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The kitchen is the heart of the home, making Thanksgiving a time of cheer and togetherness. Here at Strobel Design Build, we want to help you create the perfect home for the holidays. This year, let us take care of the hard part so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time with the ones you love. Here are some of our favorite recipes for the holiday season.

Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

Ingredients

3 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled

Kosher salt

1 1/2 cups milk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes and place them in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with cold water and add enough salt so the water tastes quite salty. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan, making sure it doesn’t boil.

Set aside until the potatoes are done.

As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain them in a colander. Place a food mill fitted with a small disc/blade over a glass bowl. Process the potatoes through the food mill, turning the handle back and forth to force the potatoes through the disc. As soon as the potatoes are mashed, slowly whisk in enough of the hot milk/butter mixture to make the potatoes very creamy. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and the sour cream and pepper and whisk to combine. Taste for seasoning and serve hot.

Old-Fashioned Holiday Glazed Ham
Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients

1 spiral-sliced half ham (Paula prefers Smithfield)

1 20 -ounce can pineapple slices, juice reserved

15 to 20 whole cloves (optional)

1 small jar maraschino cherries

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

Directions

Preheat the oven as directed on the ham package and follow the instructions for baking the ham. Remove the ham from the oven about 30 minutes before the end of the warming time.

Decoratively arrange the pineapple slices on top of the ham, securing them with whole cloves, if using, or toothpicks. Place a cherry in the center of each pineapple ring and secure with a clove or toothpick.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and just enough of the reserved pineapple juice to make a thick glaze. Spoon the glaze over the ham and bake for the remaining 30 minutes. Remove the ham from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and carve

Pecan Pie

Recipe via Food Kitchen Network

Ingredients

Dough:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/4 cup chopped pecans

2 teaspoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick), diced

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Filling:

2 cups chopped toasted pecans

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

3 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

For the dough: Combine the flour, pecans, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until combined, and then add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with bean-size bits of butter, about 10 pulses. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times; don’t let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is very dry add up to 1 tablespoon cold water.)

Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade, and bring the dough together by hand. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.

Roll the dough out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges, leaving about 1 inch extra hanging over the edge. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick edge that is even with the rim. Flute the edge as desired. Freeze the pie shell for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile for the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the pecans, syrup, dark brown sugar, light brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the beaten eggs into the filling until smooth.

Put the pie shell onto a baking sheet and pour in the filling. Bake on the lower oven rack until the edges are set but the center is still slightly loose, 40 to 45 minutes. (If the edges get very dark, cover them with aluminum foil halfway through baking.)

Cool the pie on a rack, and then serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

We hope these recipes will help make this special holiday a breeze. From all of us here at Strobel Design Build, we wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!