Holiday Recipes from The Help: Cheesecake Pecan Pie, Sweet Potato Casserole and More

I usually don’t get to post recipes on Reel Life With Jane, but the wonderful folks at Click Communications, the company that reps [amazon_link id=”B004A8ZWVU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Help[/amazon_link], sent along some warm Southern recipes from the movie, out on DVD and Blu-ray this week.

These recipes were created by The Help‘s food stylist Lee Ann Flemming, a junior high English teacher in Cruger, Mississippi (love that she’s not a Hollywood type). You can buy her book, Recipes and Remembrances, at Amazon. She’s also working on another cookbook, which is good thing because I’m sure she’s had tons of interest from this movie.

Without further adieu, here are a few recipes from the movie (read my review of The Help). Don’t worry – Minny’s chocolate pie isn’t included!

SPINACH-STUFFED SQUASH

4 yellow crookneck squash
Melted butter
Salt and pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese

Spinach stuffing:
½  cup chopped onion
½  cup butter
2 (10 oz.) packages frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
1 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
Bread crumbs (garnish)

Cook whole squash in boiling, salted water for about 10 minutes until tender. Very carefully, cut into halves and scoop out the seeds. Sprinkle each shell with butter, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.

Spinach Stuffing: Sauté onions in butter until tender. Add spinach, salt, sour cream, and vinegar and blend well. Stuff each squash shell with spinach mixture. Sprinkle each with additional Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Dot with butter. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
cup melted butter
2 eggs beaten
1 Tbsp. vanilla
½ cup raisins (optional)

Mix well and pour into a butter casserole.

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup melted butter

Mix topping with fork and sprinkle crumbs on top of casserole. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

CHEESECAKE PECAN PIE

1 (15 oz.) pkg. refrigerated pie crusts
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
4 large eggs, divided
¾  cup sugar, divided
2 tsp. vanilla, divided
¼  tsp. salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup light corn syrup

Unfold and stack two pie crusts together. Gently roll  or press together and fit into a 9-inch pie plate according to directions; fold edges under and crimp. (For a home-made flavor, try Lee Ann’s Home-made Pie Crust recipe below.) Beat cream cheese, 1 egg, ½ cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla and salt at medium speed with a mixer until smooth. Pour into pie crust and sprinkle with pecans. Stir together corn syrup, 3 eggs, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and remaining 1 tsp. vanilla and pour mixture over pecans. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes until set.

HOME-MADE PIE CRUST

1 ¼ cups plain flour
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup shortening (butter flavor shortening is great, too)
4-5 tbsp. cold ice water

In a medium bowl, stir flour and salt together. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat using 1 tbsp. of water at a time, until all the flour mixture is moistened. Form dough into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten dough. Roll dough from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin. Unroll pastry into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it. Trim pastry to ½ inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry. Crimp edges as desired.

MAMAW’S HOMEMADE ROLLS

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup boiling water
2 eggs
2 pkg. dry yeast
1 cup dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
6 cups sifted flour

Soak yeast in the lukewarm water. Pour boiling water over the shortening, sugar, and salt. Allow this mixture to cool to lukewarm. Add yeast to this mixture. Add eggs and flour. Stir and mix well. Cover and store in the refrigerator overnight (or at least 3-4 hours).  Note: The mixture will keep for a week in the refrigerator.

Remove the portion you wish to use and knead on a floured board. Roll thin and cut with a biscuit cutter. Dip half in melted butter and fold over for pocket rolls. Place in a greased pan and allow to rise 2-3 hours. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes. This recipe can be easily cut in half.

MRS. WALTERS’ FRUIT SALAD

1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1 can flaked coconut
1 small jar red Maraschino cherries, drained
1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream

Mix and refrigerate. Note: Save the drained juice from oranges and pineapples. Add to orange juice to enhance your morning beverage.

Check out this clip from The Help, where Minny (Octavia Spencer) and Aibileen (Viola Davis) joke together about their employers in the privacy of the kitchen.