Baked Cream Corn with Red Bell Peppers & Jalapenos

This recipe comes from the Food Network. I made it alongside some skirt steak for Labor Day weekend and it was a HUGE hit!!!! This was not as rich as one might think and was absolutely perfect! I will definitely be making it for many years to come as it could not be easier. And it's certainly special enough for a holiday side. 

8 ears corn, husked
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 jalapeno peppers diced
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp salt
Pepper
½ to 1 stick salted butter, cut into pieces
 

Preheat over to 350. Slice the corn kernels from the ear in a large bowl. Add peppers, heavy cream, salt, a generous amount of pepper and butter. Mix well. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 45-55 minutes. I like to put under broiler for just a couple minutes at the end to brown it a bit.

 

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes

Cooking spray for crockpot

4 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1/4 c melted butter

2 c brown sugar

1/4 c water

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

Pinch kosher salt

1 1/2 c marshmallows

1/2 c pecans roughly chopped

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Place sweet potatoes in slow cooker. In a medium bowl, combine butter, sugar, water, cinnamon, vanilla and pinch of salt. Whisk to combine. Pour over potatoes and toss until they are fully coated. Cook on high for 4 hours. Remove top and top with marshmallows and pecans. Reduce heat to low and cover until marshmallows are melted. Serve. 

Make Ahead Gravy for Thanksgiving

I do not like to make gravy after the turkey is done. There is too much going on with guests & getting other things ready. So I started making my gravy prior to the big day & freezing it. Then, on the day of, I can freshen it up with fresh turkey drippings & just warm through.

Courtesy of All Recipes:

6 turkey wings

2 medium onions

Salt, pepper, salt free garlic & herb seasoning 

1 c water

8 c chicken broth

1 cup chopped carrot

1 tsp thyme

3/4 c all purpose flour

2 tbsp butter

Gravy Master

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Arrange a single layer of turkey wings in a large roasting pan. Scatter the onions over the top of the wings. Season with salt, pepper & salt free garlic & herb seasoning or whatever you'd like. Roast in the preheated oven for 1-1/4 hours or until wings are browned.

Place browned wings & onions in a 5 quart stockpot. Add water to roasting pan and stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour the water from the pan into the stockpot. Stir in 6 cups broth, carrot and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 1-1/2 hours.

Remove wings from the pot and place on a cutting board. When the wings are cool, pull off the skin and meat. Discard the skin and save the meat for another use. Strain contents of stockpot through a large strainer into a 3 quart saucepan. Press on the vegetables to extract any remaining liquid. Discard the vegetables and skim the fat off the liquid. Bring the contents of the pot to a gentle boil.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour into the remaining 2 cups chicken broth until smooth. Gradually whisk the flour mixture into the simmering turkey broth; simmer 3-4 minutes or until the gravy has thickened. I also like to add Gravy Master to darken the gravy to a nice deeper brown. Stir in the butter and pepper. This is where I keep tasting and make any adjustments needed. I like to let it cool down and taste again to see if the flavors are melding. Serve immediately or pour into containers and refrigerate or freeze until the big day. Defrost in fridge night before Thanksgiving.