Best Holiday Dinner

The Best Ever
Holiday Dinner
Recipes, Articles, and Equipment
A Prepared Pantry Publication
The Prepared Pantry

Dennis Weaver
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In my childhood, the best holidays were at my grandmother’s with uncles and aunts and lots
of cousins. We had a ball wandering through the farmyard and exploring the barn and the
granary. Sometimes we would hike along the creek that ran behind the pastures. Sooner or later
hunger and visions of turkey and dressing and pies would draw us back to the old brick
farmhouse. And then it seemed that it took forever for dinner to be ready.
My grandmother, mother, and aunts fixed fantastic holiday meals. We would like to help make
yours just a little bit better.
In this handbook, we’ll tell you how to roast a turkey or a chicken—how to make it moist and
succulent. You’ll find six different recipes. We’ll tell you how to make creamy mashed potatoes
15 ways. You’ll learn how to make homemade dinner rolls from a mix or a recipe. And pies!
We’ll share our best pumpkin and apple pie recipes plus a few other dessert recipes—over 40
recipes in all. You’ll learn lots about tools and techniques.
We think you’ll like what you find. Happy holidays.
Dennis Weaver
The Prepared Pantry

2 North Landmark Lane
Rigby, ID 83442
208-745-7892
www.preparedpantry.com
Copyright 2005-10, The Prepared Pantry. All rights reserved.
The material herein is published by The Prepared Pantry for the private use of individuals and may not be
used for commercial purposes without the express consent of the publisher. The information contained
herein is believed accurate but the publisher makes no warranties, express or implied, and the recipient is
using this information at his or her own risk.
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Table of Contents
How to Roast the Best Chicken or Turkey Ever!.........................................................6
Two Weeks in the Test Kitchen: The Journey to Find the Best Roast Chicken ..........7
The Four Techniques for the Best Chicken or Turkey................................................ 10
How to Inject a Chicken or Turkey with Marinade ...................................................... 11
Tools of the Trade: How to Roast a Better Chicken or Turkey ...................................12
How to Roast a Chicken or Turkey ............................................................................13
FAQ’s about Roasted Chickens and Turkeys ............................................................14
Six Great Recipes for Chicken or Turkey...................................................................15
Oven Roasted Garlic Chicken ................................................................................ 15
Roast Chicken with Wild Rice.................................................................................16
Honey Butter Roast Chicken ..................................................................................18
Apricot Orange Chicken .........................................................................................19
Mexicali-Lime Roast Chicken .................................................................................20
Dressy Italian Chicken............................................................................................21
How to Store that Leftover Turkey .............................................................................21
What to do with Leftover Turkey................................................................................ 22
Selecting and Baking Your Holiday Ham...................................................................23
Nine Glaze Recipes for Your Holiday Ham................................................................ 25
How to Make Great Dinner Rolls ................................................................................ 28
How to Make Kaiser Rolls .........................................................................................30
How to Make Great Mashed Potatoes........................................................................32
How to Mash Potatoes .............................................................................................. 32
A Guide to 15 Different Kinds of Mashed Potatoes....................................................33
Garlic Mashed Potatoes .........................................................................................33
Sunday Dinner Potatoes ........................................................................................ 33
Bacon and Cheese Mashed Potatoes ....................................................................33
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes ..........................................................................34
Garlic and Cheddar Cheese Mashed Potatoes ...................................................... 34
Skins-on Mashed Potatoes ....................................................................................34
Mashed Potatoes with Horseradish ........................................................................34
Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes...................................................................................34
Mashed Potatoes with Shallots .............................................................................. 34
Onion Mashed Potatoes.........................................................................................34
Mashed Potatoes with Chives ................................................................................ 34
French Onion Mashed Potatoes .............................................................................35
Mashed Potatoes with Green Onions ..................................................................... 35
Cheddar Mashed Potatoes .....................................................................................35
Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes ............................................................................... 35
Make Great Pies! .........................................................................................................35
Five Essential Tools for the Pie Maker ...................................................................... 35
A Pastry Knife ........................................................................................................36
A Rolling Pin ..........................................................................................................36
Pie Pans.................................................................................................................37
Other Tools ............................................................................................................38
Making the Crust ....................................................................................................... 38
Five Easy Keys to a Great Pie!..................................................................................39
The Best Pumpkin Pies .............................................................................................40
Four Egg Extra Light Pumpkin Pie..........................................................................40
Adding Yams or Dry Pumpkin ................................................................................ 41
About the Spices ....................................................................................................41
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Our Best Pumpkin Pie ............................................................................................41
Mom’s Favorite Pumpkin Pie..................................................................................42
Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Streusel in a Gingersnap Crust ................................ 43
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie Recipe ...................................................................... 44
No-Bake Turtle Pumpkin Pie ..................................................................................46
Pumpkin Pie Squares .............................................................................................47
The Best Apple Pies..................................................................................................48
Fifteen Minute Apple Pie ........................................................................................ 48
My Favorite Apple Pie ............................................................................................49
Dutch Apple Pie ..................................................................................................... 50
Bavarian Apple Pie.................................................................................................51
Maple Apple Pie ..................................................................................................... 52
Caramel Apple Pie .................................................................................................52
Other Recipes for the Holidays ..................................................................................53
Pumpkin Cheesecake in a Gingersnap Crust ............................................................54
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe ..................................................................... 55
Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe with a Chocolate Swirl................................................ 56
White Chocolate Cheesecake ...................................................................................57
New England Apple Pie Pastry..................................................................................58
Appendix...................................................................................................................... 60
Video Cooking and Baking Lessons ..........................................................................60
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How to Roast the Best Chicken or Turkey Ever!
We’ve all experienced dry, tasteless chicken or turkey. Sometimes it's hard to swallow
or rubbery. But even good chicken or turkey usually isn’t as tasty and succulent as it
could be. To be really good, it must be melt-in-your-mouth succulent and loaded with
flavor.
So we spent two weeks in the test kitchen in pursuit of these two dimensions—
moistness and flavor. We experiment with chicken with the assumption that whatever
worked with chicken, would work with turkey. What we found were multiple techniques
to make the very best chicken or turkey.
In following section, we’ll tell you about our two weeks in the test kitchen, all the
chickens that we roasted, and what we discovered. In the next section, we’ll share four
secrets to great chicken or turkey plus some additional tips and techniques. We’ll
describe each of these four techniques plus share a video with each technique with step-
by-step instructions so you’ll really get to know these techniques.
Then we’ll talk to you about the tools of the trade and recommend the equipment that will
best fit your cooking.
Finally, we’ll give you six recipes. So let’s get started . . .
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Two Weeks in the Test Kitchen:
The Journey to Find the Best Roast Chicken
Sunday dinner is usually a highlight at our

house. It’s a lingering, casual dinner,
usually with extended family. Often we
have a pot roast put on before church plus
plenty of potatoes and gravy. Sometimes
we have roast chicken--simply fixed with
seasonings and herbs.
Somewhere along the line, we determined

to find the best way to roast a chicken. So
it was off to the test kitchen. We outlined
the project—never dreaming that it would
become so involved. First, we had to
recruit Lou Anne Johnson, our chief
kitchen engineer, and Debbie Frantzen, our operations manager and a qualified foodie.
We were concerned that Lou Anne might not find chickens exciting enough for a major
project, but once she saw where we were going, she was on board. We knew that Lou
Anne would be exhaustive. Unlike anyone we’ve ever met, Lou Anne will bake from a
cookbook—front to back—just for recreation.
So we began the research phase. We read everything that we could about roast
chicken. We went on line. We looked in periodicals. We reviewed recipes in nearly
every cookbook that we owned. We kept notes and dog-eared pages.
We were ready to get started. We would try different recipes and techniques until we
found what worked. We would use staff for testers—especially the crew downstairs in
Production and in Fulfillment. (Actually, we fed chicken to everyone that came through,
sales people, delivery drivers, and all.)
Lou Ann made the first trip to the grocery store. We live and work in a small town; there
are about 3,200 people in Rigby. Food shopping consists of one grocery store which is
remarkably well-stocked for a little town in the country.
Lou Anne came back from the grocery store giggling.
“The meat department manager doesn’t understand where all his chickens went.”
That’s because she bought them all.
Over the next week, we roasted tons of chickens. We roasted them horizontally and
vertically, in the pan and on racks. We roasted them right out of the wrapping and after
soaking them in brine.
Over and over, we’ve set chicken on plates in front of our conscripted testers. We filled
plates with chicken, each with a placard identifying what chicken was on what plate.
They would walk down the line with plate in hand, adding a little chicken from each plate.
Then we would quiz them.
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“Did you like this one or that one better? What did you like best about that chicken?”
Everyone likes a moist chicken. In fact, the most common complaint was, “This chicken
is dry.”
Some of the chickens were soggy and greasy, at least in parts. Chickens have so much
fat that there is quite a pool after baking. If the chicken is sitting in that pool, it’s greasy
and soggy. With a rack, the juices dripped to the bottom of the pan and all the fat
drained off for a healthier meal. So, very quickly we decided that our chickens had to be
roasted on racks. (A rotisserie does the same thing.)
We used both horizontal and vertical racks. We could tell no difference in the meat but
with the vertical racks, we had a nice even golden color on the skins. We found that if
you use a horizontal rack, turn the chicken breast up so that the tender breast meat is
turned away from the heating elements in the bottom of the oven. The breast cooks
more readily than does the leg meat.
Chickens roasted on racks were About the racks used:

