Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines (2021–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Homemade Comfort Food - full transcript
Oh, just gonna do
a little stretching.
♪♪
Don't worry about me, people,
I got it.
[ Chuckles ]
Welcome, friends, to my kitchen.
Just kidding. Okay.
♪♪
Those are strong.
Mmm. Mmm.
When it comes to cooking,
I'm not a fancy person.
We're going to just
do this very gracefully.
But I love being in the kitchen.
So let's talk biscuits.
So you just scooch them around.
And a lot of what I like to cook
are simple meals
that bring people together.
We've got a lot of people
to feed today.
So whatever you're wanting
to make at home...
This is going to get old,
if every time,
I'm like, "Oh, so good."
...just get creative
and have fun with it...
This is the dream bite.
...because at the end
of the day...
You want to help
Mama cook today?
...it's these moments
at the table
with family and friends...
Perfect!
...that matter most.
♪♪
We all have those meals
that just remind us
of our favorite time
of the year.
When the season shifts
and it gets cooler outside,
I love to whip up
this meal for the family...
This Friendsgiving casserole
that I'm gonna share with you.
It started
when a group of friends,
we all would get together,
celebrate Thanksgiving together
and do kind of a potluck.
We just called it Friendsgiving.
And one of the things
I loved about
that is just the stories
that were told
about the food
that we all brought.
You'd hear the traditions
behind them,
how it was
their mother's favorite
or their mother's recipe,
and that just became
part of the conversation.
The main dish today is going to
be the Friendsgiving casserole,
which is chicken and bread
and a really yummy cream sauce.
And then on the side,
mashed potatoes,
green beans amandine,
cranberry sauce,
and then for dessert,
cherry almond crisp.
So to start, there's
a few things with this meal
that you need to think
about in advance.
It's drying out the bread
for the chicken casserole
and it's also making
the cranberry sauce
because you want that to be able
to chill in the refrigerator.
For the topping of the
Friendsgiving casserole,
typically, it's about 4
to 6 cups of bread
that you've torn.
I like to use a white bread.
This is a French baguette,
and so, as you can see,
I've just kind of torn it
in smaller pieces.
But the goal here
is to dry it out
so that all of the cream
and the broth
and everything
that goes into the casserole
will be soaked into this bread
and add a really
delicious texture.
I've set the oven for 250,
and I'm going to put this in
for about 45 minutes to an hour.
Okay, so as the bread dries out,
I'm going to start
on the cranberry sauce.
This is one of those meals
that as soon as you start
making the cranberry sauce
and you start sautéing
the onions and the celery,
it really starts smelling
like heaven in the house.
If you can get fresh
cranberries, that's great.
If not, frozen cranberries work
just as good.
So it's 3 cups cranberries.
There will always be one thing
I drop here.
3 cups cranberries,
a cinnamon stick.
This is the magic right here.
A cup of sugar
and then a cup of orange juice.
♪♪
And then about a tablespoon
of orange zest.
I'm just going to eye it here.
But once you turn this on
and it starts boiling,
it smells like a candle.
There's just something, I think,
that just feels so nostalgic
about orange with cinnamon
and then the cranberry...
That smell,
it just feels
like holiday magic.
So I'm going to put this
on medium heat.
And you want to let this boil
for 4 to 5 minutes,
because that's what's really
going to break it down
and almost turn it into a jelly.
Once it starts boiling,
I like to stir
it pretty consistently
so that it doesn't boil over.
You'll notice that this thing,
if you let it set,
it'll boil over really quick.
So this is something
you're going to keep an eye on.
This is at medium.
My mom has this
amazing cranberry sauce.
It's cold. It's not like this
where it kind of solidifies
and becomes like a jelly.
And I think people assume it's
a complicated thing to make.
And so they just... they decide,
"Let's do the canned."
With this,
when you see how easy it is,
you'll never turn back
because it really is 10 minutes
of your time,
some really amazing
fresh ingredients,
and then it's just so rewarding
that you made
your own cranberry sauce.
Something as simple as that.
I've done this before, too,
where I've made
a huge batch of it.
I love the way cranberry sauce
looks like one of
those preserve jars.
Wrap it up,
tie some twine on it,
and give that out
during the holidays.
You see this?
Fog up your thing,
but it's so pretty.
And as it boils,
if you want it to be
more whole pieces,
then you don't have to
boil it as long.
I've always liked
the consistency of jelly
with that burst of flavor
in those bites.
It smells like a delicious
Christmas candle.
That's the hardest thing
to translate on a cooking show
is, like, the smell
and the taste.
So I'm going to
take this off the heat
and I'm going to remove
the cinnamon stick.
♪♪
So I'mma let that cool off,
and now we're going to work
on the...
Back to you, Bob.
