Apple Pie

I can't remember if I've mentioned it before, but I'm terrified of making pie.  TERRIFIED.  Until this year, I've made pie three times, and each time it's gone poorly.

Pie #1: Pecan Pie
About a month into our marriage, the husband started a new phase in his career.  In order to celebrate this milestone, I decided to bake him a pie.  Pecan pie.  It took me two days to bake the stupid thing.  I had to buy the ingredients.  Make the dough.  Chill the dough.  Roll the dough.  Freeze the dough.  Par bake the crust.  Fill the crust.  Bake the pie.  Let it cool.  When I fiiiiinally served the pecan pie to the husband, he didn't want any.  He didn't like pecan pie, he told me.  (Side note: if your significant other ever spends two days baking you a pie, EAT IT.  If it's your least favorite food in the world, eat it anyway.  If you're deathly allergic to the pie, at least offer to eat it.)  After all that effort, I couldn't let the pie go to waste.  It took me a few days, but I ate the whole doggone thing.  Although it tasted pretty delicious, my feelings were hurt.  I vowed never to make pie again.

Pie #2: Pumpkin Praline Pie
For Thanksgiving 2007 I decided to make my Aunt Joanne's famous pumpkin praline pie.  After the pecan pie situation, I wimped out and bought the crust.  I was nervous that the top would crack and look like the Grand Canyon, but it wasn't too bad!  And it tasted divine.  You're wondering what went wrong with pie #2?  Well, the husband wouldn't eat it.  Apparently, he doesn't like pumpkin pie either.  As you might have guessed, that went over poorly.  I was finished with pie for good.

Pie #3: Apple Pie
By the time Thanksgiving 2008 rolled around, I should have learned my lesson.  And I did...sort of.  This time, I asked the husband what kind of pie he wanted before I started baking.  Apple pie, he said, and he even had a recipe from a friend!  Phew.  No more fights related to his taste buds.  So, I made the specific pie requested by the husband.  The recipe seemed a little suspect, but this was what the man wanted, so I kept on.  Well, I should have listened to my gut on this one.  The pie tasted terrible.  Absolutely awful.  The husband tried the pie, declared it inedible, and took all the blame for the bad recipe.  He's a very smart man.  I declared that I was never making another pie.  Ever.  Seriously this time.

Being the eternal optimist, I decided to give it one more shot this Thanksgiving.  And I am proud to report, in the year of our Lord 2010, on the 25th day of November, I conquered pie.  It took both my mom's and my dad's help, but I DID IT!!!  I baked a fan-freakin'-tastic apple pie.  Ok, I might be overstating it slightly, but it was tasty.

The moral of the story?  Don't let fear keep you out of the kitchen.  It's not always easy, but it's worth it.

Apple Pie      
This recipe is from allrecipes.com.  It's called "Apple Pie by Grandma Ople."  Cute, huh?
Serves: 8

1 recipe for a 9" double crust pie (on my friend, Jen's, recommendation, I used this recipe from Martha Stewart.)
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg white, lightly beaten
8 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced very thin

Adjust an oven rack so it's in the lower third of the oven.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place it on the rack.  Preheat oven (with the baking sheet in it) to 425 degrees.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir flour into butter to form a paste.  Cook for 1-2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste.  Add water, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in vanilla.




Set aside about a quarter of the butter-sugar mixture and stir the rest into the apples.






Meanwhile, place the bottom crust in a 9" pie plate.  Brush the bottom crust with egg white to help prevent it from getting soggy.  Fill crust with the apples.  Cover with the top crust.  Crimp the edges and cut decorative slits into the top crust.  Use a pastry brush to brush the reserved butter-sugar mixture over the top crust.  (If the mixture has cooled and thickened, just warm it up in the microwave until it's liquid again.)  



Place pie on the preheated baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Lower the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 35-45 minutes, until the apples are soft.  Let the pie cool before serving so the filling has a chance to firm up.

Fresh Apple Pie

I grew up close to an orchard and apple pie is one of the first things I learned how to bake. For years I would make the crust from scratch, using a big bowl and two knives to incorporate the butter into flour.

Discovering the pastry cutter in my early 20s was a major breakthrough. After I got married, a friend told me about using a food processor to slice the apples. Game changer! I once packed that kitchen gadget and drove it from Cincinnati to my parents house in New York just to make Thanksgiving pie baking easier.

