Cornmeal Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

This recipe, from “Better Homes and Gardens Holiday recipes 2011", has good directions for making it ahead – a good idea if you have a busy household during the holidays.  We liked the fresh sage and the touch of cornmeal in the biscuits.  

I used pork sausage from our nearby meat locker, the Leighton Locker in Leighton, Iowa.

Sausage gravy on biscuits appears on the menu of almost every small town café in Iowa, sometimes very good and sometimes with very little sausage and with a pasty consistency.  This recipe has plenty of sausage and has a perfect gravy.             

Cornmeal Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

                        Cornmeal Biscuits

  2 2/3      Cups  Flour, All-purpose

     1/3      Cup  Cornmeal

  4             Teaspoons  Baking Powder

  1             Tablespoon  Sugar

     3/4      Teaspoon  Cream of Tartar

     1/2      Teaspoon  Salt

  2             Tablespoons  Green Onion -- finely chopped

  1             Teaspoon  Fresh Sage -- finely chopped

     3/4      Cup  Butter

  1 1/4      Cups  Buttermilk -- or sour milk

                 Sausage Gravy

  1 1/2      Pounds  Pork Sausage

  1             Cup  Onion -- chopped

     1/4      Cup  Flour, All-purpose

  3             Cups  Milk

  2             Teaspoons  Fresh Sage

Preheat oven to 450°.  In a large bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, salt, the 2 tablespoons green onion and the sage.  Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture remember coarse crumbs.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.  Add buttermilk all at once.  Using a fork, stir just until moistened.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead dough by folding and gently pressing it just until dough holds together.   Pat out until 1/4" thick.  Cut with a floured 2 1/2" round cutter; reroll scraps as necessary.  Dip cutter into flour between cuts.

Place biscuits 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheets.  Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden.  remove biscuits from baking sheet.  Cool slightly.

To serve, split biscuits and top with sausage gravy.

Gravy:  in very large skillet, cook sausage and onion until brown breaking up meat as it cooks.  Do not drain.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup flour and stir into the meat mixture.  Cook and stir over medium heat for 1 minute.  While whisking, gradually add milk.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir for 1 minute more.  Stir in the fresh sage or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried sage.

To prepare ahead; prepare biscuits and freeze up to 2 months.  Prepare gravy and chill, covered tightly, for up to 48 hours.

To serve, thaw biscuits at room temperature about 2 hours.  If desired, bake biscuits at 350° for 10 minutes.  Reheat sausage gravy over medium low heat 10-15 minutes, adding extra milk if needed.

12 Servings

"5 Cups"

Per Serving: 522 Calories; 37g Fat (64.0% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 79mg Cholesterol; 805mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 6 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Creamy Brie Topped Potatoes

    The Better Homes and Garden 2011 Holiday Recipes has 202 new and traditional recipes, one was this recipe for Creamy Brie Topped Potatoes.

  We think that they are way too good to save just for Holidays. Great taste and I got some fresh Thyme from one of Sue’s pots of Herbs, to add just the right touch. Since there is no flour in this recipe I could enjoy it also which is a big plus as most scalloped potato type dishes have some flour in them.

  It was a little fussy to fix and Brie is not one of the cheaper cheeses, but it was well worth the cost and time involved.  I only used one 8 ounce round and feel that the 2 rounds the recipe calls for would be way too much. I bought just 5 slices of bacon from the meat counter at our local Fareway store and I have whipping cream on hand year round.

  I used russets as that was what I had , next time I will try the Yukon Golds. The white wine can be omitted, just add more chicken broth in its place. I used a splash of Sherry instead of the white wine. However, do use the Brie as it really makes the dish.

Creamy Brie Topped Potatoes

2 pounds potatoes (Yukon God recommended)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

5 slices thick sliced bacon, chopped

1 thinly sliced large onion

1 clove minced garlic

⅓ cup white wine 

2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme

¼ cup chicken broth
1/4 cup whipping cream

1 (8 - ounce) round Brie cheese 

  Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 2 quart casserole or rectangular baking dish; set aside. Peel and cook potatoes in salted water for about 25 minutes, Drain and set aside.

  While the potatoes are cooking, brown the chopped bacon, add the onion and garlic and cook until softened and bacon is crisp. Drain off fat. Carefully stir in the white wine. Simmer until wine is mostly evaporated. Stir in the snipped thyme.

