New beginnings' holiday cookbook

As a part of the New Beginnings' program, we participate in family traditions including having a group meal over the holidays. Everyone brings a homemade dish to pass for the entire group - as we all know, WELS people love their potlucks! This provides an excellent opportunity for the mothers at New Beginnings to learn new cooking skills, as well as try new dishes. 

​We were so excited about the dishes made this year, that we would like to share them with you. 

The main event - WHat's Thanksgiving without turkey?

Our Executive Director, Brianne Hansen, has made the turkey for our Thanksgiving Dinner for 2 years. I suppose it is tradition now. We usually have about 15 people at our Thanksgiving Dinner, and a 15 pound turkey is just about perfect!
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INGREDIENTS

• 2 sticks unsalted butter   
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 fresh turkey (15 pounds)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bunch fresh thyme
• 1 whole lemon, halved
• 1 bag of shallots
• 2 heads garlic, halved crosswise

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INSTRUCTIONS​
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside.

Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Pat dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, shallots, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place pieces of butter in the turkey cavity.

Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Take the turkey out of the oven and let rest for 20 minutes. 
Slice the turkey and serve.

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the necessary (and delicious) sides

Okay, so let's be honest. Thanksgiving isn't all about the turkey - it's about the bird's friends! Here are some outstanding recipes made by our staff and residents that will leave your guests wanting more. 

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE!

CRANBERRY SAUCE!

DRESSING! OH MY!

The terrific part about these recipes is that not only are they the traditional, and completely necessary sides for any Thanksgiving celebration, they are also HOMEMADE completely from scratch! Even the cream of mushroom soup in the green bean casserole was created - no need for canned soup here, people. 

Are you dying for the recipes? After tasting these dishes, I know I was! For your tasting pleasure, I have included them below:

green bean casserole

Our Resident Supervisor, Eden Ehlers, created this green bean casserole recipe from scratch. Boy, was it worth it! 

INGREDIENTS
Baked "Fried" Onions

• 1 large onion
• 1/2 cup (62g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (45g) Panko
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk

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Green Bean Casserole

• 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and halved
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced into halves or quarters
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2 Tablespoons (15g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (180ml) chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 and 1/4 cups (300ml) half-and-half

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.
2. For the onions: (while the onions bake, you can blanch the green beans-- next step.) Thinly slice the onion. Pour flour in one small bowl, Panko + salt + pepper into a medium bowl, and whisk the egg and milk together in another small bowl. To bread the onion slices, you'll want to use one hand for dry and one hand for wet. It helps things move a little quicker and easier. First, dip a few slices into the flour. Then into the egg mixture. And finally, give them a nice dunk into the Panko and coat them well. Place onto baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the onions. Bake onions until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Flip them twice during this time. Set them aside. Reduce oven to 400°F.
3. Bring a gallon of water and 1 Tablespoon of salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain and immediately place into a large bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and set aside.
4. For the casserole: Over medium-high heat, melt the butter in a large 10 - 12 inch ovenproof skillet. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give off some of their moisture-- about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and cook for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir until combined. The flour will soak up all the moisture. Add the chicken broth and simmer for 3 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Stirring occasionally, cook until the mixture is thick-- about 10 minutes or maybe more if you prefer a thicker sauce.
5. Remove from the heat and add 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Give it a nice stir, combining the sauce and beans. Top with remaining onions and bake until bubbly, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and enjoy! Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat as desired.

cranberry sauce

Our Program Manager, Karen O'Leary, made cranberry sauce this year. As we know, cranberry sauce is a hallmark Thanksgiving day side, and ....it is one of my favorites! 

INGREDIENTS

•  12 ounces cranberries
• 1 cup white sugar
• ​1 cup orange juice​

INSTRUCTIONS
​In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools

THE BEST DRESSING...EVER

When I say the best...ever, I mean it. This dressing is the best...EVER! Our Outreach Manager, Christina Pritzlaff, made a recipe for dressing that was passed down by her mother. Hopefully it was not meant to be a family secret because we have to spread this love around! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bag cornbread stuffing mix (follow directions on bag but use less liquid/broth, see comments below)
• 6-8 cooked breakfast sausages chopped up - save the grease
• 1 pkg cooked bacon (after cooking, let cool and chop into fine pieces -save the grease)
• 1/2 stick of butter (melted), not margarine
• Chicken broth
• Onion, celery, mushrooms

INSTRUCTIONS
Follow the directions on the bag for preparing the stuffing.  Add the chicken broth to the bacon and sausage grease to make the full amount required for the stuffing mix.  We are just substituting some of the broth with the grease. Cook the fresh veggies in a pan with the butter and add it to the stuffing mixture.

More tasty sides! 

CREAMY MAC & CHEESE

One of our mothers, Shaneka, made a classic Southern macaroni and cheese dish! It was one of our favorites. Shaneka always does an outstanding job making dishes for group dinners! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Course salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar
• 2 cups milk
• 2 large eggs

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9"x13" dish. Boil macaroni until tender (about 12 minutes) and drain. In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, cheese, milk, and eggs. Add salt and pepper. Transfer to prepared dish. Bake until golden and bubbly, abut 30 minutes.  

Savory garlic mash

One of our mothers, Kim, made crockpot garlic mashed potatoes! Who knew that you could make mashed potatoes in the crockpot? They tasted great!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds red potatoes, but into 1 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 head garlic
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS
Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. Add potatoes, thyme, garlic, butter, and chicken broth. Cover and cook for 5 hours on high. Add heavy cream and use a hand mixer to blend the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

What we have all been waiting for...dessert!
​peach cobbler

Thanksgiving is simply not the same without a stunning dessert! Peach cobbler is not only beautiful, but delicious too.
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INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 2 (16 ounce cans) peaches
• ​1/2 cup butter

INSTRUCTIONS
Melt butter in 9"x13" pan. Mix together flour, sugar, and milk. Pour mixture into plan. Spread peaches (including syrup) around the pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes, until crust turns golden brown. ​

This amazing peach cobbler was made by one of our mothers, Jasmira! It was an excellent ending to a fantastic dinner. And...GREAT NEWS...it is easy to make!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and we hope you did too! God has blessed New Beginnings so richly. All of our mothers, their babies, and the staff at New Beginnings wish you God's richest blessings this holiday season as well!

See below our chefs!

​The Turkey pro

​Green Bean Casserole Queen

​The Cranberry Commander

​Dressing expert

​mac & cheese maestro

​mashed potato master

​The cobbler conquerer