This year I've been experimenting with prepping dough in the food processor, too. I recommend it for saving time and less mess. I also discovered (thanks to Ina Garten) that adding shortening to the dough recipe makes the dough  easier to work with.

After a recent visit to our local apple orchard here in Illinois, my boys were craving apple pie and my husband needed a treat for an office party. So I put the food processor to work. I had two pies in the oven in a little more than an hour.

Another secret to perfect pie: use a variety of apples. You need at least 2-3 Granny Smith, then use your favorites. Fuji, Honeycrisp, Macintosh and Jonagold hold up well, as does Sweet Tango, which I just discovered.

If you're a novice, don't be afraid of making pie. It's a great way to get the whole family in the kitchen.

If you end up with extra apple filling and enough dough scraps, let your kids make small hand pies or cook the apples in a saucepan for some apple sauce.

Mangia! Mangia!

Andrea

Fresh Apple Pie

For the crust:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

3 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup chilled vegetable shortening

1/2 cup ice water

Egg wash (1 egg whisked together with 1 tablespoon water)

1-2 teaspoons coarse sugar

For the filling:

4-5 pounds of mixed apples, peeled, cored, quartered and thinly sliced by hand or with food processor

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks

*One note: I tend to just eyeball the apples and spices, tasting as I go. I also pile the apples high in the pie plate. So feel free to make your own adjustments.

To make the crust, set up your food processor with the steel blade. Add flour, salt and sugar to the processor bowl and pulse to combine. Add butter and shortening and pulse until the butter is the size of small pebbles, about 12 times.

With the food processor running, pour in the cold water until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a floured counter and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate while you make the filling.

To make the filling, thinly slice apples by hand or set up your food processor with the larger slicing disk. Place each apple quarter into feeder shoot and let the food processor do the work. Place apples into a large bowl.

Add sugar, flour, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix to combine so that all the apples are coated in the spices. Add more spices if you think it needs it, or if you used more apples. Set aside.

Grab dough from fridge. Lightly flour (1-2 tablespoons) a counter. Cut dough ball in half. Gently roll out one half of dough into a roughly 10-inch circle. Carefully fold in half and place into pie plate. Unfold and press dough into pie plate. Let extra dough hang over the edge, then trim it so that 1/2 inch or less hangs over.

Brush the edge of the bottom crust with egg wash. This will help the top crust stick to it.

Fill pie crust with apple filling. Arrange apples in a mound slightly higher in the center. Dot with butter chunks.

Roll out the rest of the dough to make the top crust. Place dough on top of filling. Trim off excess dough. Press together edges of dough. Crimp with fingers or a fork.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Cut a few 1-inch slits in top crust to allow steam to escape during baking.

Place a sheet pan lined with parchment on a lower rack in the oven, to catch any drippings from the pie.

Place pie on a middle or upper middle rack in the oven. Bake for about an hour, until the crust is brown and the juices of the pie are bubbling. If crust is browning too fast, cover loosely with foil.

When done, remove and let cool before serving. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream. Refrigerate leftovers.

My kids devoured half the pie before I could take a pretty photo!

Apple Crisp

A trip to the apple orchard here in Central Illinois is one of my family's fall traditions. It gives us a chance to go out into open country and appreciate nature a little more.

My boys and any friends who come along love running down the rows of apple trees and seeing who can pick the fruit highest up the tree. The kids usually eat their weight in apples before we're done filling up our bags — it's all part of the experience. 

We pick more apples than we need. At home, we make at least one apple pie before we switch over to apple crisp.

This year, Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples were ready when we went picking. I've never used either in baking and am surprised at how well these apples melt down while keeping some firmness.

When it comes to making the crisp topping, I'm not a purist. With this dessert, I added some shredded coconut and chopped nuts, just because I had a small amount of each taking up space in the pantry. When you're mixing things up with brown sugar, cinnamon and butter, it's bound to taste delicious.

Mangia! Mangia!

Andrea

Apple Crisp

4 cups apples, peeled and sliced (A mixture works best. Add a Granny Smith for tartness.)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup flour (white or whole wheat)
1/8 cup to 1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/8 cup to 1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger or ground cloves
1/2 cup butter, softened

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray. Place apples in pan to evenly cover the bottom. (If you double the recipe, use a 9 x 13 inch pan.)

