Cookn' with the Pastor

Had a wonderful time preparing Thanksgiving Dinner for 16 family members up in the Bluegrass.

Welcome - Sparklers (Iced Smirnoff Cranberry and Lime/7 Up/Pineapple sorbet on top)

Hors D'oeuvres - Pate, Cream Cheese with Raspberry Chipotle, Brie en croute (brie topped with crushed walnuts and brown sugar, wrapped in puff pastry, and baked), Goat cheese roll smothered in crushed walnuts and cranberries. Various Crackers and Breads.

Starter - Lobster Bisque with French breads for dipping.

Entres - Turkey Tejas with Kentucky Bourbon Cranberry Sauce, Sausage and Sage stuffing, Mashed Potato en croute*, harvest sprouts (brussel sprouts with bacon, feta, and bleu cheese), maple bacon wrapped green beans, sweet potatoes, glazed ham, scratch chive and brie biscuits.

Dessert - Paducah Pumpkin and Pecan Pies, topped with Spiked Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce (Yes, I made the caramel sauce too).


Assorted wines.

Yep, that was filling!


Next day, I prepared a leftover sandwich special -

Triple Decker Noggers:

Three stacked pieces of sourdough bread (trim off the crust) with ham, turkey, swiss cheese, mayo, and honey dijon mustard liberally placed between the slices.

Dip these in Egg Nog and Nutmeg mixture (plus one further egg), and grill until browned. Serve hot with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and a drizzle of hot maple syrup over the top with some leftover cranberry sauce to the side. Yum. Its my version of a Kentucky Holiday Hot Brown.


A couple days later I wrapped up the festivities with some Steak Fettuccine Alfredo served with some gorgeous Italian bread. That takes a little prep, as the steaks have to be grilled much earlier.

Served a flang for dessert. That's a hand made caramel poured into a pie pan and then covered with a mixture of egg nog, nutmeg, butter, and eggs. Place the pie pan in a roasting pan, with boiling water surrounding the pie pan to the level of the mixture in the pan. Cover it with foil and bake at 375 for an hour. Remove the foil, and cook for another 40 mins. Remove and let it cool for a few hours. Remove from pie dish, flip it so the caramel side is up, and serve chilled. Gorgeous!


Lets just say that no one went away unhappy or running on empty.


Cheers!

- Now on to that Beef Wellington for Christmas! That scares me, but I'm going for the big prize there.


* Mashed Potato en croute - 5 pounds of Yukon Gold spuds, boiled with four cloves of garlic, then chilled overnight. Smash em with a hand masher and then mix em (with a wood spoon!) with 2 sticks of unsalted butter, garlic salt, kosher salt, ground pepper, a mess of cream cheese, and 2 or 3 cups of heavy whipping cream. Place this glorious mixture into a large baking dish and spread a puff pastry over the top, cutting four slits in the top, and decorating with a couple of maple leaf shaped pastry cut outs. Brush on melted butter over the surface of the pastry. Cook at 375 until pastry is gloriously golden.

OK, back to the P90X.