Area cooks invited to share holiday recipes

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smcclanahan

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday. We had a wonderful day watching the parades and just being together. Earlier last week both of our children enjoyed a feast at their schools. Lexie's class made corn muffins as their class contribution to the feast. I'm sure that was exciting trying to get 13 4-year-olds to actually get the muffin batter in the cups instead of on the counter. But Miss Sue is wonderful to let them do it.

The recipe she used was basic, but good to a class of children.

I'll share this purple room specialty recipe with you.

Grandpa Goose's Corn Muffins

1 cup yellow corn meal

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup oil

Line muffin tins with paper baking cups. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine all ingredients together and stir until just combined. Spoon into paper baking cups. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Yields about 12 muffins.

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My dad's fresh-ground cranberry relish is one of my favorite treats at the holiday season. I love the tart cranberries and the orange combination.

Recently my cousin gave me a copy of their church cookbook, and there is a snack mix recipe in the book that blends the wonderful cranberry and orange flavors in a crisp crunchy snack. It is really good, and I used the Craisins-brand orange-flavored dried cranberries for added orange flavor. It is a nice change from traditional snack mixes.

Crunchy Orange Spice Snack Mix

1 (16 ounce) bag Bugles

1 (12 ounce) can cashews, peanuts or nuts

2 egg whites

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup dried cranberries

Heat oven to 275 degrees. Lightly grease or spray a jelly-roll pan. Mix Bugles and nuts in a large bowl. Beat until foamy egg whites, orange juice, sugar and cinnamon in small bowl, using a wire whisk; pour over the snack mixture, stir until evenly coated. Spread in pan. Bake uncovered 35 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Stir in cranberries and bake 15 minutes longer or until light brown and crisp. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

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I love all of the leftovers from the Thanksgiving feast, but after a few days it sure tastes good to have a change. You might find a few recipes of Jodi Thompson from Jackson, Mo., enjoyable after a full menu of turkey leftovers.

Pizza Frittata For One

Toppings used on pizza work well on this open-face omelet.

3 eggs

1 teaspoon butter

1 Roma tomato, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon basil, fresh, chopped

2 tablespoons Italian-style sausage, cooked and crumbled

2 ounces Mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat the broiler. Melt the butter in a small non-stick skillet. Lightly whip the eggs and add to the skillet. Move eggs frequently until firm. Turn omelet over and remove from the heat. Top with the tomatoes, basil, sausage, and cheese. Place under broiler until cheese has melted. Serve warm.

Super Duper Potatoes

8 medium potatoes with jackets

1/2 cup butter

2 cups half and half (1 pint)

1/2 cup cubed Cheddar cheese

1 to 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Boil potatoes until tender. Chill overnight. Remove skins and shred potatoes. Heat butter, half and half, and salt in pan until butter melts.

Stir into potatoes. Mix well. Add cubed cheddar cheese and stir. Pour into buttered baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Sprinkle with grated cheese over top and bake an additional 15 minutes uncovered.

Crescent Breakfast Casserole

2 pounds bulk sausage

6 eggs

16 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

8 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

3 cans crescent rolls

Brown sausage and drain. Mix together eggs and cheeses. Add to sausage.

Press 1 1/2 cans of crescent rolls in bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Pour in sausage mixture. Place remaining 1 1/2 cans of crescent rolls on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

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My cousin Cindy Dude of Parker, Colo., shared a recipe with me for enchiladas.

It is pretty quick to prepare after a day at work, but not lacking in flavor.

Chili Con Queso Chicken Enchiladas

4 chicken breasts

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, chopped

1 can Ro-Tel chopped tomatoes and green chilies

1 pound Velveeta cheese

1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream

12 corn tortillas

Boil chicken with garlic and salt; drain and cube. Melt butter and sauté onion. Puree Ro-Tel in blender and use to taste, usually about one-half of the can. Add to onion. Cube the Velveeta and stir in. Cook until melted.

Remove from heat and add sour cream. Microwave tortillas to soften. Fill each with chicken mixture and 1 tablespoon cheese sauce. Roll up and place in a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch-baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over all.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cindy also makes a delicious dessert crisp that combines two go-together tastes; peaches and raspberries. Anything with raspberries is a hit with me.

Peach and Raspberry Crisp

10 to 12 large fresh peaches or equivalent of frozen peaches, thawed

Zest of 1 orange

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour

1 pint fresh raspberries or equivalent of frozen, thawed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1/2 pound cold diced butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-by-15-inch-baking dish. If using fresh peaches, immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, then place them in cold water. Peel the peaches and slice them into thick wedges. Place peaches in a large bowl. Add the orange zest, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons flour. Toss well. Gently mix in raspberries. Allow to set for 5 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid, add 1 more tablespoon of flour. Pour into the baking dish and gently smooth top. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt, oats, and the cold butter.

Mix with electric mixer on low speed until the butter is pea-sized and mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly on top of the peaches and raspberries.

Bake for 1 hour until top is browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly.

Serve warm.

If you have a holiday favorite that you or your family enjoys, please send it in to share with others. Please include a little information about the recipe and we will share those over the next few weeks.

As your Christmas holiday season kicks off and is in full swing, don't forget cooking at home is a healthier and less expensive dinner option over dining out. Keep on cooking and your family will love you for it. See you next week.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.