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Carefree
Holiday Cooking

Beef Brisket With Mushrooms and Pearl Onions
Winter Peanut Snack Mix
Cheddar & Bacon Smashed Potatoes
Pumpkin Roll With Crunchy Peanut Butter Cream
Hearty Potato Soup With Caramelized Root Vegetables
Citrus Cream Canoli
(Family Features) - Making your holiday to-do list? Planning holiday meals your
friends and family will love should be an enjoyable and stress-free
task. A few time-saving tips will help you make the most out
of your time in the kitchen and leave your guests satisfied.
- Updating a holiday menu can be easy to do with a few touches to
family favorites. For a crowd-pleasing dish, put a new twist on
mashed potatoes with cheddar and bacon. Keep mashed potato flakes
on hand to thicken soups.
- Stock up on ingredients that can be used in several recipes.
Pantry staples, such as peanut butter and jelly, have a variety
of uses beyond sandwiches. Use grape jelly as a glaze for meats,
or spice up a traditional holiday dessert, such as cannolis with
orange marmalade.
- Choose one or two dishes that can be made a day ahead, such as
appetizers or snacks and soups. The fresh roasted taste of peanut
butter, added to a simple snack mix, is sure to please both kids
and adults. Most soups and sauces can also be made the day
before, giving ingredients time to blend flavors.
For more delicious meal ideas and cooking tips, visit
www.smuckers.com, www.hungryjack.com and www.jif.com.
Beef Brisket With Mushrooms and Pearl Onions
4 pounds beef brisket
1 (1-ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 (10.25-ounce) jar Smucker's Low Sugar Grape Jelly
1 (12-ounce) jar Crosse & Blackwell Seafood Cocktail Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 (6-ounce) package fresh sliced mushrooms
1 (16-ounce) package frozen white pearl onions, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
Crisco No-Stick Cooking Spray
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil in
shallow roasting pan with foil extending 6 inches beyond pan on
either side. Spray with no-stick cooking spray. Place brisket fat-
side down in middle of foil.
Combine dry onion soup mix with jelly and cocktail sauce in
medium bowl. Pour half of mixture over brisket; turn brisket fat-
side up, covering with remaining onion mixture. Bring both sides
of foil to middle and fold foil down on itself several times.
Repeat with two remaining sides. Bake 3 hours or until fork-
tender. Remove from oven. (Brisket can be cooled and held in
refrigerator overnight at this point.)
In 10-inch skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter; sauté mushrooms and
onions 5 to 8 minutes or until light golden brown.
Remove brisket from pan; pour off juices, skimming fat off top.
Remove layer of fat from brisket. Slice meat across grain into
thin slices. Return meat to roaster. Top meat with mushroom
mixture, meat juices and tarragon. Cover with foil. Return to
oven to heat through before serving.
Makes 8 servings
Winter Peanut Snack Mix
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Jif Creamy Peanut Butter & Honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups toasted rice and corn cereal with honey and nuts
1 cup honey roasted peanuts
1 cup pretzels (like midgets or snaps)
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
1 (6-ounce) package dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine butter, peanut butter, vanilla and
cinnamon in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100 percent
power) 35 to 45 seconds; stir until well blended. Combine cereal,
peanuts, pretzels, sunflower kernels and cranberries in large
bowl. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture; toss well to coat.
Line sheet pan with foil; spread mixture evenly across pan. Bake
8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally; cool. Store in resealable
plastic bag.
Makes about 6 cups
Cheddar & Bacon Smashed Potatoes
2-1/2 cups water
5 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream, half-and-half or milk
1 (4.9-ounce) package Hungry Jack Cheddar & Bacon Potatoes
2 cups Hungry Jack Mashed Potato Flakes
1/3 cup crumbled crisply cooked bacon (4 slices), if desired
Combine water, butter, salt, heavy cream, sauce mix and potato
slices in 3-quart saucepan; stir. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to
low and cover. Simmer 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or
until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat. Add potato flakes
and additional bacon, if desired. Stir just until potato flakes
are incorporated.
Makes 5 cups or 10 (1/2 cup) servings
Variation: For added zip, stir in 2 tablespoons pure horseradish
with potato flakes.
Pumpkin Roll With Crunchy Peanut Butter Cream
Cake:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup Pillsbury BEST All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup Jif Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter
1 teaspoon almond extract
Topping:
Smucker's Caramel Sundae Syrup
3 tablespoons cocktail peanuts, chopped
Cake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Sift powdered sugar generously over
12 x 17-inch area of clean kitchen towel. Grease 15 x 10 x 1-inch
jelly-roll pan. Line pan with waxed paper. Grease and flour waxed
paper. Combine pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and
flour in small bowl. Beat eggs in mixing bowl with electric
mixer; gradually beat in sugar and pumpkin, scraping bowl between
additions. Add flour mixture. Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake
10 to 13 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out
clean. Immediately loosen cake around edges and invert cake onto
prepared towel. Carefully remove paper. Roll cake, beginning at
narrow end. Cool on wire rack 45 minutes.
Filling: Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and
extract in medium bowl until well combined. Unroll cake; spread
peanut butter cream evenly to edges of cake. Re-roll cake; wrap
in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours before serving.
Topping: Drizzle with caramel syrup and chopped peanuts.
Makes 10 servings
Hearty Potato Soup With Caramelized Root Vegetables
4 slices smoked bacon
2 tablespoons Crisco vegetable oil
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 leeks, cleaned and sliced (white and pale green parts only)
2 stalks celery, cleaned and sliced
2 parsnips, cleaned and sliced
2 medium carrots, cleaned and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14-ounce) cans chicken stock
3 cups half-and-half or milk
2 cups Hungry Jack Mashed Potato Flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Cook bacon in 4-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until
crispy. Remove cooked bacon. Cool and crumble. Set aside. Add
oil, onions, leeks, celery, parsnips and carrots to bacon
drippings in pan. Reduce heat to medium, cooking slowly, about 25
minutes or until vegetables begin to brown lightly. Add garlic;
cook 5 minutes more. Add chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce
heat to medium; stir in half-and-half, mashed potato flakes,
thyme, salt, pepper, parsley and reserved bacon. Warm through and
serve.
Makes 8 servings
Citrus Cream Cannoli
1/3 cup Smucker's Sweet Orange Marmalade
1 (15-ounce) carton ricotta cheese, drained
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash cinnamon
14 to 18 purchased cannoli shells
Mini chocolate chips, holiday jimmies or decors, for garnish
Additional powdered sugar
Combine marmalade, ricotta, powdered sugar, orange zest, vanilla
and cinnamon in medium bowl. Spoon mixture into pastry bag
without tip or resealable bag with one corner cut off. Pipe into
shells. Chill at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. Garnish with
mini chocolate chips, holiday jimmies or decors. Arrange on
platter; sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
Makes 14 to 18
Note: Cannoli shells are available in your grocer's cookie aisle
or at Italian specialty shops.
SOURCE: J.M. Smucker's Products
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