  Slice the potatoes about ¼ inch thick and place about half in the bottom of the dish. Top with the bacon, onion mixture and then the remaining sliced potatoes. Pour the broth and cream over the potatoes. Slice the Brie into about ¼ inch thick rectangles and layer on top of the potato mixture.

  Bake about 30 minutes until the potatoes are done and the cheese melted and starting to brown. Garnish with Thyme sprigs if desired.

Mini Italian Quiche

If you want to make your own party appetizers, this is one that can be made ahead and served at room temperature.  I made the pastry and lined my muffin cups and put the pans, covered with foil, in the freezer several days until I was ready to prepare and serve.  I took them out, made the filling, and baked them.  You can even use your own pie crust recipe or purchased pie crust cut into 4 ¼” rounds to line the cups.  You’ll need enough pie crust for 2 deep dish crusts to have enough.

The filling can be prepared ahead and kept refrigerated until you need to assemble them.  It doesn’t look like enough egg mixture, but they puff right up in the oven and fill the cup.  If you think pancetta or prosciutto are too expensive, I wouldn’t hesitate to use some good regular bacon, precooked a little and crumbled.  Cooked sausage would also be good.  The red and green quiches are very festive for brunch or a Christmas Eve gathering.

                           Mini Italian Quiche

                        Filling

     2/3     Cup  Italian Blend Cheese -- shredded

     1/2     Cup  Sweet Red Pepper -- finely chopped

     1/4     Cup  Pancetta or Prosciutto -- finely chopped

  1            Tablespoon  Green Onion -- thinly sliced

  1 1/2     Teaspoons  Flour, All-purpose

     1/4     Teaspoon  Italian Seasoning -- crushed

     1/8     Teaspoon  Salt

     1/8     Teaspoon  Black Pepper -- freshly ground

  3            Large  Eggs

  1 1/4     Cups  Half and Half -- or whole milk

                 Fresh Parsley -- snipped

                 Pastry Dough

  2             Cups  Flour, All-purpose

     1/2      Teaspoon  Salt

     3/4      Cup  Cold Butter

     1/4      Cup  Ice Water -- -1/3 cup

Prepare dough.  Chill one hour.

Dough:  stir together flour and salt.  Cut in butter until pieces are pea size.  Sprinkle ice water over, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, until all of the flour mixture is moistened.  Push moistened flour aside while adding additional water.

Gather mixture into a ball until it holds together.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least one hour.

To make quiches:  Preheat oven to 375°.  Shape chilled dough into twenty 1 1/2" balls.  Place each ball into a 2 1/2 inch muffin cup.  Press dough into bottoms and up sides of muffin cups.  Set aside (I chill until ready).

In medium bowl, combine filling ingredients except eggs and half and half.  Divide between muffin cups. In same bowl, beat together eggs and half and half and pour over filling in each pastry shell.

Bake about 20 minutes or until filling is set.  Let stand in muffin cups for 5 minutes.  Using a knife, gently loosen shells from the sides of muffin cups; remove from the cups.  Cool slightly.  Serve warm.  If desired, garnish with parsley and additional crisp cooked pancetta.

18 - 20 Servings

  "Better Homes and Gardens Holiday recipes 2011”

Per Serving: 139 Calories; 10g Fat (61.3% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 56mg Cholesterol; 154mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 Fat.

Sunday in Iowa

The farmer running this John Deere corn picker spotted me taking a photo and stopped his equipment to "pose" for a photo op - notice golden corn filling the hopper on top.  Maybe he thought we were "tourists".

Harvest is well under way in Southeastern Iowa, we are still in drought conditions here, hard to believe after a wet spring.  The rain we finally got this week is too late for most crops, and yields will probably be down in this area.

Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Recipes

I bought this Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Recipes special interest magazine in 2011 because of the excellent full-color pictures and how to’s.  It’s a great reference and has a lot of variations on classic recipes, for example, 4 new glazes and 8 choices for rubs and 4 different brining ideas for your holiday turkey.  Especially for cooking holiday entrees, it has current cooking times and methods. 

