A Busy Mom's Do-Ahead Menu

Southern Living, Nov 2004 by Harrington, Shirley, Lewis, Alison

This make-ahead Hanukkah menu will brighten any table.

"This is a holiday everyone looks forward to, so I try to make it easy and fun," says Melanie Appell Dillenberg. Melanie is referring to the eightday Festival of Lights known as Hanukkah, which arrives this year on December 7 at sundown. "It's a festive holiday to share with the family," she adds. A busy working mother, she enjoys a casual menu starting with a homemade brisket that she often prepares a few weeks ahead of time and freezes. Her husband, Alan, is in charge of the latkes (potato pancakes), and the family gathers in front of the menorahs for candle-lighting. Melanie's menu is simple to prepare, family friendly, and the recipes can be made ahead. Try some of them during the holiday season or any time of the year. SHIRLEY HARRINGTON, ALISON LEWIS

SPICY APRICOT BRISKET

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

PREP: 20 MIN.; BAKE: 3 HRS., 30 MIN.; STAND: 20 MIN.

If you love barbecue, put this entrée on your list. Melanie's friend, Rosalyn Bloomston, shared this recipe with her. Melanie freezes it in portions for fast weeknight meals.

1 (5½-pound) beef brisket, trimmed

2 teaspoons garlic salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 (10-ounce) cans shredded sauerkraut, drained

2 (10-ounce) jars apricot preserves

2 (12-ounce) bottles chili sauce

PLACE brisket, fat side up, in a roasting pan. Sprinkle evenly with garlic salt and pepper. Stir together sauerkraut, preserves, and chili sauce; pour over beef.

BAKE, covered, at 350° for 3½ hours or until tender.

REMOVE brisket from pan, reserving sauce mixture in pan; let stand 20 minutes. Cut brisket across the grain into thin slices using a sharp knife.

POUR sauce mixture from roasting pan through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl; reserve, if desired. Serve strained sauce and, if desired, sauerkraut with sliced brisket.

MELANIE APPELL DILLENBERG BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

TO MAKE AHEAD: Prepare and bake as directed. Remove brisket from pan, reserving sauce mixture in pan; let stand 1 hour. Cut brisket across the grain into thin slices using a sharp knife. Place brisket slices in a 13- χ 9inch baking dish. Pour sauce mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, reserving sauerkraut mixture, if desired. Pour strained sauce over brisket slices; cover and chill up to 24 hours. Reheat as directed.

TO FREEZE UP TO 3 MONTHS: Place brisket slices and strained sauce evenly into large zip-top plastic freezer bags; freeze. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Place brisket and sauce in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Reheat as directed.

TO REHEAT: Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Bake, covered, at 325° for 45 minutes or until hot.

GREEN BEANS WITH SHALLOTS

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

PREP: 25 MIN., COOK: 15 MIN.

The first step is a cooking technique called blanching. You cook the green beans just a little, and then stop the cooking process by plunging vegetables in cold water.

2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

2 medium shallots, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1½ teaspoons herb-vegetable seasoning blend

Freshly ground pepper to taste

COOK green beans in boiling salted water to cover 8 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain.

SAUTÉ shallots in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add green beans, seasoning blend, and pepper; sauté until thoroughly heated. Serve immediately.

MELANIE APPELL DILLENBERG

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

NOTE: For testing purposes only, we used Spike's Seasoning.

TO MAKE AHEAD: Wrap blanched green beans in a dry paper towel, and place in a large zip-top plastic bag. Chill up to 24 hours. Proceed with recipe as directed.

QUICK POTATO-CHIVE PANCAKES

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

PREP: 10 MIN., STAND: 20 MIN., COOK: 30 MIN.

Double the recipe if you're feeding a crowd.

PREPARE 1 (6-ounce) package potato pancake mix according to package directions for batter. Stir 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives into batter. Let batter stand 20 minutes. Fry pancakes according to package directions using heaping tablespoonfuls of batter. If desired, top with applesauce or sour cream and chopped fresh chives.

QUICK SWEET POTATO-CHIVE PANCAKES: Substitute 1 (6-ounce) package sweet potato pancake mix for regular; proceed as directed.

TO KEEP WARM: Place fried pancakes on a wire rack on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Keep warm in a 200° oven for up to 30 minutes.

NOTE: For testing purposes only, we used Manischewitz Potato Pancake Mixes.

CHUNKY CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

MAKES 9 BROWNIES

PREP: 20 MIN., COOK: 5 MIN., COOL: 5 MIN., BAKE: 28 MIN.

Chocolate chunks make these brownies fudgy; decrease baking time to 23 minutes to make them extra gooey.

2 tablespoons water

¾ cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup butter

1 (11.5-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chunks, divided

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped hazelnuts or pecans, toasted

Powdered sugar

COMBINE first 3 ingredients in a 3½-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in 1 cup chocolate chunks until smooth. Let cool 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, stirring just until blended. Stir in vanilla.