So extra!

Whether you're cooking for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just a normal weeknight, these delicious recipes are sure to delight. 

Cheesy Dip

Yield
8 Servings
Preparation time
30 minutes
Cooking time
1 hour, 20 minutes
Total time
1 hour, 50 minutes
Ingredients
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (1/4-inch slices)
1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt (divided)
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 1⁄2 cups heavy whipping cream
6 cloves roasted garlic (see notes below for roasting instructions)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (stems removed)
1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
1⁄4 cup shredded Asiago cheese
1⁄4 cup crispy fried garlic (see notes below for instructions)
Instructions

Place potato slices in a large pot; cover with water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and let boil until potatoes are just fork-tender. Drain and rinse to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9x13-inch ovenproof baking dish and layer in potato slices. Blend cream with roasted garlic, rosemary leaves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor. Pour cream mixture over potatoes, then evenly sprinkle Asiago on top. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbling and potatoes are fully cooked through. Top with crispy garlic and serve.

Notes

*Roasted garlic can be made ahead of time. Trim the top of a bulb of garlic until cloves are visible, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil, and roast at 350 F for 45 to 60 minutes, until cloves are mushy soft and light to medium brown. Pull cloves out of husk with the tine of a fork and refrigerate until ready to use. (Leftovers will keep in fridge for 7 days, in freezer for 3 months.)

**To make crispy garlic, gather 8 large garlic cloves, ¼ cup olive oil, and salt for sprinkling. Set a strainer over a small, heat-safe bowl and set aside. Pour oil into a small skillet over medium heat. Test oil temperature by tossing a piece of garlic in — when bubbles immediately form around it, the oil is ready. Carefully slide garlic into the oil. Stir continually with a wooden spoon until pale golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately transfer to the strainer, letting oil drain off the garlic. Spread garlic across paper towels to soak up remaining oil and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. When cool, transfer fried garlic to an airtight container and keep at room temperature. Reserve oil in fridge for future uses.

Yield
8 Servings
Preparation time
25 minutes
Cooking time
30 minutes
Total time
55 minutes
Ingredients
1⁄2 cup shredded Parmesan (freshly shredded recommended)
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (freshly shredded recommended)
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (freshly shredded recommended)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)
1⁄3 cup minced onion
1 clove garlic (minced)
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups hot milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon ground thyme
1⁄4 pound thinly sliced deli ham (chopped)
2 8-ounce cans crescent roll dough
Instructions

Toss cheeses together in a medium bowl and put a small handful of cheese aside for sprinkling later. In a medium pot, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened; add garlic and sauté another minute. Lower heat a bit, whisk in flour, and continue whisking 3 minutes to form a roux. Slowly pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly. Turn heat back to medium and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in Dijon, pepper, and thyme, then mix in the cheese and ham. Cover with lid and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake one can of crescent rolls according to package directions. Meanwhile, grease a 9-inch oven-safe skillet (cast iron preferred) with cooking spray. Roll the remaining can of crescent rolls and place them along the outer edge of the skillet, then spoon cheese mixture into the middle. Brush the crescents with a tablespoon of melted butter, then sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake 15 to 17 minutes, until crescents are golden brown. Let cool a few minutes before serving fondue-style straight out of the skillet, tearing off pieces of crescent roll and dipping into cheese.

Notes

*For a smooth melted dip, freshly shred the cheeses rather than using pre-shredded.

Yield
16 Servings
Preparation time
30 minutes
Cooking time
30 minutes
Total time
1 hour
Ingredients
18 2⁄5 ounces package of brownie mix (and eggs, vegetable oil, and water, according to brownie instructions)
6 ounces package instant chocolate pudding mix (and cold milk, amount according to pudding instructions)
16 ounces frozen whipped topping (thawed)
2 cups chopped-up candy bars or Oreo cookies
Instructions

This recipe is a great way to use up leftover Halloween candy! Fill a standard-sized trifle bowl or use any glass dish or dishes of your choosing. The brownies and pudding can be made a day or so ahead.

Prepare and bake brownies according to package instructions; let cool completely. Prepare pudding according to package instructions. Chill in fridge until ready to assemble trifle.

Crumble half the brownies into bottom of the bowl(s), then spoon half the pudding on top. A layer of candy can be added here, or it can all be piled on top if preferred. Continue layering with half the whipped topping. Repeat brownie, pudding, and whipped topping layers. Sprinkle candy on the top when ready to serve.

Yield
16 Servings
Preparation time
45 minutes
Cooking time
1 hour
Passive Time
30 minutes
Total time
2 hours, 15 minutes
Ingredients
3 cups flour (plus 2 Tbsp and more for rolling)
1 1⁄4 teaspoons salt
1 1⁄4 cups cold unsalted butter (cut into 1/2-inch dice)
1⁄4 cup ice water
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
1⁄2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
5 pounds apples (multiple varieties, see notes below)
1 egg yolk
  dash water
  coarse sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions

To make the crust, combine flour, 1¼ teaspoons salt, and butter in a food processor. Pulse in 1-second bursts until the mixture becomes crumbly. Drizzle in ice water and pulse in 1-second bursts until dough begins to stick together. Gather dough and form two disks, one larger than the other. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes, then let rest on counter for 30 minutes.

In an extra-large bowl, mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Peel, core, and thinly slice apples, tossing slices in sugar mixture as you go. Set aside. On a floured surface, roll out the smaller dough and fit to the bottom of a deep-dish pie plate. Stir the apples once more, then begin arranging slices into the pie pan, tightly stacking in layers and doming inward toward the top. Carefully pour ¼ cup of the excess liquid left by the apples into the pie and discard the rest. Roll out second disk of dough and overlap the top of the pie, pressing down lightly to meet the apples. Fold dough edges under, trimming if needed. Cut 8 slits in the shape of a sunburst on top. Whisk egg yolk and dash of water. Brush over the entire crust and sprinkle with coarse sugar (if desired). Place pie in fridge until oven is preheated.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Place pie on a baking sheet with sides and position on bottom rack of oven. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375 F and bake another 40 to 50 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown. If top crust becomes too brown, cover edges or lightly tent with aluminum foil. Let cool before slicing to produce clean edges.

Notes

* Mixing 3 or 4 baking apple varieties in a pie builds a blend of flavors and textures.