consistently dry. So we tried a vertical
rack with an infuser. The rack has a We tested three racks in the roasting of
cylindrical reservoir in the center that our chickens: A horizontal nonstick rack
protrudes into the chicken’s breast cavity. that was large enough for a turkey, a
As the chicken cooks, the liquid nonstick vertical rack, a stainless steel
evaporates and fills the cavity. (Think vertical rack with an infuser. All of these
“beer-can chicken”) We used apple juice, racks are available at The Prepared
orange juice, water with herbs, and water Pantry. If you use either the horizontal
with garlic. Any liquid made the meat rack or the nonstick vertical rack, soak
much, much more moist and in every your chickens in brine water before
case was preferred over the dry rack- baking. With the rack with the vertical
roasted chicken. It was clear that infuser, soaking is not necessary.
infusers made a much superior chicken.
While the infusers made for moist, succulent chicken, much superior to dry roasted, the
infusers did not impart a lot of flavor. Maybe there is a trick to imparting flavor with
these racks but we never discovered it. Still, we would not hesitate to purchase a
vertical rack with an infuser for the moisture.
To create a moist chicken, we next tried a steam roast—roasting the chicken in a steamy
pan. We placed the chicken on a rack in a pan and added water to a depth of 1 1/2
inches. Since we didn’t want a boiled-looking chicken, our strategy was to bake the
chicken for about half the time with the lid off so as to brown the chicken skin nicely and
then place the lid on the pan to capture the steam. The roasted chicken was attractive
but the meat was not as moist and nice as when we used the infuser. We concluded
that since the infuser concentrated the steam in the breast cavity and did so over the
entire cooking, the resulting roast chicken was much more moist.
We tried soaking our chickens in water before roasting. Maybe the chicken would retain
water for a moister roast. The results were surprising. While soaking the chicken in
plain water did not do much, an hour in brine water made for a very moist, very
succulent chicken. The brine water soak rivaled the chickens baked with a vertical rack
and infuser; our testers couldn’t tell the difference.
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So at this point, we had concluded that, in addition to roasting on a rack or rotisserie, a
chicken is much more succulent when either infused with steam or soaked in brine. Not
only is the chicken much better eating, it makes for a healthier, less fatty chicken. We
found that the best brine water was one-half cup of salt to 8 or 10 cups of cold water and
a soak time of about an hour in the refrigerator was about right.
We were giddy over our success. Never had we made such succulent, moist, roast
chicken. And the techniques were simple—brining or infusing with steam. We couldn’t
wait to share them with our subscribers.
By now we had fallen in love with our stainless steel vertical rack with infuser. It made
chicken so moist and tender. But we were disappointed with the flavor. The rack is
presented as a method to add flavor to chickens. We would fill the infuser reservoir with
a beverage, stock, or juice, and it would impart some flavor to the chicken but not as
much as we would like.
But then we read about tucking herbs and seasoning under the skin of a chicken, right
against the meat. We had to try that. It was back to the store for more chicken.
We started baking chickens, making little pockets for seasoning under the skin on the
breasts and thighs. We made garlic chicken, orange chicken, and lemon chicken. The
technique worked. The chicken was now moist and flavorful.
But then we considered marinades.
A marinade has three purposes: it imparts flavor to the chicken, it adds moisture to the
chicken to make it more succulent, and it breaks down tissues in the flesh for more
tender meat. While a marinade works well for cut up chicken, it requires a lot of
marinade to soak a whole chicken.
So we looked at injectors. A hypodermic injector injects marinade deep into the flesh.
The marinade imparts flavor and moisture and does help to break down tissues for more
tender meat.
So we bought even more chickens and started experimenting with techniques and
recipes. We made savory chickens and sweet chickens. We found that an injector is
very easy to use and very effectively imparts flavors to the meat. It makes for a very
flavorful, tasty roast chicken.
Now we had arrived. We knew how to make very succulent chicken and very flavorful
chicken. We had four techniques in our arsenal: brining, infusing with steam, tucking
seasonings and herbs under the skin, and injecting marinades. All four were very useful.
We’ll explain these four techniques, where each is applicable, and present an
instructional video for each.
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The Four Techniques for the Best Chicken or Turkey
In our quest for the best roast chicken or turkey, we examined four techniques--two for
flavor and two for moistness and tenderness. For flavor, we used a technique for putting
herbs and spices under the skin and one for injecting chicken with a marinade. For
moistness, we brined and infused chickens with steam. All four of the techniques are
remarkably successful.
See the Video: Four Techniques for Better Chicken
Or type the following URL in your browser:

http://www.preparedpantry.com/4-Chicken-Techniques.htm
For Moistness and Tenderness: Brining
Brine the chicken for one hour, in the refrigerator, in a solution of 1/2 cup salt for ten
cups water. If you brine the chicken, you can still insert flavors under the skin. Injecting
marinade after brining does not work well.
For Moistness and Tenderness: Infusing with Steam
Infusing with steam leaves the chicken moist and tender without becoming soggy. The
best way to infuse with steam is with a vertical rack with infuser. You can inject
marinade into the chicken before baking with this method.
For Flavor: Inserting Herbs and Spices Under the Skin
With the back of a spoon, create pockets on the breasts and legs. Place spices or herbs
in these pockets and spread around. This works best in conjunction with brining or
infusing steam during baking.
For Flavor: Inserting Marinade
Use a marinade injector to insert a wide range of marinades directly into the meat of the
chicken. Puree chunky marinades first--those with herbs or vegetables. This method
works well in conjunction with a vertical rack with infuser.
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How to Inject a Chicken or Turkey with Marinade
It’s really quite simple, injecting a chicken with a flavorful marinade. We tried it over and
over with different recipes until we had the technique down. You can use any marinade
that will pass through the needle on your injector. The injector that we use has a large
diameter needle with two large holes cut into the sides of the needle. Still, marinades
with large pieces of herbs will not pass through. To solve that problem, we put chunky
marinades in our blender and pureed them.
The techniques used here can also be applied to turkeys and modified for roasts.
1. Prepare the marinade. Depending on the strength of the marinade and how
flavorful you will want your chicken, you will need a cup of marinade.
2. Leave the skin on the chicken. It will hold moisture and flavor and protect the
tender breast meat from scorching.
3. Load your injector. You will need to load it several times to use all your
marinade. Use the first third to marinate the legs and then one third in each of
the two breasts.
4. Start with a leg. Insert the needle deep along the bone. Press lightly on the
plunger to begin releasing marinade and then begin withdrawing the needle,
slowly releasing the marinade as you withdraw the needle. Inject the other leg
and both thighs.
5. Next inject the breasts. Insert the needle into the deepest part of the meat and
inject marinade as you withdraw the needle. Tip the needle, inject the needle
through the same hole again and press the needle into another part of the breast.
Do this “directional drilling” again so that the entire breast has received marinade
and yet there is only one hole in the skin.
6. Reload the plunger and inject the second breast. The objective is to get as much
marinade as possible dispersed in the meat. There are two keys to loading up
the chicken with marinade: probing the needle into different parts of the chicken
and pressing on the plunger as you withdraw the needle thereby injecting
marinade along the way.
7. Place the chicken in a bowl and return it to the refrigerator. Let it rest in the
refrigerator for 30 minutes so that the marinade can seep through the tissues.
8. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and prepare it to roast by wiping any
marinade from the skin and basting the skin with melted butter. Marinade left on
the skin may burn. Butter helps the skin brown properly.
9. Bake according to recipe instructions.
Notes:
1. After pureeing your marinade, if a piece still gets stuck in the needle, use a piece
of fine wire to unclog the needle. A twist-tie stripped to the wire works perfectly.
2. With liquid within the meat, infused chickens take longer to cook. At 350 degrees
allow up to two hours.
3. If you use an infuser, be sure and place a pan under the chicken to catch excess
drippings. The infuser sets in a nine-inch pie pan perfectly.
4. It doesn’t work to inject marinade into a brined chicken. A brined chicken has
retained water and there is less capacity for marinade. For the best chicken, use
a vertical rack with an infuser to make the chicken very moist and an injector for
the most flavor.
5. Don’t let the chicken sit for over 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
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6. Do not leave the chicken on the counter. Food safety requires that raw chicken
be refrigerated.
7. You can use leftover marinade that has not been contaminated with any juices
from the chicken. Discard any marinade in the injector marinade that has
touched the needle.
Tools of the Trade: How to Roast a Better Chicken or Turkey
You can use two of the four techniques explained in this handbook without any special
equipment: brining and inserting flavors under the skin. To be equipped for the other
two techniques, you will need the following equipment.
For infusing steam into your chicken:
Stainless Steel Vertical Roaster Rack with Infuser

TN265
This vertical roasting rack has a reservoir in the center of

the catch basin. You fill this reservoir with water, a
beverage, wine, or juice. The steam imparts some flavor
to the chicken. It also makes the chicken moist and
succulent.
For injecting marinade into your chicken:
Professional Marinade Injector TN777
You can make very flavorful, succulent chicken by injecting

marinade into the meat with this hyperemic-type injector. If
the marinade contains an acid, it will also help tenderize the
chicken.
The secret is to load the meat with marinade, injecting

marinade until it can hold no more. Poke a minimum number
of holes into the chicken—one for each breast and one for
each thigh—so that marinade does not seep from the extra
holes.
This is an inexpensive and very useful tool for your kitchen that works as well with other
meats as it does with chicken.
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How to Roast a Chicken or Turkey
This is a basic chicken recipe but much more moist

and tender than a chicken just popped into the oven.
You can easily modify this for a turkey.
1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds in weight

2-3 tablespoons butter, melted
salt and pepper
1/2 cup salt for brining or use an infuser
Chicken can become very dry in roasting and nearly

unpalatable. To avoid dry chicken, you need to infuse
water into the chicken. You can do that in one of two
ways. Use a vertical roasting rack with an infuser. In
this way, you create steam in the body cavity that
permeates the meat. The infuser can be loaded with
water, juice, cider, pop, or beer. Herbs or spices can
be added to the reservoir.
The other way to create a moist chicken is to soak it in a brine solution for an hour. The
salt water will permeate the bird so that the chicken retains water prior to roasting. If you
use a brine soak, dissolve one-half cup of salt in 8 to 10 cups of cold water and soak the
bird for an hour in the refrigerator just prior to roasting.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
1. If you are not using an infuser, soak the chicken in 8 to 10 cups of water with
the 1/2 cup salt dissolved in the water.
2. Wash the chicken and pat it dry. Salt and pepper the body cavity. Place the
chicken on a vertical or horizontal baking rack. If you have not soaked the
chicken, use a vertical rack with an infuser. Fill the reservoir with the liquid of
your choice.
3. Use a pastry brush to brush the skin of the chicken with the melted butter.
Use a spoon to lift the skin away from the breast meat. Spoon any herbs or
herb butter into the pockets and press on the skin to spread the paste onto
the breasts or sprinkle salt and pepper into the cavities. (See how this is
done in a video clip.)
4. Place the chicken in the center of the oven and roast it until it is done, about 1
1/2 hours. Test for doneness with an insta-read thermometer. (See below.)
Cook’s notes:
Do not overcook. Use an insta-read thermometer to tell when your chicken is cooked.
The thermometer should be inserted deep into the meat but not against the bone since
the bones tend to reach a higher temperature than does the meat. The breast meat
should test 165 degrees and the thigh meat, 170.
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You can roast a chicken without brining or without an infuser but the meat will tend to be
much drier. The cooking times will be about the same.
Do not set the chicken in a baking pan to roast. The liquids will drain out of the chicken
into the pan and permeate parts of the chicken to make it soggy and greasy. A rack
allows the grease to drip away from the chicken.
FAQ’s about Roasted Chickens and Turkeys
At what temperature should I roast my

chicken or turkey?
In preparing this handbook, we read many

recipes and found baking temperatures
from 325 to 500 degrees. As a principle
for roasting meat, a slow roast is preferred
and results in a tender, moist product.
And while we tried higher temperatures,
we had better results with the oven set on
350 or 375 degrees.
One of the reasons offered for higher

temperatures is the argument that higher
temperatures are required to brown the bird. Not so. If you brush your chicken with
melted butter before baking, it will brown very nicely.
What about stuffed chicken?
If you stuff your chicken with dressing will it be moist?
Not as moist as a brined chicken or one baked with an infuser. If you have a very moist
dressing, it may help. But to be safe, the dressing must reach 160 degrees. (Dressing
stuffed inside of a chicken or a turkey where unsafe juices can drip into the dressing, is a
common source of food poisoning.) By the time the dressing in the far recesses of the
chicken reaches 160 degrees, the tender breast meat will be overcooked and dry.
Won’t soaking in water do the same thing as soaking in brine?
No. We don’t understand the chemistry, but soaking in brine works much better than
soaking in plain water. The chicken is moister and more tender. It seems that the salt
water penetrates the walls of the cells better than unsalted water.
Do I use cold water or warm?
Cold water. You don’t want either the chicken or the water rising above 40 degrees. At
40 degrees, bacteria start to multiply much more rapidly.
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Since it’s only an hour, can I let my chicken soak on the counter?
No. You have to keep the temperature below 40 degrees. If you kept adding ice to chill
the water, you could.
If you really don’t have room in the refrigerator, consider a vertical roaster with infuser.
What does basting do?
Basting with butter helps brown the skin nicely and make it crisper. If you eat the skin,
that’s important. The butter makes the skin taste better. We don’t think that the butter
penetrates enough to make an appreciable difference in the flavor of the meat.
We rub our chickens with butter before baking but don’t bother to baste while baking.
Six Great Recipes for Chicken or Turkey

Oven Roasted Garlic Chicken
This chicken will be moist and flavorful

and yet have the distinct flavor of oven
roasted garlic.
Ingredients:
For the chicken
1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds in

weight
2-3 tablespoons butter, melted
salt and pepper
1/2 cup salt for brining or use an infuser
For the garlic paste:
8 to 10 cloves of roasted garlic or 2 or 3 cloves of raw garlic.

