Cheddar Dill Bread

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Last night for dinner I made a simple (but delicious) pot of turkey noodle soup, and a loaf of Cheddar Dill Bread. It was the second time I've made this bread and it made our simple supper much more fulfilling than a plain loaf would have. Made similar to Monkey Bread, I rolled the cheesy dough into balls, then dipped them in a melted butter/dill mixture. Once baked, you can just pull the bread balls apart, instead of slicing it like a loaf. It was wonderful for dunking into our soup. This bread would also make a yummy appetizer because it is so savory.

For seasoning, I used a Pampered Chef Dill Weed Mix, which is a combination of dill, onion and garlic. But, I have estimated the ingredients separately below, because most people probably don't have this mix in their spice cabinet.

Cheddar Dill Bread
1 loaf

1/2 c. warm milk
1/2 c. warm water
2 t. yeast
2 T. butter, softened
1 T. sugar
1 egg
1/2 t. salt
2-1/2 to 3 c. flour
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 c. salted butter, melted
1/4 t. dill weed
1/8 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. onion powder


Place warm milk, water, sugar, and yeast in mixing bowl.
Add 2 T. butter, egg, salt and 2 c. flour.
Stir with the mixer until dough pulls together.
Knead dough (with a dough hook or by hand)
and add flour, a few tablespoons at a time,
until you get a soft dough, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add cheese in the last minute of kneading.
Put dough in a greased bowl, cover with greased wrap
and let rest for about an hour,
or until almost doubled in size.

Mix melted butter with dill and spices. Punch dough down, and roll bits of dough into balls, a little smaller than a golf ball. Dip balls into butter, and place in a greased loaf pan. Let rest for 20 - 30 minutes, depending on how warm your kitchen is.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Pour remaining butter over the top of the loaf. Bake for 15 minutes longer.

Cool for 10 minutes and then turn out of bread pan. Turn right side up (butter side up) to serve. Serve warm.

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Chicken Tortilla Casserole

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I apologize for being away so long. Admittedly, after Thanksgiving I wasn't cooking anything worth blogging. I was cooking -- I had a houseful to cook for on Friday and Saturday, but nothing new. And I'm feeling sort of ho-hum about all things in the kitchen right now, but I guess that happens after a big feast.

I do have a recipe from before Thanksgiving to post, however. I saw this Mexican Chicken Casserole at Annie's Eats. My kids are all over anything Mexican, so I knew this would be a hit. The flavors and textures were very similar to Chilaquiles, which we all enjoy, but the recipe was so much easier since you start with chips instead of soft corn tortillas -- the frying part is already done. I made a few changes, to accommodate the pantry items and chicken I had on-hand, but it was pretty close to the original recipe. My version is below. Go to the link above for the original. This recipe would be good made with black beans, also -- either with or without the chicken. You could just keep these ingredients on-hand all the time for a quick, delicious supper.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole
serves 6

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I used bone-in breasts, baked in the oven, but you could poach also)
1 T. vegetable oil
1/4 c. minced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 T. minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1¾ c. chicken broth
5 c. tortilla chips, broken into large pieces
1 can Rotel tomatoes and chilies, drained
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro (I would add this if I had it on-hand, but wouldn't buy it just for this dish)

Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a 10-12 inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until onion is tender -- do not brown. Add the chipotle, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

Stir in half of the tortilla chips and the shredded chicken and simmer on low for about 5 minutes, until chips are softened. Add the tomatoes, ½ cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, and 1 tablespoon of the cilantro. Stir in the other half of the tortilla chips until they are incorporated and moistened.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and place the pan under the broiler until the cheese is melted and browning, about 2-3 minutes. Top with remaining cilantro and serve.

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Source: Annie's Eats

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Weekly Menu

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I've been to the grocery store at least a half dozen times in the last week and I'm determined not to go again this week. That's probably not very practical, but I'm willing to see how long I can go. We have the basics in the house, I just need to be creative. I'll have family over tonight for the last night (can you hear the relief in my text?), and then I'm taking it easy.

Sure.

Saturday
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: BBQ beef sandwiches, Scalloped Potatoes, Cole Slaw, Ambrosia Salad, Pumpkin Butterscotch Blondies, Chocolate Chip Marshamallow Bars

Sunday
Dinner: Buttermilk Brined Chicken Legs, Garlic Rice Pilaf, steamed broccoli

Monday -- Feast of St. Andrew the fisherman
Lunch: grilled cheese and tomato soup
Dinner: Creamy Tuna Tetrazzini, Waldorf Salad, Scottish Shortbread cookies

Tuesday
Lunch: Bagel and cream cheese
Dinner: Turkey Noodles Soup, Cheddar Dill Loaf

Wednesday
Lunch: leftover soup
Dinner: Cheesy Sausage and Egg Bake, Fried Potatoes, Upside Down Apple Muffins

Thursday -- Feast of St. Frances Xavier
Dinner: Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta, Jesuit Brothers' Bread, buttered corn

Friday -- Feast of St. Barbara
Lunch: Tuna Salad Sandwiches
Dinner: Pasta with marinara, bread, Barbarakuchen


* Tried and true
* New to me
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Whew!

