Happy Thanksgiving!

Its been WAY too long since my last post.  Things have been so busy, that I just haven't been making the time to blog.  However, I felt that I needed to share our wonderful Thanksgiving day and meal with everyone.  I'm thankful for so many things, but this year, I'm most thankful for my perfect little man Brayden.  We're so blessed to have him in our lives.

The other day, the Hubs and I were watching Food Network and the Sandwich King was on.  He made this incredible looking recipe called the open faced turkey stuffing patty.  Originally, we were just planning on picking up Boston Market and having a simple, low key Thanksgiving for just the 3 of us.  However, after seeing this recipe, we ended up cooking all morning!  This Thanksgiving was special because it was Brayden's first, and the Hub's and I's first time not traveling or hosting anyone.  Although we missed our family, it was really nice to have a holiday all to ourselves.  I've listed the recipe (we decided to leave out the cranberry sauce) and our pictures below.  Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

xoxo, Jen

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon
• 2 cups Old Fashioned Turkey Stuffing, recipe follows
• Canola oil, if needed
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• 8 ounces leftover turkey meat
• 1 cup leftover turkey gravy, heated through
• 1/2 cup Simple Cranberry Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Cook the bacon in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until extra crispy, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined-plate to drain and reserve the fat in the skillet.

Meanwhile pack a 1 cup dry measure tightly with a 1/2 cup of the Old Fashioned Turkey Stuffing. Dump the stuffing onto a baking sheet and press down into a 4-inch-wide-cake, using a flat spatula. Repeat until you have 4 patties.

Heat the reserved bacon fat in the skillet over medium heat. Carefully lay 2 patties in the skillet and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes each side. Transfer the patties to a plate and repeat with the remaining 2 patties.

Add oil to the skillet if needed. Add the sage and fry, about 30 seconds. Transfer the sage to a paper-towel-lined-plate using a slotted spoon.

Divide the turkey meat onto each patty and pour gravy over top. Crumble 1 crispy bacon slice over the turkey. Dollop with the Simple Cranberry Sauce and garnish with the sage.

Old Fashioned Turkey Stuffing:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
• 3 large loaves white bread, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• Oil, for cooking
• 4 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or turkey stock made from giblets
• 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
• 2 large eggs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 14-by-9-inch baking dishes. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 8 minutes.

Heat some oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter, celery and onions and cook until the vegetables are lightly browned and translucent. Set aside to cool.

Add the bread cubes, celery mixture, broth, seasoning and eggs in a large bowl. Mix well until moist and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Divide between the 2 prepared baking dishes. Bake until the top of the stuffing is slightly crispy, about 40 minutes.

Simple Cranberry Sauce:

• Two 14-ounce cans cranberry sauce
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• Pinch kosher salt

Add the cranberry sauce, orange juice, ginger, cinnamon and salt into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring often to incorporate flavors, about 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and cool. Yield: 2 cups.