1/4 cup softened butter.
Directions:
Roast chicken can be very dry and nearly unpalatable. To avoid dry chicken, you need
to infuse water into the chicken. You can do that in one of two ways. Use a vertical
roasting rack with an infuser. In this way, you create steam in the body cavity that
permeates the meat.
The other way to create a moist chicken is to soak it in a brine solution for an hour. The
salt water will permeate the bird so that the chicken retains water prior to roasting. If you
use a brine soak, dissolve one-half cup of salt in 8 to 10 cups of cold water and soak the
bird for an hour in the refrigerator just prior to roasting.
15
1. Make the garlic paste by mincing the garlic and then mixing it in a small bowl with
the softened butter until you have made a paste. Set aside.
2. Wash the chicken and pat it dry. Salt and pepper the body cavity. Place the
chicken on a vertical or horizontal baking rack. If you have not soaked the
chicken, use a vertical rack with an infuser. Fill the reservoir with the liquid of
your choice.
3. Use a pastry brush to brush the skin of the chicken with the melted butter. Use a
spoon to lift the skin away from the breast meat. Spoon the garlic paste into the
pockets and press on the skin to spread the paste onto the breasts. (See how
this is done in a video clip.)
4. Place the chicken in the center of the oven and roast it until it is done, one hour
to an hour and 15 minutes. Test for doneness with an insta-read thermometer.
(See below.)
Cook’s notes:
Do not overcook. Use an insta-read thermometer to tell when your chicken is cooked.
The thermometer should be inserted deep into the meat but not against the bone since
the bones tend to reach a higher temperature than does the meat. The breast meat
should test 165 degrees and the thigh meat, 170.
You can roast a chicken without brining or without an infuser but the meat will tend to be
much drier. The cooking times will be about the same.
Do not set the chicken in a baking pan to roast. The liquids will drain out of the chicken
into the pan and permeate parts of the chicken to make it soggy and greasy. A rack
allows the grease to drip away from the chicken.
Roast Chicken with Wild Rice
When we lived in Minnesota, wild rice was readily

available, harvested from the marshy lakes in the
northern part of the state. We miss those rice dishes.
So we decided to roast a chicken with wild rice. Again,
this is a recipe for a tender, moist roast chicken.
The nut-like flavor of wild rice complements this moist

chicken perfectly.
For the chicken:
1 whole chicken (4 -5 lbs), brined

salt and pepper
4 cloves roasted garlic or two cloves raw garlic,
minced
about 1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon oregano
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1. To cook the chicken, place a rack inside of a large roasting pan with lid. Salt and
pepper the chicken. With your fingers, create a pocket between the skin and
breast meat on each side. Spoon half of the garlic on each side. Place the
chicken breast side up in the pan on the rack. Pour the water into the pan to a
depth of about 1 1/2 inches. Sprinkle the sage and oregano over the chicken
breast and legs.
2. Place the chicken in the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes. Bake without the
lid on the pan. After 30 minutes, check to make sure there is still water in the
pan, add more if necessary, and put the lid on the pan. Bake for another 30 to
40 minutes or until the chicken tests done with an insta-read thermometer.
For the wild rice pilaf:
2 cups chicken broth

2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup wild rice
1/2 cup long-grain rice
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2/3 cup diced sweet onion such as Vandalia
2/3 cup carrot slices
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1. While the chicken is cooking, make the pilaf. In a medium pan with a lid, bring
the broth, water, and salt to a boil. Add the wild rice, turn the heat down, cover
with a lid, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the white rice, bring to a boil again,
turn down to simmer, cover, and let simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the
pan from the heat and fluff the rice with a fork.
2. While the rice is cooking, sauté the vegetables. Melt the butter in a skillet. Sauté
the carrot slices until they are almost tender. Add the diced onion and sauté for 2
or 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another couple minutes. Add
the sautéed vegetables to the cooked rice.
Place the roasted chicken on a platter and surround the chicken with the rice pilaf.
Garnish with sprigs of parsley if desired.
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Honey Butter Roast Chicken
Like the honey-roast meats at the deli, this is a mildly

sweet flavor that everyone in your family will enjoy.
Make the marinade and inject in the chicken with a
marinade injector.
For the chicken:
1 whole chicken
butter for basting
Make the marinade and set aside. (Recipe follows)

Wash the chicken and pat dry. Use a marinade injector
to load the chicken meat with marinade. (See how to
do this with a video.) After marinating, return the
chicken to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the
marinade to seep through the meat.
After 30 minutes, remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Wipe any marinade from the
skin with a paper towel.
Place the chicken breast side up in the pan on the rack or on a vertical rack with an
infuser and water to add steam to the chicken. (The chicken will be more moist and
succulent with an infuser.)
Brush the chicken with melted butter.
Place the chicken in the oven for 1 3/4 hours or until the chicken tests done with an
insta-read thermometer.
Note: Chicken cooks faster on a vertical rack where the heat can reach it from all sides.
On a horizontal rack in a pan, cooking time is extended by about 15 minutes.
For the Honey Butter Marinade:
1/3 cup chicken broth

2/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan and heat until the butter melts and the salt is
dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
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Apricot Orange Chicken
This sweet-spicy marinade makes a fantastic chicken.

The marinade is made with an orange and apricot jam.
You will use a marinade injector to inject marinade in
the chicken.
For the chicken:
1 whole chicken
butter for basting

For the Apricot Orange Marinade:
1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup apricot jam
zest from one orange
1/2 teaspoon salt
Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan and heat until the butter melts and the salt is
dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Puree the mixture in a food processor or blender.
19
Mexicali-Lime Roast Chicken
This chicken has a nice south-of-the-border touch with

cilantro and lime. Make the marinade and inject in the
chicken with a marinade injector.
For the chicken:
1 whole chicken
butter for basting

For the Mexicali-Lime Marinade:
1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
juice from one lime
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
3 cloves garlic, whole
1/2 teaspoon salt
Add all the ingredients, including the whole cloves of garlic, to a small saucepan and
heat until the butter melts and the salt is dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Puree the
mixture in a food processor or blender.
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Dressy Italian Chicken
This chicken has a nice Italian touch. Use Italian salad dressing and inject in the
chicken with a marinade injector.
For the chicken:
1 whole chicken
butter for basting
1 cup Italian salad dressing
Wash the chicken and pat dry. Use a food processor to pulverize any chunks in the
Italian dressing. Use a marinade injector to load the chicken meat with marinade. (See
how to do this with a video.) After marinating, return the chicken to the refrigerator for
30 minutes to allow the marinade to seep through the meat.
How to Store that Leftover Turkey

From the time the turkey comes out of the
oven until the leftovers find their way back to
the refrigerator should not exceed two hours.
That also goes for the stuffing and gravy.
After two hours at room temperature, bacteria
levels may have grown to dangerous levels.
The stuffing should be removed from the bird.
If you need to keep it hot, store it in the oven
at 200 degrees.
Once you put the turkey in the refrigerator, it

should cool rapidly. Remember, bacteria will
keep multiplying until the meat reaches 40
degrees. To cool properly, not only should
the stuffing be removed but the meat should be removed from the bones. If you have a
lot of meat leftover, place it in several smaller dishes instead of a larger one so that it will
cool more rapidly.
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Tightly covered, your leftover turkey will keep in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days. We often
store turkey meat in zipper-type plastic bags. Your stuffing and gravy should be used
within a day or so.
If you would like to keep your turkey longer than a few days, freeze it. It will last up to
three months in the freezer. Zipper-type freezer bags work well. Cut the boned turkey
into pieces that your family will use. If you are going to use it for sandwiches, freeze
slices. If you will use the turkey in soups and casseroles, cube it. Pull out what you need
for soups, casseroles, or a stir fry. The stock or gravy can be frozen as well. If you do
bagged lunches, try making the sandwiches with frozen slices. (Remember, all meat
must be kept at 40 degrees, even while thawing.)
What to do with Leftover Turkey

We hope that you had a wonderful holiday with
family or friends! Now what are you going to do with
all that leftover turkey? Here are some of our
favorite turkey recipes. Click on the links to see the
recipes.
 Turkey Salad Sandwiches: We have

always been partial to chicken salad
sandwiches. This a version made with
leftover turkey meat. The dried cranberries
are a terrific addition--bright red sweet
nuggets of flavor.
 Open Face Turkey and Cheese
Sandwiches: This is a hot sandwich topped
with a cheese sauce. The surprise
ingredient is some of your leftover chip dip
spread on the bread as you would
mayonnaise.
 Turkey Supreme: This is a traditional
turkey dish, turkey in a white sauce served over rice. We added slivered almonds
and peas. This is easy-to-make comfort food.
 Turkey White Bean Chili: This soup is so good, it's worth cooking up another
turkey. It's hearty, spicy, and full of flavor--and easy to make with canned beans.
 Turkey Enchiladas: When I was growing up, my mother made this dish often.
She would freeze her leftover turkey and use it later for this dish that was always
a favorite with the family.
 Turkey Tacos: You can make traditional tacos with leftover turkey meat. This is
an excellent recipe for the dark meat from the turkey.
 Turkey Club Salad: This beautiful salad is simple to prepare. It is made with
leftover turkey, bacon bits, tomato and lettuce--just like a club sandwich.
 Turkey and Broccoli Quiche: This is a favorite around our test kitchen and a
great recipe and dish to serve to guests.
22
Selecting and Baking Your Holiday Ham
Use this guide to help you select and prepare your

baked ham for that special meal. With this guide, you
will be able to identify and understand the various
types of hams and select the best ham for your
family. We’ll even tell you how to bake your ham.
This guide is organized in a question-and-answer

