72 THE QUEENS COURIER • THANKSGIVING • NOVEMBER 8, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
thanksgiving
Simple sides for holiday entertaining
Preparing side dishes can be time consuming.
Save those precious minutes to
enjoy the holidays by using refrigerated,
never-frozen options like mashed potatoes,
mashed sweet potatoes, baked apples
and even macaroni and cheese that can
be heated in the microwave and ready to
serve in minutes.
Like many hosts, you are likely searching
for perfection in your holiday get-togethers.
With an ever-expanding guest
list, each year may seem more and more
diffi cult to pull off the perfect gathering.
Make things easier and still delicious by
serving ready-to-eat options like refrigerated
macaroni and cheese made with real
milk and cheese.
Find more ideas to make your holiday
sides simply delicious at bobevansgrocery.
com.
Fancy Mac
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 package Bob Evans Macaroni and
Cheese
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped
spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 1/4 cups shredded Gouda cheese,
divided
• 1 package Bob Evans Th ick Sliced
Hardwood Smoked Bacon, cooked and
broken into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
Heat oven to 400 F. Spray four ramekins
with cooking spray.
Heat macaroni and cheese according to
package directions. Once cooked, stir in spinach,
1 cup cheese, bacon, salt and pepper.
Let mixture stand 10-15 minutes to
cool. Add eggs. Spoon evenly into ramekins.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 20 minutes, or until centers are
set.
Sweet Potato Cookies
Prep time: 28-33 minutes
Cook time: 10-12 minutes
Serves: 36
• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup Bob Evans Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• 2 cups all-purpose fl our
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup butter, unsalted
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
• chopped honey roasted pecans (optional)
• mini marshmallows (optional)
Heat oven to 350 F.
In large bowl, using hand mixer or paddle
attachment, cream shortening and
brown sugar. Add egg and sweet potatoes;
mix until combined.
In small bowl, combine fl our, baking
soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. With
mixer on low speed, slowly add fl our
mixture to egg mixture until well mixed.
Using small cookie scoop, drop rounds
onto greased baking sheets.
Bake 10-12 minutes, or until golden
brown. Cool completely before frosting.
In separate bowl, beat together butter,
powdered sugar and maple extract until
frosting is light and fl uff y. Frost each
cooled cookie with maple butter cream
frosting.
Sprinkle with pecans and mini marshmallows,
if desired. Carefully toast marshmallows
with culinary torch, if desired,
while avoiding melting frosting.
Mini Hash Brown Casseroles
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 24
• 1 pound Bob Evans Original Roll
Sausage
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 package (20 ounces) Simply Potatoes
Shredded Hash Browns
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup ham, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
In skillet, cook sausage according to
package directions.
Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two
12-cup muffi n tins.
In bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Add hash
browns, butter, ham, black pepper and
cheese; mix thoroughly. Fill muffi n tins
two-thirds full. Bake 27-30 minutes, or
until toothpick or knife inserted in center
comes out clean.
Substitution: For healthier alternative,
substitute 1 cup AllWhites liquid egg
whites instead of eggs.
Bacon-Wrapped
Jalapeno Poppers
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 40
• 2 packages Bob Evans Th ick Sliced
Hardwood Smoked Bacon, slices cut
in half
• 1 package Bob Evans White Cheddar
Mashed Potatoes
• 1 package garlic herb cheese spread
• 20 jalapeno peppers, halved, seeded
with membranes removed
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Heat oven to 400 F. Set bacon out to
thaw to room temperature so it is pliable.
In mixing bowl, use rubber spatula to combine
mashed potatoes and garlic herb cheese.
Stir until incorporated. Spread 1 teaspoon
mashed potato mixture in each jalapeno half;
level each with butter knife or spatula.
Wrap each jalapeno with bacon; use
three half slices for large jalapenos or two
halves for smaller sizes. Be sure bacon is
wrapped sealing in mashed potato mixture
tightly.
In small mixing bowl, combine brown
sugar and cayenne pepper. Generously
sprinkle over bacon and pat gently to
make it stick.
Line cookie sheet with piece of parchment
paper so sugar does not burn to pan.
Bake until bacon reaches desired crispiness,
around 25-35 minutes.
Let peppers cool slightly before serving,
about 5 minutes.
Perfect Holiday Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are a staple on many
holiday menus, but all that peeling and
mashing can take hours. Th is year, save
time by using refrigerated, ready-toeat
mashed potatoes, such as Bob Evans
Original Mashed Potatoes, which taste
just like homemade.
• Add your family’s special ingredient,
like sage butter, and no one will know
they aren’t homemade.
• Microwave the mashed potatoes just
before dinner or throw them in a crockpot
on low and pitch the packaging so
no one knows you didn’t make them
ahead of time.
• Buy a couple extra and store them in the
fridge in case you have unexpected holiday
guests.
Courtesy Family Features