Merry Christmas From The EMM Familyl

 EEEEEEKKKKK! Christmas is only a week away! Are you ready? That shriek from me is 100% one of joy. Yes, I am the 40+ woman who gets just as excited as kids; and it is almost here!

I honestly hope you are able to enjoy the next 7 days and find magic of the season in the small moments. However, if you are still trying to plan a holiday menu, needing just one more dish to round the meal, you've come to the right place! 

I actually made this for the first time back on Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! Everyone couldn't get enough and if I do say so myself, raved about it! I loved the fact it could be made-ahead! I actually baked it on Tuesday, popped it in the fridge and then reheated it when the turkey was almost done.

With as delicious as this was served with a big beautiful roasted bird, it would be excellent next to your glazed Christmas ham too! 

To make this epic corn casserole, you literally just dump, stir and bake. That's it! Nothing complicated here. If you're wondering what it tastes like, think a little sweet, a little savory and oh so good. It's very close to corn spoon bread if you've ever had that! 

If corn casserole makes it to your table, that makes me so happy. To know something you saw on my blog becomes part of your Christmas celebration fills my heart with such gratefulness and joy. 

From our family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas! May the spirit of the season fill your life and the love that came down in a tiny baby boy surround you and yours. 

Easy Corn Casserole

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix

2 eggs

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 can creamed corn

1j/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup sour cream

Dried parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 baking dish. In a large bowl combine all ingredients except parsley. Stir well to combine. Pour into baking dish. Bake 50-55 minutes until golden brown. Garnish with parsley and serve. To make ahead: Prepare as directed, cool completely and cover. Keep in fridge for up to 2 days. When ready, uncover, let come to room temp for 30 minutes and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. 

Not a TikTok Fan

 So let me clarify that title. I am not here to bash anyone who loves TikTok, it just isn't something I get into. I'm not saying I never see anything from there- I don't live under a rock- but I don't have the app, and I don't seek TikTok videos out. If others share them with me, or I happen to see them in my social feeds, that's fine. 

In fact, that is exactly how I stumbled upon this recipe, which went viral on TikTok, and after eating it I know why. 

Raise your hand if you can always use new chicken recipes! Yep, me too! Even now that chicken can be pricey at the store, I want to be ready when it goes on sale because I'm going to stock up, and if I'm going to be cooking with it from the freezer for a while, I want some new dishes to play with. 

This is one of those dinners that looks fancy, but is super easy. Boneless chicken breasts in a creamy sauce flavored with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and Parmesan cheese. It is so delicious, the rumor is if you make it for a date, you might just get proposed to-hence the "marry me" title. 

We love this served with some buttered pasta on the side to soak up the extra sauce from the chicken, but it would be just as yummy with rice or mashed potatoes too. 

Marry Me Chicken is simple enough for a weeknight supper, but if you are hosting a dinner party during this holiday season, this will wow your guests; and can be doubled pretty easily if you've got a crowd coming. 

The lesson here? Just because you don't enjoy something that seems to be all the rage, that doesn't mean you can't still take something away from it and learn something new! I won't be a TikTok subscriber any time soon, but if you see a great recipe over there, send it my way!

Marry Me Chicken

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 chicken bouillon cube

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (8 oz.) jar sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 cup grated Parmesan/Romano cheese

2 TBS olive oil

Salt and Pepper  

Fresh parsley, for garnish

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown chicken well on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to plate. In the same pan, sauté garlic for 30 seconds, stirring the entire time. Add cream, bouillon, broth, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, cheese, salt and pepper. Stir well until combined. Add chicken back to pan. Spoon some sauce over the chicken. Reduce heat to medium and cook until internal temp of chicken is 165, about 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately with pasta, potatoes or rice.

Shared at Weekend Potluck

Perfect With Holiday Ham

 Today we are going back to the beginning of EMM. When I started this blog almost 12 years ago, this was one of the first recipes I shared. A family member had asked for the recipe, shared the dish, and then all her friends wanted the recipe too. Since that was the main reason I had began blogging, to share my recipes with those who kept asking for them, it was the perfect dish to debut on my brand new site.

Over the years I have heard from so many how much they enjoy this recipe, and how it has become part of their family gatherings and holidays. There is nothing that warms a food blogger's heart more than to know their food is now part of another family's memories and story.

If you've never heard the story behind this dish, it was a recipe my grandma gave my mom, and quickly became her go-to for potlucks at church. Many ladies were known for always taking the same dish for those carry-in meals after Sunday service, and this was mom's. It never failed- it was one of the first dishes to to and everyone wanted the recipe.

Baked Pineapple is warm, sweet, savory and so easy nobody will ever guess it takes almost no time at all. It is the perfect take-along to those holiday parties quickly approaching; and tastes so good with a beautiful glazed ham. 

This is one of those dishes you have the option of what course you serve it with. For our family, it has always been a side dish, but many fans have told me they like to serve it as dessert with a scoop of ice cream on top. Whichever way you choose, it is sure to be the new hit on your holiday menu.

I hope you're off to a good start planning your big Christmas meal. If you're looking for just one more thing to put your menu over the top, baked pineapple could definitely do the job!

  

Baked Pineapple Casserole

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, slightly drained

5 slices white sandwich bread, cubed

4 eggs

6 TBS butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2-3 quart baking dish. In a large bowl, use an electric mixture to cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat well until smooth. Add bread and pineapple. Mix well. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Bake for 1 hour until brown and bubbly.