Countdown to Thanksgiving-Company Potatoes

Because of how unpredictable my weekend is looking (except Sunday), I have decided to post another recipe for my little countdown. Thanksgiving is sneaking upon me (yikes!) and I have yet to compile my shopping list. This recipe is Lee's favorite, however, I didn't know it was his favorite until we were married for 5-6 years. When we first got married my MIL sent me many recipes that were "Leeland's favorites"-oh, my husbands given name is Leeland. I made several of these recipes, and when I did I got a "What's this?"-looking at it like it came from a outer space. I would respond "It's your favorite". He would look at me and then reply "Who said it was my favorite?" I responded "Your Mom". He then replied "You know she has 9 children, she can't possibly remember whose favorite food is whoms. This is "someone's" favorite, but it's not mine". This conversation took place 5-6 months after we got married. Out of 5-6 of Lee's favorite recipe's, 2 of them were correct. So, I stopped asking for "favorite" recipes. Lee failed to tell me that this was one of his favorite recipes that he absoulutely had to have for holiday dinners (Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas) for the first 5 years of marriage. I got the recipe and have made it for the last 11-12 years. It's super yummy, and depending on how you do your potatoes-boiling them and shredding them yourself or store bought frozen kind- it's fairly easy to do. I made 3 9x13 pans of these 2 days before Thanksgiving last year. I made 1 for dinner at my In-Laws, 1 for us, and 1 for a funeral that was the day before Thanksgiving. And, I cooked the potatoes and shredded them myself. It was exhausting.

Company Potatoes

2 lbs of frozen shredded potatoes-thawed
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
2 cups of Sour Cream
2 cups of Sharp Cheddar Cheese-grated
1/2 stick of butter
1 bunch of Green Onions-chopped
Bread Crumbs-Plain and unflavored if you buy them in a can

In a saute pan, melt butter and saute green onions until soft (but not soggy) about 2-3 minutes. In a large bowl combine ALL ingredients, except the breadcrumbs and mix very well. Put potato mixture into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Hope's Notes:

-I make this 1-2 days before Thanksgiving or whatever I'm making it for. I bake it the day of the dinner. It takes about an hour to cook it when it's cold from the fridge, 45 minutes if you make it up and then bake it right away. I always stick a knife in the middle to make sure it isn't cold in the middle.
-I have always boiled the potatoes unpeeled, and whole-allowed them to cool and then shredded them with a cheese grater. I can't tell you how many pounds of potatoes or how many potatoes, because if varies with the size of the potato and, how many pans of this I make. I ususally just peel and shread enough to fill the 9x13 pan (for measuring), and then dump the grated potatoes into the bowl and start mixing. I used frozen grated/shredded potatoes in the past, and the potatoes always had that funny frozen taste to them.
-I do use more Sour Cream than the recipe calls for. If the mixture seems "dry" add more Sour Cream.
-Do use Sharp Cheddar Cheese. I have used Medium Cheddar Cheese in the past, and it doesn't taste the same.
-I do use 1 bunch of green onions-it gives it more flavor.
-I have turned this into a "Main Course" casserole by cubing pieces of Ham. I have purchased a Ham Steak, cubed it, and added it to the mixture-yummsville!

Countdown to Thanksgiving-Bread Stuffing

This recipe came out of my Mom's Step-by-Step Cookbook (Better Homes and Gardens) that has been out of print for more than 20 years. I have always used this recipe. I got the idea to put in apples and a little bit of cinnamon from another recipe from a magazine, that I didn't keep. But by adding the apples and cinnamon-it made the stuffing more moist and yummier (is that a real word?) This recipe doesn't get any more boring or basic than this. But, it's always been good. I follow the recipe to the letter, because there is salt in the butter and the chicken broth. You can add a little more salt if you like, but I never do.


1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoons poultry seasoning or ground sage (I use the poultry seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 cups dry bread cubes
1 cup chicken broth

Saute the onion and butter until tender. Put bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour onion and butter over breadcubes. Stir in poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Add chicken broth, mix all of it well. Stuff into Turkey.

Hope's Notes:

- I always double this if I have a Turkey that is over 15 pounds.
-If you have left overs, put the remainder of the stuffing in a pan (9x13 or whatever)-add more chicken broth, and bake it at 325-350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. I can't remember what I do or for how long. I do, add more chicken broth so it doesn't dry out so much. I only add more chicken broth for the leftovers.
-I also chop the onions and celery the night before and put them in a tupperware dish so I don't cut myself at 5:00-6:00am or whenever I put in the Turkey.
-If you add apples and cinnamon, I saute the apples in the onions and celery, and add a little more butter in the saute pan. I add the cinnamon with the spices.

Yeast Update

Today I went to Williams-Sonoma and they no longer carry the SAF Perfect Rise Yeast. They don't know when or if they will get it in. I looked online, and you can order it online-but the packaging is different, so I don't know if it's the yeast I've been using. I have used Fleishmans & Red Star Yeast in the past. It works fine. But double check the expiration dates.

