Phenomenal Focaccia Stuffing

I’ve been promising to share my focaccia bread stuffing recipe for years. But, I’ve been dragging my feet like a typical Neanderthal. Guess what? The wait is over! This stuffing is so good, we make it several other times during the year. Of course, it’s perfect for Turkey Day. So, the timing couldn’t be better. If you’d like, add sausage, bacon, mushrooms, leeks, dried fruit, apples, grapes, or just about anything to snazz it up. Though, the Caveclan likes to just go with this basic combination. By the way, this recipe can be used inside the bird or out. If you want both, you’ll have to double it.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 – 2 Large Foccaia Bread Loafs (1 Pound when turned into croutons)
1 Medium Sweet Onion
3 Stalks of Celery
1 Cup Water Chestnuts
4 Cups Vegetable Broth
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

RECIPE

Slice focaccia loaf into small bite-sized pieces. Place onto cookie sheet and put into a preheated 350° oven for 10-15 minutes until cubes become croutons and are very lightly browned.
NOTE: You can make your own homemade bread. Though, the bakery at our local market makes an incredible “Italian Flatbread” that is absolutely perfect.

Place broth into a medium sized pot and heat until warmed. Do not bring to a boil.

Dice celery, water chestnuts, and onion.

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil. Add diced veggies and saute until onions become translucent. Turn off flame and add focaccia croutons. Gently stir until bread cubes are covered in olive oil. Then, 1/2 cup at a time, slowly add warm broth and stir together so that croutons become evenly coated. Once stuffing is sufficiently soaked (you don’t want mush, but your don’t want them too dry, either) you are ready to move on.

If you are going to cook your stuffing inside the turkey, loosely spoon it into the body and neck cavities of the turkey just before you start roasting. Be sure to cover both the bird and stuffing with a foil tent until the last hour of cooking. Stuffing is done when the center of it reaches 165°. The outside will have a nice brown crust, while the inside will be moist and flavorful. Spoon out all the stuffing into a serving bowl, cover, and let stand for about 7-10 minutes.

To make your stuffing outside of the bird, butter the inside of a large baking dish. Spoon in stuffing, and top with thin slices of butter. Cover the baking dish and place into a preheated 375° oven. After 25 minutes of baking, remove the cover and allow the top of the stuffing to brown for about 20 minutes. When done, remove from oven, cover, and let stand for about 7-10 minutes.

Now, serve your stuffing along side all your other Thanksgiving goodies, and enjoy!

Prep Time = 30 minutes
Cooking Time = 45-50 minutes outside of bird. When turkey is done and stuffing reaches 165° inside of bird.
Serves 8-12

©2016 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Let’s Talk Turkey … And More!

Without a doubt, the Thanksgiving feast is the all-time favorite meal in the Cavehold. The combination of good times with family and friends; the enticing colors, aromas, and flavors of the Fall season; and to be able to celebrate all that we are thankful for all makes for a memorable and savory Holiday. With that in mind, we are going to share most of the recipes and tips that help to make our Turkey Day such a favorite for us and our guests.

First, unless you will be cooking a fresh bird or some other type of main course, you need to consider when to start defrosting your turkey. Click here to discover how to safely and effectively thaw the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving dinner. We describe both the Refrigerator Method (preferred) and the Cold Water Method (acceptable). Once you have your bird returned from it’s frozen state, you’ll want to check out our famous T-day Turkey Brine to ensure your fowl is juicy, tender, and full of flavor. It’s so good, I’ve been threatened with great bodily harm if I ever change the recipe.

You can’t have a Holiday Turkey without some tangy-sweet cranberry sauce. Unfortunately, far too many modern homo-sapiens are good with the canned variety of the berry relish. We strongly advise you to adopt the Neanderthal way of thinking and give our Cave’s Cranberry Sauce a go. It only takes an extra 20 minutes in your meal’s preparation, and you will end up with a C-sauce that will forever have you shunning the pre-made type in the future. Plus, it’s easy … just the recipe on the package with some molasses and either wine, port, cognac or brandy added. Best of all, you can make it a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate it until chow time – which actually also helps it to set up better, both, flavor and consistency wise. The only problem with early prep is keeping everyone away from it until the big meal … the Cavewoman is our biggest offender on that!

Another essential feature of the T-Day meal, that can also be prepped ahead of time (something we recommend doing whenever possible for this labor intensive repast), is the all important gravy. Our Cavey Gravy is readily prepared the day before the big meal. Then, all you need to do on Thanksgiving is add some turkey drippings and reheat. Best of all it is a flavor filled moisture making sauce that goes good on the bird, mashed potatoes, stuffing … you name it!

Unfortunately, we have yet to post our delicious Focaccia Bread Stuffing recipe. But, we promise to take pictures next week and post the recipe before Christmas. Though, another side dish considered a staple on the Thanksgiving plate is the mashed potato. We have long used our scrumptious Garlic Mashed Taters for this crucial purpose. They are loaded with flavor, easy to make, and are sure to be a hit with your Turkey Day crowd. BTW, you can also see our video version of this recipe … it’s a hoot!

Another fun and flavorsome player in our Turkey Day lineup are Cavemom’s Orange Yam Turkeys. These unique, colorful, and tasty yam birds have become a real favorite of the Cavekids … not just to eat, but to make as well. They really look forward to working in the kitchen on these with their Cavenana. Put one of these on your guest’s plate, and we guarantee they will be ooing and cooing about how cute they are. That is, until they taste it and start oohing and awing about how delicious they are! Yams, orange, pineapple, nuts, marshmallows, butter … what could be bad about that, right?!?! Plus, they are real hit with the vegetarians in your life.

This next dish has become a regular for just about all of our Holiday meals, no matter what time of year we are celebrating. The Cavewoman’s Super Spinach Soufflé is a warm, zesty, delicious dish that you probably won’t have any leftovers on, since everyone always wants seconds, and even thirds, on. While it is plainly obvious that this is not a healthy dish, we try to cut out some of the fat by using non-fat milk and light sour cream. It works great, and there is plenty of other fat in there to more than make up the difference!

Of course, every T-Day in the Cavehold is filled with football, family and friends. Which means we are together for an extened period of time. So, we always have plenty of apps, from shrimp cocktail with Cave’s Quick Cocktail Sauce to our scrumptious Baked Brie with Peach Sauce. Post-dinner, we somehow always have room for the Cavewoman’s apple pie and pumpkin pie. But, one of her biggest winners in the dessert selection are her incredible Pumpkin Whoopie Pies … a unique and welcome change to the usual T-day sweet treats. Give these a try and we promise you will be smiling with delight as they melt in your mouth.

We hope that the above recipes help inspire you to create a fantastic feast for your Holiday crowd. Whether you employ these or concoctions of your own, we wish that your Thanksgiving is filled with the warmth of family and friends; the flavors and aromas of the occasion; and, most importantly, the spirit and essence of the season. In other words, Happy Thanksgiving!

©2015 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

C3TV: Garlic Mashed Taters

On this episode, we’ve got a simple but scrumptious side dish that goes equally well with an everyday meal as it does with a Holiday feast. Our famous Garlic Mashed Taters! A simple, yet yummy mashed potato recipe that’s sure to get your taste buds dancing and your guests singing your culinary praises.

Episode 202

©2013 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

A Neanderthal Thanksgiving

Well, the big day isn’t until tomorrow, but the cooking almost certainly starts in earnest today. So, if you are looking for a few last minute Turkey Day ideas, I thought I’d share the annual standards we employ in the Cavehold.

I just posted my famous Cavey Gravy recipe the other day. But, you’ll need to put that gravy on something (though, some have considered just grabbing the gravy boat and a straw! 😉 ). Of course, the main event (ie. turkey) is a prime candidate to be smothered in that savory sauce, which calls for a start 24 hours before you pop it into the oven. That’s because we always use our T-day Turkey Brine to ensure a moist, flavorful bird. White wine, grapes, garlic, and rosemary are the mainstays of this magnificent marinade.

One thing that most Thanksgiving gobblers agree on: mashed potatoes are a must! Plus, they are another traditional landing pad for the gravy. But, if you are going to cook like a Caveman, you are going to have to bump it up a notch or two. We accomplish that with our tasty Garlic Mashed Taters. Milk, sour cream, and cream cheese are all combined into this recipe to create a creamy, delectable side dish … which does make it the “Angioplasty Special”. Though, if you are only cranking these spuds out once or twice a year, your cardiologist shouldn’t mind too much. I can attest that your taste buds won’t complain one bit!

Every meal calls for a vegetable. But, even the most anti-veggie attendee can’t turn their nose up on the Cavewoman’s incredible Super Spinach Soufflé. With eggs, two kinds of cheeses, milk, and butter it is plainly obvious that this is not a healthy dish, either. So, we try to cut out some of the fat by using non-fat milk and light sour cream. It works great, and there is plenty of other fat in there to more than make up the difference! I guarantee if you try this one at your T-Day feast once, it will become a regular participant in your family’s faire for years to come.
HINT: I highly recommend that you get some Cougar Gold from the WSU Creamery for this recipe. It adds the perfect flavor that just pushes the entire dish over the top.

Holiday cooking has always been where my Mom shines brightest in the kitchen. Her creative mind is always at work … but, none more so than when she puts her signature touch on a recipe. This is plainly evident with her Cavemom’s Orange Yam Turkeys – an ingenious spin on the traditional Thanksgiving yams. This unique, colorful, and tasty dish has become a real favorite of the Cavekids … not just to eat, but to make as well. They really look forward to working in the kitchen on these with their Cavenana, and this year is no different! They’ve already been asking us if their grandmother was “bringing all the stuff to make Yam Turkeys”. Put one of these on your guest’s plate, and I guarantee they will be ooing and cooing about how cute they are. That is, until they taste it and start oohing and awing about how delicious they are! Yams, orange, pineapple, nuts, marshmallows, butter … I mean, what could be bad about that, right?!?!

You can’t call it a Thanksgiving meal without cranberry sauce. However, far too many call it “good” with a canned variety of the tangy berry relish. If you are in that crowd, I strongly advise you step out of your canned comfort zone and give my Cave’s Cranberry Sauce a go. It will only take an extra 20 minutes in your meal’s preparation, and you will end up with a C-sauce that will forever have you shunning the pre-made type in the future. Plus, it’s easy … just the recipe on the package with some molasses and either wine, port, cognac or brandy added. Best of all, you can make it a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate it until chow time – which actually also helps it to set up better, both flavor and consistency wise. The only problem with that is keeping everyone away from it until the big meal … the Cavewoman is our biggest offender on that!

Most of all, we wish you the sweetest of Thanksgiving Holidays, filled with laughter, love, and memories to last a lifetime!

©2013 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. These recipes originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. These recipes may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies them.

Cavey Gravy

Okay … beat me, whip me, make me write bad checks! It’s been so long since my last recipe here that I’m sure entire species have had the opportunity to evolve. I promise to have more coming in the near future. No … REALLY! 😉 For now, I’m back just in time to share my famous gravy recipe – a must for any Turkey-Day table. Best thing is that you can make this base ahead of time and then just reheat and add some turkey drippings on the big day.

INGREDIENTS

1 Turkey Neck and Giblets
4 Cups Vegetable Broth
2 Carrots Sticks – Peeled and Quartered
2 Celery Stalks – Quartered
3 Garlic Cloves – Sliced
1/2 Sweet Onion – Rough Chopped
1/2 Cup Mushrooms – Sliced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

RECIPE

In large saucepan, heat oil and garlic slices. Then, add turkey neck, giblets, salt, and pepper.

Brown neck and giblets. When you flip them to brown the other side, add carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms.

When neck and giblets are fully browned, and onions begin to get translucent, add stock. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 90 minutes covered.

