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The GIVEAWAY mentioned below has ended.

Time and again I hear people say, “Oh, it’s just the two of us.  We’ll probably just go out for Thanksgiving/Christmas.”  Really?

According to the US Census Bureau the average household in America only has 2.56 people.  That mean there are a lot of “just the two of us” households out there.  So I challenge you to disregard that fact that you are a small family and cook your holiday meal at home this year!  If you plan properly so that you make the best use of your leftovers, the meal will end  up being less expensive and MUCH, much tastier in the end!

This week is all about the holiday meal for two and how to make the most of your leftovers. First, I will be sharing several recipes for the main event.  Be it Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years or even Easter I will give you a variety of delicious recipes to make your holiday meal complete.  Keep checking back throughout the week and I will be sharing with you some unique and tasty recipes to help you make use of all of those delicious leftovers.

AND…don’t forget to stick around because, at the bottom of this post, I will be providing the opportunity for one of YOU, my wonderful readers, to receive a 1/2 Spiral Ham of your very own from Petit Jean Meats! That’s over a $60.00 value.

Holiday Meal for Two

 

The Holiday Meal for Two pictured above is a perfect example of the meal you could be enjoying at home this coming Holiday season.  The meal above could easily feed up to 6 people but you are going to be enjoying the meal yourself along with such a great variety of additional meals throughout the week that you’ll forget your eating leftovers!

Do you remember those Whiskey Cherries that I made back in July?  They have been pulled from their three-month hiding place and will be put to good use throughout this recipe!  Here’s the menu:

Let’s get started!

Cherry Whiskey Cranberry Sauce

 1 Cup Cherry Whiskey (Click here for the Cherry Whiskey recipe)
1/4 Cup Red Onion, minced
Zest of 1 orange
2 Stems of fresh Thyme
1 Bag of fresh Cranberries
1 Cup of sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a small sauce pan combine the Cherry Whiskey, red onion, orange zest and thyme.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and stir occasionally for about 10 minutes.  Add the sugar and the cranberries and stir to dissolve the sugar.  Simmer, uncovered, until the cranberries have burst and the liquid begins to thicken and gel.  Stir as needed. Remove thyme stems and discard.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to eat.  This can be made up to 48 hours in advance, covered and stored in the refrigerator.

Deviled Eggs

4 Eggs, Hard Boiled
Mayonnaise
Dijon Mustard
Horseradish
Dill Weed
Salt and Pepper
Paprika

Hard boil 4 eggs, cool and peel.  Slice eggs in half lengthwise and place the yolks into a bowl.  Place the white in a deviled egg tray or on a plate.  Add Dijon mustard, mayonnaise  and horseradish to taste and stir to combine.  Make a smooth paste.  Add in dill weed, salt and pepper and stir.  Pipe the mixture into the egg whites.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours in advance.

Whiskey Corn Pudding

 5 eggs
1/2 cup of Half and Half
1/3 cup melted butter
1 Tbs. Sugar
1 Tbs. Brown Sugar
3 Tbs. Whiskey (I used Jameson but any will work)
1 Tbs. Orange Juice
4 Tbs. Cornstarch
Dash of red pepper flakes
Dash of onion powder
Fresh Grated Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Cans of cream style corn
1 Can whole kernel corn, drained

Preheat the oven to 400.  In a large bowl combine the eggs and the half and half and whisk to combine. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.  Pour into a buttered, 2 quart casserole dish.  Bake approximately one hour or until golden brown on the surface.  Can be made in advance and reheated.  Serve warm.

 

Twice Baked Potatoes with Sage Brown Butter

2 – 3 Baking Potatoes
6 Tablespoons  of Butter, divided
1/4 cup sour cream
6 Fresh Sage leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste

Prick the skin of the potatoes and bake for about 1 hour in a 400 degree oven or until the flesh is tender.  I popped my potatoes into the oven while I was baking my Whisky Corn Pudding (recipe above).  Remove the cooked potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool at least 30 minutes before proceeding.

Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a bowl.  Save the skins and place them on a baking sheet.  Add 3 tablespoons of melted butter and 1/4 of sour cream into the bowl and mash with the potatoes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Scoop the mashed flesh back into the potato skins.  Refrigerate at this point up to 24 hours or freeze for up to three months.

To reheat place in a 350 degree oven 15-20 minutes if at room temperature and 30 minutes if thawed but cold.  While the potatoes bake, prepare the sage butter.

In a saucepan melt 3 tablespoons of butter over low heat.  When the foam subsides and the butter begins to slightly brown add 6 sage leaves and cook about 30 seconds more watching that the butter doesn’t burn.  Remove from the heat.  Place one sage leaf on the top of each twice baked potato.  Spoon the sage butter evenly over all of the potatoes.  Serve.

Spiral Ham with Cherry Whiskey Glaze

The Petit Jean Half Spiral hams are smoked and come fully cooked.  It just needs to be wrapped in foil and reheated in a 325 degree oven for about 10 minutes per pound.  My ham was about 7 pounds and needed to cook about 70 minutes.  I cooked it for 45 minutes and then removed it to pour on the Cherry Whiskey Glaze and returned it uncovered to cook for the remaining time.  The ham is fantastic on his own but the glaze adds a wonderful flavor and hint of sweetness. To make the glaze:

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Cherry Whiskey (click here for the Cherry Whiskey recipe)
Zest of one orange
1/4 tsp. ground allspice

Combine the above ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer over medium low heat until it begins to thicken slightly.  This will take about 10 minutes.  Pour/brush the glaze over the ham and return the ham, uncovered, to the oven for the last 20 minutes of cooking time.

Roasted Green Beans with Ham and Pecans

Fresh Green Beans
Olive oil
1 Slice of Ham
1/4 of a red onion, slice thinly
Salt and pepper
Maple Syrup

Toss green beans with a bit of olive oil, cubed ham, onion, salt and pepper.  Roast is a single layer in an oven safe dish for about 30 minutes or until the green beans become tender and start to brown slightly.  Before serving, drizzle with a small amount of maple syrup.

The meal was absolutely fantastic and the Petit Jean ham was simply delicious!  Check back throughout the week as I share some fantastic uses for those leftovers.  But here is the BEST part of this whole post. On of YOU, my lovely readers, will be getting your very own 1/2 spiral ham from Petit Jean Meats!  To enter, use the Rafflecoptor below.  Leaving a comment is the REQUIRED entry, all others are bonus!  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest is open to all U.S. Residents.  Contest ends at 12:01 AM on November 18th and the winner will be contacted via email.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond or an alternate winner will be selected.  Eggs and Herbs is not responsible in the event that the sponsoring company to ship the prize indicated.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free Spiral Sliced Ham from Petit Jean meats for sampling.  All opinions are my own.