In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger (or cloves.) Place butter in bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two butter knives, blend butter into dry ingredients until crumbs form.

Generously sprinkle crisp topping over apples to cover. (You might have some topping left over. Save it in the fridge or freezer to use on oatmeal.)

Place on the middle rack in your oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the topping is browned and the apples are bubbly.

Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

My boys Max and Sam and their friend John goof around after picking apples.

Haute Dinner

The lovely ladies over at Haute Apple Pie invited me to bring a dish to pass at their Virtual Thanksgiving Potluck. And what's a party if you can't bring a friend? Come on over and join me today at Haute Apple Pie.

Baby Greens, Apple & Onion Salad

I'm a big fan of salads. My typical lunch is usually chicken and baby greens topped with dried cranberries, goat or feta cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. But things have changed.

Two weeks before Christmas, when I was stretched thin and looking for fast and easy foods to put on the dinner table, I found this salad. It quickly became my new favorite (I had it for lunch again yesterday) and I know I'll be eating this often as I try to detox after the holidays. I’ve already memorized the recipe.

The dressing whips up in 5 minutes. The taste is such a great combo of sweet and tart that I don't even miss the cranberries and cheese. 

This simple salad goes nicely with a festive meal, too. I made this for Christmas at my mother-in-law's house. To keep things stress-free and simple, she ordered a catered holiday turkey dinner from Kroger. Despite the pre-cooked bird needing more time in the oven than we anticipated, the food was delicious and we were able to spend more time with each other rather than in the kitchen.

When we got to dessert (my sister-in-law whipped up a lemon meringue pie and I baked a Brownie Pudding Cake) I was pretty glad we had added the salad! 

If you need something green to go along with a New Year’s meal or you are craving a healthy and light main dish, give this salad a try. Add some cooked chicken or turkey and dinner is served.

Happy New Year and Mangia! Mangia!

--Andrea

Baby Greens, Apple & Onion Salad

Inspired by Rachel Ray

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon grain or brown mustard

1 tablespoon honey

16 ounces salad greens (baby spinach, spring greens or a mixture)

1 large apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (Golden Delicious or Fuji works well)

¼ red onion, thinly sliced

Ground pepper to taste

Place oil, vinegar, mustard and honey in a small jar or plastic container. Cover tightly with a lid and shake until well blended. 

Place greens, apple and onion in a large bowl. Pour dressing over greens and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Here's the salad brightening up our Christmas dinner.

2015 Holiday Gift Guide: Kitchen Equipment

Today's memo to Santa includes our favorite kitchen equipment. (BTW, in case you missed our previous installments, we have you covered on cookbooks and kitchen gadgets, too.)

Let's get cooking...er, shopping!
Erin, Amy, and Andrea

Disclaimer: These ideas are solely the opinions of your favorite bringers of hot dinner. No companies or manufacturers asked us to provide reviews or compensated us for writing about their products.

Erin's Favorites:

Immersion Blender: This handy tool makes pureed soups a whiz. Before I had an immersion blender, I had a bit of an incident pureeing hot soup in a regular blender. Let's just say I was cleaning soup from under the cupboards for years. Now my soup prep is mess-free. Use it to make Curried Butternut Squash Soup, a Berry Smoothie, or even baby food. --Erin

Le Creuset Dutch Oven: The husband bought me a 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset dutch oven several years ago, and it's one of my all-time favorite pots. Perfect for making Beef Stew, Pot Roast, or Andrea's Cincinnati Chili. If I had to choose one pot or pan to use for the rest of my life, this would be it. --Erin

Amy's Favorites:



Cuisinart PerfecTemp Stainless Steel Steel Cordless Electric Kettle: Last year, I had to give up coffee for health reasons. I switched to tea and this electric kettle helped me through those dark java-free mornings. It heats up water super fast, doesn't take up space on your stove top and has an automatic shut-off. Plus, there are settings for different kinds of tea -- black, white, green, oolong and delicate. There's even a French press setting for you coffee drinkers. --Amy





Instant Pot 7-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker, 6 QT: I buy myself a lot of cooking gifts and last year this was one of them. Totally worth it. In fact, for a while I  was saying I was cheating on my slow cooker with my pressure cooker. Truth is, I couldn't feed my family on the regular without both handy appliances. This model is easy to use and cleans up like a dream. See our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide post on cookbooks for a pressure cooker cookbook recommendation. As for what to make in yours, check out my Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle  Soup, Midwestern Vegetable-Beef Soup and Shrimp Curry Under Pressure. --Amy



