Holiday Make-Ahead Meals to Make Today and Freeze!

Entry #331, November 14, 2010

Aren’t we all looking for ways to make Thanksgiving less stressful? How about making parts of your meal ahead of time? In my house I make the collard greens, sweet potato casserole, and corn pudding weeks in advance. Today I found these great recipes from Martha Stewart for “Make-Ahead Meals”… get started now!

Simple Stuffing:

Simple Stuffing can be made in advance!

Serves 8

2 loaves Italian bread (about 10 ounces each), torn into bite-size pieces
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature, plus more for baking dish
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
4 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange bread in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake until crisp but not browned, about 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add celery, shallots, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add wine, and cook until evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
To vegetables in bowl, add bread, parsley, and eggs. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; stir to combine. Mix in half of broth. Continue to add in more broth just until stuffing is moistened but not wet (there should not be any liquid in the bottom of the bowl).
Just before roasting turkey, stuff it with 4 cups stuffing. Spoon remaining stuffing into a buttered 8-inch square baking dish. Cover with buttered aluminum foil, and refrigerate. When turkey is removed from oven to rest, place covered baking dish in oven, and bake until warmed through, 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.

Sweet Potato & Sage Butter Casserole

Yummy sweet potato casserole too make in advance.

Serves 6 to 8

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus 1 ounce (2 tablespoons), melted
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (from 3 slices white bread, crusts removed)

Place sweet potatoes and potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water, and season with salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 9 minutes. Drain; pass through a ricer into a bowl.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 1 stick butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat; add 2 tablespoons sage. Stir butter mixture and milk into potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 2-quart casserole dish. (Mixture can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
Combine breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons melted butter and remaining 1/2 tablespoon sage. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
Top potato mixture with breadcrumbs. Bake, uncovered, until bubbling around edges and breadcrumbs are golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. (If browning too quickly, tent with foil.) Let stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Easy Pie Crust

: Pie crust is always needed throughout the holidays

Makes 2

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 sticks chilled unsalted butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

To make dough, mix flour, salt, and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Cut butter into pieces. With a pastry blender, cut in butter, working until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add ice water; work with hands until dough comes together. If dough is still crumbly, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time (up to 4 more tablespoons). Do not overwork.
Divide dough in half, and flatten halves into disks. Wrap disks separately in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
To form pie-shell, on a floured surface, roll dough into a 14-inch round. Wrap around rolling pin; carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate.
Fit gently into bottom and side of plate. Use kitchen shears to trim dough to a 1-inch overhang; fold under, and seal to form a rim.
Crimp rim with fingertips and knuckle. Repeat with remaining dough; wrap each with plastic, stack, and freeze.

Try these make these make ahead holiday dishes to save you time… and energy!

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