Cheryl's Best Ever Ham

This recipe is from my boss, Cheryl who brought it in for a department Thanksgiving party.

1 semi boneless ham (I like the ones from Publix--about 8 - 10 lbs.)
1 jar pineapple preserves
1 lb brown sugar

Line a roasting pan with foil, and place the ham in the pan.
(Have the preserves and the brown sugar ready as your hands will get super sticky!)
Spread preserves over the ham, then press brown sugar on top of the preserves.
Cover with foil.
Bake 20 minutes per pound at 350 degrees or until internal temperature is 140 degrees.

I serve with Potatoes Anna, and fresh homemade rolls. Leftovers make wonderful ham biscuits.

Shrimp Scampi

This is the best shrimp scampi I have ever eaten, better than any restaurant. The secret ingredient is Dijon mustard, which I don't normally have a taste for, but it's fantastic in it.

1 c. butter
2 T. prepared Dijon mustard
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. chopped garlic
1 T. chopped fresh parsley or 1 t. dried parsley
2 lbs medium raw shrimp, shelled, deveined, with tails attached

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine everything but the shrimp, and remove when the butter is melted.
Put shrimp in a shallow baking dish, and pour the butter mixture over the shrimp.
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and opaque.

I serve this with linguine noodles and a leafy green salad, but Carraba's Italian Restaurant also serves it as an appetizer with toasty bread. Just an idea for something special or fancy. I usually use a package of precooked shrimp from Aldi when making this, only I bake it just till the shrimp are warmed through. Shrimp gets a nasty rubbery texture when overcooked.

6 servings

Potatoes Anna (5 star recipe)

This is a very simple, elegant way to serve potatoes, it is very easy but takes an hour and 15 minutes to bake. We like them with steaks, meatloaf, or even pork chops. Its easy to double or triple for guests.

4 T. butter
1 t. salt
3 large potatoes, peeled (about 4 cups)

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter with salt. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. With knife, or mandoline, slice potatoes about 1/8th inch thick.

3. Grease an 8" pie pan (I use a quiche plate), arrange potatoes slices around the pan and in the middle, in an overlapping pattern. Drizzle butter mixture over the top.

4. Cover tightly with foil, bake 20 minutes.

5. Uncover and bake about 55 minutes or until potatoes are very tender and crusty. ( I like them to be golden brown). Remove from oven and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. You can unmold it onto a plate and serve in wedges, but we usually just spoon it out of the quiche pan and eat it that way.

4 servings

--from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook, 1980 edition.