Innholdsfortegnelse for October/November 2021 i Taste of Home

What happens if you toss a brick of feta cheese into a pan of tomatoes and then drizzle on a little olive oil? Just as we’ve reacted to many viral food hacks online, we were a little skeptical upon seeing this trend that recently took TikTok by storm. Eventually, curiosity got the best of us, and we tapped our Test Kitchen to give it a try. Friends, we’re here to tell you that it lives up to the hype. After baking, toss it with cooked pasta, and treat yourself to rich and creamy weeknight perfection. Baked Feta Pasta Preheat oven to 400°. In a 13x9-in. baking dish, combine 2 pints cherry tomatoes, 3 halved garlic cloves and ¼ cup olive oil. Place 8 oz. feta in center, moving tomatoes so…

JESSIE SHEEHAN BELIEVES IN EATING DESSERT EVERY DAY. Not those fancy confections in the window of a French patisserie, but the homey, feel-good desserts you can whip up with the ingredients stocked in your kitchen. “My vibe is easy peasy and totally unfussy in the kitchen,” she says. She came to a career in baking and recipe development by following a passion for the one thing that was guaranteed to make her smile: eating sweets! The former actress and lawyer took her sweet tooth to a local bakery and asked for any kind of job that would be helpful in teaching her the ropes of pastry making. She wasn’t afraid to show her enthusiasm for a potential position. “I wrote a note to the head baker. I was super energized and…

We tested hundreds of brands to bring you the best of our favorite food and cooking gear products. Grocery store shelves, online marketplaces and kitchen stores are stocked with so many products, it can make shopping such a stressor. Sure, you could try them all for yourself at home, but who really has the time for that? Well, the Taste of Home Test Kitchen does. In the past year alone, our Test Kitchen has conducted dozens of tests and tried more than 250 brands of food and cooking gear to help determine the best of the best. After all that tasting and tinkering, the brands that impress us the most are rewarded with Taste of Home’s Test Kitchen Preferred seal. Here you’ll find our top Test Kitchen picks in the…

SARA SCHWABE Grand Prize Winner WHAT INSPIRED THIS INGENIOUS TWIST ON TRADITIONAL SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE? Although miso is traditionally thought of as an ingredient for savory dishes, I’ve tried some cookie and caramel recipes with miso in them, and I’ve loved the sweet and salty combination. Because sweet potato also works in both savory and dessert dishes, I thought it would pair very well with miso! WHICH RECIPES ARE NEVER MISSING FROM YOUR THANKSGIVING TABLE? We never have Thanksgiving without my grandmother’s green bean casserole, our gooey sweet corn casserole and a light, fluffy pistachio salad! Not only are these dishes delicious and comforting, they can also be assembled a day or two ahead of time to make Thanksgiving less hectic. ARE THERE ANY OTHER COZY FALL CASSEROLES YOU LIKE…

TRY ONE OF SANDY’S FAVORITE RECIPES Mini Brie en Croute Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, unfold one 17.3-oz. pkg. puff pastry. Roll out each pastry to a 10-in. square. Cut each pastry into sixteen 2½-in. squares. Cut one 8-oz. round Brie cheese into 32 pieces; place a piece of Brie in the center of each pastry square. Bring corners of pastry over Brie and pinch the edges to seal. Place 2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. In a small bowl, whisk 1 large egg and 1 Tbsp. water; brush over puffs. Bake until pastries are golden brown and puffed, 20-25 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 32 servings. Who taught you how to cook and host? My mother taught me how to menu-plan, cook, set the table…

SIMPLY GOURD-GEOUS Headed to the pumpkin patch this season? Pick out a few additional big, happy gourds to help decorate your home this fall. Online, we’re sharing loads of fall decor ideas, including brilliant tips for prettying your place with pumpkins. From fun painted designs to how-to tips for beautifully carved creations, you’ll find inspiring ideas to transform your home (or front porch) into a festive fall wonderland. Find all the pumpkin inspiration online, and happy decorating! tasteofhome.com/pumpkindecorON21 Taste of Home COMMUNITY COOKS Our Community Cooks are a vibrant group of Taste of Home fans who not only contribute recipes but make them at home, too! Here’s what one of the members had to say about her new favorite fall sweet treat, Pumpkin Snack Cake. Lisa Varner El Paso, TX “I…

