Sunnys Crowd Sourced Stuffing Recipes

SUNNY'S SIMPLE STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, mix the stuffing mix with the parsley and set aside.
• In a large pan on medium heat, add the butter, celery, onions, thyme, sage and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and a nice grind of pepper. Cook until the onions and celery are tender but the garlic is not browned. Remove to the bowl of bread cubes. Pour the stock over the bread and veggie mixture and stir to combine (this is a wet dressing, so it should be very moist). If using one of the add-in combinations, mix in the ingredients carefully.
• Pour the mixture into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Press down to make it compact, and then cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes, then raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes more.

SUNNY'S BRUNCHY BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Add the olive oil and sausages to a large pan on medium-high heat. Cook, turning sausages occasionally, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Cool until cool enough to handle, then chop. Set aside.
• Add the heavy cream, yogurt, eggs, orange zest and 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar to a large bowl. Stir until everything is combined.
• Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking dish. Spread the chicken sausage in the bottom of the dish. Shingle the toast on top, overlapping each other slightly, then pour the custard over. Sprinkle the top with the remaining tablespoon cinnamon sugar. Bake, covering with foil halfway through, until golden and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the orange juice, maple syrup and fennel seeds in a small pot on medium heat. Cook until reduced back down to a syrup consistency, 10 to 15 minutes. Strain out the fennel seeds and serve with the bread pudding.

SUNNY'S ITALIAN SAUSAGE HOLIDAY STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Saute the sausage. In a large pan on medium-high heat, add olive oil and sausage. Cook until heated through and browned. Remove to a large bowl along with any remaining fat from the pan. Saute the vegetables and fruit. In the same pan add butter and melt on medium heat. Add scallions, celery, onion, cranberries and Hidden Valley® Homestyle Italian Dressing & Seasoning Mix. Cook while stirring until the vegetables are tender and cranberries become a bit plump, about 6-8 minutes. Remove all to the bowl with the sausage. Mix stuffing. Add stuffing cubes to the bowl and toss. Pour over the chicken stock adding 1/4 cup or so more if cubes are not moist enough, this should feel like thick mashed potatoes. Bake stuffing. Coat the bottom and sides of an 8" x 8" baking dish with cooking spray. Pour in stuffing and press down, leveling off the top with a rubber spatula or back of a spoon. Bake until top is golden, about 35-40 minutes.

CROWD-SOURCED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 ̊ F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water.
• Meanwhile, melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth, then add the mustard powder, cayenne, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce simmers and thickens slightly, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Whisk the cheeses into the sauce one at a time, letting the cheese melt before adding more. Stir in the pasta to coat, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen. (It's OK if the sauce is loose - it will thicken as it bakes.)
• Transfer the mac and cheese to the baking dish. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, then mix with the crushed crackers and chips. Sprinkle over half of the mac and cheese. Bake until the top is browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

CROWD-SOURCED SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Make the meatballs: Combine the beef, breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, parsley, basil and 3/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk together the milk, egg and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Pour over the meat and gently mix with your hands until well blended. Roll into 12 golf ball-size meatballs. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 20 minutes.
• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook, turning, until well browned all over, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the meatballs to a plate and set aside. Discard the oil and gently wipe out the pot with a paper towel.
• Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, parsley, basil and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the wine is nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth, sugar and 1/2 cup water.
• Add the meatballs to the sauce. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, 18 to 20 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain. Return the spaghetti to the pasta pot, ladle in about half of the sauce and toss well to coat, adding more sauce if necessary. Divide the spaghetti and meatballs among bowls. Top with Parmesan and serve with the remaining sauce.

CROWD-SOURCED MEAT LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Rub the bottom and sides of a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish (about 5 quarts) with olive oil. Set aside.
• Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, 1 teaspoon oregano and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the beef and sausage and cook, breaking up the meat into crumbles with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until everything is well coated and the tomato paste is a shade darker, about 2 minutes. Add the vermouth and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until almost dry. Add the crushed tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups water, the remaining 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the sauce reduces slightly, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; add a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes taste sharp.
• Meanwhile, cook the noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook, stirring, until just al dente and pliable, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a colander; run cool water over the noodles and separate them.
• Make the filling: Lightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta, 2/3 cup Parmesan, the parsley, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and stir until combined.
• Assemble the lasagna: Spread a thin layer of sauce (about 1 cup) in the bottom of the baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, laying them lengthwise. Top the noodles with one-quarter of the remaining sauce (about 2 cups). Dollop one-third of the ricotta mixture (about 1 1/2 cups) on top and spread in an even layer. Top with 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Repeat these layers two more times (noodles, sauce, ricotta mixture, mozzarella and parmesan). For the last layer, add the remaining 3 noodles, sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Cover the baking dish with foil, sealing the edges (do not press the foil into the cheese). Bake until the lasagna is hot and bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until golden brown, 20 to 30 more minutes. Let cool at least 20 minutes before slicing.

CROWD-SOURCED BARBECUE RIBS

Steps:

• Prepare the ribs: Slide a butter knife between the bone and thin membrane on the bone side of the ribs to loosen. Grab the membrane with a paper towel, then pull it off and discard.
• Make the rub: Mix the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, mustard powder, cumin, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the rub for the sauce. Rub the rest all over both racks of ribs. Wrap well in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Soak 2 cups wood chips (such as cherry, apple or pecan) in cool water, about 30 minutes. Preheat a grill to medium low (250˚ F) and prepare for indirect grilling: For a charcoal grill, bank the coals to one side. For a gas grill, turn off half the burners. Cover the indirect side of the grill with foil (or position a drip pan underneath the grates). Drain the wood chips and scatter over the hot coals (for a charcoal grill), or place in a smoker box over direct heat (for a gas grill). Unwrap the ribs and place meat-side up on the indirect side of the grill. Close the lid and grill until the ribs are a rich brick red color, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. (For a charcoal grill, adjust the vents and add more coals as needed to maintain the temperature.)
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Combine the ketchup, shallot, brown sugar, vinegar, 1/2 cup water and the reserved 2 tablespoons rub in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
• Remove the ribs from the grill and wrap each rack in heavy-duty foil. Return the ribs to the indirect side of the grill, meat-side down, and continue to grill until the meat has pulled back a bit from the bones, 2 to 2 1/2 more hours. (For a charcoal grill, adjust the vents and add more coals as needed.)
• Carefully unwrap the ribs and return to the indirect side of the grill, meat-side up. Brush generously with about 2/3 cup of the sauce. Cover and grill until the sauce is cooked into the meat, 10 to 20 more minutes. Remove the ribs to a cutting board and let rest a few minutes, then cut into individual ribs. Serve with the remaining sauce.