


The Pioneer Woman’s Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
• 2 sticks butter, softened, plus more for pan
• 5 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes
• One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 4-quart baking dish.
Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, 20 to 25 minutes
Drain the potatoes in a large colander. Place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape before adding in all the other ingredients
Turn off the heat and add 1 1/2 sticks butter, the cream cheese, heavy cream, seasoned salt, kosher salt and pepper. Mash to combine
Spread the potatoes in the prepared baking dish. Throw pats of the remaining butter over the top of the potatoes and bake until the butter is melted and the potatoes are warmed through, 20 to 30 minutes.
Verdict? Their really good. I think I expected something so spectacularly awesome that I would be dreaming about them or something, and they weren't that but they were very good. I'll be adding them to the Thanksgiving Menu, along with this recipe!
Spicy Turkey Meatballs
source: Ina Garten, How Easy Is That?
3 cups (1-inch diced) bread cubes from a round rustic bread, crusts removed
2/3 cup whole milk
2 lbs ground turkey (88% – 92% lean)
1/2 lb sweet Italian pork sausage, casing removed
4 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, finely chopped
1 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp good olive oil plus, extra for brushing meatballs
2 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
3 (24-oz) jars good marinara sauce, such as Rao’s
2 lbs dried spaghetti, such as De Cecco
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
Place the bread in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the bread is in medium crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a small bowl and add the milk. Set aside for 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, sausage, prosciutto, bread mixture, Asiago, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Lightly combine the ingredients with your hands. Add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the eggs, and stir lightly with a fork to combine.
With your hands, lightly roll the mixture into 2-inch-round meatballs and place them on the prepared sheet pans. Brush the meatballs with olive oil. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the tops are browned and the centers are completely cooked.
Pour the marinara into a large, low pot, add the meatballs, and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the directions on the package. Drain and place the spaghetti in individual bowls, and top with 3 meatballs and lots of sauce. Serve with Parmesan cheese on the side.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
Adapted from Bon Appétit
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon fresh nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 - 15oz can of pumpkin puree
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups of chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 10 inch bundt pan, then dust with flour, knocking out excess.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, fresh nutmeg, and salt in a bowl.
Separately, whisk together pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla in a bowl.
Cream butter and sugar in a mixer. Mix in eggs, one at a time. On low, add flour and pumpkin mixtures in batches. Mix just until combined, do not over mix. By hand, fold in the chocolate chunks.
Spoon cake batter into pan, smoothing top. Pound the pan on the counter to settle the batter. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean in the center of cake, about 1 hour. Cool the cake in the pan, on a rack, for 15 minutes. Invert rack over cake and re invert cake onto rack. Cool completely before serving. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
The short answer is that there are many different sizes of bundt pans. I happen to own two - and 8 inch and a 9 3/4 inch. It is advisable, when making a bundt cake recipe that calls for a 10" pan to use the larger of the two that I own, no? I was literally in the kitchen ALL DAY yesterday, and I didn't think about it, and grabbed the 8". When my cake had cooled and I inverted it onto my plate half of it was still uncooked and the whole mess fell apart. So I was up til 10pm making another one. In the bigger plan.
So, don't repeat my mistake and make sure you are using the right sized pan OR making sure to adjust your cooking time according to the size that you are using!
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