Vitamix Professional Series 500: I'm not sure what I could write to convince you go pay upwards of $500 on a blender. It makes no sense except it does. It beats paying $200 on a blender that you will never use. The Vitamix -- the one with programmable settings for smoothies, hot soups and frozen desserts -- is a fine machine. I'm sure we will have it years; it comes with a seven-year warranty. For the first year and a half or so, I used my Vitamix daily for smoothies for me and my husband and then we tired of smoothies every single day. I still use it a lot for smoothies. I also use it when I need to emulsify ingredients -- i.e. recently for a mole chicken chili. I have also used it to make banana ice cream. (Note to self: post smoothie and banana ice cream recipes to this blog.) Next year, I want to make more nut-based vegan creams and for that the powerful Vitamix is super handy because you don't have to soak the nuts in advance. --Amy

Andrea's Favorites: 

Cuisinart Pro Custom 11-Cup Food Processor: The more I cook, the more uses I find for my food processor. The tool makes so many preparations so much easier. I love using it to slice apples for Apple Crisp or Apple Pie. The list is endless. For those who love to cook, a food processor does it all, from chopping, slicing and grating to mixing and blending. I use mine to make everything from Triple Almond Chocolate Banana Pudding to Green Rice. --Andrea

Crock-Pot Programmable Touchscreen 6.5 Quart Slow Cooker: Thanks to the Slow Cooker Revolution cookbooks from America's Test Kitchen, I'm using my Crock Pot more than ever before. This model works beautifully and I like the digital count down for tracking the cooking time. The most recent meal I made in my slow cooker was Erin's Beer Braised Pot Roast. It's also great for Pork Tomatillo-Verde Tacos and Thai Peanut Pork. --Andrea

Ninja Professional Blender: This model offers 3-way speed control and a single serve blade. It comes with two single serve cups which are perfect for whipping up smoothies. The Ninja does a great job chopping fruit and veggies. It's perfect for emulsifying Berry Vinaigrette and Thai Dressing. And it's the next best thing to an immersion blender when you need to finish off Butternut Squash Soup. --Andrea

Leftovers

As I'm writing this post, I'm thinking to myself, "What should I do with all of those Thanksgiving leftovers?" Hmm...

I could use mashed potatoes to top a delicious Shepherd's Pie.

Cranberry sauce is the perfect condiment for a Turkey Sandwich with Cream Cheese and Cranberry Sauce.

Since I have a pile of poultry in my fridge, I could use some to make Baked Chicken Chimichangas. Chicken, turkey...same difference when it's layered with delicious cheese and baked in a crispy tortilla.

Now I'm inspired. I think I'm going to go make dinner. Or maybe I'll just eat another slice of Apple Pie and call it a night.

Amy's 2015 Christmas Menu

It's late on December 21. Do you know what you're cooking for Christmas dinner? I thought I'd share my family's favorite Christmas main course: Real Simple's Peppered Roast Beef with Horseradish Sauce.


Photo by Real Simple

This year, I will serve  this roast beef with steamed green beans, Julia Child's Potato Dauphinois (scalloped potatoes) and an apple pie from Tootie Pie Co. in Texas, a delicious gift from a client who is way too good to me.

A word about the main dish. This beef is so good that I regret all the years I wasted serving ham on Christmas. This beef is so good that one year we heard my dad humming as he ate. This sauce with this beef is so good that my mom and mother-in-law have each made it repeatedly. This dish is so good that I don't think hubby would  like me serving anything else on Christmas -- not that I ever plan to.

Another tradition in my family: Christmas crackers -- wherein we pretend we're British (the hubby is good to put up with this) and crack open the traditional favors and don paper crowns. We always snap some pics, exclaiming "Happy Christmas!" just as the Brits do. The kids love it and so do I! To read more about Christmas crackers, click here.

Happy Christmas!

XOXO,
Amy

All-Star Thanksgiving

Today I'm revisiting some Hot Dinner favorites to create an all-star Thanksgiving menu.

Drinks: Make a batch of Spiked Cider and allow your guests to serve themselves. As an added bonus, this libation will perfume your home with the scents of the holidays. And these wine picks from the Lady of the House are certain crowd-pleasers.

