Mashed Potatoes and Homemade Turkey Gravy

I really love mashed potatoes. The way I make them on Thanksgiving should be illegal. I always use whole milk from a dairy in Claremore OK that does not pasteurize. Don't be alarmed. Unpasteurized milk is completely safe. It is in fact better for you. The milk from this dairy is soo good. I will be using their cream and milk this Thanksgiving. Here is their website in case you want to check it out. Now back to the potatoes. When you make them with cream and butter they are so delicious you will be hard pressed to make them any other way. Here is how to make them.

5 lbs. of Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut in chunks
1 stick of butter
Enough cream added to make the potatoes whip up nice. This can be from 1 cup to 2 cups
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dutch oven
Water

Place potatoes in dutch oven and cover with water. I pour a small amount of canola oil in with the potatoes. This keeps them from boiling over so easy. Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender. Drain water off. Mash with potato masher. Put butter in and let it melt while you stir in the cream. Whip with a mixer until you like the consistency. It is entirely up to you. Some people like them lumpy, my father, or fluffy, my husband. Salt and pepper to taste and you are done. Now on to the gravy.

Homemade Turkey Gravy

Drippings from roasted turkey
Turkey broth from turkey parts that come with your turkey in a bag or in the cavity. Use everything but the liver.
All Purpose flour
Sat and Pepper to taste

Take drippings and heat them up in either the roasting pan or a large saucepan. When heated up add flour. Cook the flour until it is golden brown. Stir constantly or it will BURN!!! Add broth. I start with a quart. Cook until gravy is the thickness you like. Add salt and pepper. Serve piping hot. If more broth is needed add at 1/2 cup increments. If you need to thicken it up a little mix 2 T cornstarch in with 1 cup of cooled broth. Mix cornstarch and broth very well. Pour slowly into gravy. It should thicken quickly.

Hope you try this recipe and please don't buy canned gravy. You will like this MUCH better...

Grandma Minnie's Sweet Potato Casserole

Grandma Minnie's recipe needs a post of it's own for this casserole. When I first had it I could not believe what a pleasure for the mouth it was. I have made it every year since. Grandma Minnie passed away in 2002 but her recipes live on through her family's cooking each year. Cooking for me would not be the same without the first memories of the recipe, who made it and where it was first eaten. It is like taking a trip through time. I hope this will become one of your favorites too.

Grandma Minnie's Sweet Potato Casserole

5 lbs. sweet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
2 sticks of butter
1 can of crushed pineapple
1 cup of sugar
2 cups of brown sugar
1 cup of pecans chopped
1 bag of large marshmallows
1- 13x9 baking pan
1- parchment lined baking sheet

First boil your sweet potatoes as you would potatoes for mashed potatoes. Once they are fork tender,then mash sweet potatoes with one stick of butter and 1 cup of brown sugar. I know this is a sweet dish but it is worth it. Pour mashed sweet potatoes into your baking dish. Next place pineapple and 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan. Boil until liquid disappears. This happens in about 12 minutes. Pour pineapple on top of mashed sweet potatoes. Next take one stick of butter and brown sugar and place into a saucepan. Once the sugar and butter are melted add the pecans. Coat evenly. Then place pecans on a parchment lined baking sheet put in the oven at 250' for one hour. Turning EVERY 15 MINUTES. If you don't they will BURN!! Once they have cooled, crunch them up and place on top of pineapple. You are almost done now... Place marshmallows in a even line and cover top completely. Put into 325' oven until heated through. Marshmallows should be golden. This will happen in 30 minutes but keep a careful watch on them.

This is so good! I cannot wait until Turkey day. I will post mashed potatoes and gravy in a little bit.