Ann Criswell's Thanksgiving Dressing

Ann Criswell’s Thankgiving Dressing is fluffy and rich. The best combo of regular and cornbread dressing, it's the perfect accompaniment to turkey and gravy.

When I was growing up, the great city of Houston had two daily papers, the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Post. Sort of like mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, your family liked one or the other. 

I have no idea why we got the Chronicle instead of the Post and now my mom isn’t here to ask. But it arrived every day, thrown by a neighborhood boy named Tommy Hannan. Remember when you actually knew your paper boy and he had to collect the money as well as deliver the paper? Tommy was a couple of years older than me but he used to stop by to chat and collect the paper money from Mom. If memory serves, she wrote a check. The real olden days, y'all. 

Anyhoo, as a foodie from way back, one of the columns I enjoyed reading was Ann Criswell’s on food. Mrs. Criswell was the first editor of the Chronicle’s food section which debuted in 1966, a position she held until her retirement in 2000. 

Her interactive columns encouraged readers to write in with questions about methods, ingredients, recipes, in fact, anything to do with food and its preparation. She shared copious recipes and I never failed to learn something from reading her columns. 

She pioneered a format that allowed entire recipes to be neatly cut out and saved, which I’d love to see other magazines and newspaper replicate! So handy. Sadly, Mrs. Criswell was one of our casualties of COVID in 2020. 

Ann Criswell’s Thanksgiving Dressing

I can’t seem to find out which year Mrs. Criswell first shared this recipe which she said was a combination of her own great-grandmother’s dressing and Lady Bird Johnson’s recipe for cornbread dressing. She avowed that it was one of the most requested recipes during her tenure as editor. The original made a much bigger casserole, calling for a quart each of biscuits, bread and cornbread, and can be found here.

Ingredients

2 day-old buttermilk biscuits - mine weighed about 110g

2 slices day-old sandwich bread– mine weighed about 90g

2 pieces day-old cornbread – mine weighed about 200g 

1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped

2 stalks celery, roughly chopped

2 green onions, roughly chopped

4 sprigs fresh parsley

1 teaspoon poultry seasonings

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

2 cups or 480ml (or more if needed) defatted turkey or chicken broth

1/4 cup or 57g melted butter

1 egg, slightly beaten

 

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and butter a casserole dish. 

Crumble the biscuits and cornbread and make fresh bread crumbs out of the sandwich bread. I used my food processor. If it isn’t stale enough, you can toast the bread a little. 

Mince the onion, celery and green onions in a food processor. Add in the parsley leaves and tender stems and pulse until finely chopped. 

In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, cornbread, biscuits, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper and cayenne. Toss well. 

Add the onion, celery, parsley, broth, melted butter and beaten egg. 

Mix well but toss lightly. Mixture should be quite moist, but not soupy.

Place in your buttered baking dish. 

Bake in your preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Serve warm with gravy. Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes for stuffing or dressing. I know for some families those names are interchangeable - I've used this one to stuff turkey, for instance - but everyone seems to have a favorite. Check out the link list below. 

• Ann Criswell's Thanksgiving Dressing from Food Lust People Love
• Classic French Bread Stuffing from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Gnocchi Stuffing from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Keto Homemade Stuffing from Sneha's Recipe
• Mouthwatering Recipe for Thanksgiving Dressing That Will Wow Your Guests! from Our Good Life
• Stove-Top Stuffing Copycat Recipe from Amy's Cooking Adventures

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Xmas Eggnog Fudge

Turn everybody's favorite creamy, sweet holiday beverage into Xmas Eggnog Fudge with this simple recipe your friends and family are sure to love. It's perfect as a holiday gift or to take on the road for when you need an eggnog fix.

One of my favorite recipes for the holidays is my grandmother's homemade eggnog.  She always made enough for a houseful, starting with a gallon of milk and almost one dozen large eggs. 

I remember one of my last Christmases at home, following her around the kitchen as she made a batch, writing down the ingredients and her steps. Just four ingredients for a thick, rich, wonderful eggnog. When I got back to my house, I copied it out more neatly into a blank leaf at the back of my Good Housekeeping. I didn’t want to lose it.

I tend to halve the recipe for our smaller household and that still makes plenty. Mo’s homemade eggnog is always served warm with a splash of some strong stuff, either bourbon or rum. 

We also always have store-bought eggnog on hand because we like to drink it cold, spiked or not, and use it in baked goods like my streusel coffee cake, eggnog pound cake, muffins and mousse or homemade candy, like this Xmas eggnog fudge. 

I think it would be fair to say that we are huge fans of The Nog. Hope you are too!

Xmas Eggnog Fudge

Abject apologies for the lack of process photos for this recipe. The lighting was terrible and shots of the pot on the stove would genuinely not have been helpful to include. Make sure you use a timer and a candy thermometer and follow the instructions. You’ll be fine. (Any questions? Leave me a comment.)

Ingredients

2 3⁄4 cups or 550g sugar

1 cup or 240ml commercial good quality eggnog (NOT low fat)

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 ounces or 170g white chocolate, chopped roughly (Use good quality- not baking chocolate or chips)

1 1⁄2 cups or 85g mini marshmallows

1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup or 150g almonds, toasted and chopped coarsely

1⁄8 cup or 30g butter (Do not substitute margarine!)

