Dear Reader,
I think a change in seasons has everyone thinking about changin' up the menu. Thank you to Tess, a long time book club reader, who is sharing one of her favorite recipes later in today's column.
I'm already starting to think about my Thanksgiving menu. I know, I know, it's weeks away, but I'm a plan-in-advance type of person. Nothing is etched in stone when I preplan, but it's comforting for me to know I've sketched out the basics. This year I was debating whether to change up my standard menu. My husband and I will be married 42 years this December, and I think for all of those 42 years I've served the same dishes on Thanksgiving. And when I asked my brother-in-law, who comes to visit every Thanksgiving what he thought about my changing up the menu idea, he quickly assured me he flies once a year from Washington and all the way here he's thinking about Thanksgiving dinner. "Please don't change a thing, Suzanne."
So it will be traditional Thanksgiving family dinner at my house this year. In the meantime, I still feel like changing things up a bit, so I'm going to try Tess's Cheesy Sausage and Potatoes slow cooker recipe. If you try it, let me know what you think and I'll pass it along to her.
"Dear Suzanne,
Good afternoon! Your recipes today made me think of Crock Pot recipes. It is getting cold out up here and they sure do hit the spot in the fall and winter.
Tuesdays I work late at the library and I typically make a Crock Pot recipe for my husband so he doesn't have to cook with a two-year-old by himself. Today we are having Cheesy Sausage and Potatoes. It is a very easy recipe and a winner because [my daughter] Felicity likes cheese so much. Anyways, I just thought I would share. Have a great day! -- Tess C.
The cooking directions for Cheesy Sausage and Potatoes are very easy. Put everything in the crock pot on low for 7+ hours. I let it go between 7 and 9 hours usually. I also ALWAYS use a slow cooker liner because it makes cleanup such a breeze. Ingredients include....
28 ounce package frozen diced potatoes with peppers and onions (you can also get the frozen potatoes and then just add a fresh chopped bell pepper and onion, I did that this week)
2 cups shredded cheese of your choice (I used cheddar and mozzarella)
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 andouille sausage, chopped
1 package frozen peas (optional)
When I make it, I layer the vegetables and potatoes at the bottom, then the andouille sausage and then sprinkle with cheese. I mix the sour cream and cream of celery soup and lay that on top so it seeps down into everything. This is a great recipe for a blustery day or a day when you are just too busy to spend time in the kitchen (I have a lot of those)."
* Congratulations to Katherine G. the winner of The Pumpkin Patch Cookbook.
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
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