Chestnut-Apple Dressing

Love the taste of chestnuts in your dressing? It’s easy with Peeled & Steamed Chestnuts! I find them at Gelsons, Bristol Farms, Lazy Acres or you can order them direct from Melissas. Here’s my favorite recipe…

Chestnut-Apple Dressing

1 loaf artisan bread -- cut into cubes, toasted until lightly browned
1 box cornbread mix -- baked and cut into pieces (Trader Joes has an excellent brand)
1 onion -- diced
4 ribs celery -- diced
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 stick unsalted butter -- (1/2 cup)
1 pound fresh chestnuts -- shelled and peeled, chopped coarse, or 1pkg. vacuum-packed whole chestnuts, chopped
2 small apples (organic) -- golden delicious, cut into 1" pieces with skin
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 egg -- lightly beaten
1 cup turkey stock -- or chicken stock, as needed

Fresh chestnuts in shell:

With a sharp knife cut an X on the round side of each chestnut. Spread the chestnuts in one layer on a baking sheet and bake the chestnuts in a preheated 450 oven for 10 minutes, or until the shells open. Remove the chestnuts, a handful at a time, and shell and peel them while they are still hot.

Preheat the oven to 350°

For dressing:

In a large pan, sauté the onions, celery, sage, thyme in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, add apples and the chestnuts, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the vegetable mixture to the bread pieces, tossing the mixture well, stir in the parsley and salt and pepper to taste, and let the stuffing cool completely. Add the egg and enough of the stock to just bring the dressing together.

Bake for 20 minutes covered; uncover and continue baking 15 minutes or until lightly toasted on top.

How to Make Mashed Potatoes

11 / 27 / 1311 / 5 / 14

How to Make Mashed Potatoes!

(Easy Peasy)

1 medium organic* russet potato person

1 tablespoon Kosher salt

1 -2 tablespoons butter, REAL BUTTER, unsalted

1/2 cup milk (cream if you want to be decadent, or mix the two)

Sea Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon sour cream, optional

1 teaspoon chives, optional

1 tablespoon grated cheese, optional

Wash potatoes and then cut into large chunks, place into a large saucepan and cover with cool water. Add a tablespoon of Kosher salt, bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes.

Heat the butter with the milk (I use the microwave). If you use the microwave wait to heat until the potatoes are cooked. Drain the potatoes and peel the skin off with tongs. For creamy soft mashed potatoes slip through a ricer into the still hot saucepan that you cooked them in (without any water!) If you don’t have a ricer just put the chunks back into the pan, place on the stove over low heat for a minute or two. This helps to dry them a little further so they absorb the butter and milk more evenly.

Add enough butter and milk (or cream) to the potatoes and lightly mashed with a potato masher, they should come together easily. Don’t overwork the potatoes or they can turn gummy. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste and add any optional ingredients, serve.

If you’re making potatoes for a crowd they can be made about 1 hour ahead of time and kept warm on low in a preheated slow cooker! (I don’t remember where I learned that trick but thank you to whoever it was that shared it)

*Organic potatoes, all kinds of pesticides and sprays are used on conventional potatoes to keep bugs from eating them while they grow. Then to harvest them and finally to keep them from sprouting in the store. Choose organic for your health.