Thanksgiving Dressing

recipe from:  Epicurious

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter plus more for baking dish
1 pound good-quality day-old white bread, torn into 1" pieces (about 10 cups)
2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 1/2 cups 1/4" slices celery
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 250°F. Butter a 13x9x2" baking dish and set aside. Scatter bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until dried out, about 1 hour. Let cool; transfer to a very large bowl.

Meanwhile, melt 3/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onions and celery. Stir often until just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add to bowl with bread; stir in herbs, salt, and pepper. Drizzle in 1 1/4 cups broth and toss gently. Let cool.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk 1 1/4 cups broth and eggs in a small bowl. Add to bread mixture; fold gently until thoroughly combined. Transfer to prepared dish, cover with foil, and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of dressing registers 160°F, about 40 minutes. DO AHEAD: Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Uncover; let cool. Cover; chill.

Bake dressing, uncovered, until set and top is browned and crisp, 40-45 minutes longer (if chilled, add 10-15 minutes).

Makes 8-10 servings

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups cooked and mashed red sweet potatoes
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/3 cube of butter (softened)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together the above ingredients and place them in a greased baking dish.

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cube butter (softened)
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix together and sprinkle over the top of the casserole.  Bake 350 for 35-45 minutes.  I like to make 1 1/2 x the crumb topping.  I like a large nut to casserole ratio!

Notes:  I peeled and cut two very large sweet potatoes into about 2 inch chunks and cooked them in a mesh strainer/steam basket on high pressure in my Instant Pot for 5 mins, did a quick release, drained the water and used a hand mixer to mash them.  This ended up being almost exactly 3 cups of mashed sweet potatoes. 

Corn Chowder

1 Large Onion, chopped
1/2 lb. bacon, diced
3 cups chicken broth
1 17oz can creamed corn
1/4 tsp. marjoram
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 cups grated, raw potatoes
1/2 c. butter
1 can evaporated milk
parsley (optional)

In a heavy kettle, cook bacon on low heat, but do not brown.  Add the onion and celery and saute' until golden.  Add grated potatoes and chicken broth and simmer until potatoes are done, stirring constantly.  Add corn and butter.  Stir in the evaporated milk.  Heat until warm, but do NOT boil.  Add marjoram and parsley.

Crockpot Ham and Potato Soup...

8 cups potatoes (peeled and diced)
1/2 yellow onion chopped
2 large carrots (peeled and chopped)
1/2 cup chopped celery
16 ounce cubed ham
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
grated cheese to top each bowl of soup with

In crockpot add potatoes, onion, carrot, celery, ham, salt, pepper, and chicken broth.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.  15 minutes before eating, Take out 1/3 of the potatoes and put in a bowl.  Mash with a potato masher and then add back into the soup.  Add cream and sour cream and stir well.  In a separate cup put 3 tbsp cornstarch and a little bit of water to make a smooth mixture.  Add to crockpot.  Cook for an additional 15 minutes.  Serve with a green salad and roll.