Comfort Food {Scalloped Potatoes}

Dinnertime on a snowy day in Ohio with a surplus of potatoes and some ham left over from Thanksgiving...what to do? It's comfort food time and time to go back to an old family recipe, one that isn't written down, one that has been passed on by word of mouth, generation to generation: scalloped potatoes. It's so easy and so good and even better the next day. 

This recipe is so versatile: it can feed an army or it can feed 2 people. Potatoes are the main ingredient but there are so many vegetables that can go well with potatoes. I happened to have a few Brussels sprouts on hand so I sliced them up and tossed them in. Adding ham made it a one-dish meal.

In this recipe I used potatoes, ham, Brussels sprouts and onions and used a 2 1/2 quart baking dish. So here's what you do...my apologies for not having exact amounts. This is one of those recipes where you eyeball the size of your baking dish and figure out how much stuff will fit in that dish. Cut up a little more if you need to fill it; make an extra if you cut up too much! This dish freezes well, too. Put it in the freezer the day after you bake it.

Instructions

Cut up all your ingredients:

• Thinly slice the potatoes. I used a mandoline set around 1/8 inch. I tried slicing the Brussels sprouts on the mandoline and ended up slicing them with a knife.
• Cut up the onions.
• Slice the ham.

Put a layer of potatoes, ham, onion and Brussels sprouts in a baking dish. 

Cover with a 2-3 T. of flour and dot with 2 T. butter. Stir this layer to incorporate flour and butter. 

Layer again, sprinkle with salt, dot with butter and stir. Keep repeating this step until your ingredients are gone or your dish is full.

Pour milk over the dish to almost cover the ingredients. 

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The liquid will be soupy so serve in a little bowl if you don't want liquid to go all over your plate. 

I also made a casserole for my son while making our dinner. He doesn't like Brussels sprouts so I used carrots in his. 

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed reindeer, aired for the first time on December 6, 1964, on NBC. I was 7 years old and living in Owensboro, Kentucky when I watched this Christmas special for the very first time. 

And what a vivid list of characters:

• Rudolph
• Santa
• Sam the Snowman
• Yukon Cornelius
• The Bumble!
• Hermey
• Clarice
• The Misfit Toys
• Donner (Rudolph's father)
• Comet (Coach of the reindeer games)

As a 7-year old kid, the Bumble scared me. I cried at the fact that no one loved the Misfit Toys. I laughed when Hermey, who did not want to be an elf but instead a dentist, removed the Bumble's teeth and laughed at Yukon Cornelius when he licked his pick in hopes of finding gold. I was mortified when Yukon Cornelius and the Bumble fell over the cliff and will never forget the line, "Bumbles bounce!". I got a kick out of Mrs. Claus saying, "Eat, Papa, eat," because Santa was too skinny and then knew that everything would be alright when Santa finally belted out the hefty "Ho ho ho," as he was getting ready to deliver the toys. I loved the feeling of Christmas joy when Santa stopped at the Island of Misfit Toys, when Rudolph and his red nose saved Christmas, when the Bumble helped decorate the Christmas tree and everyone was friends at the end. 

Rudolph was on TV this year right before Thanksgiving. I was going to boycott watching it because I don't like Christmas to encroach on Thanksgiving. But I had to watch it. It was my favorite Christmas special as a child and still is to this day. 

Thanksgiving Traditions

Every family has its Thanksgiving traditions. 

I start with sending texts to the kids asking what they want for the meal. The requests don't change, but I ask every year.

Then comes the list making...

My grandma's pumpkin bread recipe is a favorite and someone always takes a slice when it's right out of the oven.

The stuffing always gets made in a huge mixing bowl that my dad brought home when the restaurant closed at the Sears store he managed.

Dinner gets set out on the table. My mom is always washing the dishes up until dinner is served. That way there isn't a big pile of dishes to wash after the meal.

On Saturday after Thanksgiving, I make soup from the turkey carcass. I boil those bones and the meat falls right off, add some veggies and noodles, and then freeze a few jars for easy meals in the upcoming busy Christmas season.

Thanksgiving Turkey {Brining}

I've read a lot about brining turkeys and so this Thanksgiving I decided to give it a try. There are so many recipes available for brining and after looking through so many I decided on "My Favorite Turkey Brine" used in the Pioneer Woman's blog.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/my-favorite-turkey-brine/ 

I like this recipe because she uses everyday ingredients, not things like allspice berries, chopped candied ginger or juniper berries. Nothing wrong with those ingredients, but knowing me, those would sit in my cabinet for a year or so, lose their flavor and then I'd pitch them. This recipe is short and sweet, too...just nine ingredients, and most of them were already in my kitchen.

Turkey Brine

3 cups apple juice or apple cider

2 gallons cold water

4 T. fresh rosemary leaves

5 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 c. kosher salt

2 c. brown sugar

3 T. peppercorns

5 whole bay leaves

Peel of 3 large oranges

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover.

Allow to cool completely, then pour into a large brining bag or pot. Place uncooked turkey in brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours. (My turkey was 23 pounds and I kept it in the brine for 27 hours)

When ready to roast turkey, remove turkey from brine. Submerge turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside.

Discard brine. Remove turkey from clean water, pat dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method.

After bringing the ingredients to a boil, the house was filled with a delightful holiday smell...the fun had just begun!