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I admit that I am completely whipped, but thankful for family (and friends) and glad that all my dishes turned out well. I followed my time line almost to the letter and dinner was served at exactly 5:30 p.m., just when I had hoped. We have tons of leftovers, so we'll be eating yummy Thanksgiving dinner for days.

My husband took a picture of one of the tables and sent it to me from his phone, so I thought I'd share.

Good night!

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Happy Thanksgiving

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I hope that you enjoy and give thanks for all of your blessings today.




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Autumn Sangria

When I have a large crowd over, I like to have a House cocktail. It saves having a stocked bar, which I don't like to have with lots of teens around -- and almost all of the children in our family are teens now. (You never know when one of them will get a stupid idea.) So I create a House adult beverage (and we always have beer) that, usually, the women enjoy before the meal. In the summer I often make Sangria, either white or red, or another fruity drink.

For Thanksgiving, I wanted to create a Sangria that had a more autumnal or winter taste. I saw a recipe in a magazine recently, but when I went looking for it I could find nothing more than a memory. But that's o.k. Sangria isn't rocket science. I used dried fruits instead of fresh peaches and berries as I would in the summer, because I wanted a heavier taste. And I use a decent bottle of wine (one I would drink), but not something expensive, because it won't taste like it did straight out of the bottle.

Autumn Sangria

1 bottle merlot
1 c. orange juice (a quality orange juice)
1/4 c. honey
6 prunes
1/4 c. raisins and dried cherries -- or another favorite dried fruit
4 cinnamon sticks
1 apple, sliced
apples, oranges, sliced (optional decoration)
ginger ale

Combine wine with juice, honey, fruit and cinnamon sticks. Refrigerate, covered, at least 8 hours, as long as a few days. Strain liquid into a pitcher and add more apple and orange slices if desired -- it's really just decoration. Serve over ice (or straight up if you like) with a splash of ice cold ginger ale.

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Another Chocolate Lovers Cake

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Here is another variation on my Chocolate Lovers Cake. We celebrated my husband's birthday with our parents over the weekend and he requested chocolate cake and chocolate icing. I made a variation of this cake, with his favorite candy on top. He is a lover of Peppermint Patties, so I used M&Ms new premium mint candies around the top and bottom, and chopped Peppermint Patties for the top. The inside was still just chocolate cake, but the exterior had a fresh, minty flavor!




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Thanksgiving Week: To Do List

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Monday

* Clean silver
* Check linens/wash and iron if necessary
* Sweep and dust all rooms
* Shop for groceries, wine, candles
* Make Spicy Nuts
* Make table decorations


Tuesday

* Make Cranberry Sauce
and Cranberry Relish
* Clean bathrooms
* Mop floors/clean baseboards
* Make chocolate pilgrim hats
* Make Autumn Sangria


Wednesday

* Bake rolls (halfway -- finish just before dinner)
* Bake Pumpkin Corn Bread; wrap tightly with plastic wrap
* Wash fruit for cheese tray
* Make rosemary butter for the turkey
* Set dining room table
* In the evening: make mashed potatoes; place in crock pot crock and refrigerate


Thursday

8 a.m.
Bake Apple Crumble Pie

9 a.m.
* Set aside dishes for kitchen table
* Set out all serving dishes and utensils

10 a.m.:
* Wash turkey and let sit at room temp for an hour or so
(here is the USDA's web site for roasting timetable)
* Make Sausage Stuffing; refrigerate
(Chop extra onion for green beans)

10:30 a.m.:
* Rub rosemary butter under turkey skin
* Stuff turkey with onion and celery and rosemary
* Truss turkey and place in roasting pan
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees
* Peel sweet potatoes and start them boiling

11 a.m.:
* Place turkey in 400 degree oven
* Place neck and giblets in pan of water on stove-top on low heat; season
* Make Sweet Potato Souffle; refrigerate

11:30 a.m.:
* Turn oven down to 325 degrees
* Fry bacon for corn and green beans; reserve grease
* Make vinegar/sugar mixture for green beans

noon:
* Take green beans out of freezer to thaw
* Slice cabbage for beans; refrigerate
* Take corn out of freezer to thaw

2 p.m.:
* Place crock pot crock filled with potatoes in base and turn to low. Top with milk/butter mixture; cover

3 p.m.:
* Set cheese out at room temp.
* Place turkey legs in pan and season
(I roast extra legs because two is never enough)

3:30 p.m.
* Place turkey legs in the oven
* Remove stuffing from refrigerator to sit at room temp.
* Place butter in butter dishes on tables
* Fill ice bucket

4 p.m.:
* Serve cheese and fruit
* Serve spicy nuts

4:30 p.m.:
* Remove turkey from oven
* Turn oven up to 350 degrees and put stuffing, sweet potatoes in oven
* Chop giblets and make gravy

5 p.m.:
* Make green beans; keep warm
* Make corn; keep warm
* Slice pumpkin Pumpkin corn bread and place in basket
* Fill water glasses
* Light candles
* Place wine bottles on tables

5:15 p.m.
* Put rolls in oven
* Carve turkey
* Serve

Eat.
Work for a week and eat it in 20 minutes! The things we do for love.

Can you think of anything I missed?


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