Appetizers: Have enough nibbles so your guests don't chew their hands off awaiting the main event, but not enough that they spoil their appetite. These make-ahead hors d'oeuvres are the perfect choice.
Spicy Nuts:

Goat Cheese Spread:

First Course: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is simple, earthy, and delicious with all the flavors of fall. The best part? You can prepare it a few days ahead and warm it up on the stove just before serving.

Main Course: 
Turkey: Brining your bird takes ho-hum poultry to a whole new level.

Mashed Potatoes: Making as many dishes as possible before your guests arrive is key to sanity on Thanksgiving day. Heat these spuds through in the oven before serving.

Roasted Root Vegetables with Honey-Balsamic Glaze: Celebrate the bounty of autumn with gorgeous roasted vegetables.

Stuffing with Sausage, Pecans, and Cranberries: Savory and sweet stuffing pleases every palate.

Cranberry Sauce: This jewel-toned side dish is a compliment to every part of the meal.

Dessert:
Apple Pie: Piled high with fruit and topped with a crisp, flaky, butter crust. This is the pie of your dreams.

Thanksgiving 2012...Are you ready?

Did you hear that Thanksgiving is this Thursday? Yeah. This Thursday. As in three days from now. Good gosh.

There is a chance that my menu isn't finalized yet. I'm still debating how to prepare my turkey. I'm not going to comment on whether or not I purchased pre-made pie crust from the grocery store. And should I make traditional mashed potatoes or add in some cream cheese? At least my sister is in charge of the wine. We can count on good drinks!

If (like me) you're still looking for Thanksgiving inspiration, I hope this list of tried-and-true HDHH favorites helps.

Happy Cooking!

Drinks (By all means...first things first!)
Spiked Cider
Wine Recommendations 

Appetizers
Spiced Nuts
Goat Cheese Spread with Cranberries and Pecans
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (This is more of a first course than an appetizer, but, whatevs.)

The Main Event
Brined and Roasted Turkey Breast
Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing with Sausage, Cranberries, and Pecans
Fall Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts
Cranberry Sauce

Dessert
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Streusel Cake

BONUS! Here's a handy list of Thanksgiving Tips & Tricks to ensure a stress-free Turkey Day.

Hot Dinner Gets Haute

Recently, I hit the kitchen with my friend, Stef, from Haute Apple Pie.  Our mission: whip up a souffle.  

I know what you're thinking, "Souffle?!?!  Sounds scary."  But it's not.  Trust me.  And if you want proof, click here to find out what happens when hot dinner gets haute. 

Meanwhile, enjoy this sneak peak:

Go have fun! It's an order!

I was all set to make chicken and some delightful basil carrots for dinner, and I was planning to share that recipe with you folks today.

But then I got a better offer. Some pals invited us to eat a picnic dinner with them at Jazz in the Park, a summer tradition in Milwaukee.

My little mind started running away with me when we got the invite. What about the carrots? What will I share with the good readers of HDHH? And shouldn't I fold that laundry that's been languishing in my dryer all day? And what will I bring to Jazz in the Park? I don't have time to bake an apple pie after work!

Uh, hello, Erin! Who cares about the carrots?! (If you care, please comment. I'll owe you a serious apology.) The skivvies in the dryer will be there tomorrow, no wrinklier than they are now. And you will bring chips to Jazz in the Park. And no one will judge you for it.

So, the husband and I threw together some quick sandwiches for our picnic in the park. (PB&J for me, leftover chicken and cheese for him.) We rinsed some grapes, snagged a bag of chips, and we were off. And we had a grand time.

This is the lesson I learned for today, and I'm sharing it with you in place of the carrot recipe. Don't take yourself too seriously. And when a friend calls with a better offer for dinner, or your little one asks you to play trucks, take them up on it. You won't regret it.

Thanksgiving Round-Up

The Thanksgiving countdown is on. Today I'm sharing my perfect Thanksgiving menu.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Spiked Cider: Get the party started right with a holiday cocktail. Make a giant batch of Spiked Cider and keep it warm in your slow cooker so guests can help themselves.

Roast Turkey Breast with Gravy: I like to brine the bird to ensure it's moist and delicious. Roasting just the breast is easier and faster than roasting the whole, plus it takes up less room in your fridge and oven.

Mashed Potatoes: Prepare these babies the day before Thanksgiving and then bake them just before dinner.

