A Thanksgiving Side and Vacation Videos

Several weeks ago the folks at Olivia's Croutons sent me some Olivia's Stuffing to try out (Thank you!). I loved their croutons so I was excited to try their stuffing mixes too. Don't you love the farm on their box? They sent me their Traditional and the Cornbread stuffing free of charge. They did not ask me to blog about it, but that's what I do! So here I am sharing my recipe with you. I don't make stuffing often, but when I do, it's with cornbread. Day old, homemade cornbread- never with stuffing mix, so this was new for me.

I adapted my recipe to accommodate the stuffing mix, by adding more liquid and adjusting little things here and there. It makes a ton so it's great for Thanksgiving or other large crowds. You can also cut the recipe in half or make the full batch and share with someone else or freeze it. My mom usually makes hers with added giblets, which I love, but this one is a little different as it has apples, sausage and Texas pecans in it. I invited her over for dinner the night I made it and she loved it. I also served it with My Favorite Pork Tenderloin and store bought creamed spinach.

Now this is where I have to be honest, because that is who I am. I thought this recipe tasted great but I thought the stuffing pieces were too large. They softened with the addition of chicken broth but they were just too big for my liking. I guess that's mostly because I'm used to a fresh cornbread stuffing, thus it's softer and more cohesive, like a bread pudding. But if you like a chunkier stuffing than Olivia's stuffing is for you. By the way, do you call it Stuffing or Dressing? Answer my poll on the top left sidebar!

Sausage, Apple and Pecan Stuffing from Monica H

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• 1 tube breakfast sausage
• 1 stick butter, unsalted
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 medium apple, chopped
• 1 box (5 cups) Olivia's Cornbread Stuffing
• 2-3 cups chicken stock
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg, beaten

In a large pan, brown breakfast sausage over medium high heat, crumbling as you go. Once cooked, remove to a bowl, discard off excess fat.

In the same pan, melt one stick of unsalted butter. Cook carrots, celery, onion and apple until softened but not brown. Stir occasionally.

Remove from heat and add the box of Olivia's cornbread Stuffing to the veggie mixture. Stir then add chicken stock. Stir occasionally then let the stuffing rest for about 10-15 minutes to absorb all the liquid. Add more liquid if necessary. I added 3 cups but not too much because you don't want it soggy.

Once liquid has absorbed, sprinkle with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix together, taste and adjust if necessary.

Once the stuffing mix is to your liking, fold in one beaten egg to help bind it all together. Fold in pecans, reserving a few for the top.

Place stuffing into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Sprinkle with remaining pecans.

Bake in a preheated oven 350 degree F oven for 30-40 minutes.

NOTE: Dried cranberries would be really good in this too!

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And for those of you interested, here are a few short videos of our trip to San Francisco and Sausalito, California. And as an added bonus, you get to see me being a dork :-)

Hope you enjoy them!

Welcome To My Kitchen- My First Recipe Video!

Look what I won! A couple weeks ago I opted in to receive a sample of Pace Picante Sauce from The Tastemaker Program on Foodbuzz. Along with that, was the opportunity to win a Flip Video Camera. In order to enter the giveaway, I had to submit a recipe in which I would use the Pace Picante Sauce and the first thing I thought of was our family recipe for Santa Fe Stacked Enchiladas. Well, wouldn't you know that they chose me?! A few days later, I received two packages on my doorstep.

I was thinking that this Flip Camera was indeed a camera, but it's not. It's an HD video camera and I had to record a video of my recipe featuring Pace to share with you. The Flip was so easy to use, you just turn it on, push the red button to start filming and again to stop. The clarity is really great too. The hardest part was actually uploading it to the Internet so that I could post it on here. The video only took me two attempts and I think it turned out pretty well. Mr. H was a perfect camera man and I think I'll use him again in the future. tee hee!

I was a nervous wreck for days just thinking about having to be on camera! I tend to giggle a lot (just ask Ingrid) and I still have a minor cough so I was worried that I'd start choking or laughing my butt off, but I didn't :-) When I cook or bake, I'm usually in jammies and my hair is in a messy ponytail. So today you're in for a treat- I have clothes on, I'm wearing make-up and my hair is brushed. Lucky you! I do sincerely hope that you enjoy my first video. Please be kind and don't judge too harshly.

Thank you Foodbuzz for the opportunity!

For the step by step process in pictures, and for the original recipe, please see Mr. H in the Kitchen.

I also want to say thank you to Ingrid for letting me know about the opt-in on Foodbuzz. Without her, I wouldn't have entered and won. Thanks dear!

Santa Fe Stacked Enchiladas adapted from Monica H

serves 8

• 2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2/3 cup Pace Picante sauce, optional
• corn tortillas (2-3 per person)
• vegetable oil for frying
• 2 small cans (10 oz.) enchilada sauce
• 3 small cans (15 oz.) Ranch Style Beans, drain 2 of the cans
• 2-3 cups Cheddar Cheese, grated
• Green leaf lettuce, cut into wide shreds
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced

Over medium high heat, cook onion til soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and whirl around the pan til fragrant. Then add the ground beef and cook til no longer pink; breaking up any large bits as you go. Season with kosher salt and stir it in. If you're using a fattier mix of ground beef, drain off any excess fat. Stir in Pace Picante sauce if using. Set aside.

In a medium pan, generously coat the bottom of the pan and heat til shimmery. Fry the tortillas, one at a time, on each side for about 20 seconds. You don't want them to be crispy, you just want them to be a little more pliable so they don't break apart. But you really can't skip this step because the tortillas will become soggy when you bake them. Repeat til done. Place on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.

Heat sauce til warm in a small sauce pan. Heat beans in a pot til warm. You want them warm not hot.

Dip one tortilla in the warmed sauce and place on a sheet pan. Top with a bit of ground beef, then beans, then cheese. Repeat for a 2 stacker. If you're really hungry make 3 layers. Repeat as necessary until you have the amount of enchilada stacks as needed.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese is melted. Allow the enchiladas to cool for a few minutes before transferring each stack to a plate. Place lettuce and tomatoes around each stack to resemble a wreath. Dig in!