Easter Dinner

We ended up making crock pot turkey breast (bone-in), had it last night. This turkey recipe is about the simplest I have ever seen, and turned out moist and fantastic.

Ingredients
One fresh turkey breast (mine was Butterball, about four pounds I think.)
Half stick of butter (grease the crock and then melt the rest in microwave.
One envelope of Lipton dry onion soup mix

Directions
Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. Coat it with melted butter all over, then rub with the dry onion soup mix (put some under the skin, too.)
Optional: Peel and cut a few carrots and onions, put into bottom of crock.
Put turkey into crock breast down, and add 1/4 cup water or chicken broth.

Cook on high for an hour, reduce to low heat setting and continue cooking about four more hours. During last two hours, you can turn the breast onto one side, then the other side if desired.

Check to see when meat looks done and is starting to come away from the bones. Either switch to Warm setting for a while, or remove turkey from pot to a plate and cover with foil until ready to eat. (Use slotted spoon to remove optional vegs from juice to a serving bowl). Pour the juice (broth) into a measuring cup and drizzle a little on top of turkey as a thin gravy and/or use the juice for recipes.

Plenty for leftovers, sandwiches, enchiladas, quesadillas, pot pies, etc. We had it last night with roasted asparagus and a casserole dish of Pepperidge Farm stuffing (could use Stove Top.) Making pot pies with puff pastry this week (Parade Magazine recipe.)

I use this recipe. It's quick, easy and yummy.

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts,
drained and finely chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce (2 tbl for meatballs, 1 tbl for sauce)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups apricot preserves or jam
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup chili sauce (optional, for some spice)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Mix together ground beef, chestnuts, soy sauce, brown sugar, onion powder, and garlic powder thoroughly in a large bowl. Form the mixture into 2 tablespoon-sized balls, and place onto a baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes.

Stir together the remaining soy sauce, apricot preserves and the cider vinegar. If you want to add the chili sauce, do that now. Toss with meatballs in a clean bowl, then return to baking sheet, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Changed plans. It is going to be cold most of the weekend so we are getting together at my daughter's house. We will camp Mothers' Day weekend. Barbandwayne, do you have a recipe for Hawaiian meatballs. I think my family would like them.

We will be staying home with about 30 people coming over. I will provide ham, Hawaiian meatballs, bread and my Famous Chocolate Pies! One Sister in law provides vegetables and another provides desserts making it pretty easy for all of us. And 12 kids to hunt eggs! Just hoping it doesn't rain too much so the yard won't be too wet.

magnusfide wrote:
As it should be; and I hope you "dish" it back about their foibles of the past as well... just to be fair and democratic :c.

Tarragon is pretty tasty stuff. Was at a farmers' market yesterday and saw Mexican Tarragon plants for sale. Have heard of French and Russian but not Mexican. It did not have the same intense smell but it was cool yesterday and that may have impacted the plant's volatile oils.

Herself still wants to have a fresh herb planter to roll with us. I'm still cogitating about that as we also like to hit the farmers' markets and pick up fresh herbs and veg there. Even bought live shrimp at one in Savannah.

After decades of turning my nose up to any dish made with dried tarragon I tasted something made with fresh and it was such a new and delicious sensation! I haven't tried Mexican tarragon yet but hopefully it'll make it to the East coast soonest. I'm with Herself on travelling with fresh herbs. The problem for me will be what window to put it in since I expect to have the awning up regularly and it will keep plants in the shade by the kitchen window. I decided that this year I'll camp w/ one herb plant purchased at a local market since we'll be in one site for 3 weeks. Still haven't decided if it'll be basil or parsley though.

As it should be; and I hope you "dish" it back about their foibles of the past as well... just to be fair and democratic :c.

Tarragon is pretty tasty stuff. Was at a farmers' market yesterday and saw Mexican Tarragon plants for sale. Have heard of French and Russian but not Mexican. It did not have the same intense smell but it was cool yesterday and that may have impacted the plant's volatile oils.

Herself still wants to have a fresh herb planter to roll with us. I'm still cogitating about that as we also like to hit the farmers' markets and pick up fresh herbs and veg there. Even bought live shrimp at one in Savannah.

magnusfide wrote:
Pretty much: sear it and then cover the bottom of the d.o. with favorite braising liquid and dust the lamb with tarragon. Put 2/3 of the coals on lid, 1/3 on bottom and let it slowly make a miracle of tenderness :c

As for witching on you: that's the family's way of keeping it human and humorous with the perfect people like you and me :w

Lamb with tarragon? GOT to try that!
AhhhUhmmmm......there are too many peeps who still recall that @ 16 years of age I whined mightily about my oldest sister not feeding me when my mother went on a week long vacation; made sure to include my youngest sister as a victim as well. Same people laughed their arses off when I decided to go to school to become a pastry chef since they knew I was incapable of boiling water. The story with alllll the gory details comes up at every family gathering. As it should be;).

Pretty much: sear it and then cover the bottom of the d.o. with favorite braising liquid and dust the lamb with tarragon. Put 2/3 of the coals on lid, 1/3 on bottom and let it slowly make a miracle of tenderness :c

As for witching on you: that's the family's way of keeping it human and humorous with the perfect people like you and me :w

magnusfide wrote:

Reader1 wrote:
Just asking if anyone is camping and cooking Easter Dinner for family and friends? Depending on the weather, we may camp at an Ohio State Park for Easter and have the family in for dinner. Our oven is temperamental and I am asking what you are cooking that does not include the use of an oven. Thanks in advance.

We use the cast iron dutch oven to cook a ham or leg of lamb with coals on the campfire. If you don't have a d.o., you could always get a pre-cooked ham at a grocery deli and make some sides. Also encourage the family to bring pot luck style dishes. Perhaps you could provide the salads and someone else can bring the baked entrees?

Family is just glad to be together, they rarely question the gourmet quality or lack thereof of the cooking.

...my family is still "witching" about the time I made a version of Nana's potato yeast rolls 20 years ago..
Yeah yeah they were good BUT they weren't Nana's version:o. One of these years to come I'm gonna pass my version off to the grands and great grands as the real deal cuz it's not like they'll know;). Our food memories are STRONG and half the fun of getting together:).

How do you cook a leg of lamb in a DO? Braised?

Merrykalia wrote:
We have done plenty of Easter's and many more Thanksgivings in our RV. We have a regular round crockpot that stays in there, but during holiday trips, I have a large oval that will fit a good size ham or turkey. Cook 6-8 hours on high or 8-10 on low and it is "fall off the bone" good. I always use strips of aluminum foil underneath so I can pick the bird or ham up out of the juices before serving.

I will use the round crock pot to make green bean casserole or baked potatoes to then do twice baked potatoes with. (put in cp, turn it on high for about 4 hrs and they are good to go).

I have done a big lasagna in the oval pot. Cook my burger and add ready-made sauce, onions, green peppers and whatever else I want to add. Make sure there is lots of liquid. Put a layer of liquid on the bottom, layer uncooked noodles, then sauce, ricotta cheese, then mozzarella, and continue layering. On the very top, I will add about 3/4 cup of jarred sauce mixed with 3/4 cup of water, then top with cheese. This will allow enough liquid for the noodles to cook. YUMMY and quick. Cook 4-6 hrs on high OUTSIDE (smells up the RV too much). Big Salad and we do some purchased italian bread, cut opened and buttered, on the grill.

What do you normally have for Easter dinner?

We do the same thing at Thanksgiving. Crockpot works wonders, mac&cheese is good in one too. ew havetn doen an Easter cooking yet we are either leaving a campground to come home or we wait until tuesday after to head out.
randy