spoon over ribs later.

    






























Bake for 30 minutes more, uncovered until sauce is sticky. Transfer the short ribs to a serving platter. Spoon the reserved BBQ sauce over the short ribs and serve.











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