Thanksgiving Stuffing
Impress your Thanksgiving guests with this delicious stuffing recipe, where every bite is a grateful celebration of savory goodness.
STUFFING
1 loaf of bread*, cut into ½ inch cubes
½ onion, diced (about 1 cup)
3-4 stalks celery, finely diced (about 1 ½ cups)
1 medium carrot, grated
½ lb ground sausage (I use Turkey sausage)
¾ cup unsalted butter
⅓ cup fresh parsley, finely minced
3 tsp fresh sage, finely minced
2 cups chicken broth*
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder, to taste
NOTES:
Bread: For best results, use a heavier bread like wheat bread, cornbread or sourdough, not a light and airy sandwich bread like Wonderbread.
Make ahead instructions: Prepare the stuffing 1 day in advance to give the flavors time to soak in. To make ahead of time, prepare as directed but don’t bake it. Store in a covered casserole dish in the fridge. Before your Thanksgiving meal, remove the stuffing from the fridge and allow it to sit on the counter for 30 minutes to bring to room temperature, then follow the baking instructions.
Vegetarian/Vegan: To make this vegetarian, leave out the sausage. To make this recipe vegan, use oil instead of butter and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Cut the bread into cubes using a sharp serrated knife. Try not to smash the bread too much as you’re cutting. Spread the bread cubes out onto a baking sheet to dry out for at least 24 hours, OR set your oven to 200 degrees F and cook for 2 hours to dry, tossing them occasionally.
Finely dice the onion and celery, grate the carrot, and mince the parsley and sage.
Brown the sausage and break it into small pieces as it cooks. Drain the sausage well and use a paper towel to soak up excess grease.
Melt the butter in a pan on medium heat and add the onions and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the carrots and cook for 3 more minutes. Add in the sage and gently stir in, cook until the sage is starting to wilt and release its flavors.
Add the dried bread cubes into a mixing bowl, sprinkle in the parsley, add the cooked sausage, and gently mix together. Pour the veggies with butter over the dried bread cubes and sausage and gently mix again to combine.
Slowly add in the chicken broth. Start with 1 cup and slowly pour small amounts of broth as you stir gently. It is important not to pour all of the broth in at once, as it will make soggy spots in the bread. You want to make sure the bread is slightly moist, but not overly wet. Add in your seasonings at this time as you’re stirring.
Pour the stuffing into a greased casserole dish and cover with tin foil.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Enjoy your Thanksgiving stuffing!
Broccoli and Cheese Is A Great Thanksgiving Side
This is a Thanksgiving side dish your family will love, and it’s made with WIC-approved foods. This super nutritious vegetable topped with cheese will be loved by everyone gathered around your table. You will want to keep serving it up this winter because it’s a cozy dish for winter weather.
Cheese Sauce For Broccoli
Cooked broccoli, fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup of milk
1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add flour and keep whisking until you form a paste. Add milk and keep whisking for about 5 minutes or until it is thick. Add cheese and combine until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked broccoli to the mixture or use topping to spread on top of your broccoli, using just as much as desired. * You can also add cooked rice to the broccoli and cheese.
Note: Cheese sauce can also be used for topping for potatoes or other types of vegetables. Enjoy!
Crock Pot Split Pea Soup
Cozy up with a filling split pea soup slow-cooked in a crock pot. A bowlful of goodness that’s great for chilly days, and perfect for using up holiday leftovers like ham or a ham bone!
Split Pea Soup
1 onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 bag (16 oz) of split peas
1 box (32 oz) of chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
1 ½ cups of diced ham, or a leftover ham bone
Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Paprika, Celery Seed
Add all ingredients into a crock pot and set to high heat. Cover and cook for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. If you like your soup thinner, you can add extra chicken broth or water. Enjoy!
Texas WIC Fruit, Vegetable Benefit Increase Extended
Texas WIC has announced that the WIC fruit and vegetable dollar amount increase is now extended through September.
This extension, which is now being offered through Sept. 30, 2024, has different dollar amounts based on your category. Eligible clients will receive the following:
- Children get $26 each month
- Pregnant, postpartum and some breastfeeding clients get $47 each month
- Fully and partially breastfeeding clients get $52 each month
If your benefits for November and December are for the lower dollar amount, WIC advises: “Use the myWIC app or contact your WIC office to schedule an appointment to update your card. In myWIC, choose the appointment called “Load WIC Card” to schedule a time to update your card with the higher dollar amount, according to its website.
You can check your WIC benefits by requesting a balance receipt from the cashier at Lone Star Family Market.
WIC benefits are expected to return to their normal levels Oct. 2024, which are $12 for pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women and $10 for children ages 1 to 5.
Potato Sides Perfect For Thanksgiving, Fall
Using WIC-Approved Foods For Your Family Dinner
Fall is the perfect time to dish out comfort food, and Thanksgiving is the perfect place for these foods. Many may argue that the perfect side dish is the potato. It’s also a perfect side for Thanksgiving.
As you prepare for Thanksgiving you might already be thinking about your menu. To help make preparing for the day easier, you might need a few ideas of sides your family will love. Here are a few recipes – featuring WIC-approved foods – we think you will like.
What’s better than hot, comforting cheesy potatoes? This dish is so good it can be a dinner on its own.
SCALLOPED POTATOES 
4 cups of thinly sliced russet potatoes (about 4-5 medium-sized potatoes)
4 cups of thinly sliced russet potatoes (about 4-5 medium-sized potatoes)
2 cups of grated cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese)
3 cups of whole milk
1/4 cup of unsalted butter
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of salt (adjust to taste)
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the flour to create a roux. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes until the roux is light golden brown. Whisk in the milk to the roux, ensuring there are no lumps. Continue to cook and whisk until the mixture thickens, which should take about 5-7 minutes. Season the sauce with salt, black pepper. Layer half of the sliced potatoes in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Pour half of the cheese sauce evenly over the first layer of potatoes. Repeat with another layer. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove the foil and bake until the top is golden brown, and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
This next recipe is classic, and many like to serve for Thanksgiving. It’s also perfect for fall.
MASHED POTATOES
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Peel the potatoes and cut them into evenly-sized pieces. Place the potato chunks in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Add a pinch of salt to the water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and let the potatoes simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until they are fork-tender. You should be able to easily pierce the potatoes with a fork without them falling apart. Drain the cooked potatoes in a colander. Return the drained potatoes to the pot and place it back on the stove over low heat. Add the butter and milk to the potatoes. Start by adding half of the milk and butter and then adjust to your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mash the potatoes using a potato masher or a hand mixer. Mash until the potatoes are smooth and creamy. Be careful not to overmix.
THE PERFECT OVEN FRIED POTATOES 
4-5 medium-sized russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, toss the potato with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any optional seasonings like paprika and garlic powder. Ensure the potatoes are evenly coated. Spread the seasoned potato pieces in a single layer on the hot baking sheet. Make sure they are not overcrowded to allow them to crisp up. Roast the potatoes in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, flipping them once or twice during cooking, until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside.