Squash Casserole

Squash Casserole

Ingredients:

4 pounds yellow squash, sliced

1 large sweet onion, finely chopped

1 cup (4 oz.) freshly shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups soft, fresh breadcrumbs, divided

1 1/4 cups (5 oz.) freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup crushed French fried onions


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Cook yellow squash and sweet onion in boiling water to cover in a Dutch oven 8 minutes or just until vegetables are tender; drain squash mixture well.

Combine squash mixture, freshly shredded Cheddar cheese, next
ingredients, 1 cup breadcrumbs, and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Spoon into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Stir together melted butter, French fried onions, and remaining 1 cup breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over squash mixture.

Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until set.

Traditional Cranberry Sauce

Traditional Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
4 cups (1 12-oz package) fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions:

Place the cranberries in a colander and rinse them. Pick out and discard any damaged or bruised cranberries. Put the water and sugar in a medium saucepan on high heat and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

Add the cranberries to the pot and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the cranberries have burst.

Once the cranberries have burst you can leave the cranberry sauce as is, or dress it up with other ingredients. We like to mix in a half a cup of chopped pecans with a few strips of orange zest. Some people like adding raisins or currants, or even blueberries for added sweetness. You can also add holiday spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice.

Remove the pot from heat. Let cool completely at room temperature, then transfer to a bowl to chill in the refrigerator. Note that the cranberry sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.