What are we working on?
Oh, casserole.
Okay.
So the cranberry sauce
is cooling
and the bread is drying out,
so now I'm going to start
putting all the pieces
together for the casserole.
This is going to be the base
of the creamy sauce
that we're making.
You're going to want about
1/2 a cup of white onions diced
and then a 1/2 a cup of celery.
I love celery,
so I sometimes do a little more.
I also love the color.
You looking at me
actually makes me nervous
when I handle a knife,
but when I'm all by myself,
I don't get nervous at all.
This is the part
where you look away.
This is a good consistency.
It's a little bigger
than the onion pieces,
but 1/2 a cup of each.
And you modify it
to how you want it.
If your kids don't love celery,
tell them too bad,
but you can take
some of the onions out.
So I'm going to sauté the onions
and the celery
for about 5 to 7 minutes,
and then we're going to start
making the cream sauce.
So we're going to start by
melting 3 tablespoons of butter.
Okay, maybe that was 4.
Doesn't matter.
Let this melt,
and then I'm going
to pour in the onions
and the celery.
Takes about 5 to 7 minutes.
You just want the vegetables
to be soft.
And this is where cooking is
a little bit like therapy to me,
because it's like
there's something about smells
that feel, like, relaxing,
calming, even nostalgic.
I'm telling you,
every time I cook this meal,
it just takes me back to some of
my favorite family traditions.
So they look soft,
they smell delicious.
I'm going to take
the minced garlic.
You do that last
just because the garlic
will sauté pretty quick.
This you just want to sauté
for about a minute.
Then I'm going to add
2 tablespoons of flour
to make the roux.
And basically that's going to be
what thickens the sauce up.
So any time you add flour
to a liquid, it will thicken it.
And that's what
you would call a roux.
You want to add a little bit
of flour at a time.
You don't dump
the whole thing in
just so that
you don't get lumps.
So it's important
that you whisk it.
I'm going to add a teaspoon
of garlic salt
and then a teaspoon
of kosher salt.
So this looks good and now
it's time for the cream,
1 cup and a 1/2 of heavy cream.
And as you pour it,
you want to whisk it.
And you want to basically
let this simmer
for 5 minutes so it can thicken.
So on this back pot,
while this is simmering,
I'm going to start the butter
and the chicken broth blend,
which is what you pour
over the bread
when you top it off
for this casserole.
So 2 cups chicken broth
and then 4 tablespoons
of butter.
The key here is just getting
that butter melted
and get that nice and warm.
You can kind of see how this is
starting to come together.
You can tell it's thick.
I don't want to
get it too thick.
I like when
it's still a little liquidy,
so I'm going to go ahead
and pull it off the heat.
I'm gonna go ahead,
take out the bread.
And with the bread,
as you can see,
we're not toasting it,
we're just drying it out.
This is perfect.
Just want to let that cool off
just a little bit.
So now that the bread is dry,
the sauce is made,
that is just warming up,
we can start building
the casserole.
♪♪
So the first part of
the casserole is the chicken.
It's 5 cups of rotisserie
chicken that I've shredded,
and this is a cheat.
I buy the full
rotisserie chicken at the store
and just shred the meat myself,
and that's the base.
If you want it to be
truly Thanksgiving,
could do turkey in here.
Then you're going to top
this layer with sour cream.
Sour cream brightens this
a little bit.
It adds just a layer of just
yummy flavor and texture.
And so you just want
to spread it over the top.
Any time I think about a potluck
dinner and what I can bring,
I like to think about something
that travels well
that you can put in one pot.
So a casserole works
really well.
But something to keep in mind
when you're making this,
if the sauce is really hot,
the sour cream
becomes kind of lumpy
and actually pretty ugly
when you're dishing
this beautiful casserole
onto the plate.
So to keep that from happening,
let your sour cream
get to room temperature,
so as you spread it on, that mix
of heat won't cause it to react.
And now we're going
to put the sauce on top.
So now we've got
the rotisserie chicken.
Like I said,
that can be turkey meat.
It can be just chicken breast
that you shred
and then this delicious sauce.
Can you hear
my stomach growling?
[ Sighs ] Hungry.
That's really pretty.
So now I've got
all of my layers,
I'm going to top it off
with the dried bread.
And this is one of those things
where you can do it
to where
it's completely full on top.
I like to leave a little space
in between so you can see
this creamy sauce
kind of in between.
And then this is now time
for the chicken broth,
the 2, 4, 6 tablespoons
of butter.
So there's so many blends
of flavors in this.
You've got the cream, you've got
the tanginess of the sour cream,
the salty butter,
this chicken broth,
it's like all the best flavors
in one dish.
And you just pour this over
until all the bread is soaked.
How did I pour
all that liquid over here?