format for easy reference.
What are the different types of hams that I should

consider?
A ham is cured pork, specifically the entire back leg of

a hog. But ham is very different than uncured pork.
It’s the curing process that changes the flavor and
texture of the meat. Cured hams can be either cured
in brine—the most common—or dry cured. There are
four major types of brine-cured hams: fresh, cured, canned but not pasteurized, and
canned and pasteurized. With the exception of some dry-cured hams, any ham that is
not pasteurized must be refrigerated.
Dry cured hams are usually more expensive, are quite salty, have a unique flavor, and
are not commonly used as dinner hams. A country ham is a dry cured ham that is
usually heavily salted and is usually soaked to remove some of the salt before it is
cooked and eaten. Dry cured hams are not generally found in grocery stores. Dry cured
hams include prosciutto, serrano, and like types.
Hams may be whole or half. A half will be labeled either as a rump half or a shank half.
In some cases, a half ham has had a cut removed and is therefore a rump portion or a
shank portion. A shank portion will have more connective tissue and will be less meaty.
What about water content?
Except for dry cured hams, hams absorb moisture from the curing brine either by
soaking or injection. In smoking and drying, that moisture may be removed. The
government dictates that the moisture level must be indicated by the labeling. The driest
product labeled “Ham” will not exceed ten percent added water. A product labeled “Ham
with Natural Juices” is the next driest, then “Ham Water Added” and finally a “Ham and
Water Product” which has as much as 35% water.
Should I be concerned about nitrites?
The brine used for curing is a combination of water, sugar, salt, and sodium nitrite. After
several days of curing, the ham is washed free of brine, cooked, and is sometimes
smoked. According to government allowances, the finished product cannot contain more
than 200 parts per million of nitrite. All processors are regularly inspected by the USDA
to assure compliance.
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The nitrites used are approved by the FDA as safe in the concentrations allowed.
How do I select a quality ham?
Hams may be one of those items where you usually get what you pay for. Mass
produced, inexpensive hams may be processed in as little as twelve hours. More
expensive hams may not be ready for market with less than two weeks of processing.
Additionally, the best hams come from selected pigs that have been fed high protein
diets prior to slaughter.
Processors may vary the amount of salt or sugar in a ham to meet company
specifications. Additionally, the smoking process may vary. When you find a ham that
has the flavor that you like, stick with it.
Color and appearance are important considerations in selecting a ham.
Select a fresh ham that is a bright grayish-pink. Those fresh hams that have a pale, soft,
watery appearance are less desirable. A fresh ham that has a greenish cast may
indicate bacterial growth and should be avoided.
Select a cured ham that has a bright pink color. A lighter-colored pink or a non-uniform
coloring may be the result of improper curing or exposure to store lights. Again, a
greenish cast may reflect the presence of bacterial growth. Avoid those hams that have
a multi-colored appearance. It may suggest the presence of bacteria.
Avoid those hams that have excessive marbling. These may have a greasy taste.
The general rule is to plan on six to eight ounces of boneless ham per serving and eight
to twelve ounces of bone-in ham per serving.
It is the opinion of some that bone-in hams taste better.
How do I prepare my ham?
Most hams, including many canned hams, require refrigeration before baking. Unless it
is pasteurized and states that refrigeration is not required, keep your ham in the
refrigerator.
As with all meat products, make certain that your ham is properly baked--though a ham
marked “fully cooked” does not need to be cooked again. A Kitchen thermometer is
essential. Measure the baked temperature of the meat in the thickest portion of the ham
and in at least two spots to make sure that the thermometer is not inserted into a pocket
of hotter fat. Make certain also that the thermometer is not placed against the bone.
To be safe, a fresh ham should be baked to 170 degrees and a cured uncooked ham
baked to 160 degrees—many bacteria can survive to temperatures of 140 degrees. If
you are warming a fully cooked ham, heat it to 140 degrees.
If you are purchasing a bone-in ham, be certain of your carving skills. Carve at right
angles to the bone. Let the baked ham set for five minutes before beginning to carve.
24
What about glazes for my ham?
Glazes are a very nice touch for you ham. You can make a glaze or simply glaze your
ham with a jelly. Red currant jelly is the traditional favorite followed by pineapple jelly.
Pomegranate jelly which is bright and clear and sweet is our favorite. All three are
available at The Prepared Pantry.
Nine Glaze Recipes for Your Holiday Ham

There is a myriad of glazes to spark up that
ham dinner. Choose one that suits you
perfectly. Here’s a tray full of ten glazes to
get you started.
Applesauce Glaze
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Pour a

portion over the ham and save the
remaining amount as a table sauce. Heat
the table sauce and stir well to assure that the sugar crystals are dissolved before
serving.
Cinnamon Raisin Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and apple juice.
Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is clear and thickened. Add the raisins and
cook until they are plump, about ten minutes. Stir in the butter.
Apricot Pecan Glaze
1 cup apricot preserves

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans, peanuts, or walnuts
Thirty minutes before ham is baked, spread apricot preserves on the ham and then
sprinkle with the nuts.
25
Orange Marmalade Glaze
1 cup orange marmalade
Thirty minutes before ham is baked, spread orange marmalade on the ham.
Old-Fashioned Mustard Sauce
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 dash pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Mix the flour, mustard, pepper, and salt in. Using a whisk,
stir in the milk. Bring to simmer and let simmer for two minutes or until thickened.
Old-Fashioned Horseradish Sauce
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon prepared mustard
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish sauce
1 dash pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Mix in the remaining ingredients except for the milk. Using
a whisk, stir in the milk. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for two minutes or until
thickened.
Honey Barbecue Glaze
1/4 cup catsup

1/4 cup honey
1/2 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Simmer in a saucepan for ten minutes. Brush on the ham
during the last thirty minutes of baking.
Cranberry Spice Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
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1 dash cloves
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, and apple juice. Cook,
stirring constantly, until the mixture is clear and thickened. Add the craisins and spices
and cook for about ten minutes. Stir in the butter.
Jelly Glaze
Jellies make a very nice touch for your ham. Red currant jelly is the traditional favorite
followed by pineapple jelly. Pomegranate jelly which is bright and clear and sweet is our
favorite. All three are available at The Prepared Pantry.
1 cup jelly
Spread over the ham during the last half hour of baking.
27
How to Make Great Dinner Rolls
Nothing makes a dinner special quite
like dinner rolls. You can make dinner
rolls from your favorite bread mix or recipe
though rolls are usually a bit sweeter and
richer with more butter and milk products.
There is probably no bread product that

allows you to be more creative than dinner
rolls. You can make them plain or fancy,
and if fancy, into a multitude of shapes.
You can wash them to give them an
attractive glaze or you can top them with
seeds or grains. Here we'll show you how to make several of these shapes.
You can use any mix or recipe of your choosing. We have several dinner and sandwich
roll mixes. (Click here to see your choices.)
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Round Rolls
Let's begin with a simple round shape. After the dough has risen, use a sharp knife
(rather than tearing) to divide the dough into the chosen number of pieces. A piece the
size of a golf ball or small egg will make a nice-sized roll. If you are using a scale, about
1.5 ounces makes a popular-sized roll.
To form round rolls, some people simply roll the dough pieces between their palms. We
prefer to pull the skin around the center and pinch the seams together on the bottom to
form a taut skin.
Place the rolls about 1 1/2 inches apart on a greased pan, cover, and let them rise again
until doubled. When the dough has risen fully, a finger pressed softly into dough should
leave an indentation.
Cloverleaf rolls are made by rolling three

equally-sized rolls in butter and then
placing them in a muffin tin.
Parker House Rolls
Traditionally, parker house rolls were

made this same way only with a rich
dough. Parker house rolls are also made
in a folded shape as follows: Roll balls of
dough as in round rolls. Press them flat
into 1/4-inch thick disks then brush the
tops with butter. Fold them in half as
shown in the picture and let them rise until doubled. (To see our Classic Parker House
Roll Mixes, click here.)
Kaiser Rolls
Now let's look at making Kaiser rolls or

dinner rolls in a rosette shape. Kaiser rolls
are a New York favorite, typically made
larger than dinner rolls and used for
sandwiches, but you can use the rosette
shape to make fancy dinner rolls.
Detailed, illustrated directions are found

below.
More about Rolls
In addition to the shapes shown here, you

can make twists, overhand knots, or any other shape that you desire.
Often, you will want to glaze the tops of your rolls for a glossy finish. For a bronze glaze,
use an egg yolk. For a clear glaze, use only the white. For something in between, use
the entire egg. To make the glaze, whisk up to one tablespoon of water with the egg.
Brush the tops of the rolls with the glaze just before baking. If you would like, you can
29
sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or rolled oats after glazing. Tip the
pan from side to side to sprinkle seeds on the sides. The egg will hold the seeds in
place.
If you do not glaze your rolls, consider brushing them with melted butter just after they
come from the oven. The result will be a soft, buttery crust.
Soft dinner rolls freeze well. Simply put the extras in a plastic bag and freeze for up to
two months.
Our choice? We must confess: we usually make round rolls—though for guests, we
often make fancy rolls. We also make a lot of hamburger buns. We much prefer
hamburgers on homemade buns and we use the extras for sandwich rolls. (If you
would like to know how to make hamburger buns or buy mixes designed for hamburger
buns, click here.)
One final note—dinner rolls make a great project with the kids. They love to get their
hands in the dough and make their very own shapes.
How to Make Kaiser Rolls

Want to impress your family and friends at the next gathering? Serve sandwiches on
Kaiser Rolls. They’ll look so professional--like they came from the bakery. You don’t
have to tell them how easy they were. If you can make dinner rolls, you can make Kaiser
Rolls.
You can make Kaiser Rolls out of any lean bread dough but if you would like to make
your rolls from a mix, we suggest using our Sunday Dinner Rolls. Simply leave the butter
out and add another half-tablespoon of water.
A Kaiser Roll is merely a lean roll, specially shaped, and baked

in a steamy oven to make it crusty. Choose a recipe or mix for a
lean bread dough—or leave the butter or oil out of the recipe.
Make per the directions for rolls including letting the dough rise
the first time.
Here’s how to shape the rolls:
Step 1: Cut a piece of dough off about twice what you would use
for a dinner roll. (We scale the dough at 3.5 ounces for our
sandwich rolls.) Roll the dough out into a rope about eight inches
long.
Step 2: Form a simple over-hand knot in the center of the

dough. Leave the knot loose; do not try to draw it tight. You will
have two protruding ends a couple inches long.
Step 3: Take one of the ends and continue it around the rope
and push it down through the center hole. It should look like the
picture to the right.
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Step 4: Take the other end of the dough, go around the rope,
and push the end up through the center hole. The finished roll
should look like the one to the right.
It’s more complicated to try to describe the forming process than

it is to form the rolls. After the first couple, you’ll breeze right
through without even thinking.
Now let the formed rolls rise covered on a baking sheet. When they are ready to bake,
brush them with a whisked egg and one tablespoon water, then sprinkle them with
sesame or poppy seeds. You can bake them as you would dinner rolls but if you would
like crusty roll like true Kaiser Rolls, follow the direction for baking breads in a steamy
oven.
To form the thick, chewy crust that is typical of artisan breads, follow these instructions:
Place a large, shallow, metal pan in the oven on the lowest shelf. You will pour hot water
in this pan to create steam in the oven. High heat is hard on pans so don’t use one of
your better pans. An old sheet pan is ideal. Fill a spray bottle with water. You will use
this to spray water into the oven to create more steam.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. When the oven is hot and the bread is fully risen and
is soft and puffy--being very careful not to burn yourself with the rising steam and with a
mitted hand--pour about two cups of very hot water in the pan in the oven. Quickly close
the oven door to capture the steam. With spray bottle in hand, open the door and quickly
spray the oven walls and close the door.
Immediately put the bread in the steamy oven. After a few moments, open the door and
spray the walls again to recharge the steam. Do this twice more during the first ten
minutes of baking. This steamy environment will create the chewy crust prized in artisan
breads.
You can use this baking procedure for crusty hearth breads also. For rolls, bake for ten
minutes at 450 degrees then lower the temperature to 350 degrees until done. How long
you will bake them will depend on how quickly your oven loses heat but it will probably
be about ten additional minutes (a total of 20 minutes). As for all hearth breads, the
internal temperature of your crusty rolls should be about 210 degrees. (If crusty rolls are
not well baked, the internal moisture will migrate to the crust and make it soft.)
You can make Kaiser Rolls out of any lean bread dough but if you would like to make
your rolls from a mix, we suggest using our Sunday Dinner Rolls. Simply leave the butter
out and add another half-tablespoon of water. To make it even easier, try our Sunday
Dinner Rolls.
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How to Make Great Mashed Potatoes
For Thanksgiving and other traditional events at our
house, we whip up a big pot of mashed potatoes.
Often we load them with butter and cream cheese, add
a little milk, and whip them into a light and fluffy mass.
There are three ways to make mashed potatoes: You

can mash then by hand with a hand potato masher,
whip them with an electric mixer, and rice them with a
potato ricer. What’s the best way?
We love the texture created by a potato ricer or a food

mill. They both work on the same principle: they force
mashed potatoes through a metal plate with small
holes. A hand potato masher leaves a bit of texture to
the potatoes with an occasional lump. The quickest
way to mash potatoes is with an electric mixer. An
electric mixer whips potatoes into a smooth, light, fluffy
consistency. The rap on using an electric mixer is that it makes for gooey, gluey,
mashed potatoes. Entraining air into mashed potatoes does make them a little gooey
but we don’t find them offensive even though we prefer riced potatoes. We often resort
to the electric mixer because it is the quickest way to process a tub full of boiled
potatoes.
How to Mash Potatoes