When done, strain broth into suitable container and set aside. Also reserve 1/3 of each type of veggie. Remove neck and shred as much meat as possible off of it with two forks. Chop up liver into small pieces. Discard gizzard, heart, and remainder of neck.

Place reserved veggies, neck and liver meat, and reserved broth into blender or processor on “high” until ingredients are completely liquified.

This is your gravy base. It should have the color of dull mustard and should have the consistency of a milkshake. Place into an airtight container and refrigerate until needed.

When you are ready to make your gravy, remove the base from the fridge about 20 minutes prior. Return to large saucepan, cover and heat over a low flame. Take drippings from turkey roasting pan (after having skimmed off the fat) and stir into base. BOOM … you have gravy!

Pour liberally over turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and anything else you desire (careful, though … it’s hot 😉 ). Most importantly, have a great Holiday with friends and family, being sure to give thanks for moments like these.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Prep Time = 20 minutes
Cook Time = 105 minutes
Serves 12-16

©2013 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

T-Minus 5 (Time To Thaw The Turkey)

If your Thanksgiving turkey is chillin’ in the freezer, you are going to need to make some plans in the next several days to start defrosting it. The method you choose, and the size of your bird, will determine when you need to commence the thawing process in order to guarantee you won’t be left with a turkey-bowling ball on the big day.

When defrosting your bird, it is critical to follow strict guidelines so as to not poison yourself and your guests with some bacteria borne illness. Personally, I don’t like the microwave method because the turkey usually starts to cook in the process. So, I try to follow one of two thawing procedures, the Refrigerator Method (the slow, and best way) or the Cold Water Method (the quick way). Whichever way you choose to do it, DO NOT just let it defrost on your countertop … you’ll be inviting food-borne illnesses to your Holiday meal.

Refrigerator Method (Recommended)

For this procedure it is important to really plan ahead. You need to allow about 24 hours for every 5 pounds in a fridge set to 40 °F. Here are the approximate times to thaw a whole Turkey:

8 to 12 pounds -> 1 to 2 days
12 to 16 pounds -> 2 to 3 days
16 to 20 pounds -> 3 to 4 days
20 to 24 pounds -> 4 to 5 days

Cold Water Method (Acceptable)

Make sure the turkey is in leak-proof packaging … they absorb water like a sponge. Cover the turkey completely in cold water. Be sure to change the water every so often and allow about 30 minutes per pound when thawing a turkey this way.

8 to 12 pounds -> 4 to 6 hours
12 to 16 pounds -> 6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 pounds -> 8 to 10 hours
20 to 24 pounds -> 10 to 12 hours

Either brine or cook your turkey immediately upon completing one of the above defrosting methods. By following these simple steps your bird should be safe to eat and, next year, your guests won’t be making up strange excuses as to why they can’t join you for Thanksgiving. 😉

©2012 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Super Spinach Soufflé

While you wait for the next episode of C3TV (which is coming next week) we thought we would tempt your taste buds with this delicious dish that works great with any meal, but is especially suited for your Holiday fare. This is also a recipe that we have gotten many requests for since this site came to be. So, before we need to make any more excuses why it hasn’t appeared here yet, please read on … 😉

INGREDIENTS

2 10 Ounce Packages Frozen Chopped Spinach – Defrosted and Drained
2 Cups Cougar Gold Cheese (or another aged white cheddar cheese) – Shredded
2 Cups Medium Cheddar Cheese – Shredded
2 Cups Milk
1 Cup Sour Cream
4 Large Eggs – Beaten Well
6 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Garlic – Chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/4 Cup Flour
Salt & Pepper to taste

RECIPE

Defrost and drain spinach.
NOTE #1: You might be tempted to use fresh spinach in this recipe, but we have found that the frozen variety works MUCH better.