For everything from cocktails to candy, birds to pork roasts (Frenched, of course), 6 variations on mashed potatoes, 7 choices of gravy, along with buy-it hints, and plenty of sides, salads, breads, salads and sweet potatoes, this book has everything for the big day.

We cooked some recipes for your holiday menus from this book and we’re just scratching the surface.

Mini Italian Quiche

Creamy Brie Topped Potatoes

Cornmeal Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Smokey Green Bean Casserole

Campanelle and Vegetables with Asiago Fontina Cheese Sauce  - my family's favorite

Slow Cooker Pommes Anna-style Casserole

Skillet Scalloped Corn

Peas, Carrots and Mushrooms - special

Family Favorites - Spam Macaroni Casserole

When Myrna suggested a “Spam” week a few years ago, I thought “I don’t think so”, but then I remembered this recipe which I used to make regularly when we had a kid at home. It came with a set of the cards from the 1971 Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library. You bought the box and a few sets of the recipe cards and then additional cards were sent every month or so. Of course, most of the recipes used a variety of convenience foods, really beginning to be popular in the early ‘70’s. I picked them up cheaply at a yard sale a year or two after they came out and this was one of the few recipes I kept and used.  I also make it with ham instead.  Serve it with a green vegetable or salad and fruit for dessert.  I made it in my favorite 1970's casserole dish, a covered French Arcopal (the European "Pyrex") casserole I bought from my German landlady's kitchenware shop and brought back with us to the states.  I use it often and would hate to have anything happen to it.

Spam Macaroni Casserole

4 Ounces Macaroni -- uncooked
1/2 Cup Onion -- chopped
1/3 Cup Green Pepper -- chopped
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Can Spam -- cubed
1/2 Cup Catsup
1/3 Cup Cheddar Cheese -- shredded
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
Cook macaroni; drain. Cook onion and green pepper in butter until tender. (This can be done in the same pan).  Stir in remaining ingredients; pour into an ungreased 1 1/2 quart casserole, bake, COVERED, 30 minutes at 400°.
6 Main Dish Servings
Cost 2013: $4.90 or 82¢ per serving

Apple Cider Pie

  Fine Cooking Pie Cookbook did it again. I rarely make a two crust pie, but the recipe for the Apple Cider Pie looked so good that I thought I would just have to try it.

  What a great pie! Everyone really liked it, and I could eat the filling as it is thickened with cornstarch. I did buy real apple cider, not a national brand from the supermarket. I don’t know if that would make a difference, but I must say, this is just a great tasting pie.

  That said, I would cut back a ¼ teaspoon on the cinnamon. I did use the smallest amount of sugar and we felt it was just right for sweetness. Feel free to use the larger amount of your apples are not as sweet. I used the Gala apples called for in the recipe and they held their shape and were nice and tender. 

  For the sugar on the crust, I used sparkling white sugar from the cookie decorating. I had it on hand and didn’t want to buy sugar cubes. It worked very well and the cream and sugar on the crust was a very attractive look. As with all

of the recipes from this book, the baking time was right on. Nice to have recipes work right.

Apple Cider Pie

For the double crust: 

9 inch pie crust recipe (2 crusts)

3 Tbs. heavy cream 

1/4 cup sugar cubes (about 12 small), coarsely crushed 

For the filling: 

3 lb. Golden Delicious or Gala apples, peeled, cored, cut into 3/4-inch slices, and then halved crosswise 

2/3 cup apple cider 

1/2 to 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar to taste 

1 tsp. ground cinnamon 

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 

3 Tbs. cornstarch 

Make the filling

In a large nonreactive pot, mix the apples, all but 2 Tbs. of the cider, the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved and the apples are evenly coated. Mix the cornstarch and remaining 2 Tbs. cider into a paste; add this to the apples. Stirring constantly, boil until the liquid is thickened and clear, about 1 minute. (you're not cooking the apples, just thickening the juices). Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Assemble the pie

Position racks in the low and middle spots of the oven. Set a foil-lined baking sheet on the lower rack to catch drips and heat the oven to 425°F. (Do put the foil lined cookie sheet under the pie as it does run over a small amount and is quite sticky) Prepare a double pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan and fill the shell. Brush the heavy cream over the top crust and sprinkle with the crushed sugar cubes, pressing lightly to secure the chunks. Cut at least three vent holes. Bake on the middle rack until the crust is golden and the apples are tender when pierced with a knife, about 55 minutes. If the top starts browning too quickly, tent the pie with foil.