Did you guys see that happening
when I was pouring this in?
[ Crew members
speaking indistinctly ]
That's some good juice
that needs to be in here.
Okay, I'm going to put this
in the oven 30 minutes,
and then we're going to
get started on dessert.
Cherry Pie
is one of my favorite desserts.
And if you're in the mood
for something like a pie
that you would have
with ice cream on the side,
this is a really quick
and easy dessert to whip up.
So we're going to start
with the topping,
which is 3/4 cup
of packed brown sugar
and...
♪♪
Sorry.
I will say that I had a dream
a long time ago
when I was a little girl,
that one day I would have
a cooking show
and I'd have
all these little clear bowls
and all my ingredients
would be in them,
and all I have to do
is toss them.
[ Chuckles ] And this is now
my dream come true.
So 3/4 cup brown sugar,
a cup of rolled oats.
Grab these oats
and the cinnamon and ginger.
And this topping is something
you want to make first.
And while you're making
the filling,
you can stick this
in the freezer.
So that the butter and all
that stays nice and cold.
So a cup of rolled oats,
1/2 of a teaspoon of cinnamon.
And if I were making this
for my kids,
I would do a little less
of the ginger.
It's just 1/2 a teaspoon,
and then 6 tablespoons
of butter that's been cut.
Closest to room temperature,
the better.
You want it to be soft.
So you're going to cut
this butter in
and you're going to
just blend this.
And once this is baked,
it's really nice and crispy.
The butter is really rich.
So now that this is combined,
I'm going to fold in about 1/2 a
cup of these slivered almonds.
I love the almonds in this,
but if you decide to change up
the filling,
you can change up the kind
of nut that you use as well.
So I'm going to go ahead
and stick this in the freezer,
and then we're gonna
get started on that filling.
Okay.
Okay, so with this dessert,
it's 2 pounds
of pitted cherries.
I tend to use frozen cherries
that have already been pitted.
It makes everything
a lot quicker.
So with this,
I just did two bags.
You can take a whole lemon,
and you want to zest
the entire lemon.
And then with that same lemon,
you're going to want
to get 2 tablespoons
of fresh lemon juice
and then 1 teaspoon
of the almond extract.
That almond extract in here
makes everything just richer.
So I've got the cherries ready,
and then I'm going to just do
this dry mix,
which is 1/4 cup of cornstarch,
3/4 cup sugar.
So any time you add cornstarch
to a liquid, it will thicken it.
And that's what you would call
a slurry versus the roux
that we just made
because we added flour to it.
So when you're adding flour,
it's a roux.
And when you add cornstarch,
it's a slurry.
Okay, so now that this is nice
and blended,
I'm going to add this
to the cherry mix
and fold it all in together.
So we're going to make
a cherry slurry,
which sounds really delicious.
I've got 8-ounce ramekins,
and this
is one of those desserts
where depending on how
many people you're serving,
you can modify it.
You can do a larger ramekin
if it's for
a smaller amount of guests.
But for me,
I think 6 to 8 works.
These are 8 ounces,
and you can fill it.
It is kind of nice
when they're bubbling over
and it comes out over the sides.
Like, you can do that as well.
So I've buttered these ramekins.
You just take some butter
and you butter the dish,
and then now it's just where
you can start filling them.
There's no need to get
these things perfect.
I actually tend to love,
especially with this dessert,
when it's a little messy.
Slide in.
Yeah, I'm the only one in
the family that likes cherries.
They love peaches and apples,
so for them, I will modify.
But if I have guests over
or if I'm taking this
to a friend's house,
there's something about
the cherry and the almond,
all that, that I just feel like
it's so delicious.
Okay. So this is something
you can prepare now,
stick back in the fridge,
and then when you're ready,
just know you need
about 25 minutes.
Get these out of the oven,
serve them with ice cream,
and then they're warm
and delicious.
Then I'm going to grab
the topping
and finish it off there.
It really doesn't get better
than butter,
cinnamon, brown sugar,
almonds kind of tastes
like honestly
like a delicious warm oatmeal
cookie with, like, cherry.
And this is something
that I feel like
can look kind of rustic.
So kind of keeping it
a little organic
so it doesn't feel too pressed.
You know, you've got these nice
chunks of butter in here
and then when it bakes,
it's going to melt into it
and just make it even richer
and more delicious.
So I've set my oven to 375,
and I'm going to set them
in there for 20,
25 minutes,
till they're kind of
bubbling over.
♪♪
That's going to smell so good.
♪♪
Okay, so I'm going to
clean up this mess,
and then we're going to move on
to the green beans amandine.
♪♪
♪♪
Okay.
[ Chuckles ]
Okay, so the cherry almond crisp
is ready to go.