Freshly grated or powdered nutmeg for decoration. 

Method

Line a 9x9-inch 23x23cm pan with aluminum foil and set aside.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the eggnog, sugar and salt, bring to a slow rolling boil over medium to med-high heat. Do not walk away from the pot. If it threatens to boil over, turn the heat down just a little bit. You still need a rapid boil. Set a timer for 2 minutes when it starts to boil.

When the timer rings, remove the pot from the stove and stir in the marshmallows and cinnamon.

Put the pot back on the stove and bring it back to a rolling boil and set the timer for 6 minutes. 

Put your candy thermometer in the pot. The temperature should reach at least 234°F or 112°C but no higher than 238°F or 114°C. Then the pot should be removed from the heat.

When the 6-minute timer rings or the mixture reaches the proper temperature, whichever happens first, remove the pot from the stove and stir in the butter, white chocolate and chopped almonds.

Stir rapidly with a wooden spoon until the butter and chocolate have melted and are completely incorporated and the mixture has a glossy appearance. 

Pour it into your prepared foil-lined pan and quickly sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired. Leave to cool completely at room temperature. 

To cut, remove the fudge from the pan by lifting the foil lining out and cut it into small squares with a sharp knife. It’s very rich so you can cut them quite small. 

You can put the squares in little candy liners to serve (or gift) or stack them on a decorative plate. 

Store in a sealed container in a cool, dry place. 

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 24th edition of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter X. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the X recipes below:

• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Brothless Ramen with XO Sauce 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Chicken Xacuti 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni:Mushroom Xacuti 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: X’s & O’s (Hugs & Kisses) Brown Sugar Cookies
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Xavier Soup 
• Blogghetti: Xiaodianxin - Eggless Chinese Butter Cookies 
• Food Lust People Love: Xmas Eggnog Fudge 
• Culinary Cam: Xoconostle Tartlets 
• Magical Ingredients: Xoconostle Xnipec Paratha 
• A Messy Kitchen: Xoi - Vietnamese Sticky Rice 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Xylocarp Cocktail 

Here are my posts for the alphabet challenge, thus far:
A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs
B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly
C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw
D: Cajun Chicken Eggplant Dressing
E: Everything Pizza Tartin
F: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs
G: Grape Juice Jigglers
H: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts
I: Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream
J: Java Dry Spice Mix Chops 

K. Korean Barbecue-style Meatballs 

L. Easy Lamb and Fresh Tomato Curry 

M. Fresh Mint Sauce 

N. Miso Butter Noodles 

O. Spicy Orange Braised Short Ribs 

P. Homemade Piri Piri Sauce 

Q, Cointreau Glazed Orange Quick Bread 

R. Leek and Lobster Mushroom Risotto 

S. Cheesy Sausage and Egg Casserole 

T. Stuffed Turkey Cutlets 

U. Spicy Urad Dal -

V. Spicy Vinegar Braised Chicken 

W. Honey Walnut Brittle 

X. Xmas Eggnog Fudge -  this post!

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Figgy Breakfast Parfaits

When you need a dish that looks fancy for a brunch but don’t have much time, these figgy breakfast parfaits are perfect. Simply slice up some figs and assemble!

Figs in season have been my all-time favorite fruit since I was a small child, climbing the swaying branches of the fig trees BOTH of my grandmothers had in their backyards. So, this time of year, I will always choose them first. 

But here’s an idea that works all year round. Slice various fruits, put out bowls of yogurt and granola with a squeezy bottle of honey and some pretty glasses. Make people assemble their own! You are welcome. 

Figgy Breakfast Parfaits

I haven’t quantified the total quantities since who knows how many parfaits you might want to make, but here’s about what you need for each one. Don’t get too hung up on amounts. 

Ingredients

3 fresh figs for slicing

≈ 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt

≈ 1/3 cup your favorite granola – I like Quaker Simply Granola with raisins and almonds

≈ 2 tablespoons honey

1 whole fig for on top

Method

Slice your figs and discard the stems.

Add a generous tablespoon of granola to the parfait glass. 

Top with a couple of tablespoons yogurt. Squeeze on some honey to sweeten. 

Add a good layer of sliced figs. 

Top with a couple of tablespoons of granola. 

The next layer is more yogurt. About a 1/4 cup. And then another drizzle of honey.

Top with another layer of sliced figs. 

Then more granola. 

Finally, finish with a dollop of yogurt, drizzled with honey, topped by a whole fig. Heaven.

With no fancy brunch to go to or host, my husband and I enjoyed this easy, delicious breakfast on a weekday. Who says we have to save parfaits for the weekend? 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing, as you might have guessed, parfaits! Many thanks to our host, Renu of Cook with Renu. Check out the links below.

• Banana Cream Pudding Parfait from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Savory Chickpea Avocado Lunch Parfait from Cook with Renu
• Eton Mess from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Figgy Breakfast Parfaits from Food Lust People Love
• Peaches & Cream Parfait from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Red Velvet Parfait from Sneha's Recipe
• Rhubarb Breakfast Parfait from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Savory Grits Parfait from Culinary Cam

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin these Figgy Breakfast Parfaits!

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