Ok, so I’m a little behind getting this up on the blog…but I mean, Christmas…. It’s been a little busy! Either way, hold on to these recipes for your next Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner!
A Christmas Dinner that will be Memorable!
Now, I’ll mention here that we are proudly southern and we eat our food that way as well! And, I am here to tell you that there is NOTHING better than Deep Fried Turkey and Southern Cornbread Dressing! …and of course, the ‘fixins’ that go along with it!
I grew up in a proud tradition of a line of awesome cooks… thank the Good Lord that I got a touch of that gene! The women in my family are tremendous cooks and, over the years, have perfected some of these recipes. I’m gonna share…
The recipes that we are discussing today are:
- Deep Fried Turkey with an injected marinade as well as a rub.
- Southern Cornbread Dressing
- Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Chocolate Eclair Pie
- Cherry Cream Cheese Pie
There are certainly more recipes that can add to this meal, but these are the ones we are going to focus on now.
Deep Fried Turkey
It’s what’s for Christmas Dinner!
Concerning the preparation of the turkey, I have roasted and smoked them and now we have fried, and we, by far, prefer our turkey deep fried. For one, it’s quick! But also it comes out soooooo juicy and flavorful. Where that begins, is the marinade and rub. I’m going to send you here to grab that recipe and pin it. I looked over a variety of marinades and rubs and preferred these. Both recipes are there. In the video below, I show the process of actually injecting our bird along with offering some important tips.
Deep Frying the Turkey
Frying the turkey is honestly fairly straightforward. You just have to follow some safety tips. I mean…don’t do it in the house! Fill your pot with the turkey and water beforehand, so that you know how much oil to use. (That’s important!)
There are so many sites that will tell you exactly how to go about frying a turkey, but the gist is, take safety precautions and go for about 3-4 minutes per pound. The other tip that I will throw out is that you want to lower your bird into the hot oil slowly so that it has a chance to sear the outer layer, keeping the juices in!
Southern Cornbread Dressing
A Christmas Dinner Staple in the South!
Go to the Recipe Here
Moving on to the Southern Cornbread Dressing – the absolute best part of the meal! This is something that is done in steps. We put it together the day before we are going to be cooking it.
You begin by making several cast iron skillets worth of cornbread. (All of the proportions are very much dependent on how much you want to make as well as the ‘taste test’!) Cool the cornbread and then crumble it up in your roasting pan. This year I made 4 huge skillets of cornbread and with that, I added 6 pieces of toasted white bread, also crumbling it.
You will sauté chopped up celery and onions in some chicken broth and when they are fully soft, toss them in with the cornbread. I used 1 onion and about half a bundle of celery. You will add 1 can of evaporated milk and enough broth to bring it to a wet, but not sloshy, consistency.
Add a teaspoon of baking powder and as much pepper and sage as you need to get it right. (This is what I meant about the taste test method…it tends to take a lot of sage.) My biggest tip here is to put the ingredients all together, stir, cover and let it sit in the fridge overnight and taste it again before you bake. The flavor of the sage tends to expand over time.
Broccoli Rice Casserole
Go to the Recipe Here
Broccoli Rice Casserole is mouthwatering and extremely easy to make; and it has always been on the recipe list for our Christmas Dinner. Once again, on proportions, you can do what you want. Just get it to the consistency and flavor that you like. First, I cooked the rice in my electric pressure cooker–so easy and quick! I boiled a large bag of broccoli and then drained and chopped it up a little. I sautéd chopped onion and celery and added it to the mixture. To that, I added my cream of chicken and cream of mushroom as well as a jar of cheese whiz! Stir it all together and it’s ready to bake also.
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Go to the Recipe Here
Candied Sweet Potatoes are also super simple and so yummy! I peeled and cubed 3 large sweet potatoes and tossed them in a bowl with the other ingredients; brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and ginger. Once they are all coated, you throw them into your casserole dish for baking. The mini marshmallows come in toward the end of the baking.
Dessert!!!
No Christmas Dinner is complete without the awesome desserts and I’ve got the recipes for you!
Chocolate Eclair Pie
The Chocolate Eclair Pie is incredible. My family is always begging for it. It is so easy to make, but they think I’m a genius! I didn’t even come up with it…but I’ll take the credit anyway! It is simply layering graham cracker, instant vanilla pudding with whipped topping, and covering it with chocolate frosting. YUM!!! Here’s where you can grab that recipe. You won’t be sorry!
Cherry Cream Cheese Pie
Go to the Recipe Here
The other dessert that always makes a holiday appearance in our family is the Cherry Cream Cheese Pie. Another one that is super easy! Literally, just 3 ingredients make up the pie filling; cream cheese, lemon juice, and condensed milk. Mix that up, pour it into a graham cracker crust, and top it with cherry pie filling. Seriously…That’s literally all!!!
NEVER MISS A THING!!!!
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