So the cherry almond crisp
is ready to go,
so I'm going to go ahead
and pull that out.
And the great thing
about this dessert is...
Ooh, look how pretty that is...
You can serve it warm,
room temperature,
it's whatever preference
you have.
I'm gonna go ahead
and put that right there.
So while that's cooling off,
I'm going to make
the green beans amandine.
And the first thing you've got
to do is boil the green beans.
So green beans amandine
sounds fancy,
and I'm not a fancy person,
but really all that means is
green bean served with almonds.
And I'm going to let these boil
for about 4 to 6 minutes.
It's the color I'm looking for.
I want these to turn
really bright green.
♪♪
I made it.
While this is boiling,
I'm going to go ahead
and check on the casserole.
It's bubbling
and it looks really good,
but I just want
to brown the top,
so I'm going to broil this
for about a minute,
but this is one of those things
you're so close to being done,
which is why I'm going to
sit here and babysit this thing,
because I'm not going to...
I don't want to burn it.
There's a lot going
on right now.
Green beans are boiling.
Casserole's broiling.
Oh, this is when you could do
squats if you want to multitask.
That's what I do, any time I use
a microwave is I do squats.
I'm too tired today. I'm gonna
just check on the casserole.
That is perfect amount
of toastiness.
You see that?
So we'll let that set.
I think the green beans
are good.
So I'm going to drain
the green beans
and we're gonna make the sauce.
Now, I'm going to add in
2 tablespoons of butter.
Green beans is a really
simple thing to cook up,
but I think when you add
extra ingredients
that really elevate something
that's very simple.
Sauté the garlic nice and soft
without burning it.
I kind of always go based on,
like, smell
and then obviously
looking at it,
making sure it's soft,
but I think it's ready to go.
So that is 1/2 a cup
of brown sugar.
I'm going to add
in some sherry vinegar.
♪♪
Gonna turn the heat down
a little bit.
And then
some apple cider vinegar.
♪♪
I'm gonna go grab
the green beans really quick.
This process is quick.
Add the green beans,
and I'm going to coat them.
♪♪
And the last thing you add is
the almonds that I've toasted.
I love when there's a lot
going on in the kitchen.
That's probably... When I decide
to cook something,
I like to cook several things
because I feel like
it's, like, a fun production
and it's all about timing.
And it's quick and it's fast.
Okay, so these are ready to go.
Move this over here.
I'm going to put these
in the bowl,
if you want to come over here.
It's nice to tong these out.
And they're just nice
and coated,
so a little bit of salty,
a little bit of sweet.
The almonds add
a nice texture and color.
So there are the green beans.
I whipped up
these mashed potatoes
while you weren't looking,
but I will share
this recipe online.
It's a very basic
mashed potato recipe.
It's potatoes, 2 sticks
of butter, and whole milk,
salt and pepper.
So I'm going to pull
this casserole over here
and you can see what's so nice
about the green beans
is that it adds beautiful color.
I've got cranberry sauce
that was chilled
and now it's time to eat.
I'm going to go ahead and put
a scoop of ice cream
on the cherry almond crisp.
That one looks like
the yummiest.
Okay, so now it's time
to plate the meal.
I'm going to start
with the green beans.
Good food can be
eaten year-round.
So whether it's for the holidays
or you're just wanting to
bring in some good
comfort food for the family.
This is one of
my favorite dishes.
Don't forget about
cranberry sauce.
Even if they don't like it,
say you have to do it for color.
I also love to garnish it
with just a little bit
of scallions,
some fresh parsley for green.
Look how pretty that is.
♪♪
Friendsgiving on a plate.
Let's try this.
So this is how I do it...
Just if you want to know.
You go like this
and you find a little cranberry,
and this is what I call
Thanksgiving in one bite.
Mmm.
It's rich and delicious
and then this, like,
hint of sweet.
It's so good.
Can we go to a commercial break?
♪♪
I'll try the green beans,
but we all know I'm after that
and that.
But let's try these.
♪♪
Mmm.
Leave it to me to find
something that's very healthy
and make it taste not healthy.
That's these
green beans amandine.
Those are good.
Now for dessert.
♪♪
The cherry almond crisp,
which is so good.
I'm all about texture
when it comes to food,
so there's something about this
filling in that ice cream
that's soft and then
that middle layer of crunch,
that topping, that's just like
the perfect blend.
♪♪
It is a great go-to if you are
taking a meal to friends,
family, a potluck, or if you're
just serving a wonderful spread.
Okay. Do I have to say
anything else,
or can I just go eat?
Okay.
I'm hungry.
Getting to share all this
with your friends
and your family is
honestly the best part about it.
Now, I'm going to finish,
and if you could fly in
some friends and family,
because I've got a whole meal
here for somebody.
