American Winery Blog

The best thing about homemade Cranberry Sauce is the fantastically fresh flavors.  I love the combination of tart and sweet!  With some added sugar and the right spices everyone will think you spent hours on this - when really it takes just a few minutes!

1 package fresh cranberries (12-16oz)
1/2 cup sugar
2 TBS crystallized ginger
1 lemon - zested & juiced
1 TBS orange marmelade
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1. Place all ingredients in a small pot over med-hi heat.
2. Heat until boiling, Cranberries will begin popping, about 15-20 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Cornbread stuffing is becoming more and more popular throughout the US and is really delicious when made with sausage.  My mom always uses sweet Italian sausage, but as I grow in the kitchen I am excited to try new things.  This year I made my stuffing with chorizo and dried apricots!  Give it a try - it’s easy, and so tasty!

The finished product

1/2 pound Chorizo (if you can’t find it, you can use about 3 of the Johnsonville Chorizo Sausages, just lose the casing)
1 package Cornbread Stuffing mix
1/2 sweet onion - small dice
2 pieces celery - cut in half and sliced
1/2 cup dried apricots chopped up
2 TBS Butter
1.5 cups chicken broth

1. Brown the chorizo over medium heat in a large skillet.
2. Once it’s about 80% finished, add your onion and celery and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the butter to clean off any bits sticking to the bottom of the pan.
4. Stir in the apricots and add the chicken broth.
5. Bring broth mixture to a boil and stir in cornbread stuffing.
6. Give it a good mix - then remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.
7. At this point the stuffing is done - you can serve and enjoy or feel free to stuff and cook inside the bird.

(I suggest if you are stuffing a large turkey or have lots of family, that you double this! )

Pumpkin Pie Cake

I’m sure this recipe has been shared all over the US - but I have to say it’s one of the easiest and best “pumpkin pie” recipes out there.  I am not one for “cheating” but if you hate making pie crust, try this instead.  It makes the equivalent of 2 pumpkin pies and is delicious.

1 32 oz can Pumpkin (pie mixture)
2 12 oz cans evaporated milk
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
4 eggs slightly beaten
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 box yellow cake mix
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup melted butter

1. In a large bowl blend together all but the last three ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Butter/grease a 9×13 in baking pan and pour in the pumpkin mixture.
4. Sprinkle dry cake mix over the pumpkin mixture until covered. Drizzle on the melted butter, and cover with chopped nuts.
5. Bake for one hour. Cool. Best served with real whipped cream!

The final product

My mom has made this recipe every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. It’s one of those things I look forward to about Thanksgiving. Pair with Destino’s Rosé of Syrah for a great match.

It’s NOT your grandma’s green bean casserole!

1.25 lbs of steamed fresh broccoli, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup mayonnaise (light works fine, but not miracle whip)
2 eggs
1/2 sweet onion small dice
1.5 cup cheddar cheese
1.5 cups stuffing mix
4 TBS melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together the mayonnaise, mushroom soup and egg.
3. In a 2-3 quart casserole dish, layer 1/2 the broccoli, half the soup mixture, and half of the cheese. Create a second layer of the same.
4. Sprinkle, spread the stuffing mix on top of both layers, drizzle with melted butter and bake for 30-35 minutes uncovered.