Category Archives: Sides & Salads

Recipes: Cauliflower-Goat Cheese Gratin & Cranberry Sauce

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Still looking for a couple new Thanksgiving recipes to try out tomorrow? These next recipes are some of our favorites and are the perfect simple recipes to start teaching the next generation with… they can tackle the harder recipes next year! Nana’s Cranberry Sauce with walnuts is a homey-twist on a classic Thanksgiving dinner staple, and for most of us Cauliflower-Goat Cheese Gratin is a brand new addition to the menu. From everyone at Passanante’s Home Food Service, we hope you have an incredible Thanksgiving holiday with your family and friends. Enjoy!

 

Cauliflower-Goat Cheese Gratin

Photo Credit: The Red Spoon

Cauliflower-Goat Cheese Gratin:
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely ground
  • 2 cups Parmesan cheese
  • 6 ounces goat cheese, cut into small pieces
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
  2. Layer the cauliflower, heavy cream, and the 3 cheeses in a medium casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper
  3. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft and the sauce has thickened slightly
  4. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving
Nana’s Classic Cranberry Sauce:
  • 4 cups fresh cranberries
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 12 ounces orange marmalade
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. Combine cranberries, lemon juice and sugar
  3. Cook for 1 hour covered
  4. Take out of the oven and stir in the marmalade until mixed well
  5. Add walnuts last

Other Thanksgiving Recipes:
Herb Roasted Turkey
Dressing/Stuffing
Thanksgiving Turkey Gravy

Recipe: Thanksgiving Turkey Gravy

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No Thanksgiving feast is complete with out an oversized gravy boat full of rich and flavorful homemade turkey gravy. This next recipe for our favorite turkey gravy is not for the faint of heart. Many cooks are quick to discard the bag of giblets found in the cavity of the turkey, but this tasty topping requires every last bit of them. Enjoy turkey gravy on mashed potatoes, dressing (stuffing), sopped up in homemade rolls, over thick slices of freshly cut herb roasted turkey… now that I think about it… just spoon it over your entire plate and enjoy!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Ingredients for Turkey Gravy:

  • Turkey giblets (found in turkey cavity )
  • 8 Hard boiled eggs
  • 3 Cups of milk
  • 1 Cup of turkey broth
  • 3 Tablespoons flour (may add more to thicken)
  • Salt and pepper

How to prepare Thanksgiving Day Turkey Gravy:

  1. Peel and chop boiled eggs. Set aside
  2. Simmer all of the giblets that come inside the turkey in just enough water to cover them. It will cook down quickly. Continue to add water and cook it down until very done. The giblets will make their own soupy gravy.
  3. Remove giblets with slotted spoon and chop all of them finely. Take the meat off of the neck and chop it. (Be brave!)
  4. Add the giblets back to the soupy gravy
  5. Add the milk and broth from the baking turkey
  6. Add the eggs
  7. Thicken the gravy with a rue of flour mixed with milk. It may take more than 3 tablespoons of flour. Your rue should be smooth and pourable so you don’t end up with little flour balls in the gravy.
  8. When done the gravy should be thin.

Recipe: Thanksgiving Dressing

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Happy Turkey Month! To celebrate every foodie’s favorite time of year, Passanante’s Home Food Service will be posting 4 all new Thanksgiving recipes on our blog this month and tons of other great tips and tricks on our Facebook page!

First up; no Thanksgiving is complete without a delicious homemade dressing … also known as “stuffing.” Our recipe has been a family favorite for generations and all of the cooks over the years swear the most important things to remember are 1. get a juicy turkey and 2. this recipe takes practice, but the key is to not skimp on the broth!

Thanksgiving Meal Recipes

What you’ll need for our favorite Thanksgiving Dressing:

  • 4 organic eggs
  • 2 pans of cooked cornbread (crumbled)
  • 6 stalks of celery (chopped)
  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 3 or more cups of turkey broth (we take it right out of the turkey pan)
  • sage to taste
  • poultry seasoning to taste
  • pimento
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup milk

How to:

1. Boil the celery and onion together in just enough water to cover.

2. In a very large bowl combine all ingredients including the celery and onion along with the water they cooked in and 3 or more cups of turkey broth from your cooking turkey.