Shred both the Cougar Gold (which you might just have to crumble instead) and the cheddar cheese.
NOTE #2: While you can use another type of aged white cheddar cheese, we highly recommend using Cougar Gold for this dish. It’s unique flavor adds the right amount of zing to the taste of this soufflé. Plus, you can use whatever you have leftover for Stuffed Pork Loin, fondue, cheese puffs, or just served with crackers and grapes … Mmmmm MMMMMMM!
Also, you might want to shred some extra cheese if your brood is anything like the ingredient-stealing, cheese-munching Caveclan.

Place spinach, shredded cheeses, and sour cream into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

In a medium sized sauce pan over a medium-low flame, melt the butter then whisk in the flour. Yes, this is a “roux”.

Now, slowly whisk in the milk. When the sauce becomes evenly smooth and creamy, whisk in the garlic.

Add the sauce to the large mixing bowl with the other ingredients and mix everything together well.

Stir the eggs into the mixture (It is at this point that we would suggest you stop your “taste-testing” of the raw but delicious mixture). Salt and pepper to taste.
HINT: It’s best to have your own beautiful and talented Cavewoman to put this dish together. Besides, it’s her recipe, so I had to give her some props! 😉

Place the entire mixture into a large, well buttered, baking dish. Place it, uncovered, into an oven preheated to 400° for about 45 minutes … until the top is slightly caramelized and the soufflé hardly moves when the baking dish is jiggled. As actual oven temperatures my vary, so will cooking times … just make sure it is cooked all the way through!

When done, let the soufflé set up for 10 minutes before serving. Eat your heart out, Popeye!

NOTE #2: It is plainly obvious that this is not a healthy dish. So, we try to cut out some of the fat by using non-fat milk and light sour cream. It works great, and there is plenty of other fat in there to more than make up the difference!

Prep Time = 30 minutes
Cook Time = 45 minutes
Serves 8-12

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

It’s Saturday … Do You Know Where Your Turkey Is?

Yeah, believe it or not, it’s the Saturday before Thanksgiving … ALREADY!!! Time just seems to fly by too quickly .. and it also appears to be accelerating each year. But, it’s time to start talking turkey! Especially if you are planning on cooking a big bird for your holiday feast. You have to get that baby defrosting NOW, particularly if you have a 20+ pounder that’s still frozen. Using the “Refrigerator Method”, the safest and best way to transform your turkey from it’s icy condition, you need to allow a day for each 5 pounds of poultry. Using my five-finger Caveman calculator, that means you have to get going on that hefty hen TODAY. Of course, for more tips and all the methods available for defrosting the centerpiece of your T-day meal, you can always check out our post Thawing Your Turkey. By the way, you’ll notice we did not include the “Microwave Method” of defrosting in that article. That’s because it is a real flavor and texture killer … we highly recommend using one of the other two methods we’ve detailed.

Once you have unlocked your turkey from it’s frozen state, you need to either cook it or brine it immediately. In the Cavehold, we would never do the former without first doing the latter. Years ago, when I was just a young Cavelad, the Cavemom developed a great brine that included wine and grapes. Since then, when the Cavewoman and I took over the duties of hosting this particular holiday, we took her brine and bumped it up a notch or two. This recipe was a closely held family secret until we spilled the beans two years ago with our post T-day Turkey Brine. If you want to ensure you serve a juicy, tender turkey full of great flavor, every time, I suggest you give this one a go. It’s easy, it’s foolproof, and as we say around here, “Once you brine, your turkey will be fine!”. By the way, I’ve been told by our Turkey Day faithful that I will be kicked to the curb if I ever try to deviate from this recipe on Thanksgiving … I think that says it all!

Of course, Caveman (or Cavewoman) does not live by turkey alone … even on Thanksgiving. So you might want to check out some of the side dishes and aperitifs we shared previously that have become holiday traditions in the Cavehold. For instance, no T-day meal is complete with out cranberry sauce. Many folks believe it’s just too hard to make their own and go with the canned versions available in the store. But, if you venture just a bit further down the aisle to the veggie and fruit section, and take an extra 20 minutes in your meal’s preparation, you will end up with a C-sauce that will forever have you shunning the pre-made type in the future. Our Cave’s Cranberry Sauce is really just the recipe on the package with some molasses and either wine, port, cognac or brandy added. Best of all, you can make it a day or two ahead of time and just refrigerate it until chow time – which actually also helps it to set up better, both flavor and consistency wise. The only problem with that, really, is keeping everyone away from it until the big meal … the Cavewoman is our biggest offender on that!

