Easter Dinner

Tonight was a test - my first holiday meal as a "First Time Chef". I've never really appreciated grandmas or others that prepare for big days like this, but now I know the pressure that comes with the responsibility. It makes you check the recipe 4 or 5 times and always second guess every step of the way.

So for my first Holiday I tackled a lot - baked ham, sweet potato casserole, and baked mac n' cheese (I also used frozen corn for a side and had some desserts as well).

Overview:

This was probably the most complicated meal I have made yet. There were a lot of different pieces that came together all at the same time. Luckily, I had already made the baked mac n' cheese so I felt pretty confident in how that would turn out. The ham and sweet potato casserole were new territory though.

Recipe:

Ham & Glaze

• 1 9-to-10-pound bone-in fully cooked smoked ham
• 2 tablespoons whole cloves
• 4 cups apple cider
• 1 cup apple jelly
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup mustard
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

Remove the ham from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Trim off any skin from the ham. Use a sharp paring knife to score through the fat in a diagonal crosshatch pattern without cutting through to the meat. Insert the cloves into the ham (if using), placing them at the intersections of the cuts.

Put the ham, flat-side down, on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour 1/4 inch water into the bottom of the pan. Transfer to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ham registers 130 degrees F, about 2 hours, 30 minutes (about 15 minutes per pound).

Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Pour half of the glaze (see below for glazes) over the ham and brush to coat. If the water in the bottom of the pan has evaporated, add more. Return the ham to the oven and roast, basting every 10 minutes with the remaining glaze, until glossy and well browned, about 45 more minutes.

Sweet Potato Casserole:

Recipe:

6 mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 stick of butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 Cup brown sugar
1 egg, well beaten
1 dozen marshmallows

Directions:

Butter a casserole or baking dish.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 2 tablespoons of melted butter, honey or sugar, mashed sweet potatoes, egg and salt.


When mixture is smooth, transfer to the casserole dish. Dot with 2 tablespoons of butter and top with the marshmallows.


Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until the tops of the marshmallows are golden brown.

Italian Stuffed Chicken Breast and Spaghetti

So I'm really digging this style recipe. I'm finding that stuffing chicken is a great way to add a twist to common dish, and it also makes it extremely moist. Biting into this chicken was such a surprise because there is so much flavor and the meat is so tender.

Overview:

This dish is definitely for the meat lover in you. Not only does it have chicken, but the chicken is actually stuffed with Italian sausage and bacon. The combination tastes wonderful, but isn't for the veggie lovers. It pairs nicely with some simple pasta (I chose the traditional spaghetti).

Recipe:

6 split chicken breasts
1/2 lb. Italian sausage meat
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
4 strips hickory or maple flavored bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon each onion and garlic powder

1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese

3 tablespoons of Italian breadcrumbssalt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

For this recipe, I strayed away from the directions just a bit. I first took the chicken breast and cut them butterfly style so that they opened up nicely. After that, I took out the Italian sausage and removed the casing. I browned the sausage with chopped bacon and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Once this was finished I laid the combo inside the chicken. I then wrapped the chicken around the meat. A great way to keep things all tied together is to take wooden toothpicks and stick them around the opening of the chicken.

I set the oven to pre-heat at 400 degrees. While it was warming, I put the chicken in the same pan that I browned the sausage. I only did this for about 5 minutes to allow the chicken to get a nice brown look on the skin.

Once the oven was heated, I put the chicken on a greased baking sheet along with some cherry tomatoes (optional). I also sliced some mozzarella cheese to lay across the top of the chicken along with some pre-packaged Italian breadcrumbs. I kept the chicken in the oven for 18 minutes.

While the chicken was baking, I started on the pasta. I simply boiled some spaghetti noodles in some salted water, and then used my favorite sauce (Paul Newman's Roasted Pepper Marinara). 

Once the chicken was finished I topped it off with some of the sauce and put it back in the oven for 2-3 minutes.

This dish was a hit with the family. I really enjoy doing some fun things with chicken so it doesn't get boring. Hope you enjoy :)