Grandma Clark's Dinner Rolls

Bill's Grandma Clark (may she rest in peace) made these amazing dinner rolls, before she passed away, I had the honor of putting together a cookbook of her recipes for the family. It was an amazing experience. The family has this recipe, but it should be shared with the world. These are by far the BEST rolls ever made. Of course, my rolls using this recipe and my father-in-laws rolls using the same recipe come out differently. I don't know how or why... they just do. But the way I make them... They are HEAVENLY! So hopefully yours will turn out as heavenly as mine. :) Here is the recipe...

Ingredients:

2 pkg yeast

1/2 c luke warm water

1 1/2 cup luke warm milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

7-7 1/2 c flour

1/2 c soft butter

2 whole eggs

YEAST:

Combine the yeast and warm water with a sprinkling of sugar and let rise.

Separately:

Combine in a mixing bowl with dough hook, milk, sugar, salt, soft butter, and eggs. Then add the risen yeast mixture.

Begin mixing in flour - 1/2 c at a time (up to 7 1/2 cups if necessary) mix by hand

Place mixed dough into a buttered bowl, cover and let rise in warm area - 1 1/2 hours or double in size

Punch down, turn dough over in bowl and let rise another 1 1/2 hours or double in size.

Punch down, form into rolls, let rise on cookie sheet, brush with melted butter.

Bake in a 400F oven for 10-12 min or until brown.

Verdict...

HEAVENLY Rolls... I make these for all special occasions and when we want yummy rolls. I warm the milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a sauce pan on the stove just until the butter starts to melt. To help the milk be the proper temperature for the yeast to keep growing. :)

I also, brush them with more melted butter once they have been removed from the oven for added yumminess!

Sausage, Bacon, Apple Stuffing

Since I was going all out this thanksgiving with 9 pies, turkey, homemade rolls, creamed peas with pearl onions, green been casserole, mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows, mashed potatoes... That I would not just do a box mix stuffing, but a "fancy" stuffing. One with yumminess in it to make it over the top! I wanted to stuff my turkey with flavor. So here is the stuffing I used. It as good. :)

Ingredients:

1 - 16oz bag of cubed stuffing - white and wheat blend

1 box cornbread stuffing

3 cans chicken broth

2 granny smith apples - cored, peeled, and diced

1 lb bulk ground sausage

3/4 lb chopped bacon

1/2 onion diced

1 cup celery diced

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Brown and drain the sausage, set aside. Brown and remove the bacon - keeping the bacon grease. cook the chopped onion and celery til translucent in the bacon grease. In a large bowl, put the stuffing mixes in, the drained sausage, the browned bacon, mushrooms, apples, cumin, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Add the onions and celery and mix well. Add the cans of chicken broth one at a time, once the stuffing is as moist as you want, then stuff the turkey, or place in a 13X9 prepared baking dish. If using the baking dish, bake in a 350F oven for 30-35 min.

The turkey stuffed will help cook the stuffing further.

This is a delicious stuffing mix. My husband said he could tell the added flavor helped the turkey taste even better. With the aroma of bacon and sausage, and the sweetness from the apples. MMM so yummy. I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think of this stuffing mix. :)

AMAZING Thanksgiving Turkey

I decided to make my first thanksgiving turkey this year. I have never in my life ever made a turkey. I have been so very intimidated by making a turkey. My husband doesn't really like turkey's either, so I usually make ham for thanksgiving. I decided it was time to stop being so intimidated by such things. I talked myself into cooking the bird. I asked my husband to forgive me if it wasn't good and if it was dry. I did my research and read a few things on how it is best to cook a turkey and if I needed to brine it. I decided to brine my turkey. I put it in the brine by noon the day before I wanted to cook it. For instructions on what I did with my brine. Check my post on Turkey Brine. For cooking it... I did a few things...

Ingredients:

1 12-14 lb turkey - brined

softened seasoned butter - your choice of seasoning

1 large roasting pan with rack

paper towels

Preheat the oven to 350F. Remove turkey from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Make sure to dry it well. Place the dried turkey in the roasting pan. Stuff with stuffing (optional).

Spread the softened seasoned butter all over the turkey with your hands.

Once the oven is preheated and the turkey is smothered all over with the seasoned butter. It is ready to be placed in the oven. Make sure the oven rack is on the second to last rung. Remove the turkey when the breast temp internally is 165F, Approx 3 hours. Periodically baste the turkey with drippings from the turkey to help it have a more uniformed brown skin. Let the turkey rest for 20 min before carving (this will help the turkey remain moisture).

Verdict...

My husband who doesn't like turkey, said it was the BEST turkey he has ever had. So flavorful and delicious. He couldn't stop eating it as he was carving it. I stuffed my turkey with a Sausage, Bacon, Apple stuffing which I will be posting the recipe in a separate post. This was by far the best turkey I have ever had. My kids LOVED it, too! This was the most delectable turkey, so moist, and flavorful! It tasted heavenly... I will be making this again!!! :) I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving and if you try this Turkey recipe... it is AMAZING!