♪♪
Can you turn my mic off?
a little stretching.
♪♪
Don't worry about me, people,
I got it.
[ Chuckles ]
Welcome, friends, to my kitchen.
Just kidding. Okay.
♪♪
Those are strong.
Mmm. Mmm.
When it comes to cooking,
I'm not a fancy person.
We're going to just
do this very gracefully.
But I love being in the kitchen.
So let's talk biscuits.
So you just scooch them around.
And a lot of what I like to cook
are simple meals
that bring people together.
We've got a lot of people
to feed today.
So whatever you're wanting
to make at home...
This is going to get old,
if every time,
I'm like, "Oh, so good."
...just get creative
and have fun with it...
This is the dream bite.
...because at the end
of the day...
You want to help
Mama cook today?
...it's these moments
at the table
with family and friends...
Perfect!
...that matter most.
♪♪
We all have those meals
that just remind us
of our favorite time
of the year.
When the season shifts
and it gets cooler outside,
I love to whip up
this meal for the family...
This Friendsgiving casserole
that I'm gonna share with you.
It started
when a group of friends,
we all would get together,
celebrate Thanksgiving together
and do kind of a potluck.
We just called it Friendsgiving.
And one of the things
I loved about
that is just the stories
that were told
about the food
that we all brought.
You'd hear the traditions
behind them,
how it was
their mother's favorite
or their mother's recipe,
and that just became
part of the conversation.
The main dish today is going to
be the Friendsgiving casserole,
which is chicken and bread
and a really yummy cream sauce.
And then on the side,
mashed potatoes,
green beans amandine,
cranberry sauce,
and then for dessert,
cherry almond crisp.
So to start, there's
a few things with this meal
that you need to think
about in advance.
It's drying out the bread
for the chicken casserole
and it's also making
the cranberry sauce
because you want that to be able
to chill in the refrigerator.
For the topping of the
Friendsgiving casserole,
typically, it's about 4
to 6 cups of bread
that you've torn.
I like to use a white bread.
This is a French baguette,
and so, as you can see,
I've just kind of torn it
in smaller pieces.
But the goal here
is to dry it out
so that all of the cream
and the broth
and everything
that goes into the casserole
will be soaked into this bread
and add a really
delicious texture.
I've set the oven for 250,
and I'm going to put this in
for about 45 minutes to an hour.
Okay, so as the bread dries out,
I'm going to start
on the cranberry sauce.
This is one of those meals
that as soon as you start
making the cranberry sauce
and you start sautéing
the onions and the celery,
it really starts smelling
like heaven in the house.
If you can get fresh
cranberries, that's great.
If not, frozen cranberries work
just as good.
So it's 3 cups cranberries.
There will always be one thing
I drop here.
3 cups cranberries,
a cinnamon stick.
This is the magic right here.
A cup of sugar
and then a cup of orange juice.
♪♪
And then about a tablespoon
of orange zest.
I'm just going to eye it here.
But once you turn this on
and it starts boiling,
it smells like a candle.
There's just something, I think,
that just feels so nostalgic
about orange with cinnamon
and then the cranberry...
That smell,
it just feels
like holiday magic.
So I'm going to put this
on medium heat.
And you want to let this boil
for 4 to 5 minutes,
because that's what's really
going to break it down
and almost turn it into a jelly.
Once it starts boiling,
I like to stir
it pretty consistently
so that it doesn't boil over.
You'll notice that this thing,
if you let it set,
it'll boil over really quick.
So this is something
you're going to keep an eye on.
This is at medium.
My mom has this
amazing cranberry sauce.
It's cold. It's not like this
where it kind of solidifies
and becomes like a jelly.
And I think people assume it's
a complicated thing to make.
And so they just... they decide,
"Let's do the canned."
With this,
when you see how easy it is,
you'll never turn back
because it really is 10 minutes
of your time,
some really amazing
fresh ingredients,
and then it's just so rewarding
that you made
your own cranberry sauce.
Something as simple as that.
I've done this before, too,
where I've made
a huge batch of it.
I love the way cranberry sauce
looks like one of
those preserve jars.
Wrap it up,
tie some twine on it,
and give that out
during the holidays.
You see this?
Fog up your thing,
but it's so pretty.
And as it boils,
if you want it to be
more whole pieces,
then you don't have to
boil it as long.
I've always liked
the consistency of jelly
with that burst of flavor
in those bites.
It smells like a delicious
Christmas candle.
That's the hardest thing
to translate on a cooking show
is, like, the smell
and the taste.
So I'm going to
take this off the heat
and I'm going to remove
the cinnamon stick.
♪♪
So I'mma let that cool off,
and now we're going to work
on the...
Back to you, Bob.
What are we working on?
Oh, casserole.
