Cousin Rhonda’s
Baked Brie
Alma Schneider, Montclair, New Jersey
THIS RECIPE WAS given to
me by my (future) husband’s
cousin, Rhonda, at the first
holiday event I ever attended
with his side of the family.
Aside from the Brie, you can
have everything on hand in
the pantry. I do believe this easy-to-assemble
appetizer closed the deal, and we were married soon after.
¼ cup apricot jam
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup honey
Wheel of Brie, about 6 inches in diameter
(about 20 ounces)
½ cup chopped pecans
Crystal Maleski, Long Grove, Illinois
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
MY FAMILY LOVES mashed
potatoes, but I don’t always
have time to make them or
don’t want to have to fuss with
mashing and mixing right
before dinner. This recipe
solves both problems. It can
be made several days ahead and kept in the
refrigerator. If your family won’t eat 5 pounds
of potatoes, you can place the recipe in two casserole dishes and serve one later in the week.
Scrub, peel and rinse the potatoes, and cut
them into 2-inch pieces. Place them in a
large stockpot and cover with water. Boil until
fork tender, approximately 18 to 20 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and add remaining ingredients. Mash and mix well. To thoroughly mix
ingredients you may want to use a hand or
stand mixer. Taste and adjust amount of salt
if necessary.
Transfer mashed potatoes to a shallow baking dish and cover with foil. Potatoes can be
kept warm in the oven at this point, refrigerated or frozen. Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Make-ahead tip: These can be made several days ahead and kept in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake for 30 to
45 minutes or until hot.
In a medium bowl, whisk together jam, brown
sugar and honey.
Slice off the top of the Brie rind. With a knife
or spoon, dig a wide hole in the cheese,
leaving about an inch around the sides and
a half inch on the bottom. Save the removed
cheese on a plate.
Fill the hole with half of the jam mixture, then
place the removed cheese on top of the mixture. Top the cheese with the rest of the mixture, and top off everything with the pecans.
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Place the Brie in
an ovenproof baking dish, cover loosely with
foil and bake until the cheese starts melting,
about 20 minutes. Remove the foil for a few
minutes so pecans get a bit toasted. Serve
with a knife and crackers. Makes 4 to 6
appetizer servings.
Alma Schneider blogs about overcoming obstacles to cooking for the family at Take Back the
Kitchen (http://takebackthekitchen.blogspot.
com). She and her husband are now busy raising four children.
5 pounds baking potatoes
½ cup ( 1 stick) butter
1 cup sour cream*
8 ounces cream cheese, softened*
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
* OK to use reduced fat versions
You’ll find fine fresh produce and other ingredients for all your holiday meals at Costco.
For more recipes featuring ingredients available at Costco, see our latest cookbook,
Smart Cooking The Costco Way, which will be
handed out free of charge in the warehouses
the weekend after Thanksgiving on a first-
The Costco Connection
Crystal Maleski shops at the Costco in Lake
Zurich, Illinois. See her website at www.
makedinnereasy.com.
come, first-served basis.
An electronic version
of the cookbook will be
posted on November
29 at Costco.com; click
on “Costco Connection
Magazine,” then “Recipes The Costco Way.”
NOVEMBER 2010 ;e Costco Connection 35