Making basic mashed potatoes is simple. Start with good quality potatoes, potatoes that
are fresh and free from bruises. Choose a heavy pot that will disperse heat well and that
is large enough to hold your potatoes with ample water so that it will not boil over. Your
potatoes will cook quicker if you place a lid on the pot.
Unless you are making skin-on mashed potatoes with red potatoes, peel your potatoes,
cut them into chunks, and place them in the pot of water. If you leave your potatoes
exposed to air, they will change color. Add salt to the water, about one teaspoon per
gallon of water and potatoes.
Boil your potatoes until they are tender when poked with a fork. Two pounds of potatoes
boiled on medium-high heat will take about 15 minutes after boiling starts, to cook but
will vary depending on the pot, the quantity of water, size of the cut potatoes, and the
stove. Drain the potatoes, then put them back into the pot over VERY low heat to
evaporate any excess liquid. This will dry the potatoes.
Mash your potatoes immediately. You can use a hand masher, a hand-held electric
mixer, your stand-type mixer, or a potato ricer. For creamy mashed potatoes, add milk
as you beat or use one of the recipes below. A good rule of thumb is to use about 2/3
cup milk for every 2 to 3 pounds of potatoes. You can use a mixture of cream and milk, if
desired. Add butter or margarine to the hot, dry potatoes, keeping them over very low
heat. Mash with your preferred method—by hand, with an electric mixer, or with a ricer--
until the butter is melted and the potatoes are very smooth.
32
Many recipes call for heating the milk and melting the butter before adding to the
potatoes. You can easily do so in the microwave and it will help to keep your potatoes
hot. We usually don’t bother if we are beating the potatoes immediately after cooking.
Place your mashed potatoes in a serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap until ready to
serve. The plastic wrap will keep them warm. After dinner, immediately refrigerate your
potatoes. They will keep covered in the refrigerator for three to five days.
A Guide to 15 Different Kinds of Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes don’t have to be bland, something to pile gravy on. They can be
adventuresome—anything from garlic mashed potatoes to cream cheese mashed
potatoes. Here we will give you two recipes plus directions to make thirteen other kinds
of mashed potatoes.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
2 pounds potatoes
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup grated Romano cheese
1 tablespoon oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
Wash potatoes and boil until tender and soft. Mash them using the method that you
prefer adding the butter, cheese, oregano, and garlic as you mash. Salt and pepper to
taste.
Sunday Dinner Potatoes
1/2 c. chopped onions

2 pounds potatoes
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper
Cook the chopped onions in the microwave until they are translucent and tender. Set
aside.
Wash potatoes and boil until tender and soft. Mash them using the method that you
prefer adding the butter, cheese, and sour cream as you mash. Salt and pepper to
taste.
Bacon and Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Fry bacon slices or cook them in the microwave. Use kitchen shears to snip the bacon
into 1/4-inch bits. Add 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese, five slices of bacon, and 1/2 cup
milk or cream for each two pounds of potatoes. If you like, you can sprinkle additional
shredded cheese over the top of the potatoes in the serving dish.
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Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Make mashed potatoes as directed above. Beat in 4 ounces of cream cheese, two
tablespoons butter, and 1/4 cup milk for each two pounds of potatoes or to taste.
Garlic and Cheddar Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Make mashed potatoes as directed above. Beat in two cloves garlic, sautéed or roasted
plus 1/2 cup milk, 2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese, and 2 tablespoons butter for each two
pounds of potatoes.
Skins-on Mashed Potatoes
Make mashed potatoes as directed above but use thin-skinned red potatoes. Beat in
two cloves garlic, sautéed or roasted plus 1/2 cup milk and 3 tablespoons butter for each
two pounds of potatoes.
Mashed Potatoes with Horseradish
Make mashed potatoes as directed above. Beat in 1/4 cup horseradish and 3/4 cup
cream for every two pounds of potatoes or to taste.
This ratio of horseradish to potatoes will provide some “kick”. Our son, Nathan, worked
at an upscale restaurant and he brought this recipe home.
Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
We like the tang of buttermilk in our potatoes married with fresh creamery butter. Use
about 3/4 cup buttermilk and three tablespoons butter for each two pounds of potatoes
or to taste. You will need a balance of butter to buttermilk in this recipe.
Mashed Potatoes with Shallots
Make mashed potatoes as directed above. Thinly slice shallots and sauté the onion in
butter. Add two small shallots, 3/4 cup cream or milk, and three tablespoons butter for
each two pounds of potatoes.
Onion Mashed Potatoes
Make mashed potatoes as directed above. Finely chop a sweet onion such as
Vandalia. Sauté the onion in butter in a skillet or microwave it until tender. Add about
one-half of a medium onion, 3/4 cup cream or milk, and three tablespoons butter for
each two pounds of potatoes.
Mashed Potatoes with Chives
Make mashed potatoes as directed above. Add 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives or two
tablespoons dried chives, 3/4 cup cream or milk, and three tablespoons butter for each
two pounds of potatoes.
34
French Onion Mashed Potatoes
Make mashed potatoes as directed above. Add 1/2 cup French onion dip, 1/2 cup milk
or cream, and 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese for each two
pounds of potatoes.
Mashed Potatoes with Green Onions
Make mashed potatoes as directed above. Add 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions, 3/4
cup cream or milk, and three tablespoons butter for each two pounds of potatoes.
Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
Make mashed potatoes as directed above. Add 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese, two
tablespoons butter, and 1/2 cup milk or cream for each two pounds of potatoes. If you
like, you can sprinkle additional shredded cheese over the top of the potatoes in the
serving dish.
Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
Make mashed potatoes as directed above. Beat in 3/4 cup sour cream and two
tablespoons butter for each two pounds of raw potatoes or to taste.
Make Great Pies!

Five Essential Tools for the Pie Maker
I’ve always been the pie maker in the family. If company was coming or for a holiday,
my assignment was the pies. I made lots of pies. I loved to experiment with different
fillings—say adding blueberries to a peach pie or a layer of ganache beneath my pecan
pie filling. So I would line up my pie pans and make lots of crusts. I would like to think
that my family and friends enjoyed the resulting array of pies as much as I enjoyed
making them.
I still do lots of experimenting with pies but now most of it in our test kitchen at work.
Last year I spent several days experimenting with pumpkin and sweet potato pies. From
that came several memorable recipes including Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Streusel, a
pumpkin pie made in a gingersnap crust and with a pecan toffee topping.
One thing has changed though: Most of the time I reach for our just-add-water
professional pie crust mix. It’s quick and easy, it helps me make pies en masse, and if I
don’t overwork the pie dough, they’ll turn out as good as from scratch.
Five Essential Tools
Every pie maker worth his crusts will have five essential tools in his or her kitchen. Here,
you’ll learn about these tools and their functions and how to use them. We’ve added a
couple tools at the end that we rely on but that are not essential.
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A Pastry Knife
A pastry knife is also known as a pastry blender. It’s used to

cut the butter or shortening into the flour.
The fat--butter or shortening--has to be distributed through the

flour prior to making the dough. Once mixed and rolled, this fat
creates small, flat pockets of fat in the formed crust. In the heat
of the oven, these melt—and in the case of butter—create
pockets of steam. This delaminates the dough and makes the
crust flakey.
Pastry knives are constructed with a series of parallel blades to cut through the butter
and flour and which are attached to a handle. Since the blades are forced through the
butter with some pressure, we recommend a pastry knife of sturdy construction. Our
personal preference is for pastry knives with sure-grip handles as we tend to grip and
twist the knife as we drive the blades through the butter.
 See our pastry knives >>
A Rolling Pin
A rolling pin is used to roll the dough to a thin layer, 1/8 inch
thick or a little thicker.
Look for a rolling pin that is rigid, sturdy and has a slick surface
so the dough does not adhere to the rolling pin. We
recommend one with a ball bearing chassis for smooth, easy,
non-slip rolling.
We carry three rolling pins: a nonstick rolling pin, a marble rolling pin, and a stainless
steel rolling pin and have used all three. The stainless rolling pin is a big, heavy chunk
of steel. (The weight of the rolling pin means that you do not need to press as hard
since the weight is creating some of the pressure.) The marble rolling in is turned from
solid marble. The nonstick on is constructed of a nonstick Teflon® surface bonded to a
wooden roller.
We like all three. The nonstick rolling pin gets the most use; we reach for that for most
light work and when rolling soft, light rolls. When we are making cinnamon rolls or rolling
pastry doughs, we usually reach for the stainless pin.
In doughs using butter, it is critical that the dough be kept cool so that the butter does
not melt. If the butter turns to a liquid, the dough is ruined and must be discarded. The
advantage of steel and marble is that rolling pins made with either can be chilled in the
refrigerator or freezer. These chunky bocks of steel and marble can chill the dough and
extend the time that you can work with the dough before the butter becomes soft and
turns to a liquid. This feature is a real advantage.
 See our rolling pins >>
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Pie Pans
In our opinion, every pie maker should have three types of pans
at a minimum: Professional grade, heavy duty, dark colored,
nonstick pans; deep-dish, dark metal pans; and stainless pans.
The professional grade nonstick pans will be used for most of

your work. They are sized for most recipes. Because they are
heavy and dark, they will absorb heat, bake the crust evenly, and reduce the chances of
an underbaked, soggy crust. We do not recommend glass or ceramic pans.
The surface should be so slick that you can slide the cooled pie from the pan to a platter
or plate for serving. You can then cut the pie into neat slices without having to dig slices
from the pan and since you are not cutting in the pan, you will not mar the nonstick
surface of the pan.
The deep dish metal pans will be used for deep dish pie recipes. Again the dark metal
will bake the crust thoroughly.
The stainless pans are perfect for crumb crusts, either unbaked pies or baked pies made
with crumb crusts. Since the crumbs are cooked, you don’t need to further bake the
crumbs and the shiny surface reflects rather than absorbs heat protecting the rather
fragile crumbs.
You may also wish to invest in mini-pie pans. Four mini pie pans are the equivalent of
one standard pie pan. They will require more dough than a standard recipe but the
same filling.
 See our rolling pins >>
Pie Weights
Pie weights are essential for unbaked pie crusts. They are laid
across the bottom of the pie crust before baking to avoid
bubbles and upheavals in the crust while baking.
Pie weights can be purchased in two types: ceramic beads and

pie weight chains. Both work satisfactorily.
 See our pie weights >>
Pie Shields
Pie shields are essential for fruit and custard pies including
pumpkin pies. (Pumpkin pies are custard pies as are many
other egg-based pies.)
In the long heat of the oven necessary to bake a fruit or custard

pie, the rim of the pie crust—exposed to heat from above and
below—is over baked. A pie crust shield protects the edge of
the crust from above, reflecting the heat. Unless you want to use strips of aluminum foil,
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which are an aggravating nuisance, pie crust shields are essential. Simply slip them on
the pies before they go in the oven.
Pie shields come in aluminum and silicone. We’ve used aluminum. Silicone shields
collapse and are easier to store.
 See our pie shields >>
Other Tools
We use a flour shaker every time we make dough on the

counter. We dust the counter, dust the rolling pin, and
sometimes dust our hands. They are not expensive and are a
good investment.
A bench scraper is one of the most used tools in our kitchen.