Yams or sweet potatoes are another must for this Fall harvest feast. While they take many forms in each family, I really have never tasted anything better than the Cavemom’s Orange Yam Turkeys. This unique, colorful, and tasty dish has become a real favorite of the Cavekids … not just to eat, but to make as well. They really look forward to working in the kitchen on these with their Cavenana, and this year is no different! They’ve already been asking us if their grandmother was “bringing all the stuff to make Yam Turkeys”. Put one of these on your guest’s plate, and I guarantee they will be ooing and cooing about how cute they are. That is, until they taste it and start oohing and awing about how delicious they are! Yams, orange, pineapple, nuts, marshmallows, butter … I mean, what could be bad about that, right?!?!

Another regular player on the Thanksgiving plate is the mashed potato. You’ve got to have something to to put the gravy on – besides turkey and stuffing, of course. You know that in the Cavehold we can’t simply serve a boiled tater mashed up with some butter and salt. We’ve got to give the spud a serious kick in the pants! (GRRRREAT! Visions of kicking Mr. Potato Head are now swirling around in my Neanderthal noggin!!). Which is why our Garlic Mashed Taters always make an appearance on our holiday menu. If you’re going to squish a potato beyond all recognition, why not take it to the next level with butter, milk, sour cream, cream cheese, green onion chives, and roasted “gah-lick”. True, it’s not the healthiest of dishes. But, oh my, is it goooooooooood! Best of all, this is also one of those recipes that you don’t need to save just for Turkey Day … we use this one just about every time we have a hankerin’ to do some mashin’. In fact, they are pictured here with Korean Pork Chops (Daeji Galbi) and Sauteed Asian Veggies.

Before getting to the real meal, we try to tempt our guests’ palates with some basic, yet delicious appetizers. And, shrimp cocktail is about as basic as it gets. However, a chilled shrimp is only as good as the sauce that accompanies it. You could make your own sauce from scratch. But, that is time consuming and, as you know, we like to make things as easy as possible around here. Thus, with necessity being the mother of invention, came the recipe for Cave’s Quick Cocktail Sauce. As the name suggests, it’s quick, it’s easy, and man is it goooooood! If there is any doubt about how good it really is, on a holiday known for leftovers, there are never any leftover shrimp!

As good as those little crustaceans bathed in that sauce are, we still have to make sure that the non-carnivorous crowd is well accounted for. So, we also whip up an incredible, veggie friendly, Baked Brie with Peach Sauce. When coupled with the dried cherries and pecans, this gooey plate of yum becomes a huge hit. Serve it up with some quality Lavosh or water crackers and let the feasting begin!
NOTE: Even though you will want to dig right in, be sure to let the baked brie cool for about 10 minutes after pulling it from the oven as the melted cheese inside the brie casing can get quite hot. Nothing worse than burning your tongue on that first bite and not be able to taste the full flavor of the rest of the meal. Yes, this is the voice of experience talking! 😳

Lastly, while both apple pie and pumpkin pie are expected desserts amongst the Caveclan come Thanksgiving day, a new addition to the post-meal eats has made it’s way into our hearts and stomachs. The Cavewoman’s Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are a unique and welcome change to the usual T-day sweet treats. Give these a try and I promise you will be smiling with delight as they melt in your mouth. Besides, these Whoopie Pies also garnered a Food Blogs “Post Of The Day” honor! So … what are you waiting for? Hit the link!!

Yes, we’ve given you a lot to contemplate here. However, this is the one holiday that truly centers around the food that is served. So, consider giving some, if not all, of these recipes a try and let us know how it goes. But, if you haven’t gotten that big bird out of the freezer yet, stop reading this and get a move on! 😉 The entire Caveclan wishes you and yours a safe, happy, and delicious Thanksgiving.