nutrition information (per serving):

Size : based on eight servings; Calories (kcal): 510; Fat (g): 21; Fat Calories (kcal): 190; Saturated Fat (g): 10; Protein (g): 5; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 7; Carbohydrates (g): 77; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 2; Sodium (mg): 160; Cholesterol (mg): 40; Fiber (g): 4;

Chicken Little Bread

I've been on a bread baking thing this week, and one of the breads I baked was this one from Mrs. W. J. Holahan, of Chicago, Illinois, the Senior winner in the 1966 Pillsbury  bake off.  This is good with salads or soups, for sandwiches, and even toasted.

I wanted to make the Chicken Little bread while I still had fresh parsley in my outdoor garden.  I couldn’t find the potato soup mix called for, but I used some bulk potato soup mix from the Amish grocery.  I found that the packages weighed 2 ounces, so I weighed out this amount, and it made very nice loaves.

I remembered this recipe being popular for a while when I was first married, and I found it again in a Pillsbury booklet of Myrna’s.    That booklet didn’t attribute it to the winner…I found her recipe online in a newspaper article of the time.  That was the year that the famous Tunnel of Fudge Cake won only second place!  Mrs. John Petrelli of Las Vegas, won $25,000 that year for her Golden Gate Snack Bread. But here’s one of my favorites from 1966.  
(The Method is mine, not the original)  Check out our mixer bread information HERE.  Remember, you can also make this recipe by hand too, the way I did for years..

 Chicken Little Bread

  2           Packages  Instant or Active Dry Yeast

  1           Can  Chicken Broth -- 13 1/2 oz - heated to 120-125°

  1           Package  Potato Soup With Leek Mix -- (2 oz)

     ¼       Cup  Sugar

  2 ½       Teaspoons  Salt

  1           Jar  Chopped Pimientos -- 2 oz, drained

     ¼       Cup  Parsley -- minced

  2           Large  Eggs

  6 -6 1/2 cups  Cups  Bread Flour (27-29 1/2 ounces)

Set aside 1 tbsp. soup mix.  In large mixing bowl, combine soup mix, sugar, salt, parsley and pimento.  Pour hot broth slowly over ingredients, stirring constantly.  Cool to 125°.

Combine 2 cups flour and yeast; stir into mixture.  Add eggs, beat vigorously.  Gradually add remaining flour to form a soft dough. Change to dough hook and knead 6 minutes on speed 2 or knead by hand 8-10 minutes.

Cover and let rise 10 minutes. (or 45 minutes until doubled if using active dry yeast)

Punch down.  Shape into 2 loaves.  Let rise, covered, in two 9 x 5" loaf pans, until doubled, 30 minutes-45 minutes.

Bake at 375° for 45 minutes.  Remove from pans. Brush with butter, sprinkle with reserved soup mix, cool on wire racks.

2 loaves

2013 Cost per loaf:  $1.55 

Buttermilk Pie

  Fine Cooking Pie Book has a recipe for Buttermilk pie that I just had to try. We like chess type pies (pecan pie is a chess pie) and this is just a little different from some I have made. 

  The buttermilk and lemon give it a slight tang which shows off the sweetness and creamy texture of the pie.

  Buttermilk was the milk left after making butter. Now days it is made from skim or low fat milk in a process similar to making yogurt. It is low in calories and good for you. Nice to have that in a pie!

Buttermilk Pie

Yield: 1 9 inch pie

3 ounces (6 tablespoons) room temperature butter

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs separated

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (freeze the rest of the juice)

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk room temperature

1 nine inch blind baked pie crust (bake 12 to 15 minutes before filling)

  With electric mixer beat butter and sugar until sugar is incorporated. Add the egg yolks and mix well. Add the flour, lemon juice, nutmeg and salt. With the mixer running add the buttermilk. (It will look curdled)

  In a separate bowl beat egg whites to soft peak stage. Pour a little of the buttermilk mixture into egg whites. Gently fold the white into the rest of the buttermilk mixture. Pour into partly baked pie crust.

  Bake in a 350° oven for 45 to 50 minutes until pie is lightly browned and the center barely jiggles when moved. Cool on wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.