We use it to scrape dough clear of the counter, to lift pie dough
to place it in pie pans, and to cut the excess dough from around the rims of our pie
pans. It seconds as a straightedge and as a ruler with inch and fractional measures
etched in the metal blade.
Making the Crust
You have three choices for a crust: buy a ready-made crust, use a mix, or make one
from scratch. We don’t use a ready made crust anymore; we don’t think they are very
good. And we rarely make one from scratch anymore; our just-add-water pie crust mix
is too easy and makes an excellent crust. But if you make your pie crusts from scratch .
..
There are tricks to making perfect pie crusts. The first is maintaining the correct balance
of ingredients and the second is temperature.
Pie crusts are a mixture of flour, fat, and water. The best recipes seem to have a
common ratio of these ingredients: 1/4 cup water to 1/2 cup fat to 2 1/2 cups flour. (The
flour should be measured by spooning the flour into the measure, not scooping it.
Scooping packs the flour and overloads the formula.) Add a teaspoon of salt and you
have a recipe for a double crust.
For the fat, you can use either butter or shortening or a combination. (Butter is 15%
water so cut back slightly on the water when using butter—though the ratio is forgiving
enough that you probably won't notice the difference.) If you are making more than one
pie, just change the amounts but keep the same proportions.
Temperature may be even more important than balance—especially if you are using
butter. The trick is to keep the butter and the dough cold enough that the butter pieces
remain intact. If it gets too warm, it melts and saturates the flour. (The same thing
happens with shortening but the melting temperature of shortening is higher.) It's the
little pieces of butter that makes the crust flaky. As the butter heats in baking, little
pockets of steam are formed from the butter nodules.
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To keep your dough cold, use only the coldest butter and water. Then refrigerate the
dough for an hour before forming the pie. If making multiple pies, take only enough
dough from the refrigerator for one pie keeping the rest cold until you are ready to for it.
Five Easy Keys to a Great Pie!

Don’t let pies intimidate you! With these
easy keys, you’ll make great pies every
time.
Key 1: Use a pie crust mix. I figured a

pie crust mix would be okay for those who
are not comfortable making crusts but
would offer little for experienced pie
makers. I was wrong. I can't make a better
crust. In fact, it consistently makes a better
pie than many of my carefully crafted
crusts. And it saves a bunch of time. It
makes a nice, flaky, soft crust with hardly
any work--just add water and mix. Give it a
try.
 Try this pie crust mix! >>
Key 2: Use the right pan. If you are making a fruit pie, you must use a dark heavy
metal pan. Dark metal pans absorb heat to cook your crust to crisp and avoid “soggy
bottoms.” If you are making a crumb crust, use a silver pan to reflect the heat away from
your tender graham or other crumbs.
 Get the right pans here—including very hard to find deep-dish dark metal
pans. >>
Key 3: Use a premade filling. Yes, nothing beats fresh but when you're in a hurry, you
can make a very good pie with a premade filling.
 Try these premade fillings >>
Key 4: Consider a streusel topping. It’s easier and faster than a pastry topping—just
mix, sprinkle, and bake.
 Try this easy streusel topping recipe >>
Key 5: Bake your crust completely but don’t burn it. It takes a little patience to cook
that bottom crust thoroughly and avoid the soggy bottoms. In the meantime, the top rim
burns. But that’s easy to solve—just use a pie crust shield.
 Avoid burning the edges of your pie >>
There you have it: five keys to a great pie.
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The Best Pumpkin Pies
We set about to find out what made the

best pumpkin pie. In our test kitchen, we
kept making pies, changing ingredients
and experimenting. We fed pumpkin pie to
our staff until they would have no more.
We handed out slices topped with dollops
of whipped cream to customers in our
store.
We soon discovered that people preferred

a more flavorful pie. They did not like
bland pies and when we handed out the
more flavorful versions, even those that
said they didn’t like pumpkin pie, tended to like these.
So how do you make a more flavorful pumpkin pie? We took two approaches: changing
the spices and altering the filling materials.
Along the way, we found that more eggs made for a lighter filling. We started with four
large eggs in a standard nine inch pie along with 2 cups of pumpkin and one twelve-
ounce can of evaporated milk. (We definitely preferred pies made with evaporated milk
to those made with fresh milk or cream.) The result was a very light pie. While warm, it
reminded us a bit of a pumpkin chiffon pie. When it cooled, it became a little denser but it
was still a light pie. Many of our testers preferred this pie. The recipe follows:
Four Egg Extra Light Pumpkin Pie
2 cups canned pumpkin

4 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1. Form the pie shell. You may use our pie crust mix or your favorite recipe. Make a
built up crust as shown below if you are using a standard nine-inch pie pan. If
not, use a deep dish pie pan. A dark pan works best.
2. Mix all the ingredients together with your stand-type mixer or an electric beater
until smooth. Some fibers may stick to the beaters; remove and discard them.
3. Place the pie shell on a rack in the center of the oven. Immediately pour the filling
into the pie shell.
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4. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees, cover the
crust with a pie shield, and bake for another 40 minutes or until done. A knife
inserted near the center should come out clean when done.
5. Cool in a pan on a rack. When cool, slip the pie out of the pan to a serving plate
for cutting and serving.
Adding Yams or Dry Pumpkin
When I lived in the South, I found many versions of sweet potato and yam pies—some
of which were close cousins to pumpkin pies. But pumpkin has an earthier flavor than
yams. So we made pies with all pumpkin and yams and with mixtures of the two.
Yams give the pie a brighter orange color that is attractive and a very light, mellow
flavor. Many of us really liked the all-yam version. In the end, we settled on about a 50-
50 version, about half yam.
As a variation to the all pumpkin version, we added 1/4 cup dry pumpkin powder. It
intensified the flavor, not dramatically but noticeably. It also turned the pie much
darker—not unattractive but darker. When we served that to testers, some really liked
the pie and remarked that it had more flavor.
About the Spices
The Libby’s® recipe found on the back of their pumpkin cans seems to be the standard
in pumpkin pies. We, and most of our testers, found it a little too bland. It calls for one
teaspoon of cinnamon, a half-teaspoon of ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon of cloves. With a
little experimenting, we settled on one teaspoon of cinnamon, a half-teaspoon of ginger,
1/2 teaspoon of cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon of allspice. That is, we had twice as much
ground cloves and an addition of allspice—enough to make the pie noticeably spicier.
Repeatedly, testers said that this was better than other pumpkin pies that they had
made.
Our Best Pumpkin Pie
The recipe that we concluded was the best, the most popular, has three eggs, an
approximate 50% addition of yam, and a spice mixture including allspice. The recipe
follows.
1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup cooked yam
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
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1. Form the pie shell. You may use our pie crust mix or your favorite recipe. Make a
built up crust as shown if you are using a standard nine-inch pie pan. If not, use a
deep dish pie pan. A dark pan works best.
2. Mix all the ingredients together with your stand-type mixer or an electric beater
until smooth. Some fibers may stick to the beaters; remove and discard them.
3. Place the pie shell on a rack in the center of the oven. Immediately pour the filling
into the pie shell.
4. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees, cover the
crust with a pie shield, and bake for another 40 minutes or until done. A knife
inserted near the center should come out clean when done.
5. Cool in a pan on a rack. When cool, slip the pie out of the pan to a serving plate
for cutting and serving.
Mom’s Favorite Pumpkin Pie
We like this smooth, deep-dish pumpkin

pie made with brown sugar. The brown
sugar gives it just a hint of caramel. Try
this for the holidays.
Ingredients
3/4 cup brown sugar

3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (about 2
cups)
1 9-inch deep-dish pie shell
Directions
1. Mix the sugar, eggs, salt, and spices together. Add the pumpkin and evaporated
milk. Mix well.
2. Pour into the unbaked pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Bake for
another 45 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees or until done. The pie will be done when
a knife inserted near the center of the pie comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
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Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Streusel in a Gingersnap Crust
I’m more of a baker than a cook so I don’t use a lot of

fresh ginger. But the ginger in this recipe, along with
the butter rum flavor, just makes a wonderful pie. Of
course, the pecan streusel certainly helps.
This is an outstanding pie. While it certainly works for

holiday dinners as an alternative to pumpkin pies, this
should not be relegated to holidays. We think this will
be one of your favorite pies, something to turn to
whenever fresh fruit is not in season.
For the crust
1 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground ginger

3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cup just-add-water pie crust mix
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
1. Mix the ginger, sugar, and cinnamon with one-fourth cup of the pie crust mix. Stir
well to distribute the ginger. (The key to this crust is getting the fresh ginger
evenly distributed in the crust.) Stir this mixture into the remaining pie crust mix
until it is well distributed. (You may also use a food processor to mix the
ingredients.)
2. Add the water. Stir with a fork to form a dough ball.
3. Roll out the dough and form the crust in a deep dish pie pan. Form a decorate
edge that also acts as a dam to reduce spills. (See picture for a recommended
edge.)
For the filling
2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons butter rum flavor
In your stand-type mixer with the whip attachment, beat the sweet potatoes until well
mashed. Add the other filling ingredients and mix until combined.
For the streusel
3/4 cup pecan pieces

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
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1/3 cup butter
In a medium bowl, combine the pecan pieces, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. With a
pastry knife, cut in the butter until the pieces are no larger than peas. Set aside.
To assemble and bake the pie.
1. Pour the filling into the unbaked pie shell. Spoon the streusel over the top.
2. Place a pie shield over the edges of the crust or form a shield from strips of
aluminum foil.
3. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Reduce the heat and continue baking at
350 degrees for another 40 minutes or until done. Baking times will vary
depending on the oven. As it bakes, streusel top will look wet and soft. When
done, all but the very center will be set and the interior of the pie will register 170
degrees with an insta-read thermometer when done. Remove from the oven and
cool on a wire rack.
Serve with whipped cream.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie Recipe
This pie is worth a little extra work. A layer of pumpkin

pie filling hides a cream cheese filling. It’s topped with a
pecan praline-type mix.
The trick with this pie is to not dislodge the cream

cheese pie filling when topping it with pumpkin pie
filling. If dislodged, the cream cheese filling will float to
the surface. We tried two approaches: refrigerating the
cream cheese filling for 45 minutes before adding the
pumpkin and partially baking the cream cheese filling
before adding the pumpkin. We settled on refrigeration
but it matters how you add the pumpkin filling. If you
pour the pumpkin onto the cream cheese filling, it tends
to upset the cream cheese. If you carefully spoon the
pumpkin onto the cream cheese, treating it as if it were
fragile, it works just fine.
This pie is designed for a deep dish.
Ingredients
1 single crust pie pastry
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese

1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
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1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cup evaporated milk
3 large eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter
Directions
For the cream cheese filling:
1. Prepare the pie crust. Line a nine-inch deep dish pie pan. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, one egg, 1/4 cup sugar, and vanilla
until smooth. Spread the filling in the pan and set the pan in the refrigerator to
chill for 45 minutes.
For the pumpkin filling:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the 1/4
cup brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together until smooth. Carefully
spoon the pumpkin filling over the cream cheese filling.
2. Bake the pie for 20 minutes then cover the pie crust with a pie crust shield or
aluminum foil. Bake for another 30 minutes.
For the streusel topping:
1. While the pie is baking, make the streusel topping. Combine the pecans, 2
tablespoons brown sugar, flour, and 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl.
Sprinkle the topping over the partially baked pie.
2. Return the pie to the oven and bake for another ten minutes or until a knife
inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. As soon
as the pie is cool, store it in the refrigerator.
Baker’s note: As with all custard pies, this one should be stored in the refrigerator. It
should not be left on the counter for over an hour.
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No-Bake Turtle Pumpkin Pie
This recipe was contributed by Dessa

Bailey of Idaho Falls, Idaho. We found it
very easy to put together. We served it to
customers in our store and attendees at a
class to rave reviews.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
2 packages (3.4 oz each) vanilla flavor instant pudding
1 cup cold milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice or nutmeg
1 1/2 cups Cool Whip® topping, thawed and divided
For the crust
1. In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs and sugar together. Add the
melted butter and stir. Heat the ice cream topping and add to the crumb
mixture. Press the crumb mixture across the bottom of a nine-inch pie pan and
up the sides to form the crust. Sprinkle with the pecans and press them into the
crust. Set aside.
For the filling
1. Whisk the dry pudding mixes, milk, pumpkin, and spices until well blended. Stir in
the Cool Whip. Spoon the filling into crust.
2. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Top with remaining Cool Whip®, caramel
topping and pecans just before serving.
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Pumpkin Pie Squares
We’ve made this for many years. The

original recipe hails back to an old Farm
Home Journal cookbook that is well-
tattered and stained. It’s been modified
over the years but has always been a
winner—and it’s easier than making pies.
This recipe is designed for a small, a

medium or a large batch. Use an 8 x 8-
inch baking pan for the small, an 8 1/2 x
13-inch pan for the medium, and a 10 x 15-
inch pan for the large.
Ingredients
1. For the crust, cut the butter into the sugar, oats, and flour until crumbly. Press
the ingredients into an ungreased baking pan, across the bottom and up the
sides. Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
2. For the topping, cut the butter into the nuts, flour, and brown sugar. Set aside.
3. For the filling, combine all ingredients in and whisk until smooth and all
ingredients are evenly distributed. Pour into the baked crust. Bake for twenty
minutes and remove from the oven. Immediately, spoon the topping over the
filling and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until a knife stuck in the center
comes out almost clean. Cool on a wire rack. Garnish with whipped cream.
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The Best Apple Pies
Fifteen Minute Apple Pie
The first time I made this pie, it took me 14

minutes. Now, I already had all the
ingredients staged—sitting on the
counter. If you familiarize yourself with the
recipe before, don’t dawdle, and have
everything sitting on the counter ready to
measure, you really can make a 15 minute
apple pie.
That includes making the pie crust (from a

mix) and peeling, coring, and slicing the
apples (with an Apple Master).
And this is no stripped down version of a pie. The filling is made with brown sugar and
cinnamon. We added a scalloped edge and sprinkled the top with turbinado sugar.
All in less than 15 minutes.
just-add-water pie mix for a nine-inch, double crust pie

water for the pie crust
6 cups peeled and sliced apples
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
turbinado or cinnamon sugar for sprinkle on the pie
1. Place the pie crust mix and the water in the bowl of your stand-type mixer with
paddle attached. Beat for about a minute or until the dough comes to a smooth
consistency. Do not over beat.
2. Roll the dough to nearly 1/8-inch thickness. Place the dough in the pan and form
the bottom crust. Trim the excess. Roll out the rest of the dough for the top crust.
3. Use an Apple Master to peel, slice, and core six cups of apples—about six
medium apples. Place the apple slices into a large bowl.
4. Add the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and sour cream. Stir with a spatula until
the slices are coated with filling and the dry ingredients are mixed in.
5. Place the apple filling in the pie pan. Brush water on the edge of the bottom
crust with your fingers or a pastry brush. Lay the top crust over the top and press
around the rim of the pie pan. Trim the excess crust and seal and form the
edge.
6. Brush water on the top of the pie and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture
or turbinado sugar. With a knife, slice about a dozen 3/4-inch “V” slots to allow
the steam to escape. Place a pie crust shield over the top of the pie to protect
the edges from over-browning.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until the topping
is browned and the apples are tender. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
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Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
My Favorite Apple Pie
When the warm summer nights turn crisp

and clear, I find myself in an apple pie
mood. And it can’t be just any apple pie; it
has to be my favorite apple pie--a great
mound of a pie crusted with cinnamon and
sugar. Under that buttery crust will be
sweet-tart apples infused with the richness
of sour cream and quality cinnamon.
The apples have to be good apples, fresh

and crisp and sweet. I like them on the tart
side, maybe some pippins or jonathans. I
love cranberries and so I’ll throw in a
generous handful to become rubies in my sea of apples. At Thanksgiving time, I’ll use
fresh cranberries but dried ones will do.
I’ll serve that pie hot to family and friends and of course, save a too-large slice for
myself. I’ll crown each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with a little
caramel. That’s the way fall is supposed to be. The autumn baking season has arrived.
Here’s the recipe for Simple Caramel Sauce.
To make apple pies easier, check out this apple peeler, corer, and slicer.
My Favorite Apple Pie Recipe
We prefer a buttery crust for this pie but use your favorite pastry crust. If you use butter,
be sure and keep the dough cold so that you have solid butter bits in the dough. If the
dough gets too warm, the butter will melt and your crust will be soggy. Since you are
baking a high-mounded, deep dish pie, you will need about 1 1/2 to two times a normal
double crust recipe. You will also need a nine-inch, deep-dish pie pan for this recipe.
Ingredients
For the crust:
9-inch double crust
For the filling:
3/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
9 to 10 cups apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
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1 cup dried, frozen, or fresh cranberries (optional)
For the topping:
1 large egg white

1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Use quality apples and other ingredients for this pie. You can purchase super
cranberries, quality cinnamon, and turbinado sugar from The Prepared Pantry.
Directions:
1. Prepare and press the pie crust into a deep-dish pie pan setting aside the dough for
the top crust. Trim the crust. Do not bake the crust.
2. In a large bowl, mix the sugar, flour, sour cream, lemon juice, and spices together into
a smooth paste. Add the apples and cranberries and mix until coated with the sour
cream mixture. Scrape the apple mixture into the unbaked pie shell.
3. Roll out the top crust. Brush the top edge of the bottom crust around the rim with
water to help the two crusts seal. Place the top crust over the pie. Trim the crust and
seal the two crusts with the tines of a fork.
4. Mix the egg white, water and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon together. Brush the mixture over
the top of the pie. Sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar.
5. Cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil to keep it from burning. Bake for 25
minutes and then remove the foil. Bake for another 35 to 45 minutes or until the pie is
bubbly and the crust is golden. Cool before serving.
Dutch Apple Pie
There's a reason why this is called deluxe.

It's loaded with sweet apples and brown
sugar and then accented with sour cream.
(We like to spike it up with cranberries or
walnuts but those are optional.) Then of
course, it's topped with a streusel topping.
(And of course, a streusel topping makes
for an easier pie.)
8 cups peeled and sliced apples

2/3 cup dried cranberries (optional)
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sour cream
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Deep dish pie shell for a nine-inch pie
Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Streusel
1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cold butter cut into small pieces
Directions
1. Mix the sugars, flour, and spices in a large bowl. Add the apples, optional
cranberries, optional nuts, and sour cream. Toss the fruit through the mixture
with a spatula to coat.
2. Spoon the fruit mixture into the pie shell.
3. For the streusel, mix the all ingredients in a deep bowl. With a pastry knife, cut
the butter through the mixture until it becomes coarse and granular. Spoon the
streusel over the pie.
4. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until the topping is
browned and the pie is bubbly.
5. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Bavarian Apple Pie
Bavarian cream is a filling used for donuts and other pastries. It makes a fine
complement for tart apple slices. This recipe has plenty of cream filling, about two-thirds
apples and one-third cream filling.
This is a simple apple pie to make. The cream filling doesn’t have to be cooked before
baking. It is made with packaged Bavarian cream and brown sugar. Lemon is added for
tartness and to help keep the apples from turning brown.
4 1/2 to 5 cups 1/4–inch thick sliced apples (4 or 5 medium whole apples)

6 tablespoons Original Clearjel
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups Bavarian cream
pie crust mix or recipe to make a double crust
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
1. In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and the Clearjel. Add the
Bavarian cream and the lemon and mix well. Add the apple slices and stir to
coat.
2. Form the pie shell. Add the filling to the pie shell. Add the top and crimp the
edges or make a lattice top. Brush the butter over the crust and sprinkle with the
51
turbinado sugar. Unless you are using a lattice top, cut slits in the crust to allow
the steam to escape.
3. Place a pie shield over the crust edges to avoid over-cooking the edges of the
pie crust. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.
Maple Apple Pie
We served this pie at a class in our store. Some of the attendees thought this was the
best apple pie they had ever tasted. It is very good. Maple and apple does make a fine
combination. We served this warm with ice cream and with whipped cream.
This pie is made with maple syrup with Clearjel to thicken it. This filling is cooked on the
stovetop. With this ratio of ingredients, your filling will be firm enough for clean cuts with
a nice presentation.
We used maple syrup from the store; maple flavored not the real thing. You could use
this same technique with other fruit or water based syrups.

