The Executive Cook

Weeknight Cook ~ Weekend Entertainer

tonmarmor

Sweet Potato Casserole Fritters

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Ingredients  
1 1/4 cups leftovers from Aunt Judy’s Sweet Potato Casserole
1 cup Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 cup Milk
1/3 cup Powdered Sugar
48 oz. Vegetable Oil

❃❃Makes 28 – 34❃❃

 Preparation
Add oil to a large, heavy bottomed pan and heat to 330 – 340.  Line a sheet pan with paper towels.

Fritters
Mix together sweet potatoes, flour, baking powder and milk until smooth.  When oil has reached temperature add 5 – 6 fritters at a time with a 2 tsp. scoop.  Maintain the oil temperature at around 330-340 and fry fritters for a full 5 minutes so the middle of the fritters are cooked.  Remove with a slotted spoon or spider to the paper towels and let oil drain.  Once fritters are cool sprinkle with powdered sugar through a small strainer.  Continue to fry fritters until batter is gone.

 

White Bean & Corn Chicken Chili or Leftover Turkey Chili

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Ingredients
5-6 Tomatillos
½ to 1 mid-size Jalapeno (depends on your heat level)
½ White Onion
2 Chicken Breasts or 2 cups cubed Turkey
3/4 cup Chicken Stock
2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Coriander
1 tsp. Oregano
½ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
2 Ears of corn
1 16oz. can White Beans

❃❃Serves 4❃❃

 Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
Take outer skin of tomatillos off and cut tomatillos into quarters and roughly chop onion.
Remove corn kernels from cob and set aside in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Strain beans and set aside in refrigerator.
Add stock, tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, oregano and red pepper flakes to a blender.  Blend until smooth and pour into the slow cooker.  Add two chicken breasts to slow cooker and set to low and cook for 4-6 hours.
About 1 hour prior to eating take two forks and shred the chicken breasts in the slow cooker and add corn and strained white beans to the slow cooker.

Leftover Turkey Chili
Take outer skin of tomatillos off and cut tomatillos into quarters and roughly chop onion.
Remove corn kernels from cob and strain beans.  Cut or shred turkey.
Add stock, tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, oregano and red pepper flakes to a blender.  Blend until smooth and pour into Dutch oven or large pan.  Add corn, white beans and turkey.  Cook over medium to medium high heat until chili is hot.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cherry & Rosemary Dressing

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Ingredients
1 lb. Sourdough
8 oz. Sage Pork Sausage
3 stalks Celery
2 cups chopped Yellow Onion
½ cup Butter
2 ½ cups Chicken Stock
1 cup chopped Pecans
10 oz. frozen Cherries
2 Tbsp. minced Rosemary
1 ½ tsp. Salt
¾ tsp. Pepper

❃❃Serves 8 – 12❃❃

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 and spray a large casserole dish or an 8 X 10 glass pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Cut bread into desired size pieces (I do larger 1” x 1” cubes), chop celery, chop onions and mince rosemary.  Defrost, strain and then rough chop the cherries.

Bread
Leave bread out overnight to harden or put into the oven, in an even layer on a sheet pan, and bake on 350 until bread becomes dry and crisp.  This will take about a half hour to forty-five minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Sausage
Cook sausage over medium high heat, in a skillet, breaking apart the sausage as it cooks.  Remove from heat to a plate line with paper towels to drain grease.

Celery & Onions
In a skillet over medium high heat add butter.  Once butter is melted add onions, celery, salt, pepper and rosemary.  Cook onions and celery until they soften.  Remove from heat and cool.

Assemble
In a large bowl add bread, sausage, celery and onion mixture, cherries, pecans and chicken stock.  Stir until everything is incorporated and all bread is moistened with the stock.  Add to the baking dish and cook on 350 for a half hour to forty-five minutes.

Celery Root & Apple Puree

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Ingredients
1 Celery Root the size of a softball or slightly larger
½ large leek or 1 smaller leek
1 sweet apple such as a Sweet Tango
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp pepper
2 Tbsp. butter

❃❃Serves 6❃❃

Preparation
Peel and chop celery root.  Clean and chop leek into half-moons and chop apple.  Set aside.

Celery Root
Add chopped celery root to 3 cups stock and cook over medium heat for about 40 minutes or until the celery root is tender enough for a toothpick to easily pierce.
Once celery root is cooked set aside to add to onions and apples.

Leeks & Apple
Add 2 Tbsp. butter to a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add leeks, apple, salt, pepper and thyme and begin to soften.  After about 5 minutes change heat to medium and add the saved celery root and any remaining liquid.  Continue to cook until softened.

Assembling
Add the mixture to a blender along with the another ½ cup stock if needed.  Blend until smooth.  Return pureed mixture to pan on medium to medium-low heat to keep warm, add salt and pepper to taste then serve.

Grandma’s Mashed Potatoes

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Ingredients
2 ½ lbs. Yellow Potatoes
6 Tbsp. soft Margarine
1 ½ tsp. Salt
1 ½ tsp. Pepper
½ cup Heavy Cream

❃❃Serves 6 – 8❃❃

Preparation
Peel and cut potatoes into cubes about 1 inch by 1 inch.

Cook Potatoes
Fill a large pot with cold water and once potatoes are peeled and chopped put them in the water.  On high heat bring to a boil.  Once boiling boil potatoes for about 12 – 15 minutes or until they fall apart once pricked with a toothpick.
Drain potatoes and put back into the cooking pot to absorb more of the water.

Mashed Potatoes
Mash the potatoes with a potato masher.  Once most lumps are removed and thoroughly mashed add butter, salt and pepper.  Continue to mash until all butter is incorporated.
Add heavy cream and whisk into potatoes until smooth.  Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste.

Aunt Judy’s Sweet Potato Casserole

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Ingredients
48 oz. can yams
1 cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ stick melted butter
1 ½ tsp nutmeg
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup melted butter
1-2 cups whole pecans

❃❃Serves 8 – 12❃❃

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 8”x8” glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Sweet Potatoes
Drain yams and mash with a potato masher until smooth.  Add sugar, eggs, vanilla, butter, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Mix together until well incorporated.  Put into sprayed baking dish.

Topping
Mix brown sugar, flour and melted butter together.  Doll-up on top of the sweet potatoes and spread in an even layer.  Add the whole pecans in rows on top of the brown sugar, flour, butter mixture until entire casserole is covered.

Bake
Bake for 30-40 minutes.  If pecans become too brown cover with foil during baking.