Sausage and Apple Stuffing
16-ounce bag stuffing, cubes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for on top
1 pound uncased Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, medium chopped
1 to 2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons of poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons of sage
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted and slightly crushed
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage. Cook until 50 percent cooked, then add onions, cook 4 minutes, then add apples, cook another 3 minutes. Melt the remaining butter in the pan. Add the stuffing cubes. Mix to allow cubes to soak up butter and drippings. Add celery and salt. Bring sage, poultry seasoning and chicken broth to a boil. Add liquid a little at a time, mixing continuously. Optional: mix in nuts. Put under broiler if crispy top is desired.
Apple Cider-Brined Turkey
4 quarts apple cider
1 1/2 cups sea salt
1/3 cup peppercorns
5 bay leaves
4 quarts cold water
2 oranges quartered
2 tablespoons of allspice
Simmer 1 quart apple cider, salt, allspice, peppercorns and bay leaves for 10 minutes, stirring often. Allow to cool completely. Add 3 quarts cider, bay leaves and water. Place turkey in brine, completely covering it, refrigerate overnight.
Drain turkey and rinse. Pat dry thoroughly, inside and out. Arrange on several layers of paper towels in roasting pan. Place in refrigerator. Cut 1 onion, 1 orange, and 1 lemon and 2 celery stalks in large pieces, a bundle of sage, rosemary, thyme. Place in turkey cavity.
Repeat: Large cut: 1 onion, 1 orange, and 1 lemon. 2 celery stalks in large pieces, a bundle of sage, rosemary, thyme. Place in roasting pan, remove paper towels and place turkey on top, breast side down. Brush 1 tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper. Cover with foil. Bake in 500-degree oven for 30 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350. Remove turkey from oven. Carefully turn turkey over (breast side up) using tongs. Brush turkey breast with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into meaty part of thigh registers 170 degrees (make sure not to touch bone). (Shield the turkey with foil if it browns too quickly.) Remove turkey from oven; let stand 40 minutes covered tightly with foil.
Orange Cranberry Sauce
1 orange, juiced
Zest 1 orange
Remove pulp from 1 orange, leaving just rind-diced
2 cups water
3 cups fresh cranberries, remove soft ones
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/ 4 cup light brown sugar
Juice 1 orange and set the juice aside. Combine the rind and the water and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Add orange juice, orange rind, sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan partially. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the cranberries have burst, 10 to 15 minutes.
Dried Corn
To one package (7.5 oz.) Cope’s Dried Corn from Rheems, Pa., add 3 1/2 cups milk and soak in refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Cinnamon Apple Pie
7-10 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
Place sliced apples in 9-inch unbaked pie shell. Mix and sprinkle over apples:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
2 tablespoons of apple butter
Crumb Crust:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 stick butter
Mix together sugar and flour. Cut the butter into the sugar and flour mixture using a fork, pastry blender or food processor. Sprinkle over top of pie.
Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes. If the pie begins to brown too rapidly, cover lightly with foil.