1/2 cup Original Clearjel
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon maple flavor
4 tablespoons melted butter
1. Combine the brown sugar and Clearjel in a medium saucepan. Mix well. Add
the water, maple flavor, melted butter, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat,
stirring constantly with a whisk, until it thickens and just begins to bubble. Take it
off the heat immediately. Do not overcook. The slurry will thicken more when
baking. Add the apple slices and flavor and stir.
Caramel Apple Pie
Caramel is made with cream and brown sugar. We approximated that with brown sugar,
milk, and butter and then strengthened it with a little caramel flavor. There is enough
caramel to coat every apple piece.
This is a great pie. Serve it with whipped cream or ice cream.
52
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup Original Clearjel
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon caramel flavor (optional)
1. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and Clearjel in a medium saucepan. Mix
well. Add the water and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly
with a whisk, until it thickens and just begins to bubble. Take it off the heat
immediately. Do not overcook. The slurry will thicken more when baking. Add
the apple slices and flavor and stir.
Other Recipes for the Holidays

We’re partial to cheesecakes during the holidays. They are rich, elegant, and easy to
make. And one cheesecake makes a lot of slices. In this section, we have included
three recipes for pumpkin cheesecakes and a recipe for a white chocolate cheesecake.
The white chocolate cheesecake is our “go to” recipe that we use over and over. We’ve
also included a fun apple pastry recipe.
For a particularly noteworthy cheesecakes, consider using a square cheesecake pan. A

silicone cheesecake pan cleans up nicely and easily releases the dessert.
We most often use glass based springform pans. You can slip the cake on the glass
bottom onto a serving palter for easy cutting and serving. A glass base avoids the
metallic taste that sometimes comes from metal bottoms.
Serve your cheesecake plain or with a topping. Our favorite topping is a simple sauce
made with berries. We use these recipes often. They can be made with fresh or frozen
fruit.
 Raspberry Sauce >>

 Strawberry Sauce >>
You can also use a pastry filling. A pastry filling, because it has to balance with the
amount of pastry such as in a donut, is more flavorful. We recommend a raspberry,
blueberry, or cherry pastry filling. Professional pastry fillings in 2-pound bags are very
economical.
53
Pumpkin Cheesecake in a Gingersnap Crust
Looking for something different for the
holidays? This pumpkin cheesecake is
absolutely phenomenal. It has a pumpkin
cheesecake filling with a vanilla
cheesecake top layer. The crust is made
with gingersnaps which compliments the
spicy pumpkin filling perfectly. If you are not
in love with gingersnaps, substitute vanilla
wafers for the crumbs.
Interested in a pie recipe with a vanilla

wafer crust? See our Easy Strawberry
Cream Pie.
Pumpkin Cheesecake in a Gingersnap

Crust
This scrumptious cheesecake is best made the night before so that it can thoroughly chill
in the refrigerator. (Of course, that is one less thing you have to do on the day of the
dinner.)
You will need a nine or ten-inch springform pan for this recipe. (The nine-inch size is
perfect.) The cake pictured was baked and served in a nine-inch glass-base springform
pan.
For the crust
1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnaps

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
For the filling
4 8-ounce packages of cream cheese

4 large eggs
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Directions
1. Crush the gingersnaps. Mix the crumbs with the nuts, brown sugar, and melted
butter in a nine or ten-inch springform pan. Press the mixture into a crust across
54
the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Put the crust in the refrigerator to set up
while you prepare the filling.
2. Mix the cream cheese, eggs, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla together with
your stand-type mixer using the whisk attachment. Beat until smooth and fluffy,
six to eight minutes. Set about 1 1/2 cups of the mixture aside for the topping.
3. To the remaining filling, add the pumpkin, whipping cream or yogurt, and spices.
Beat until well-mixed. Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Carefully spoon the
set-aside topping over the top of the pumpkin-cheesecake filling.
4. Bake for 70 to 80 minutes or until the top starts to brown and the center of the
cake is just barely jiggly or until the center of the cheesecake reads 160 degrees
with a thermometer.
5. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for ten minutes. Run a knife around
the edge of the pan to loosen. Remove the ring and let the cheesecake cool
completely. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

We do love pumpkin cheesecakes. (Pumpkin Pie
Cheesecake in Gingersnap Crust is a favorite
cheesecake. We have included the recipe.) Canned
pumpkin is cooked in the canning process. Surely, we
thought, we can use canned pumpkin in a no-bake
cheesecake as long as there are no uncooked eggs. So
we converted our pumpkin pie recipe to a no-baker.
For the crust
1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnaps (or graham cracker

crumbs if you prefer)
1/4 cup brown sugar
Mix the gingersnap or graham cracker crumbs with the

nuts, brown sugar, and melted butter in a nine inch springform pan. Press the mixture
into a crust across the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Put the crust in the
refrigerator to set up while you prepare the filling.
For the filling

1 cup cooked pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups Bavarian cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Mix the cream cheese and granulated sugar together with your stand-type mixer using
the paddle attachment. Beat until smooth and fluffy, six to eight minutes. Add the
pumpkin, Bavarian cream, vanilla, and spices. Beat until well-mixed. Spread the filling in
the prepared crust. Refrigerate before serving.
55
Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe with a Chocolate Swirl
Again we paired chocolate with pumpkin

for a really nifty-looking, scrumptious
dessert. This makes a great holiday or
seasonal dessert but since canned
pumpkin is available anytime, you can
indulge year around.
This is an easy cheesecake to make. The

chocolate requires an extra step but
otherwise, this is as easy as most other
cheesecakes.
Ingredients
1 2/3 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 16-ounce can pumpkin (about 1 3/4 cups)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
1 cup pure dark (semisweet) chocolate chips
Directions
1. For the crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press onto
bottom of a ten-inch springform pan.
2. For the cheesecake, in the bowl of your stand-type mixer, beat the cream
cheese, salt, and granulated sugar together. Beat in the pumpkin, eggs, cream,
cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. Heat the chocolate chips until melted, either in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Add one cup of the pumpkin batter and stir it into the melted chocolate.
4. Pour the pumpkin batter into the prepared crust. Spoon the chocolate batter on
top. Use a straightedge spatula and vertically cut through the batters to create a
chocolate swirl in the cheesecake.
5. Bake for 60 minutes or until the cheesecake tests done. Cool completely and
then chill in the refrigerator before serving.
56
White Chocolate Cheesecake
This is a great cheesecake recipe. The
white chocolate makes this cake
particularly rich. We have served this
repeatedly in our test kitchen and in
classes and it is always a favorite.
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the filling:

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups white chocolate wafers or 8 ounces of white chocolate baking bars
Notes about the ingredients.
Use good quality white chocolate wafers with a high cocoa butter content. Wafers have
a finer grind and are richer and smoother than chips. Some white chocolate chips do
not melt properly.
Purchasing graham cracker crumbs will save you time and cleanup and usually cost less
than crackers. If you use crackers, the easiest way to process them into crumbs is with
a food processor.
Directions
Preheat the oven 325 degrees.
1. In a springform pan (see notes), mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter,
and sugar together. Press the mixture across the bottom of the pan and up the
sides to form the crust. Put the crust in refrigerator while you mix the filling.
2. With the paddle attachment of your stand-type mixer, beat the cream cheese and
sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Melt the
chocolate. Drizzle in the melted chocolate while it is still warm and while the
beaters are running. Pour into the crust.
3. Bake for 50 minutes or until the cake is done. Let cool on a wire rack. After ten
minutes, loosen the sides with a spatula and remove the ring. Refrigerate the
cheesecake to cool completely.
57
New England Apple Pie Pastry
We had a lot of fun with this. It’s not really
a pie or a pastry but it is scrumptious. It’s
made with a rich cream cheese pastry on
top and bottom with an apple cinnamon
filling tucked in. It’s a little more work than
an apple pie but it’s not hard and it is
worth the extra time.
Check out the unusual topping. It’s easy. It

is made by freezing the pastry dough and
then shredding it as you would shred
cheese. We used an electric shredder
attachment for our stand-type mixer and
made quick work of the task though a box
grater works too.
We used a ten-inch springform pan for this dessert. You could also use a nine-inch
square springform pan.
Ingredients for the dough
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese

1 cup cold butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 cup whipping cream
Ingredients for the filling
5-6 medium baking apples

1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons flour
2/3 cup dried cranberries (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 to 2/3 of an 8-ounce jar of red currant jelly or other red jam or jelly
Directions
1. Cream the cream cheese and butter together. Add the vanilla and granulated
sugar and continue creaming.
58
2. In another bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking
powder together. Add half the flour mixture to
the creamed mixture and beat until just
combined. Add the whipping cream and beat
again. Add the rest of the flour mixture and
beat until just combined. You should have a
soft dough. Add more cream or flour if
necessary to get the right consistency.
3. Divide the dough in half. Put one half in the
refrigerator and the other in freezer. Allow the
dough in the refrigerator to freeze rock hard,
at least several hours.
4. For the filling, peel and core the apples then
coarsely grate them. Add the cinnamon,
sugar, lemon juice, flour, optional cranberries,
and nuts. Stir to combine. Refrigerate until
ready to bake.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take the
half of the dough that was in the refrigerator
and roll it out as you would pie dough. Place it
in a ten-inch springform pan and mold the
dough across the bottom and 2/3’s up the
sides. (See picture.) You may cut and patch
the dough as required.
6. Spread the jelly across the bottom of the
dough. Spoon the filling into the pastry shell.
(See picture.)
7. Take the frozen dough from the freezer.
Coarsely grate it as you would cheese using a
box grater or electric grater. Spread the grated
dough across the top of the pastry.
8. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the apples are oozing
juice. Cool on a wire rack for five minutes and then remove the outer ring. Cool
until just warm and serve plain, with whipped cream, or ice cream.
Baker’s note: Both the jelly and cranberries add color to the dessert making it more
attractive. Do not cut while it is piping hot.
59
Appendix
Video Cooking and Baking Lessons
 How to Roast Flavorful, Moist Chicken or Turkey

o See four video clips with four different methods for flavoring your turkey or
chicken.
 How to Make Aebleskiver

o Aebleskiver or Danish Puff Pastries are holiday classics. They are easy
once you see them done. Fill them with fruit or cream fillings.
 How to Make Dessert Pizzas

o A dessert pizza will be the hit of your holiday party. They are gorgeous
and scrumptious. Made with a cookie dough crust, a layer of Bavarian or
other cream, and an arrangement of cut fruit.
 How to Make Crème Brulee

o Crème brulee is not reserved for only upscale restaurants. Once you see
how, you can make them for your next holiday dinner.
 How to Easy Huckleberry Fudge

o Now you can make holiday fudge—huckleberry or another flavor—even if
you are not a candy maker. This is the easy way.
60

Best Holiday Dinner

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The Best Ever

A Prepared Pantry Publication

The Prepared Pantry

We think you’ll like what you find. Happy holidays.

The Prepared Pantry

Copyright 2005-10, The Prepared Pantry. All rights reserved.

Finally, we’ll give you six recipes. So let’s get started . . .

Sunday dinner is usually a highlight at our

Somewhere along the line, we determined

Lou Anne came back from the grocery store giggling.

That’s because she bought them all.

Chickens roasted on racks were About the racks used:

But then we considered marinades.

See the Video: Four Techniques for Better Chicken

Or type the following URL in your browser:

For Moistness and Tenderness: Brining

For Moistness and Tenderness: Infusing with Steam

For Flavor: Inserting Herbs and Spices Under the Skin

For Flavor: Inserting Marinade

Tools of the Trade: How to Roast a Better Chicken or Turkey

For infusing steam into your chicken:

Stainless Steel Vertical Roaster Rack with Infuser

This vertical roasting rack has a reservoir in the center of

For injecting marinade into your chicken:

Professional Marinade Injector TN777

You can make very flavorful, succulent chicken by injecting

The secret is to load the meat with marinade, injecting

This is a basic chicken recipe but much more moist

1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds in weight

1/2 cup salt for brining or use an infuser

Chicken can become very dry in roasting and nearly

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

FAQ’s about Roasted Chickens and Turkeys

At what temperature should I roast my

In preparing this handbook, we read many

One of the reasons offered for higher

What about stuffed chicken?

If you stuff your chicken with dressing will it be moist?

Won’t soaking in water do the same thing as soaking in brine?

Do I use cold water or warm?

What does basting do?

Six Great Recipes for Chicken or Turkey

This chicken will be moist and flavorful

For the chicken

1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds in

For the garlic paste:

8 to 10 cloves of roasted garlic or 2 or 3 cloves of raw garlic.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Roast Chicken with Wild Rice

When we lived in Minnesota, wild rice was readily

The nut-like flavor of wild rice complements this moist

For the chicken:

1 whole chicken (4 -5 lbs), brined

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

For the wild rice pilaf:

2 cups chicken broth

Like the honey-roast meats at the deli, this is a mildly

For the chicken:

butter for basting

Make the marinade and set aside. (Recipe follows)

For the Honey Butter Marinade:

1/3 cup chicken broth

This sweet-spicy marinade makes a fantastic chicken.