My First Thanksgiving Turkey!

"I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old fashion way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land." - Jon Stewart

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving! I sure did. This year was my first time hosting Thanksgiving AND my first year cooking a turkey! I solicited my friends on facebook for advice, and the turkey ended up being delicious and very easy. We had zero leftovers. Here's how I did it:

Ingredients:
1 turkey (I used a 15 pound turkey to feed 10 guests)
1 cup white wine
1 cup gluten-free chicken broth
1 tablespoon salt
4 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Step 1: After the neck and giblets have been removed, pour white wine and chicken broth on turkey so the turkey has been initially marinated. Rub butter over and under the skin. Stick any extra butter under the skin, next to the breast of the chicken. Rub the skin with salt.

Step 2:  Bake turkey in large roasting pan at 375 for approximately 13 minutes per pound of meat (unstuffed). Baste turkey every 45 minutes with juices from the pan.  You can use the extra juice for gravy when the turkey has been fully cooked!     

Serves 8-12 people.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Oatmeal Bake

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." - Charles M. Schulz

This is the perfect dish to make if you have guests over for breakfast this holiday season. Its fast, easy, tasty, and filling. I brought it to a work meeting last week and didn't end up with any leftovers!

Ingredients:
1 package of dried cherries (about 1 cup)
1 cup milk chocolate chips 
2 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup diced walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
5 tablespoons melted butter
Zero calorie butter spray

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Coat the bottom of a 8x11 pan (or comparable) with zero calorie butter spray.

Step 2: In a large bowl mix oats, chocolate, cherries, walnuts, salt, brown sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon. Pour the dry mixture into the 8x11 pan.

Step 3: In your now empty bowl mix eggs, milk, vanilla, and melted butter. Pour the mixture over the dry oat mixture and make sure that all pieces are covered. 

Step 4: Bake oatmeal for 40-45 minutes. If you want the oatmeal solid, let cool for 1 hour after baking, then reheat in the microwave for 20 seconds. Otherwise serve fresh out of the oven!

Serves 8-10.

     

Is it National Bacon Day yet?

"I’ll have the smiley face breakfast special. Uhh, but could you add a bacon nose? Plus bacon hair, bacon mustache, five o’clock shadow made of bacon bits and a bacon body." - Homer Simpson

I have literally been eating a BLT for lunch or dinner almost every day for the last week. Why? I've found the perfect combination of gluten-free bread for them and also--bacon. Did I mention bacon? Baaaaccccoooonnnn.

So this is kind of a lame excuse for a recipe post, but it needed to happen because I can't stop eating these.

Also, sorry for no pics of the bacon. I meant to take a pic...but then I ate it :(

Ingredients:
2 slices of Udi's Gluten-Free White Bread (this is by far the best GF sandwich bread I've tried!)
1 leaf butterleaf lettuce
2 thin slices tomato
3 slices thick cut applewood smoked bacon
1/2 tablespoon lite mayo

Directions:

Step 1:  Lightly toast  2 pieces of Udi's Gluten-Free White Bread. Spread light mayo evenly across one side.  Add lettuce and tomato.

Step 2: Cook bacon in pan on medium-low heat for approximately 8 minutes per side. The bacon should be slightly crispy, but still soft.  Cut bacon slices in half and lay across bread so it is completely covered with bacon.

Step 3: Eat sandwiches every day for a month, because they are completely addicting. BACON!

Serves 1.

Orion says, "Put the bacon in my belly."