Family Foodies

Well, today I was joined by my good friend Kelly McCausey. Kelly had a hankerin’ for Shepherd’s Pie, and asked me to teach her how to make one! So I shared the age-old recipe. We had fun chatting over the how-to’s as well as a few variations for this yummy old favorite. I can’t wait to see the picture of Kelly cooking her own, and to hear (from Sean) how it turned out!

Here’s Kelly’s Pic:
Shepherd’s Pie
Serves 8

Cook 10 medium potatoes until soft; mash with 1/2 stick butter and 1 C milk. Meantime,

Brown 2 lbs ground beef with one medium onion; drain. Return to pan. Add one can cream-of-mushroom soup, warm till heated through. (I add pepper and a little garlic salt at this point.)

Spray 9×13 pan with non-stick spray. Pour meat mixture in bottom. Pour 2-3 C frozen vegetables over meat mixture; cover with mashed potatoes; slice another ½ stick butter over potatoes. Broil until top is golden brown. (I prefer to bake @ 350 for 30 min.)

Variations:

• Use leftover mashed potatoes and/or vegetables.
• Vary the amounts of meat and vegetables according to what you have on hand.
• Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over vegetables before covering with potatoes.
• Substitute cream of onion or cream of cheddar for mushroom soup.
• Substitute cooked, cubed chicken or turkey for ground beef, and use cream of chicken or cream of celery soup instead of the mushroom.

The traditional Shepherd’s Pie is quite similar to the TaterTot Casserole, which always goes over big! You use frozen peas, and substitute tater tots for the mashed potatoes.

Italian Shepherd’s Pie
Serves 4-5

Cook in large skillet until brown, drain; return to pan:

1 lb bulk Italian sausage
½ C chopped onion

Add:
3 large eggs, beaten
1 – 14 1/2 oz can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp fennel seeds

Spoon into 1 – 9 in unbaked pie shell.
At this point you may wrap well and freeze for later. OR:
Cover edge of pie with foil and bake @ 375 F for 25 min.
Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes or until set.

Variation: Stir ½ C shredded cheddar cheese into mashed potatoes (enough to serve 4) and spoon over meat. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake covered 20 minutes more.

I told Kelly that if she likes this simple casserole, she will probably also enjoy the two “Easy Pie” recipes found on the back of the Bisquick box. One is cheeseburger, one is chicken, and are both simple and delicious!

Sandra chatted with Cara from Cara’s Café about celebrating the Thanksgiving Holiday. We discussed recipes, traditions, and the facts from the original Thanksgiving celebration.

The Original Thanksgiving was celebrated in October, 1621 with about 50 pilgrims and 90 of their Native American friends. These pilgrims, called “Separatists” had journeyed on a small boat called the Mayflower from England and Holland to America the year before, seeking freedom to worship God without a government- run church. Although almost half of them died that first winter, they were thankful that God provided the “Indians” for their protection and survival, and that they could now enjoy the freedoms they were searching for. Thanks to their new friends, they had a bountiful harvest and would not die of starvation their second winter in America. . It is documented that the first feast lasted three days with eating, target shooting and games.

This was their menu:

Venison; Goose; Lobster; Eel; Oysters; Clam Chowder; Turkey; Partridge; Shellfish; Parsnips; Turnips; Cucumbers; Onions; Carrots; Cabbage; Beets; Radishes; Dried Fruit (gooseberries, strawberries, cherries, plums) Some cooked inside dough, as a crude pie; Corn Ashcakes “Hoecakes” cooked over fire; Corn, popped over the fire; PopcornBalls, mixed with maple syrup

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Can be prepared and refrigerated 1-2 days in advance. Don’t recommend freezing. Serves 8-10

5 lb Russet baking potatoes, scrubbed and poked several times with a fork
3 C heavy cream, hot
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
S&P

Microwave the potatoes on high for 16 min, turning ½ way through.

