This recipe from a woman who was large in my life, my husband’s aunt whom we all lovingly referred to as “Aunt Maggie,” is only one of her recipes that has become a staple in our annual holiday celebrations: Sweet Potato Casserole. I guess we all have our family hand-me-down recipes for sweet potato casserole. This is mine.
We have Melinda Stokes Allanson’s Greek Chicken Salad. It looks wonderfully refreshing and change of pace. This is from our friends in Punta Gorda’s book, A Taste of Heaven.
Southern Living’s All Time Favorites 2009 Southern Sausage-Rice Dressing uses Basic Cornbread, which recipe is included below.
This is the time of year we start preparing yummy edibles for all the people we love to pamper. (I include myself in that group!) I think Magic Cookie Bars are terrific. The recipe is printed on the Aldi Company’s Baker’s Corner Sweetened Condensed Milk can. This is one of those recipes kids (and adults) love that they can do in the kitchen together. Kids are great at making crumbs from graham crackers. And they can measure ingredients. They may need a little help, but it can be fun to do together.
We found Linda Insley’s Gingersnaps in The Jones-Morris Family Treasury. Gingersnaps are so good with coffee. And milk, of course, for the younger set.
AUNT MAGGIE’S
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
from Maggie Roland’s
index card recipes
Sweet potatoes, 4 or 5, cut up, boiled and mashed (enough to make 4-1/2 cups)
1 cup milk
4 eggs
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup white sugar
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup butter
Topping:
2 cups pecans, chopped
1/2 cup butter
1-1/4 cup brown sugar
1-1/4 cup flour
Crumble up together and sprinkle mixture over sweet potato mixture
Boil and mash sweet potatoes. Mix together. Add milk, eggs, lemon juice, spices, sugar, coconut, and melted butter, mixing as you go. Pour into casserole dish. Sprinkle topping mixture over sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees until straw comes out clean, maybe 45 minutes or longer.
MELINDA STOKES ALLANSON’S GREEK CHICKEN SALAD
Recipe from First
Presbyterian Church of
Punta Gorda’s
A Taste of Heaven
3 cups cooked chicken, cubed (about three breasts)
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1-1/4 cups Feta cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup (or 1 can) black olives, sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, snipped
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3 cloves garlic (or to taste)
Lettuce
Combine chicken, cucumber, Feta, olives and parsley. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, yogurt, oregano and crushed garlic. Use much less garlic if salad will stand more than a couple of hours before serving. Add to chicken mixture. Toss to coat. Cover and chill. Serve over lettuce. Also very good over toasted French rolls.
SOUTHERN SAUSAGE-RICE DRESSING
SOUTHERN LIVING’S
ALL TIME FAVORITES, 2009
2 garlic bulbs
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups cooked rice
1 recipe Basic Cornbread,
crumbled
1 16-ounce package ground pork sausage
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium-size red or green bell pepper, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 to 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1) Cut off pointed end of garlic bulbs; place garlic on a piece of aluminum foil, and drizzle with olive oil. Fold foil to seal. 2) Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes; cool. Squeeze pulp from garlic cloves into a large bowl. Add rice and cornbread. 3) Cook sausage in a large skilled over medium heat, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink; drain sausage on paper towels, and wipe skillet clean. 4) Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and carrot, and sauté 3 minutes or until tender. 5) Stir sausage, vegetables, parsley, and next 4 ingredients into rice mixture. Add broth; stir to moisten. Spoon into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Cover and chill 8 hours, if desired; remove from refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. 6) Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Makes 12 servings.
BASIC CORNBREAD
SOUTHERN LIVING’S
ALL TIME FAVORITES, 2009
2 cups buttermilk self-rising
white cornmeal mix
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1) Heat a well-greased ovenproof skillet at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. 2) Stir together all ingredients in a bowl. Pour batter into hot skillet. 3) Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 1 9-inch cornbread, about 5 cups crumbled. Makes 6 servings.
MAGIC COOKIE BARS
Recipe from BAKER’S CORNER SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1-2/3 cup Baker’s Corner
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in 8-inch square pan, heat in oven until melted. Combine brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs in a bowl and sprinkle evenly over melted butter. In layers, add chocolate chips, coconut and pecans. Put sweetened condensed milk over top. Bake 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
LINDA INSLEY’S
GINGERSNAPS
THE JONES-MORRIS FAMILY TREASURY
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2-1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Cream together first 4 ingredients until fluffy. Sift dry ingredients together. Stir into molasses mixture. Form into balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees about 10 minutes.