Before modern refrigeration, larder rooms with their cool interiors were used to safely store perishable foods. They were necessary in kitchens then, but now we’re seeing larders making a comeback. These days, a larder resembles more of a large cupboard than a room, typically outfitted with shelves, drawers or baskets, and a cold shelf made of marble or stone. If your fridge is full, it’s an excellent place to store excess produce, baked goods and condiments—or use it to stash away extra dinner plates and serveware. HIDDEN OBJECT Spot the slice of pumpkin pie in this issue and you could win a Taste of Home cookbook. (In our last issue, the cherries were on page 44.) Go to our website to enter and to read the complete guidelines. tasteofhome.com/hiddenobject…

Easy Ground Beef Stroganoff Whenever I ask my family what they’d like for dinner, this beef stroganoff is one of the dishes that they request most often. It takes only minutes, and it tastes so comforting. —Julie Curfman, Chehalis, WA Takes: 25 min. • Makes: 3 servings ½ lb. ground beef1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms1 medium onion, chopped1 garlic clove, minced1 can (10¾ oz.) condensed cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup, undiluted¼ tsp. pepper1 cup sour cream3 cups cooked egg noodles Chopped fresh parsley, optional In a large skillet, cook ground beef, mushrooms, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the soup and pepper. Cook until heated through, 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat. Stir in sour cream; cook until heated through…

Air Fryer It’s the “it” gear of the moment, and our Test Kitchen couldn’t wait to get frying. We spent hours crisping up chicken wings and browning batches of veggies. At the end, these four drawer-style air fryers stood out from the field. Toaster It’s a bagel’s best bud and your morning waffle’s wingman. But toasters are just so basic, right? Not when it comes to these workhorse wonders. After going through a few loaves of bread for testing, we picked these sleek beauties as our top toasters. Smokeless Indoor Grills When you’re just not up for braving the elements, these handy grills are the next best thing to their outdoor counterparts. We brought our love of grilling indoors, and now we can’t get enough of these smokeless grills.…

Ketchup We dunked dozens of french fries and squiggled burger buns with abandon. At the end of testing, these four ketchup contenders came out on top. Vanilla Extract It adds oomph to desserts and is a secret star for grilled meats. Vanilla extract is a pantry priority, and these four brands are the best. Mayonnaise Slathered on sandwiches or mixed into mac salad, these brands are our top picks for adding zippy flavor to your family’s favorite foods. TRY THIS RECIPE! Sweet Potato Wedges with Chili Mayo Peel and cut 6 small sweet potatoes lengthwise into 8 wedges. Toss with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 2 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning; divide between 2 greased 15x10x1-in. pans. Roast potatoes at400° until tender, 30-45 minutes, turning once. Meanwhile, mix 1 cup mayonnaise, 4…

Alabama Deborah Pennington Falkville Lisa Allen Joppa Alaska Cindi DeClue Anchorage Arizona Cathy Orban Chandler Cori Cooper Flagstaff Paul Williams Fort Mohave Lee Mason Gilbert Belqui Ortiz-Millili Mesa Karen Keefe Phoenix Arkansas Debbie Glasscock Conway California Helen Nelander Boulder Creek Marina Castle Kelley Canyon Country Kallee Krong-McCreery Escondido Jenn Tidwell Fair Oaks Rosie Godycki Valencia Colorado Ann Bush Colorado City Crystal Jo Bruns Iliff Rebecca Wilson Longmont Connecticut Joan Tomc Middletown Anna Gass New Canaan Lynn Faria Southington Janet Turner Southington Ruth Hartunian-Alumbaugh Willimantic Florida Janie Ganyard Jacksonville Kathleen Criddle Lake Worth Heather Chambers Largo Nancy Murphy Mount Dora Cyndy Gerken Naples Kailey Thompson Palm Bay Jane Whittaker Pensacola Judy Batson Tampa Norlene Trice Weeki Wachee Shawn Barto West Palm Beach Danielle Lee West Palm Beach Georgia Lynne German Buford…

