And so begins my official Thanksgiving recipe countdown.  First up is our favorite holiday side dish. I don’t know why we only serve this at holidays, probably because it makes a ton and everyone loves it.  A creamy concoction of tender broccoli, rice, and crusty cheese-what’s not to love?

I really like to hear about different family traditions at Thanksgiving.  I think it is interesting to see what the must have dishes are with each family.  What’s your must have Thanksgiving dish?  With both our families there is always a version of this casserole.

Broccoli Rice Cheese Casserole

• 1 pound broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 4 cups cooked white rice (2 cups uncooked)
• 2-3 cups shredded Colby cheese (or whatever)
• 2 cans cream of soup whatever flavor (mushroom, chicken, and/or celery work best)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease a 3 quart casserole dish with a lid.
2. Saute onion, celery and fresh broccoli if using (you don’t have to saute frozen broccoli since it is usually parboiled) until soft.
3. In the casserole dish, stir together veggies, rice, 1 to 2 cups of cheese and soup.
4. Cover with remaining cheese and bake, covered, for about 45 minutes or until hot.
5. Remove the cover to brown cheese.

The nice thing about casseroles like this is that they can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen until ready to cook.  Be sure to give the dish adequate time to defrost/warm-up or anticipate a longer baking time.  It can really vary depending on how cold it is going into the oven, how many other dishes you are baking at the same time, etc… but it is also very forgiving.

Actually, the whole casserole is really forgiving.  You can use any flavor or combination of cream soups you like or it is especially delicious with the real cream soup.  I have also made it without bothering to use the onions and celery-and so skipped the entire cooking step and it tastes just fine.  We have even mixed it together with uncooked instant rice and baked it that way, letting the rice cook in the casserole while it is baking.  I prefer the fully cooked version only because I know it will be edible at any point even if I screw up the baking time.

I try not to be a snob about food.  I try to be open minded and maintain an anything in moderation attitude about food.  My biggest problem with convenience foods and packaged foods is cost.  When they taste great I try not to think about the sodium or unpronounceable ingredients.  The greatest crime for processed food, however, the most unforgivable crime, is when they don’t even taste good.  I just can’t justify over-paying for food that is bad for me and tastes bad.  Condensed cream of mushroom soup is gross.  Yeah, I said it.  That doesn’t mean I don’t use it occasionally, but if I have the time-5 or10 minutes-I much prefer to make this quick cream sauce.  It works great as a substitute for the canned stuff and-dare I say-tastes great too.

Cream of Soup Substitute

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 small mushrooms, minced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1 cup chicken broth
• salt and pepper

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add minced mushrooms and cook until softened. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Sprinkle flour over mushrooms and use a whisk to combine.
4. Cook the four, whisking often, until golden brown.
5. Add milk and broth and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
6. Once boiling and thickened continue to whisk and cook until thickened to your liking.
7. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.

This is great for those watching their sodium intake or their budget.  You can flavor it any way you like.  Substitute chicken bits and chicken base or celery and celery salt if you don’t want cream of mushroom soup.  You can substitute water or veggie broth if you want to make it vegetarian.  It also doubles just fine if you need two cans worth.

Above photo is prep for my Broccoli Cheese and Rice Casserole.

I really love a good salad-one that is creamy, crunchy, chewy, sweet, sour, bitter, and tangy.  I tried several salads this fall and so far they have all been underwhelming.  They just didn’t have all of the elements I think a salad needs in order to be satisfying.  This salad, on the other hand, turned out perfectly.  I really enjoyed it and if you change anything be sure to keep the candied pecans.  Their sweetness is an important balance to the tangy and bitter flavors from the other elements.  With caramelized pear slices that are both impressive and festive, this salad would make a nice, light first course for company.

Caramelized Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

• 1/4 cup olive oil or salad oil
• 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 6 cups salad greens
• 1/2 cup red onion, sliced
• 2 ripe pears, cut into 8 slices each
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup candied pecans or walnuts
• 1/4 cup blue cheese or Gorgonzola crumbles

1. In a small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine, set aside.
2. Wash salad green and combine with red onions in a large salad bowl.
3. In a skillet, melt butter over medium high heat.
4. Add pears and sprinkle with sugar.  Cook without stirring several minutes or until underside is golden and caramelized, flip each slice over.
5. Cook second side until golden and browning.
6. Toss lettuce and onions with 1/2 of dressing, arrange on plates or a platter.
7. Top with pears, nuts, cheese, and drizzle with remaining dressing.  Serve.

It’s that time of year again.  Eggnog is finally gracing the grocery store shelves and Eggnog Lattes are popping up in coffee houses everywhere.  I like an eggnog latte because it has a bit of sweetness and a bit of spice and tastes like Christmas, but since most eggnog lattes are made with actual eggnog rather than a flavored syrup they aren’t sickeningly sweet.  Luckily, you can buy plenty of low-fat eggnogs now which makes your eggnog latte no worse for you than your usual latte.

I have an espresso machine which I love dearly (thanks Mom!), but you can make this with strongly brewed coffee if you don’t have access to a shot of espresso.  If you need help frothing your drink without a frothing wand, I would invest in one of these hand held frothers. Just combine your coffee and eggnog mixture, heat, and froth away!  Kids love these things by the way and they make excellent chocolate milk.

Eggnog Latte

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup eggnog
• 1.5 oz brewed espresso or strong coffee
• nutmeg

1. Combine cold eggnog and milk in a large mug or frothing cup.
2. Tilt mug at a 45° angle and move frothing wand slowing up and down and back and forth until milk is thickly foamed.
3. If frothing in a mug, pour your espresso over the top.  If using a frothing cup, pour espresso into a mug and pour hot eggnog mixture over.  Then spoon the foam on top.
4. Sprinkle with nutmeg.  Enjoy!

Personally, I like this best with a double shot.  You might like to add a little sugar to your eggnog/milk mixture.  That’s the great part about making these at home-experiment and find the combination you love!