Gearing up for the holidays with family recipes

Ten days until Thanksgiving. It is so hard to believe that we are so close to the end of 2021. I hope everyone is gearing up to having some wonderful family fun and a chance to enjoy the holidays with family and friends. I know I am looking forward to making some new memories with my family. It has been a long year and I am ready to unwind and just enjoy life. If you would like to contribute any holiday recipes, please mail them to Firelands Farmer at P.O. Box 146, New London, OH 44851 or email them to firelandsfarmer@ sdgnewsgroup.com. I look forward to trying out the recipes sent to me.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 22 mins

Total: 37 mins Ingredients:

12-ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries

1 cup sugar plus some extra to add when done Orange or lemon zest 2 tablespoons water Salt and pepper Directions:

Empty a 12-ounce bag of fresh or frozen cranberries into a saucepan and transfer 1/2 cup to a small bowl. Add 1 cup sugar, 1 strip orange or lemon zest and 2 tablespoons water to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries are soft, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the cranberries burst, about 12 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the reserved cranberries. Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Green Bean Casserole Prep: 25 mins

Cook: 45 mins

Total: 1 hr. 10 mins Makes 4 to 6 servings Ingredients:

For the topping: 2 medium onions, thinly sliced

¼ cup flour

2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon kosher salt Nonstick cooking spray For beans and sauce: 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1-pound fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and halved

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

12 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup chicken broth 1 cup half-and-half Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Combine the onions, flour, panko, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Toss to combine. Coat

all-purpose

allpurpose sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray. Evenly spread onions on pan. Place pan on the middle rack of oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss onions 2 to 3 times during cooking. Once done, remove from oven and set aside until ready to use. Turn oven down to 400 degrees F.

While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans. Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

Melt butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in ¼ of the onions and all the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approx. 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Macaroni and Cheese Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 40 mins

Total: 55 mins

Makes 6 servings Ingredients:

4 cups dried macaroni 1 whole egg

½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter

¼ cup flour

2 ½ cups whole milk 2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard (more if desired)

1-pound sharp Cheddar, grated (not pre-grated cheese), plus more for baking

Salt

Seasoned salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Optional spices: cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme

Toppings:

1 pound thick-cut peppered bacon

3 yellow onions, halved and sliced

3 tablespoons butter 8 ounces gorgonzola Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the macaroni until still slightly firm. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, beat the egg. In a large pot, melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook for a couple of minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn. Pour

all-purpose in the milk, add the mustard and whisk until smooth. Cook until very thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Take ¼ cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs. Whisk together until smooth. Pour the egg into the sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. Add in the cheese and stir to melt. Add ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon seasoned salt and pepper. Add any additional spices if desired. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed DO NOT UNDERSALT.

Pour in the drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake until bubbly and golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

Toppings:

Fry the bacon in a skillet over mediumhigh heat until slightly crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and cut into bite-size pieces.

In a separate pan, cook the onions in the butter over a low heat until caramelized, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Use a fork to crumble the gorgonzola.

Put the bacon, caramelized onions and crumbled gorgonzola into separate bowls. Serve as delicious toppings for the macaroni and cheese.