Maybe you’ve heard of turducken—the eat-it-to-believe-it Thanksgiving creation in which a deboned chicken is stuffed inside a deboned duck stuffed inside a deboned turkey. Well, it’s time to meet the piecaken. Essentially the dessert version of the turducken, it’s a layer cake with full pies baked inside each layer. A little over the top? Maybe. But try a slice and you’ll see that it’s actually pretty darn good! And if nothing else, it makes for an impressive centerpiece on your holiday dessert table. Piecaken Why decide between cake or pie when you can combine the two? —James Schend, Taste of Home Deputy Editor, Culinary Prep: 45 min. + chilling Bake: 50 min. + cooling Makes: 16 servings 1 pkg. spice cake mix (regular size)1 pre-baked pumpkin pie (8 in.)1 pkg.…

Keeps You Trim In addition to being high in nutrients, pumpkin is low in calories, making it a fantastic diet-friendly food. A single cup of mashed cooked pumpkin clocks in around 50 calories and 3 grams of fiber. You can eat well and feel full without worrying about going over your daily calorie count. Helps Heart Health Treat your ticker to a cup of pumpkin, which has nearly 400 milligrams of potassium. Potassium found in pumpkins and other vegetables may help reduce blood pressure and protect against stroke. Additionally, fiber has been shown to help improve cardiovascular health, and canned pumpkin contains 7 grams of fiber in a 1-cup serving. Supports Healthy Eyes One cup of mashed cooked pumpkin has more than 200% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin…

FREEZE & STORE Freeze cooled pancakes between layers of waxed paper in a freezer container. To use, place pancakes on an ungreased baking sheet, cover with foil and reheat in a preheated 375° oven 5-10 minutes. Or place 2 pancakes on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high until heated through, 40-50 seconds. HEART HEALTHY Fluffy Banana Pancakes I love to make pancakes for my family on Saturday mornings. Since we often have ripe bananas, I decided to add them to a batch of pancake batter. The results were delicious! —Lori Stevens, Riverton, UT Takes: 30 min. • Makes: 7 servings 1 cup all-purpose flour1 cup whole wheat flour3 Tbsp. brown sugar1 tsp. baking powder1 tsp. baking soda1 tsp. ground cinnamon½ tsp. salt2 large eggs2 cups buttermilk2 Tbsp. canola oil1…

66% of people admit to indulging in a few pieces of Halloween candy before trick-or-treat.* 59% of Taste of Home fans surveyed say chocolate is their favorite type of Halloween candy. The Halloween season accounts for about $4.6 billion in confectionery sales each year.* Candy Corn Cookies Get a head start on these buttery cookies by shaping and chilling the homemade dough ahead of time. When you’re ready, just slice and bake the tricolor treats. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen Prep: 35 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch Makes: about 5 dozen 1½ cups butter, softened1½ cups sugar½ tsp. vanilla extract3 cups all-purpose flour1 tsp. baking soda½ tsp. salt Yellow and orange paste food coloring 1. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in the…

Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy As far as my family is concerned, I can never have enough homemade gravy on hand for Thanksgiving dinner! The base for this flavorful gravy is prepared with turkey wings and can be made in advance. —Linda Fitzsimmons, Fort Edward, NY Prep: 2¼ hours • Cook: 10 min. Makes: 4¼ cups 2 turkey wings (1½ to 2 lbs.)2 medium onions, quartered2 cartons (32 oz. each) reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided2 medium carrots, cut into 2-in. pieces2 celery ribs with leaves, cut into 2-in. pieces4 fresh thyme sprigs½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour1 Tbsp. butter¼ tsp. pepper 1. Place turkey wings and onions in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400° until golden brown, about 1¼ hours, turning once. 2. Transfer the wings and onions to…

Want to see your name in print? Send us your favorite recipe to share with other readers. It’s easy! Simply use the convenient form: tasteofhome.com/submit Send stories, tips, photos or other nonrecipe content to tasteofhome.com/feedback or mail to: TASTE OF HOME 1610 N 2ND ST STE 102 MILWAUKEE WI 53212-3906 Please submit high-resolution digital photos as JPEGs at 300 dpi. When sending recipes, please be specific with directions, measurements, and sizes of cans, packages and pans. And please share a few words about the recipe and yourself. (For recipe contest entries, follow the directions on page 74.) Please be patient. Because of the large volume of mail, it can take our small staff several months to review submissions. We may hold your material without informing you, but we will let…