P.S. – We are less than two weeks from the premier of Caution: Caveman Cooking’s online cooking show, C3TV. Look for more info on the launch right after Turkey Day. In the meantime, you can get a sneak peek here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw-uf78Tlzk

©2011 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Happy Tweet-giving!

Yesterday, while cooking up a storm, I was also “Tweeting” up a storm on Twitter. Using my semi-new Droid X, I was taking pics as I went along and posting them up on my Twitter account @CavemanCooking. Just in case you missed them (or aren’t a “Tweep”), I thought I’d share them, in chronological order (Actually, the first three are from the day before):

Turkey is brined!

Cranberry sauce is done!

Gravy base is simmering!

The “outside the bird” stuffing is ready to go!

Turkey is stuffed and going in the oven!

Spinach Souffle is ready to go.

OMG the house smells good! I keep going outside & coming back in to get a fresh nose full!! 😉
(No picture)

Cavemom’s Orange Yam Turkeys are ready to go!

Table is almost ready!

Shrimp Cocktail is served!

Baked Brie is served!

Turkey is done!

Forgot to get the “before” shot. Oh well! 😉 Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving pie trio. (From L to R) Pecan, Apple, and Pumpkin. YUM!

Great day … but, our house looks like Fall threw up on it! 😉
(No picture)

Our first T-Day in our new home was absolutely fantastic. Everyone had a great time and were stuffed fuller than our Thanksgiving Turkey! It was especially nice to have the Cave-mom-in-law there, after her harrowing health issues this year. We hope that your Holiday was filled with love, laughter and deliciousness!
If you’d like to see some more pics from our gathering, go to the Cavewoman’s Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/16372067@N00/

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Garlic Mashed Taters

One thing that most Thanksgiving gobblers agree on: mashed potatoes are a must! So, I thought I’d share our simple, yet yummy mashed potato recipe. Sure, it’s last minute. But, this is one dish that can be quickly whipped together.

INGREDIENTS

6 Medium Potatoes (Russet, Red, or Yukon Gold)
6 Large Cloves Garlic
1/4 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Cream Cheese, softened well
1 Tablespoons Butter, softened well
3 Tablespoons Green Onion Chives
1 Teaspoon Pink, Kosher or Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

RECIPE

Thinly slice garlic lengthwise. Set aside.

Finely Chop green onion chives. Set aside.

Scrub potatoes well. Chop into even, generous chunks.
HINT: This dish tastes great whether you utilize Russet Brown, Red Rose, or Yukon Gold taters. No matter which you use, LEAVE THE SKIN ON! They are both healthier and tastier that way. Though, if you do go with the brownies, I suggest peeling 2 or 3 of the potatoes due to the heavier skin these spuds tend to have.

Fill a large pot halfway with water. Add half the sliced garlic and the teaspoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil.

Take the other half of the sliced garlic and place into tin foil. Drizzle with the olive oil and create a foil tent. Roast garlic in 350° toaster or conventional oven for 15-20 minutes, until tender.

While water is heating up (before it gets to a boil so as to reduce the chance of scalding yourself), and all the salt has dissolved, carefully add the potatoes. Allow to reach a boil and continue to cook until potato chunks are easily penetrated by a fork.

When fully cooked, strain potatoes well in colander, being sure to reserve the boiled garlic slices, as well. Immediately place strained taters into large bowl. Add butter, milk, sour cream, cream cheese, chives, and roasted “gah-lick” to bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

Use a potato masher for it’s intended employ until the desired consistency of the taters are reached … some like ’em chunky while others like ’em creamy. You can also add more sour cream and/or milk at this point, if needed.

Serve as a side to a multitude of different dishes. Of course, they are perfect for Thanksgiving dinner. Though, they are served here with Korean Pork Chops (Daeji Galbi) and Sauteed Asian Veggies.

The entire Caveclan wishes you a safe and savory Thanksgiving!

Prep Time = 20 minutes
Cook Time = 20 minutes
Serves 6

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.