Okay.
So the cranberry sauce
is cooling
and the bread is drying out,
so now I'm going to start
putting all the pieces
together for the casserole.
This is going to be the base
of the creamy sauce
that we're making.
You're going to want about
1/2 a cup of white onions diced
and then a 1/2 a cup of celery.
I love celery,
so I sometimes do a little more.
I also love the color.
You looking at me
actually makes me nervous
when I handle a knife,
but when I'm all by myself,
I don't get nervous at all.
This is the part
where you look away.
This is a good consistency.
It's a little bigger
than the onion pieces,
but 1/2 a cup of each.
And you modify it
to how you want it.
If your kids don't love celery,
tell them too bad,
but you can take
some of the onions out.
So I'm going to sauté the onions
and the celery
for about 5 to 7 minutes,
and then we're going to start
making the cream sauce.
So we're going to start by
melting 3 tablespoons of butter.
Okay, maybe that was 4.
Doesn't matter.
Let this melt,
and then I'm going
to pour in the onions
and the celery.
Takes about 5 to 7 minutes.
You just want the vegetables
to be soft.
And this is where cooking is
a little bit like therapy to me,
because it's like
there's something about smells
that feel, like, relaxing,
calming, even nostalgic.
I'm telling you,
every time I cook this meal,
it just takes me back to some of
my favorite family traditions.
So they look soft,
they smell delicious.
I'm going to take
the minced garlic.
You do that last
just because the garlic
will sauté pretty quick.
This you just want to sauté
for about a minute.
Then I'm going to add
2 tablespoons of flour
to make the roux.
And basically that's going to be
what thickens the sauce up.
So any time you add flour
to a liquid, it will thicken it.
And that's what
you would call a roux.
You want to add a little bit
of flour at a time.
You don't dump
the whole thing in
just so that
you don't get lumps.
So it's important
that you whisk it.
I'm going to add a teaspoon
of garlic salt
and then a teaspoon
of kosher salt.
So this looks good and now
it's time for the cream,
1 cup and a 1/2 of heavy cream.
And as you pour it,
you want to whisk it.
And you want to basically
let this simmer
for 5 minutes so it can thicken.
So on this back pot,
while this is simmering,
I'm going to start the butter
and the chicken broth blend,
which is what you pour
over the bread
when you top it off
for this casserole.
So 2 cups chicken broth
and then 4 tablespoons
of butter.
The key here is just getting
that butter melted
and get that nice and warm.
You can kind of see how this is
starting to come together.
You can tell it's thick.
I don't want to
get it too thick.
I like when
it's still a little liquidy,
so I'm going to go ahead
and pull it off the heat.
I'm gonna go ahead,
take out the bread.
And with the bread,
as you can see,
we're not toasting it,
we're just drying it out.
This is perfect.
Just want to let that cool off
just a little bit.
So now that the bread is dry,
the sauce is made,
that is just warming up,
we can start building
the casserole.
♪♪
So the first part of
the casserole is the chicken.
It's 5 cups of rotisserie
chicken that I've shredded,
and this is a cheat.
I buy the full
rotisserie chicken at the store
and just shred the meat myself,
and that's the base.
If you want it to be
truly Thanksgiving,
could do turkey in here.
Then you're going to top
this layer with sour cream.
Sour cream brightens this
a little bit.
It adds just a layer of just
yummy flavor and texture.
And so you just want
to spread it over the top.
Any time I think about a potluck
dinner and what I can bring,
I like to think about something
that travels well
that you can put in one pot.
So a casserole works
really well.
But something to keep in mind
when you're making this,
if the sauce is really hot,
the sour cream
becomes kind of lumpy
and actually pretty ugly
when you're dishing
this beautiful casserole
onto the plate.
So to keep that from happening,
let your sour cream
get to room temperature,
so as you spread it on, that mix
of heat won't cause it to react.
And now we're going
to put the sauce on top.
So now we've got
the rotisserie chicken.
Like I said,
that can be turkey meat.
It can be just chicken breast
that you shred
and then this delicious sauce.
Can you hear
my stomach growling?
[ Sighs ] Hungry.
That's really pretty.
So now I've got
all of my layers,
I'm going to top it off
with the dried bread.
And this is one of those things
where you can do it
to where
it's completely full on top.
I like to leave a little space
in between so you can see
this creamy sauce
kind of in between.
And then this is now time
for the chicken broth,
the 2, 4, 6 tablespoons
of butter.
So there's so many blends
of flavors in this.
You've got the cream, you've got
the tanginess of the sour cream,
the salty butter,
this chicken broth,
it's like all the best flavors
in one dish.
And you just pour this over
until all the bread is soaked.
How did I pour
all that liquid over here?
Did you guys see that happening
when I was pouring this in?