3. Add sage and poultry seasoning (we always add at least 2 tablespoons of each).

Note: At this stage your dressing should be somewhat soupy, but not too thin.

4. Pour mixture into a baking dish or two. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes — don’t let it get dry!

Happy Thanksgiving!

3 New Game Day Party Pleasers!

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Well, football season is in full swing and you know what that means — weekend watch parties with friends, family, and foes! We’re always looking for more delicious recipes to add to our game day playbook and we love when Passanante’s Home Food Service customers share their best kept secrets with us! Throughout the 2013 football season we’ll be adding tons of great new appetizer and dinner recipes to our blog and our Facebook page so check in with us regularly and don’t miss out on your next new favorite food!

Football Season Menu

Playbook Pot Stickers

  • 1 cup pork tenderloin, cooked and finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup bok choy or cabbage, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup celery, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dry sherry
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 36 wonton wrappers
  • 2 tablespoons oil

Mix the bok choy (or cabbage), celery, and green onion. Combine soy sauce, sherry, and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Stir in the cornstarch and pour the mixture over pork – toss to coat. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Cut the wonton wrappers into 4-inch circles with a cookie cutter. Spoon 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of the round. Bring the sides up and seal the edges with water (keep the rest of the rounds covered with a dry cloth while you prepare them one by one.) Transfer the pot stickers to a baking sheet and cover with a dry cloth.

In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Carefully place half of the pot stickers in the skillet; do not let them touch each other. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute or until the bottoms are browned.

Gently add 1/2 cup water to the skillet and reduce the heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional 3-5 minutes  or until the water evaporates. Transfer pot stickers to a baking sheet and allow them to sit in the oven on 250 to keep warm. Repeat with the other half of your pot stickers and serve with soy sauce!

Beer Cheese Dip

  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 package ranch dip mix
  • 1/2-3/4 your favorite beer
  • 4 chopped green onions
  • pretzels and assorted veggies

In a medium bowl combine cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and dip mix. Gradually stir in beer until the mixture reaches the desired consistency. Add green onions and stir. Garnish with extra green onions and cheddar cheese. Makes 3 cups.

Hail Mary Hot Crab, Parmesan and Artichoke Dip

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 large green pepper, chopped
  • 2 (14 ounce cans) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped finely
  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1 pound crab meat, drained
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
  • pita chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small skillet over medium heat, stir vegetable oil and green pepper until soft. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, scallions, Parmesan, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and celery salt. Gently stir in crab meat. Transfer the mixture to buttered baking dish and sprinkle with almonds.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the mixture is bubbly. Serve with pita chips.

Hostess With The Mostest

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At Passanante’s Home Food Service we love a good party, and we’ve been to quite a few awesome tasting parties where our customers invite friends over to enjoy some of our delicious selections. One thing we’ve learned over the years while co-hosting these backyard bashes is how important it is to pick “Mobile-Friendly Foods” for your guests.

At parties where a sit down meal is not on the agenda, make sure the menu you select is party friendly! When the food table is the focus of your party, your guests are less likely to socialize with each other, and some of your guests may not get their fill of the finger foods. Skip the veggie trays, chips and dips, and anything that your guests would have to linger around to enjoy.

Get creative and think of ways to make your favorite foods mobile — and don’t skimp on the portions. If your party food layout is designed so guests go from station to station to pick up single serving courses you will keep the momentum moving and give your guests the opportunity to enjoy good company AND good foods.

A couple great ideas for mobile-friendly appetizers include anything on a skewer, veggie cups with dressing or dip in the bottom for easy enjoyment, and even single serving salads in cute party bowls (disposable is great).

veggie cups, skewered snacks and salads

The last thing any good host wants is for their guests to have to swing by a drive-through after the party because they’re still hungry. Keep the food coming with juicy agostino beef sliders, mashed potato martini’s with all the fixins, and a thick chocolate shake served in a glass rimmed with chocolate and sprinkles!

mashed potato martinis, beef sliders, and chocolate shake

We’d love to hear your party tips and see pictures of your favorite mobile foods! Pop on to our Facebook wall and share your stories with other Passanante’s customers and check out their tricks as well!

Happy Eating!