Balsamic Roasted Strawberries and Feta Dip

1 lb. strawberries, rinsed and stems removed

1 T. honey

1 T. balsamic vinegar

1-1/2 c. feta cheese

1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt

1/4 c. plus 2 T. olive oil, divided

1 t. lemon zest

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 c. fresh basil leaves, torn

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Crostini, bread, or crackers, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cut each strawberry in half or in quarters, depending on size. Add strawberries evenly to a 9" x 9" baking dish. Drizzle strawberries with honey, balsamic vinegar, and 2 T. olive oil. Season with sea salt and black pepper, to taste.

Roast strawberries for about 25 minutes, until softened and slightly caramelized. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

In a food processor, combine feta, yogurt, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Process while slowly drizzling in 1/4 c. olive oil until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning with sea salt and black pepper, to taste.

To serve, spread the feta dip into the bottom of a shallow bowl or onto a rimmed plate. Spoon roasted strawberries alongside the dip and garnish with fresh basil. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature with crostini, bread, or crackers. 

Adapted from FreshFromFlorida.com. 

Mama's Breakfast Casserole (Green Chile-Egg Casserole)

12 large eggs

1/2 c. half-and-half

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1-1/2 t. baking powder

1 (24-oz.) container small-curd whole milk cottage cheese

3 (4-oz.) cans diced green chiles, drained and patted dry

5 T. salted butter, melted

1 t. kosher salt

4 c. (16 oz.) shredded pepper Jack cheese, divided

Thinly sliced scallions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 13" x 9" baking dish with cooking spray.

Place eggs, half-and-half, flour, and baking powder in a blender; process on medium speed until smooth and slightly foamy, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl.

Stir cottage cheese, chiles, melted butter, salt, and 3 c. pepper Jack cheese into egg mixture just until combined. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake 45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1 c. pepper Jack cheese. Bake until center is just set but still slightly jiggly and cheese is browned around the edges, 20-25 minutes more.

Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes. Garnish with scallions.

Serves 12.

Adapted from Southern Living magazine, Jan.-Feb. 2026, p. 17.  

Easy No Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey

1 12-20 lb. turkey

1 onion, peeled and quartered

1 lemon, quartered

1 apple, quartered

.75-oz. container fresh rosemary, divided

.75-oz. container fresh thyme, divided

.75-oz. container fresh sage, divided

Coarsely chopped vegetables: 4-5 ribs celery and 4 large carrots

 

Herb butter:

1 c. unsalted butter, softened, room temperature

1 t. salt

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

6-8 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. fresh chopped rosemary 

1 T. fresh chopped thyme

1/2 T. fresh chopped sage

If the turkey is frozen, thaw in the fridge, 24 hours for every 5 lbs. of turkey. Give one extra day, just to be sure.

Remove the thawed turkey from the fridge 1 hour before roasting, to let it come to room temperature.

Adjust oven rack so the turkey will sit in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Make the herb butter: combine softened butter, salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and sage. 

Remove turkey from packaging and remove neck and giblets from inside the turkey. (No need to wash; cooking the turkey kills any bacteria.) Pat the turkey very dry with paper towels.

Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper. Stuff it with the quartered lemon, onion, apple, and remaining herbs.

Optional: Loosen the skin over the breasts and smooth a few T. butter underneath the skin.

Place coarsely chopped vegetables in roasting pan. Add a little water. Set the turkey on top of the vegetables. 

Rub the rest of the herb butter all over the outside of the turkey, including legs and wings.

Roast at 325 degrees for 13-15 min. per pound. Check the turkey about halfway through cooking; once the skin gets golden brown, tent with tinfoil to prevent the breast meat from overcooking. (Alternatively, tent the turkey to start, then remove the tinfoil during the last hour of cooking to allow browning.) 

DO NOT open oven frequently to check turkey or baste it; that's what makes it dry and tough.  

Remove turkey to platter to rest once cooking is complete. Discard vegetables from roasting pan. Reserve drippings and juice from the pan to make gravy. 

Adapted from tastesbetterfromscratch.com.

Sausage, Apple, and Squash Sheet Pan Supper

1/3 c. olive oil

1-2 sprigs each fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary

2 medium unpeeled Honeynut squash (1-1/2 lbs. total) or equivalent amount of peeled butternut squash

1 large red onion, cut into 1/2"-thick wedges

1 large firm-tart apple, such as Granny Smith, cored and cut into 1/2"-thick wedges

1/2 c. fresh cranberries

1-1/2 t. kosher salt

3/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

6 fresh (uncooked) sweet or hot Italian sausages (1-1/2 lbs. total)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and set a rack in the middle position. Combine oil and herbs in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until herbs have wilted and oil is very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove herbs from oil and set aside herbs and oil separately.

Halve squash lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and cut crosswise into 1/2"-thick half moons. In a large bowl, combine squash, onion, apple, cranberries, and herbs from the oil. Pour oil over the vegetable mixture (do not need to use it all*). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gently stir everything together with a spatula, then turn out onto a rimming baking sheet and spread into an even later.

Prick sausages several times with a sharp knife, then lay them over the vegetables. Roast, turning sausages and stirring vegetables halfway through, until squash is tender and sausages are browned and sizzling, 20-25 minutes. Serve hot.

*Use any leftover oil in a vinaigrette or drizzle over potatoes. 

Serves 4-6.

Adapted from New Hampshire Magazine, October 2025, p. 18. 

Fruit Slump

For the filling:

5 c. raspberries

5 large ripe nectarines, pitted and sliced

1/2 c. sugar

3 T. cornstarch

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

1/4 t. ground cinnamon

1/4 t. kosher salt

For the topping:

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. plus 2 t. sugar

2 t. baking powder

3/4 t. kosher salt

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set a rack in the middle position.

For the filling, in a 12" ovenproof skillet, combine raspberries, nectarine slices, sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.   

For the topping, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, 1/3 c. sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, butter, and egg. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Drop the batter by large spoonfuls over the fruit, then sprinkle with the remaining 2 t. sugar. Bake in the skillet until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown, 40-45 minutes. Serve warm.

Makes 8 servings.

Adapted from Yankee magazine, Sept./Oct. 2025, p. 94.