Countdown to Thanksgiving

I decided to post recipes that we have for Thanksgiving. I love the holidays, and even though it's hard work, I do love to cook dinner. Being that I worked retail for the first 7 years or so of our marriage, it was hard to get to visit family over the holidays. I worked late the night before Thanksgiving and then I would have to be at work first thing in the morning the day after Thanksgiving. The only thing I wanted to do was hang out in my sweats and cook. Lee didn't like going anywhere either, he was tired too, and it was a good chance for us to be together. Being that most of the time is was just the two of us, I liked to experiment with different recipes. Simple things like adding Cinnamon and apples into the stuffing, or trying a new side dish was always fun. But when it came right down to it, we preferred simple & basic.

The first time I made Thanksgiving dinner, was 1991. Lee and I had been married for 6 months and we were living in Seattle. We didn't feel like going anywhere, so I decided I was going to make dinner. We invited our good friends Kris and Alex (we had our first dates together), and I cooked. This was a lofty goal for someone who only knew how to make lasagna 6 months prior. I was armed with my Step by Step Cookbook, and I felt like I could do anything. The recipes I use now are from 4 different cookbooks or sources. Some are family favorites.

I know it sounds terrible, and it sounds like we prefer to be by ourselves for Thanksgiving-but we have spent several Thanksgivings at The Bryant's (Lee's family) and with The Dawson's (Hope's family). We lived 1 mile away from Lee's family for 3-4 years. And it was a potluck situation, I would make Pumpkin Pies (I made 8 one year, Lee's brother's eat alot) and I would also make another Turkey-and bring it. Lee is the oldest of 9 kids-5 of them being boys. The year Mac was born, we went to Lee's parents house. I made Pies, a Turkey, and something else. Not bad for just having a baby 3 weeks before, huh. Anyways. If we do go somewhere for Thanksgiving, I have to make another "Thanksgiving Dinner" for us the day after, because we LOVE leftovers. I will also post my Turkey Soup recipe for leftovers. And, another reason why I make so many pies if we go somewhere else....Lee has to have at least 2 pies to eat over the Thanksgiving weekend.

I know this post is kinda all over the place. It's Sunday, and my brain is a little scattered anyways. We also love Thanksgiving because it gives us a chance to reflect on the year, and be grateful for all of our blessings. We are grateful for family, good friends, the church, work, a home to live in, and a country which we are proud to live in. So, it's not all about the food.

Countdown to Thanksgiving-Lion House Rolls

I have been making these rolls for 15 years I think. We were living in Salt Lake City, and I was invited to attend a Luncheon at The Lion House. The Lion House was originally a home that Brigham Young built for his wives (yes, I said wives) and their children. It is now a restaurant, that has banquet rooms, alot of people in Salt Lake City have receptions there. At the luncheon, they served these rolls, from the pans. They were hot, and they were huge in size. They were the best rolls I had ever had. So my friend that I attended the luncheon with went through her Lion House Cookbooks, and we found the recipe. I made my first batch, and I haven't used another roll recipe since. If I come across other roll recipes, I make it for dinner (those nights when I have time) and I'm ususally disappointed, because they aren't The Lion House ones. This recipe makes 3 dozen.

2 cups Warm Water (110-115 degrees)
2/3 cup Non fat dry milk
2 tablespoons Dry Yeast
1/4 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Salt
1/3 cup butter, shortening, or margarine (I always use butter or margarine)
1 egg
5-6 cups all purpose flour or bread flour (I use bread flour)

In a large mixing bowl, combine water and yeast until yeast dissolves. Add non fat dry milk, sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups of flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed, the dough will be smooth. Mix by hand another 1-2 cups of flour; dough will be getting stiff and remaning flour may need to be mixed 1/2 cup at a time after the first 3-4 cups of flour. Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff. It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour. The dough will be smooth and elastic. I knead it for 5 minutes, adding a little bit of flour if needed.

Place dough in a well greased bowl (I use shortening), cover with plastic wrap, and then a warm wet towel. Place the bowl someplace warm until double in size (about an hour). Push down dough and knead it for 1 minute with a little bit of flour. Divide dough in 3 sections. Roll out dough into a circle. With a pizza cutter (or a sharp knife) cut out 12 triangles. Starting with the wide end of the triangle, roll up dough into a crescent, tucking the small end underneath the roll (so it won't unravel when it rises). Repeat process and place onto a greased cookie sheet and allow to rise and double in size (about 30 minutes or so).

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until light or golden brown. Brush with melted butter right after they come out of the oven. Makes 3 dozen or 1-1/2 dozen if you want them to be bigger.


*Hope's Notes:

Yeast: I use SAF Perfect Rise Yeast, you can buy it at Williams-Sonoma. It's not that expensive. It comes in a little box. It's the best I've ever used, and haven't looked back.

Butter vs. Shortening: I made this recipe with butter and with shortening. It was way better with butter or margarine than it was with shortening.