Stuffing with Sausage & Cranberries: Stuffing is totally my favorite part of Thanksgiving. Salty sausage, crunchy pecans, sweet cranberries...this recipe has it all.

Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon: Maple syrup! Bacon!! I think that's all I need to say about this one.

Cranberry Sauce: I put this Cranberry Sauce on everything. And it's the perfect condiment for a leftover turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving.

Apple Pie: C'mon now. It's a classic.

Gooey Pumpkin Bars: Because one dessert is never enough on Thanksgiving.

Barbecued Beer Bratwurst

I do most of the cooking around here, but there are a few things that fall squarely in the husband's territory. During the summer months, I thank my lucky stars that I'm married to a grill master. Not to brag, but let me brag for just a second. The man I'm married to can grill a perfectly medium-rare steak, a juicy chicken breast, and never loses kabob cubes between the grates. And since we moved to Milwaukee, he picked up on a local specialty and learned to make Barbecued Beer Bratwurst (a.k.a. "Brats.")

Usually he makes traditional pork bratwurst, but sometimes it's nice to lighten things up a bit. When the good folks at Gold'n Plump asked if we wanted to try out their chicken bratwurst, I almost jumped out of my skin with excitement. I absolutely wanted to try them! So, in today's post the husband's grilling Gold'n Plump Parmesan Italian Chicken Sausages. They are absolutely delicious.*

Whether you're making chicken sausages or traditional bratwurst, you can use the same technique described below. Just make sure you're starting with raw meat. I imagine things would get pretty overdone if you used pre-cooked sausages. And no one wants that.

Now, go forth and get grillin'!

Barbecued Beer Bratwurst

2-3 bottles of beer (Whatever's languishing in the back of the fridge.)
2 tablespoons butter
Half an onion, sliced
Raw chicken sausages or bratwurst (We used five here, but the husband has used the same technique to make dozens of bratwurst at once. Just use more beer and a big enough pot to cook them all in.)
Buns (We like to use "brat buns." They might call them sausage buns in your neck of the woods.)
Toppings (grainy mustard, barbecue sauce, ketchup, etc.)

Pour the beer into a large saucepan or pot. Add butter, onion, and sausages. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. (The sausages will not be fully cooked at this point, so don't eat them yet!)

Meanwhile, preheat your grill to medium. Grill par-boiled sausages for about 10 minutes, turning once or twice, until they are cooked through and charred to your liking. Serve sausages on buns with your favorite toppings, including the onions from the cooking liquid if you're so inclined.

*While Gold'n Plump was kind enough to let us try their chicken sausages on the house, these opinions are all mine. And the husband's. And Kelly and Cristoph's, for that matter. We all agreed that these suckers are mighty tasty.

Also...if you're looking for more chicken sausage recipe, my pal, Stef, over at Haute Apple Pie made some fine lookin' Southwestern Chicken Brats a few weeks ago. Check them out here.

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

You guys. Thanksgiving is less than three weeks away. I. Am. So. Excited.

Are you hosting this year? Going to your mom's house? Maybe heading to the neighbors' for Friendsgiving? And the most important question...what are you making for the big day?

This is the first year since 2006 that I'm not hosting Thanksgiving, and I'm pretty psyched to be taking a back seat. It'll be a nice change of pace, especially with the baby and all. Babies aren't conducive to cooking all of the things. I'll be putting all of my Thanksgiving culinary love into the cranberry sauce. And then I'll just enjoy the hard work of my sister-in-law and brother-in-law.

Today's Slow Cooker Turkey Breast is perfect if you're feeding a small group for Thanksgiving. Or if you're not hosting, but you'd still like some turkey to slice for sandwiches the next day. This is easy, set-it-and-forget-it cooking. Plus it frees up your oven for the stuffing, green bean casserole, rolls, apple pie...

Let's get cooking!
Erin

P.S. Like the idea of a turkey breast, but looking for a more traditionally cooked bird? Look no further! Check out this recipe for a brined and oven-roasted turkey breast.

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

6-7 pound bone-in, skin-on turkey breast
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
3 carrots, peeled and cut into big chunks
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Sprinkle salt and poultry seasoning evenly over turkey breast. Place onion, carrots, and bay leaves on the bottom of the slow cooker and pour the broth on top of the vegetables. Top with turkey.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours, until turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Allow turkey to rest for 10 minutes. The skin gets a little soggy, so I recommend removing it before slicing and serving the turkey.