Do Ahead Gravy & Rita's Herbed Butter Recipe (Page 44)

I made Diane Phillips Make Ahead Gravy, but used a few Tbsp. of Rita Heikenfeld's herbed butter. Very nice to have this double batch of gravy done-just need to add the drippings!
Rita's Herbed Butter is on page 44 of my cookbook-
6 T. unsalted room temp. butter, 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt, 1 Tbsp. each chopped fresh parsley,thyme and rosemary,1/4 tsp. fennel seed- ground....I used a coffee grinder. Just mix it up and take out a tablespoon or two for the gravy. I rub the turkey/chicken under the skin, then over the skin with the rest of the butter. Freezes great!
Diane's Gravy Recipe is pretty basic:
6 T. unsalted butter, 6 T. flour- whisk continually x2-3 min, then slowly add in 4 cups turkey/chicken broth. Cook, stirring continuously, until it boils/becomes thick. Salt & Pepper to taste. Freezes for 6 weeks. On the big day reheat & add pan drippings. I doubled it & it's done!

Baked Penne a la Carbonara- Diane Phillips

I've been enjoying Diane Phillips books lately. This is 1 I've made twice in 2 weeks (per family request!)

Serves 10 as a side dish or 6 as a main dish
(Or 4 if you have teen boys!)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup flour
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth (Keep some extra handy in case you need to thin out the sauce)
1-1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan (okay do 2 cups- you're welcome)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salt (optional) to taste....since when was salt an option?
1 pound penne pasta, cooked according to package directions until al dente and drained
12 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, coked until crisp, and drained on paper towels (app. 3/4 pound)
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Step 1
In a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, add the shallots and thyme, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is cooked, but hasn't turned color, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cream and broth and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Stir in 1 cup of the Parmesan and season with pepper and with salt if desired.

Step 2
Coat a 13x9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle 1/4 cup of the remaining Parmesan over the bottom. In a large bowl, toss the hot penne with the olive oil. (This parmesan makes a nice crust on the bottom.)

Step 3
Stir the sauce into the penne, then stir in the bacon and mozzarella. Transfer to the prepared pan and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 - 1/2 cup of Parmesan.

Diva Do-Ahead: At this point, you can cover and refrigerate overnight OR freeze freeze for up to 6 weeks. Bring to room temperature before continuing.(Thaw 1 day in fridge)

Step 4
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the penne until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Now I was lazy and copied the recipe from here. It looks like a nice blog. Her recipe had olive oil, mine doesn't (I went to Diane's class,where this recipe came from her book) I think the olive oil is why the sauce separated.
Diane's book is called "Perfect Party Food" by Diane Phillips.

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

This is from Diane Phillips' book "Happy Holidays from the Do-Ahead Diva"
I had the pleasure of attending 2 of her classes last week & she was just a delight to meet & learn from. This is a great book!

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
8-10 med. russet baking potatoes peeled & cut into 1 inch chunks,
6 Tablespoons ((3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup fresh chives, chopped (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes in salted water to cover until tender. Drain.
Butter the dish (I use foil pans for freezing) w/ 2 Tbsp. of butter. Sprinkle a 1/4 cup Parmesan evenly over the bottom.
Place the hot cooked potatoes in a large bowl.Add the sour cream and softened cream cheese & 2Tbsp. butter,1/4 cup cheese & chives. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper.
Place in prepared dish. Dot w/ final 2 Tbsp. butter and sprinkle with final 1/4 cup cheese.
*Wrap tightly & freeze for up to 1 month. Bring to room temp before baking.*
Bake the potatoes x 25 min, until golden brown.
Follow up These held up very well and tasted very good after 2 weeks of freezing.

Cheesy Chicken Fingers (Page 37)

CHICKEN CHEESY FINGERS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved 1 1/4 lb
(Or a pack of chicken tenderloins)
1/2 c. finely shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
2 c. cheese-flavored crackers, crushed to 1 cup
Dipping sauce - BBQ, ketchup or ranch
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Cut chicken
lengthwise into 1/2 inch strips. Mix crushed crackers and cheese in a plastic bag. Beat
egg in a bowl. Place chicken strip in the egg mixture, then the cracker - cheese mix.
Seal the bag and shake, coating evenly. Place in a single layer on the pan. Bake 10-12
minutes, until done. Serve with desired sauce.
Note: Sometimes I cheat and use chicken tenderloins for an even quicker, more moist
chicken. Great,easy meal.

Impressed by emealz.com so far!

Cuban Black Bean Soup (Page 12)

1 lb. black beans (Can use canned beans
to bypass soaking process)
1 red pepper, seeded, large diced
1 green pepper, seeded, large diced
1 white onion, large diced
1 bay leaf
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. cumin
1 T. sugar
1 T. oregano
1/8 c. white vinegar
1 banana pepper or Italian frying pepper
salt to taste
Olive oil, for sauteing, plus 1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. sour cream

In a large stock pot, cover the beans in water, covering them by 2 inches. Add bay
leaf, cumin, oregano, and Italian pepper. Simmer until the beans are tender, about 45
minutes. Remove the pepper in a pan, saute the onion, red and green peppers until
translucent. Puree in a blender. (This is called “sofrito”). In the same pan saute the
garlic. Add to the beans, along with the sofrito, 1/4 cup olive oil, sugar, and vinegar.
Season with salt. Continue to cook until very thick, about 45 minutes. Garnish with
red onion and sour cream.
Freezes well.
Variation:I omitted vinegar, sugar and banana pepper. I added browned hot sausage 1 lb., 1cup of chopped ham and 1/2 cup of rice and cooked for 20 minutes longer. Gives it more of a gumbo feel.

KRAUTSUPPE (CABBAGE SOUP) Page 16

4 slices of thick bacon, diced
2 c. water
2 onions, diced
6 sprigs of parsley
2 potatoes, cubed
1 Bay leaf, tied together with parsley with string
2 carrots, diced
1 turnip, diced
1 head of cabbage, green , shredded
salt and pepper to taste
4 c. chicken stock
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
In a 6 qt. pot, lightly brown the bacon and onion to soft over low heat. Combine all
ingredients in pot, except salt, pepper and cheese. Simmer 2 hours. Discard parsley
bundle. Season to taste. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with Parmesan.

We would have a get together with my brother's family and do a 5 course meal from a different country. This was from our German exploration. My kids have since renamed this (forgive me) poop soup....hey, it's a house full of boys! It really is a great root soup recipe. It freezes great. The Parmesan is the key to the great taste.