Brunswick Stew ~ A Family Favorite Recipe

Of the dishes you make how many are family recipes?  I often think that favorite recipes are always the handed down ones written on old index cards.  As I looked at my family's favorite dishes that I make over and over, I realized most of them are new to us.  There are really no recipes that I make that are from my mom or grandmother.  Most likely because my mom was not a cook; she was a secretary who made meals for five children and her own mother after she came home from a long day on her feet.  Dinner was usually something inexpensive, simple, and quick, like dried out hamburgers.  No cheese, that would have been too costly.  Don't get me wrong.  I have an immense awe for what my mom did for us and now realize how difficult it is to cook a pleasant meal for a whole family, every night!

I do see the influence of my mother's cooking on the recipes I love.  They are directly inspired by dishes my mom made when I was a child.  Brunswick stew was a staple in her kitchen.  If you aren't familiar with this stew, it is like a thick vegetable soup with meat. She made a typical Virginian Brunswick stew with lots of chicken and lima beans.  Sadly, when I was served this for dinner, I would hide it in my drink cup underneath a crumpled up paper napkin.

My children have clear drink glasses that I can easily see the contents of so no hiding unwanted food for them.  Though there is no need in the case of Brunswick stew; they aren't as hostile to this southern classic as their live in cook.  Sure, the tomato soup appearance and the quantity of vegetables may strike them and make them a bit hesitant at first glance.  But every time {no exaggeration}, every time~ they finish their bowls by the sway of their own taste buds.

The difference? The addition of barbecue sauce and some ground pork.  I learned this from a restaurant.  A tremendous flavor, sweet and smokey, is added with the barbecue sauce. And the ground pork just gives a contrasting texture to the smooth vegetables and stew.  My six~year~old commented how he "really does not like lima beans except in this stew."

Throughout the fall and winter this stew reappears at the dinner table {and sometimes if lunch when there is rarely enough left}.  Sometimes I start from scratch with my own roasted chicken. Or I plan to use leftovers like Christmas turkey.  And southern style green beans, the ones I simmer with bacon for hours are great in this stew.  Just gather between 6~8 cups of vegetable {green beans, corn, potatoes, and tomatoes are all good choices} and about 4 cups of shredded or chopped poultry {turkey, chicken or even pork work} and you have the foundation of a great dinner.  Your family won't even know that you are using up leftovers!  Don't forget corn muffins or bread.  Can you say mmmmmm?

Family Favorite Brunswick Stew
1 lb ground meat {recommend ground pork}
1 lb poultry {about 3 chicken breasts or 4 c meat}, cooked and chopped or shredded
1 lb frozen lima beans
1 lb frozen corn kernals
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
1.5 cup bbq sauce {recommend Sweet Baby Rays}
salt, pepper, thyme to season
chicken broth, as needed
shredded cheddar to garnish as desired

Directions
Brown ground pork in skillet; drain fat and set aside.  Heat olive oil in stew pot or dutch oven.  Saute onion and bell pepper.  Add browned meat, shredded poultry, and crushed tomatoes.  Season with salt, pepper and thyme.  Heat to simmer.  Add frozen {or leftover} vegetables; as they heat, the frozen veggies will thaw and thin the stew a bit.  After it has all simmered, add chicken broth if you want a thinner stew.   Continue to simmer for 45 minutes to an hour to allow flavors to blend and stew to thoroughly heat.  Alternately, after meat is browned and the veggies sauted, add all ingredients to a crock pot and heat on low setting for 5~8 hours.

Cranberry Pistachio Snack Mix

Need a small gift for someone such as a teacher or teacher's helper, or a neighbor?  Here's a sweet and salty holiday snack mix that you can make today.  It's simple.  It's tasty. It's gluten free!
teacher gifts, neighbors, church friends, anyone you may need a small gift for

All you need is a something to package it in.  I suggest mason jars to show of the contents with its festive colors {red cranberries and green pistachios}.  A jar can quickly be dressed up with a cupcake liner on top.  I always have a few leftover after baking.  You can even add a tag with an ingredients list to clarify for allergens.  If you want to avoid nut allergies, just leave the pistachios out; it will still be a sweet treat from your home.

Cranberry Pistachio Snack Mix
1/4 c white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 c butter, melted
6 c Chex cereal {recommend rice}
3/4 c dried cranberries
3/4 c shelled pistachios

Whisk or shake together sugar and cinnamon.  Pour cereal into a large bowl.  Pour half of the butter over the cereal; toss.  Pour remaining butter and stir well to coat cereal.  Sprinkle with half the sugar and cinnamon mix and stir; repeat with remaining sugar mix.  Toss in cranberries and pistachios; toss to combine.  Store in airtight container.  Makes 4 pint size mason jar gifts.

Walnut Cranberry Pie

Berry pies are evocative of summer time, and pecan pie is almost always alongside a pumpkin pie at the Thanksgiving dessert table.  I make a Honey Crunch Pecan Pie for Thanksgiving every year; it seems rather strange to me to make it for Christmas.  So what to make to followup a fabulous Christmas feast?  I found a new family favorite, just as fun to make as to eat.

A highlight of making this pie with my three~year~old son was making the cranberry 'jam'.  The cranberry layer doesn't take long to cook, and as it does, the cranberries crack and pop.  Placing a screen over the top of the saucepan {not a lid, but a mesh splatter screen} helps ensure no hot cranberries pop out onto little helping hands.  Watching the cranberry and orange juice mixture instantly turn to a jelly consistancey once the cornstarch paste is added is amazing for little eyes, too.  You'll want to let the 'jam' cook a bit longer after this point though, letting some steam off so the liquid evaporates a bit more.  Cook just about one minute longer.  Another note, all of the berries may not pop.  You can remove the unpopped berries or not; there should not be more than a few.  I prefer to leave them in.

This pie was really a nice treat, not exceptionally sweet like a pecan pie but with a similar texture.  The cranberry layer is a beautiful contrast to taste buds with its tartness.  Don't be concerned.  It's not overly tart because of the sugar and orange juice.  Try it and see if it becomes a family holiday favorite at your dessert table!

Walnut Cranberry Pie

Filling~
1 1/2 c fresh cranberries
6 Tbsp orange juice
3 Tbsp white sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water

Pie~
2 eggs
3/4 c dark corn syrup
1/3 c packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp grated orange peel
2 c walnut pieces
Unbaked pie shell {either deep dish or a 9"}

Prepare the filling: In a small dish mix cornstarch and water.  Combine fresh cranberries, oj and white sugar in saucepan; stir.  Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium and cook 3 minutes stirring frequently.  Stir cornstarch paste into cranberry mix and continue to cook until thickened to jam consistency.  Let cool to about room temp.

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a bowl, beat eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter and orange peel. Stir in walnuts.  Spread cooled cranberry filling in bottom of unbaked pie shell; top with walnut mixture.  Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes; check crust after 20 minutes of baking and top loosely with foil if browned to keep from burning.  Let pie cool to room temperature before serving.

Old Fashioned Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Some dishes I only make on specific occasions and holidays.  Turkey is usually reserved for Thanksgiving.  Prime rib is my Christmas main dish.  For the Thanksgiving dessert table I always make honey crunch pecan pie.  And Christmas is the occasion for Old Fashioned Bread Pudding.

Bread pudding is a way to use up stale bread.  While I'm mixing up a batch, I'm always reminded of my father taking day old cornbread and mixing it with buttermilk for his breakfast.  It was a reminder of his days growing up on a small farm.  It was old fashioned, much like this bread pudding.  Funny thing is, I never use stale bread.  I always use a fresh loaf of sandwich bread.  The bread is supposed to be torn into pieces, but I will often cut it into cubes, working with four or more slices of bread at a time.  It make the work quick.  I've listed 'a loaf of white sandwich bread' in the recipe which is a rather unspecific amount.  Loaf sizes vary quite a bit.  Just fill a 4.5 quart mixing bowl with pieces of bread.

I know bread pudding isn't only our traditional Christmas dessert, but my children may not appreciate other recipes that use raisins and rum.  I think the lack of these ingredients is why this is such a loved recipe in our house.  We aren't huge fans of fruit in our cakes or breads and prefer to drink our rum.  Even with freshly baked pies with crust from scratch, this is the most popular treat at the Christmas dessert table.  Whenever we have a visiting guest, I'm always asked for this recipe, especially for the vanilla sauce.

I've learned a few things accidentally with this recipe.  One, the vanilla sauce is just as delicious without the vanilla; my husband actually prefers it without.  For some reason, he isn't a fan of vanilla, though he will hardly pass up a second helping of bread pudding.  Another thing I've discovered are substitutions for nutmeg.  A few times I've run out of nutmeg during holiday cooking and start making bread pudding before I've replenished my spice pantry.  If that happens, just substitute cloves for the nutmeg, but use half of the amount as cloves have a stronger flavor.  And, if you're out of cloves, too, try equal parts cinnamon and ginger.
 
Old Fashioned Bread Pudding
adapted from Great American Favorite Brand Name Cookbook

Ingredients
Pudding
1 loaf of white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
3 c milk
1/4 c butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 c white sugar

Vanilla Sauce
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c whipping cream
1/2 c butter
1 tsp vanilla

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish; for thicker pudding, use a deeper 2 quart baking dish.  Place bread pieces in large bowl. In a small saucepan heat milk and 1/4 cup of butter until butter is melted; whisk to combine. Pour milk and melted butter over bread; let sit for 10 minutes before stirring.


Whisk together eggs, nutmeg, a tablespoon of vanilla and half cup of white sugar. Add to bread and milk; stir well.  Spread pudding mixture in greased baking dish. Bake in 350 F oven for 40-45 minutes.

While pudding is baking, make vanilla sauce.  Head half cup white sugar, half cup brown sugar, whipping cream, and half cup butter in medium saucepan and heat to a simmer, stirring frequently. Allow to simmer for about 4 minutes until sauce slightly thickens.  Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla.  Serve pudding warm, topped with vanilla sauce.

Hot Chocolate Mix

Who doesn't like hot chocolate? Please don't tell me if you are one of those weirdos who does not. Hot chocolate is supposed to be what it says, Hot Chocolate, not just hot water that tastes nothing like chocolate and is nothing near creamy.

Many have come up with great recipes for a nice mix of hot chocolate, like Monica. These are great, but I like to make things simple without loosing anything. That is how I came up with this two ingredient recipe for hot chocolate mix.

Two ingredients, that is all you need.

1/4 cup of powdered milk


3 tbsp milk chocolate chips


To make a sweet gift, put these into a bag and tie closed. Add a candy cane to use as a stirrer.

To enjoy a cup, all you have to do is put the two ingredients into your mug and add hot water. Instantly stir until chocolate is melted.

At first it will look like a hot cup of milk.


But as the chocolate chips melt, you will sees swirls of velvety deliciousness.


Enjoy!