Sandra Lee: Semi-Homemade Holiday Recipes

CBN.com All recipes from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Money Saving Slow Cooking and Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Weeknight Wonders

Sweet Tea Brisket

Prep: 15 minutes, Cook: 8 to 10 hours (Low), Makes 6 servings

• 2 large sweet onions, thickly sliced
• 2 lemons, sliced
• 1 3-pound beef brisket, trimmed
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning
• 2 packets beefy onion soup mix
• 1 ½ cups honey-brown sugar barbecue sauce
• 1 cup sweetened lemon-flavored tea
• ½ cup honey mustard

In a 6-quart slow cooker, combine sliced onions and lemons. Sprinkle brisket with Worcestershire sauce and steak seasoning. Place brisket in slow cooker. (If necessary, cut brisket to fit.) Sprinkle with onion soup mix.

In a medium bowl, whisk together barbecue sauce, tea, and honey mustard; pour over brisket in slow cooker.

Cover and cook on Low heat setting for 8 to 10 hours.

Transfer brisket to a cutting board; let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Using a wire mesh strainer, stain sauce. Serve sauce with brisket

Excerpted from the book, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Money Saving Slow Cooking, by Sandra Lee
Copyright © 2009 SLSH Enterprises, Inc. www.sandralee.com

Fennel Baked Potatoes

Prep: 10 minutes, Bake: 35 minutes, Makes 4 servings

• 1 pound new potatoes, cut in half
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  
• 2 fennel bulbs, base and stems trimmed, fronds coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan herb seasoning, McCormick®

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the salt. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, shave the base of the fennel (the white part). Toss the fennel with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Increase the oven temperature to 475 degrees F. Add the fennel to the potatoes and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the fennel is wilted and the potatoes are brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and toss with Parmesan herb seasoning. Garnish with chopped fronds

Excerpted from the book, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Weeknight Wonders, by Sandra Lee
Copyright © 2009 SLSH Enterprises, Inc. www.sandralee.com

Summer Squash Bake

Prep: 10 minutes, Cook: 10 minutes, Bake: 20 minutes, Makes 4 servings

• No-stick cooking spray, Pam®
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic, Gourmet Garden®
• 1 bag (16-ounce) chopped frozen yellow crookneck squash, thawed, Pictsweet®
• ¾ cup light sour cream
• 1 teaspoon sugar, Domino®/C&H®
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, Sargento®
• 1 cup saltine crackers (about 28 crackers), crushed, Nabisco®
• Kosher salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium skillet, over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir for 7 minutes or until golden brown. Reduce heat; add squash and cook and stir for 2 more minutes or until squash is tender. Stir in the sour cream, sugar, ¾ cup cheese, and crackers. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into the prepared baking dish; sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the top is light golden brown.

Excerpted from the book, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Weeknight Wonders, by Sandra Lee
Copyright © 2009 SLSH Enterprises, Inc. www.sandralee.com

Strawberry Cream Cake

Prep: 25 minutes, Cook: 1 1⁄2 to 2 1⁄2 hours (High), Cool: 60 minutes, Makes 8 servings

• Non-stick cooking spray, Pam®
• 1 box (18.25-ounce) strawberry cake mix
• 1 1⁄4 cups strawberry-banana nectar
• ¾ cup Egg Beaters
• 1⁄2 cup sour cream
• 1⁄3 cup canola oil, Wesson®
• 1⁄4 cup cake flour
• 2 cans (12 ounces each) whipped cream cheese frosting
• 1 cup frozen (thawed) or fresh strawberries, sliced (plus more for garnish [optional])

Coat an 8×3-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Wrap foil around the bottom of pan. Crumple additional aluminum foil to create a “ring base” about 5 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat cake mix, nectar, eggs, sour cream, oil, and flour with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl; beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Place foil ring in bottom of slow cooker; pour 1⁄2 inch of hot water into bottom of slow cooker. Using 2 long strips of foil, make an “X” over foil ring and bring it up along the sides of slow cooker to assist removing pan from slow cooker. Place pan on top of ring and the “X” in slow cooker. Stack 6 paper towels; place on top of slow cooker. Secure with lid.

Cook on High heat setting for 1 1⁄2 to 2 1⁄2 hours* or until a wooden tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. (Do not lift the lid for the first 1 hour of cooking.)

Use foil strips to lift pan from slow cooker. Place pan on wire rack; cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup of the cream cheese frosting with sliced strawberries until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble, remove cooled cake from pan and slice horizontally to make two layers. Place one layer on serving plate. Spread strawberry filling evenly over layer and top with second cake layer. Frost entire cake with remaining cream cheese frosting. Garnish with fresh strawberries.

*Note: If your slow cooker has “hot spots” and a removable liner, rotate liner every hour of cooking

Excerpted from the book, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Money Saving Slow Cooking, by Sandra Lee
Copyright © 2009 SLSH Enterprises, Inc. www.sandralee.com