Transfer to bake directly on middle rack of preheated 450 F oven for 30 min.

Remove from oven when a fork glides easily through; cut each in half lengthwise. Scoop out all of the flesh into a med bowl, and break down into small pieces with a fork.

Beat with electric mixer about 2 min.

Gently fold in butter and cream until desired consistency. When potatoes reach your desired consistency, fold in another ½ C cream (potatoes will be quite loose, but they absorb the liquid during refrigeration.)

Transfer to microwavable bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1-2 days.

To serve: Poke lots of holes in the plastic wrap with the tip of a knife; microwave at med-high about 14 min, till potatoes are hot, stirring gently half way through.

Corn Pudding

1 can creamed-style corn
1 package Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 C sour cream
2 eggs
½ C white sugar
½ C oil

Beat eggs in blender.
Add all other ingredients and mix.
Pour into greased 2 qt casserole dish.
Bake, uncovered for one hour @ 350 F.
Serve warm.

Squash Bake Recipe from Cara’s Mom

3 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped.
Boil until very soft – drain and mash
(you can substitute e bags of frozen, pre-peeled and pre-cut squash)

Mix in 1 12oz can of evaporated milk, 1tsp vanilla extract, 3 eggs, 1
1/2 c sugar and 1/2 stick of margarine
Should be thin, almost soupy.

Pour into baking dish (we use a pyrex 9×12 pan) and bake at 375 until
edges turn light brown

Topping:
Melt 1/2 stick margarine
mix with 1/2c brown sugar, 1/2c pecans and 1c Rice Krispies
Sprinkle on top of the squash bake to coat and bake an additional 10 minutes

Sandra’s Thanksgiving Book Basket

• Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember by Barbara Rainey. A beautiful coffee table book, complete with facts of, and journal quotes from the pilgrims. The story can be read in increments to your family of all ages. Comes with a CD of Thanksgiving music great for dinner background. Can be ordered through www.familylifetoday.org.

• The Story of Thanksgiving by Nancy J. Skarmeas. A small hard board book perfect for little hands. Published by Candy Cane Press/Ideals Publications, Inc.

• If You Were At…The First Thanksgiving by Anne Kamma. Scholastic.Written in question and answer format, this book addresses not only that celebration, but also the issues the pilgrims faced during their first years in America. Great for all ages.

• The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing. Scholastic. In simple story form appropriate for young children, this is a story of a modern American family preparing for the Holiday.

• The Story of the Pilgrims by Katharine Ross. A Random House PICTUREBACK Book.

A short version of the story, appropriate for children.

Psalm 100 from the Bible

(What the Pilgrims recited as they fell on the ground in America.)

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”

On this week’s show our Guest Contributer Sarah Zeldman of Solutions for Busy Moms and our host Sandra Jensen share their experiences and ideas about handling picky eaters.

You can find:

• The Baby Gourmet Videos
• The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids Favorite Meals
• Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets To Get Your Kids To Eat Good Food
• Feeding The Kids: The Flexible, No Battle, Healthy Eating System for the Whole Family.

At Sarah’s Amazon Store For Busy Moms.

Other Resources Sarah Mentioned:

• The Great Big Vegetable Challenge
• Online Cooking Videos By Kids, For Kids
• The Visual Guide To Healthy Lunches For Kids
• The Healthy Shopper DVD
• The “Help! I Have A Picky Eater In My House!” Ebook

Fall is in the air, and good smells emanate from the kitchen as we head indoors and turn on our ovens!

Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves mix with apples and pumpkin as new show host Sandra Jensen and special guest Sue Davidson share some yummy apple and pumpkin recipes.

We invite you to print out this free recipe sheet, to enjoy the recipes we discussed today.

It includes:

• Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Pumpkin Spread
• Caramel Apple Salad
• Kelly’s Cheater’s Apple Pie
• Pumpkin Cake
• Frosted Pumpkin Bars

Download, print out and enjoy!