[ Crew members
speaking indistinctly ]
That's some good juice
that needs to be in here.
Okay, I'm going to put this
in the oven 30 minutes,
and then we're going to
get started on dessert.
Cherry Pie
is one of my favorite desserts.
And if you're in the mood
for something like a pie
that you would have
with ice cream on the side,
this is a really quick
and easy dessert to whip up.
So we're going to start
with the topping,
which is 3/4 cup
of packed brown sugar
and...
♪♪
Sorry.
I will say that I had a dream
a long time ago
when I was a little girl,
that one day I would have
a cooking show
and I'd have
all these little clear bowls
and all my ingredients
would be in them,
and all I have to do
is toss them.
[ Chuckles ] And this is now
my dream come true.
So 3/4 cup brown sugar,
a cup of rolled oats.
Grab these oats
and the cinnamon and ginger.
And this topping is something
you want to make first.
And while you're making
the filling,
you can stick this
in the freezer.
So that the butter and all
that stays nice and cold.
So a cup of rolled oats,
1/2 of a teaspoon of cinnamon.
And if I were making this
for my kids,
I would do a little less
of the ginger.
It's just 1/2 a teaspoon,
and then 6 tablespoons
of butter that's been cut.
Closest to room temperature,
the better.
You want it to be soft.
So you're going to cut
this butter in
and you're going to
just blend this.
And once this is baked,
it's really nice and crispy.
The butter is really rich.
So now that this is combined,
I'm going to fold in about 1/2 a
cup of these slivered almonds.
I love the almonds in this,
but if you decide to change up
the filling,
you can change up the kind
of nut that you use as well.
So I'm going to go ahead
and stick this in the freezer,
and then we're gonna
get started on that filling.
Okay.
Okay, so with this dessert,
it's 2 pounds
of pitted cherries.
I tend to use frozen cherries
that have already been pitted.
It makes everything
a lot quicker.
So with this,
I just did two bags.
You can take a whole lemon,
and you want to zest
the entire lemon.
And then with that same lemon,
you're going to want
to get 2 tablespoons
of fresh lemon juice
and then 1 teaspoon
of the almond extract.
That almond extract in here
makes everything just richer.
So I've got the cherries ready,
and then I'm going to just do
this dry mix,
which is 1/4 cup of cornstarch,
3/4 cup sugar.
So any time you add cornstarch
to a liquid, it will thicken it.
And that's what you would call
a slurry versus the roux
that we just made
because we added flour to it.
So when you're adding flour,
it's a roux.
And when you add cornstarch,
it's a slurry.
Okay, so now that this is nice
and blended,
I'm going to add this
to the cherry mix
and fold it all in together.
So we're going to make
a cherry slurry,
which sounds really delicious.
I've got 8-ounce ramekins,
and this
is one of those desserts
where depending on how
many people you're serving,
you can modify it.
You can do a larger ramekin
if it's for
a smaller amount of guests.
But for me,
I think 6 to 8 works.
These are 8 ounces,
and you can fill it.
It is kind of nice
when they're bubbling over
and it comes out over the sides.
Like, you can do that as well.
So I've buttered these ramekins.
You just take some butter
and you butter the dish,
and then now it's just where
you can start filling them.
There's no need to get
these things perfect.
I actually tend to love,
especially with this dessert,
when it's a little messy.
Slide in.
Yeah, I'm the only one in
the family that likes cherries.
They love peaches and apples,
so for them, I will modify.
But if I have guests over
or if I'm taking this
to a friend's house,
there's something about
the cherry and the almond,
all that, that I just feel like
it's so delicious.
Okay. So this is something
you can prepare now,
stick back in the fridge,
and then when you're ready,
just know you need
about 25 minutes.
Get these out of the oven,
serve them with ice cream,
and then they're warm
and delicious.
Then I'm going to grab
the topping
and finish it off there.
It really doesn't get better
than butter,
cinnamon, brown sugar,
almonds kind of tastes
like honestly
like a delicious warm oatmeal
cookie with, like, cherry.
And this is something
that I feel like
can look kind of rustic.
So kind of keeping it
a little organic
so it doesn't feel too pressed.
You know, you've got these nice
chunks of butter in here
and then when it bakes,
it's going to melt into it
and just make it even richer
and more delicious.
So I've set my oven to 375,
and I'm going to set them
in there for 20,
25 minutes,
till they're kind of
bubbling over.
♪♪
That's going to smell so good.
♪♪
Okay, so I'm going to
clean up this mess,
and then we're going to move on
to the green beans amandine.
♪♪
♪♪
Okay.
[ Chuckles ]
Okay, so the cherry almond crisp
is ready to go.
So the cherry almond crisp
is ready to go,
so I'm going to go ahead
and pull that out.
