Surprise Dressing Recipes

ZESTY HOMEMADE ITALIAN DRESSING

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a jar. Seal tightly with lid and shake vigorously to emulsify. Toss gently with the romaine lettuce right before serving. Store extra dressing in refrigerator for up to a week. As the dressing sits, it will separate (and solidify in the fridge), so be sure to shake well before using.

GRANDMA STOLL'S MOIST DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13x2-inch ovenproof serving dish or spray with nonstick spray.
• Put the turkey giblets in a medium pot, add 1 1/2 cups broth, place over high heat, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, adding water if the liquid boils out. Strain and reserve the broth. Coarsely chop the giblets, removing any bones or extra fat. You should have about 1 cup giblets.
• In a large bowl, mix together the turkey giblets and the bread. In a large skillet on medium-high heat, heat the butter until it sings (is foamy). Add the onions and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Pour into the bread mixture. Stir in the poultry seasoning, parsley, salt, and pepper, and enough reserved giblet broth to moisten the mixture, adding plain broth, if necessary, so that you are using about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups all together. Toss thoroughly and pour the dressing into the prepared dish. Bake 30 minutes, adding more stock as needed to keep the dressing moist.
• The dressing can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight, cover with foil, and reheat at 350°F. for 30 minutes.

RANCH DRESSING

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Whisk until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

"SIMPLE IS BEST" DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F. Butter a 13x9x2" baking dish and set aside. Scatter bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until dried out, about 1 hour. Let cool; transfer to a very large bowl.
• Meanwhile, melt 3/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onions and celery. Stir often until just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add to bowl with bread; stir in herbs, salt, and pepper. Drizzle in 1 1/4 cups broth and toss gently. Let cool.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk 1 1/4 cups broth and eggs in a small bowl. Add to bread mixture; fold gently until thoroughly combined. Transfer to prepared dish, cover with foil, and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of dressing registers 160°F, about 40 minutes. (Note: Dressing can be made one day ahead up to this point. Uncover the dressing, let cool, then cover again and chill. The next day, proceed with the final bake as described below.)
• Bake dressing, uncovered, until set and top is browned and crisp, 40-45 minutes longer (if chilled, add 10-15 minutes).

NEELY'S HOLIDAY CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook bacon in a heavy skillet until crisp. Turn heat down and add onions and celery; saute until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the thyme and sage and saute until fragrant. Stir in pecans.
• In a large bowl, add the cornbread mix, bacon and vegetables, and stir in the chicken broth. Add to a 13 by 9 by 2-inch casserole dish. Add butter slices to the top of the casserole and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes then remove foil and cook until top is crisp, about 15 more minutes.

SIMPLE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Set a medium bowl on a kitchen towel shaped like an "O" (this helps keep the bowl steady while whisking). Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper in the bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking continuously until the mixture is combined and blended well. Use right away, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

SURPRISE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the carrots, sugar, oil and eggs until well blended. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gradually beat into carrot mixture until blended. Stir in the pecans. Pour 3 cups batter into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan., In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg. Spoon over batter. Top with remaining batter. , Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., For frosting, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add confectioners' sugar until smooth. Frost cake. Store in the refrigerator.