#apple-filling

#apple-filling

Dollywood is home to more than 20 dining options, including full-service restaurants and fast casual dining, with its signature cinnamon bread being a standout item.

Turkey breast halves, roasted in less than an hour, can be the star of delicious midweek entrees. Or view those roasted turkey breasts, sliced and packaged, then stored in the freezer, as a great addition to sandwiches, as well as casseroles, pasta or salads.

Table Talk goes way back, all the way to 1924, when Greek immigrants Theodore Tonna and Angelo Cotsidas founded the company in Worcester, Massachusetts. Now in its third generation, the family-owned company produces an estimated 240 million pies a year, sold in all 50 states and beyond.

Apple wedges, shallots, cider, vinegar, bone broth, garlic, and woody herbs tie everything together, creating a simple yet spectacular one-pan meal. The stewed apples and salty pork practically beg for the refreshing, spicy kick that freshly grated horseradish provides as a finishing touch. (Prepared horseradish works here too, but it's worth seeking out fresh.) I recommend having lots of crusty sourdough bread ready on the table for mopping up all the shalloty gravy.

Let's talk about holiday baking that goes beyond cookies! These are the festive winter bakes to try. The list includes an ultra fragrant gingerbread cake, a bright citrus loaf, and the perfect flourless chocolate cake. Few people love baking holiday cookies more than me, but a good amount of my favorite December baking happens outside the cookie platter. Think fragrant spice cakes, all things citrus, buttery, and bright - or deep, melty chocolate on the frostiest nights.

It's hard to deny that chicken pot pie is pure coziness wrapped inside of a pastry shell. There's rich gravy and tender chicken chunks, bright vegetables and an impossibly flaky crust. It's the kind of meal that will always make your mouth water, especially when the oven timer seems to be taking forever. So when you're seconds away from creamy filling cascading onto your plate, it can be hard to resist the urge to grab a fork and dig right in.

Sweet potato pie filling is creamy and custardy, just like the filling of pumpkin pie. When unbaked, the wet filling can make a raw pie crust soggy. This can happen after you freeze an unbaked pie. George tells us, "The filling is usually raw eggs, dairy, and starches, which would lead to a strange texture when thawed and a very soggy crust." Once cooked, however, the filling solidifies into a custard.

When it comes to homemade pumpkin pies, George shares her experience from a self-instigated baking extravaganza. "I put myself to the test myself by baking 12 different pumpkin pie recipes (mostly from food bloggers, with a couple from cookbooks)," she explains. Only one of the recipes required puréeing fresh pumpkin, so it was easy to distinguish the results compared to the other 11 pies. In her opinion, all the extra work didn't justify the time, mess, and effort.