And the great thing
about this dessert is...
Ooh, look how pretty that is...
You can serve it warm,
room temperature,
it's whatever preference
you have.
I'm gonna go ahead
and put that right there.
So while that's cooling off,
I'm going to make
the green beans amandine.
And the first thing you've got
to do is boil the green beans.
So green beans amandine
sounds fancy,
and I'm not a fancy person,
but really all that means is
green bean served with almonds.
And I'm going to let these boil
for about 4 to 6 minutes.
It's the color I'm looking for.
I want these to turn
really bright green.
♪♪
I made it.
While this is boiling,
I'm going to go ahead
and check on the casserole.
It's bubbling
and it looks really good,
but I just want
to brown the top,
so I'm going to broil this
for about a minute,
but this is one of those things
you're so close to being done,
which is why I'm going to
sit here and babysit this thing,
because I'm not going to...
I don't want to burn it.
There's a lot going
on right now.
Green beans are boiling.
Casserole's broiling.
Oh, this is when you could do
squats if you want to multitask.
That's what I do, any time I use
a microwave is I do squats.
I'm too tired today. I'm gonna
just check on the casserole.
That is perfect amount
of toastiness.
You see that?
So we'll let that set.
I think the green beans
are good.
So I'm going to drain
the green beans
and we're gonna make the sauce.
Now, I'm going to add in
2 tablespoons of butter.
Green beans is a really
simple thing to cook up,
but I think when you add
extra ingredients
that really elevate something
that's very simple.
Sauté the garlic nice and soft
without burning it.
I kind of always go based on,
like, smell
and then obviously
looking at it,
making sure it's soft,
but I think it's ready to go.
So that is 1/2 a cup
of brown sugar.
I'm going to add
in some sherry vinegar.
♪♪
Gonna turn the heat down
a little bit.
And then
some apple cider vinegar.
♪♪
I'm gonna go grab
the green beans really quick.
This process is quick.
Add the green beans,
and I'm going to coat them.
♪♪
And the last thing you add is
the almonds that I've toasted.
I love when there's a lot
going on in the kitchen.
That's probably... When I decide
to cook something,
I like to cook several things
because I feel like
it's, like, a fun production
and it's all about timing.
And it's quick and it's fast.
Okay, so these are ready to go.
Move this over here.
I'm going to put these
in the bowl,
if you want to come over here.
It's nice to tong these out.
And they're just nice
and coated,
so a little bit of salty,
a little bit of sweet.
The almonds add
a nice texture and color.
So there are the green beans.
I whipped up
these mashed potatoes
while you weren't looking,
but I will share
this recipe online.
It's a very basic
mashed potato recipe.
It's potatoes, 2 sticks
of butter, and whole milk,
salt and pepper.
So I'm going to pull
this casserole over here
and you can see what's so nice
about the green beans
is that it adds beautiful color.
I've got cranberry sauce
that was chilled
and now it's time to eat.
I'm going to go ahead and put
a scoop of ice cream
on the cherry almond crisp.
That one looks like
the yummiest.
Okay, so now it's time
to plate the meal.
I'm going to start
with the green beans.
Good food can be
eaten year-round.
So whether it's for the holidays
or you're just wanting to
bring in some good
comfort food for the family.
This is one of
my favorite dishes.
Don't forget about
cranberry sauce.
Even if they don't like it,
say you have to do it for color.
I also love to garnish it
with just a little bit
of scallions,
some fresh parsley for green.
Look how pretty that is.
♪♪
Friendsgiving on a plate.
Let's try this.
So this is how I do it...
Just if you want to know.
You go like this
and you find a little cranberry,
and this is what I call
Thanksgiving in one bite.
Mmm.
It's rich and delicious
and then this, like,
hint of sweet.
It's so good.
Can we go to a commercial break?
♪♪
I'll try the green beans,
but we all know I'm after that
and that.
But let's try these.
♪♪
Mmm.
Leave it to me to find
something that's very healthy
and make it taste not healthy.
That's these
green beans amandine.
Those are good.
Now for dessert.
♪♪
The cherry almond crisp,
which is so good.
I'm all about texture
when it comes to food,
so there's something about this
filling in that ice cream
that's soft and then
that middle layer of crunch,
that topping, that's just like
the perfect blend.
♪♪
It is a great go-to if you are
taking a meal to friends,
family, a potluck, or if you're
just serving a wonderful spread.
Okay. Do I have to say
anything else,
or can I just go eat?
Okay.
I'm hungry.
Getting to share all this
with your friends
and your family is
honestly the best part about it.
Now, I'm going to finish,
and if you could fly in
some friends and family,
because I've got a whole meal
here for somebody.
♪♪
Can you turn my mic off?