All I can say is WOW!! I used dried cranberries instead of raisins in one batch, and in another batch used frozen blueberries (which increased baking time a bit). I also used pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, ginger) instead of just cinammon. Baked a total of 6 dozen for an office event. EVERYONE loved them! I can't wait to make more and put them in the freezer for quick breakfasts!!
I "blended" this recipe with one for a dry-brined turkey from Fine Cooking -- so that I did not have to wet brine two turkeys. Splitting the bird and roasting it flat was a FANTASTIC time-saver!!! I made Thanksgiving dinner for 20 with only one oven -- and am so grateful for this recipe. The gravy is fantastic!!!
When I made this recipe the second time, I chose to interpret a celery STALK as an entire bundle of celery, rather than just one RIB. When prepared this way, the dressing was perfect!
When cooking for a crowd -- this is the ONLY way to make mashed potatoes!! I added some minced garlic for more flavor. I made thanksgiving dinner for 20 with only one oven, and it is recipes like this that saved the day. There was not one SCRAP of mashed potatoes left!!
I made this recipe in bulk for Thanksgiving dinner for 20. For anyone who doesn't really like the sickly-sweet candied yams normally served on holidays, THIS IS THE BEST!! I am going to make it a regular part of my "normal" dinners, too. It is easy, and very very tasty!! Thanks for the great recipe!
I used fresh grated ginger instead of dried, other than that I stuck to the recipe. It was FANTASTIC. A great way to make carrots. Much more interesting than "steamed and buttered" vegetables. Will use again and again!
These are the mosty tasty green beans on the planet! I made a few modifications based on previous reviews. First, I cut the bacon into small-ish cubes. Then, I sauteed the onions in the bacon fat. I used fairly lean bacon, so there was not too much grease. I put the sauteed onions & bacon in the pan, and made the marinade separately as the instructions call for. Leaving the beans to marinate overnight is THE BEST way to get a really good flavor. Fantastic recipe!!!
Excellent. I used frozen blueberries. Use ALL the spices, it really helps. In order for the flavors to "blend", be sure to squish the cranberries to be sure the skins are all popped. Also, it tastes better after "resting" for a day or two to allow the flavors to blend. It was a wonderful, tangy-tart cranberry sauce. I made a second batch and froze in small portions to use for sandwiches and weeknight meals.
Excellent!! We forgot to peel the apples and my young "assistant" sliced them RATHER thick, but it all still worked fine. I would be sure to slice the apples very thin next time. Also, I might even use "half moons" of apple instead of "rings" to make serving easier.
I doubled this recipe for our family Christmas dinner. I modified it by doubling the garlic and rosemary, and by adding a layer of shredded Gruyer (sp?) cheese between top and bottom layers of potatoes, then the parmesean on top. In order to be sure the potatoes were sliced consistently thin I used an inexpensive mandolin slicer set on the thinnest setting. Everything turned out terrific. Rich, creamy, cheesy, and very 'special occasion'feeling. The leftovers stored and heated well over several days, also. Great recipe!
The recipe is good. I was not prepared for the texture of the slickers. They are a little gummy and pasty, and sort of make the soup broth thick and pasty also. I am thinking that when I make this next time, I will make fewer slickers and that will help.
I have done this recipe twice now, and it is a terrific dessert. The second time I made it, I had help in the kitchen and the apples were sliced a little thicker. Maybe 1/4 inch or so. When I did it the first time, the apples were sliced nearly transparent. With the thicker slices, the apple peels were still intact after cooking. They made the crisp difficult to cut into portions because they wanted to string themselves together. The flavor is fantastic -- just the right balance betweeen "fruit" and "sweet".
