November 26, 2011: Turkey Leftovers Tetrazzini Recipe

Have you had your fill of turkey sandwiches yet? If so, try this yummy main dish recipe to use up more of your turkey and stuffing leftovers.

Turkey Tetrazzini

8 ounces thin spaghetti

2 cups shredded cooked turkey

3 T. butter

8 ounces mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 small yellow onion, minced

2 cups half and half

2 cups shredded white cheese (such as swiss or mozzarella)

½ cup diced green chiles

1 t. dried parsley or 1 T. fresh parsley, chopped

1 t. salt

½ t. black pepper

1 cup prepared stuffing (optional)

Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Add turkey to spaghetti and place in greased pan.

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onion; cook until soft. Add half and half, cheese, chilies, parsley, salt and pepper. Heat through. Pour over noodles and turkey. Top with stuffing, if using (if not, cover with foil).

Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil, if using, and cook an additional 5 minutes to brown top of casserole.

Serves 8

Tip: Don't have any half and half on hand? Substitute 2 cups milk and add 1/4 cup flour to the onions and mushrooms at the end of sauteeing.

November 8, 2011: Quiche Lorraine Recipe

Here’s my favorite version of the classic Quiche Lorraine. The filling is just enough for the shell without overflowing the crust, as many other recipes will do. Being that I always have eggs on hand, this is one of my favorite brunch dishes.

Quiche Lorraine

Crust:

1 cup flour

¾ t. salt

1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) shortening

3 T. cold water

Mix together the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle the water over the top and combine with a fork. Shape into a ball. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and fit to 8” pie pan.

Filling:

6 slices bacon

1/3 cup diced yellow onion

6 ounces sliced Muenster cheese, cubed in small pieces

4 eggs

1 T. flour

1 cup half and half

½ t. each black pepper, mustard, paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a heavy skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel. Add the onions to the same pan and cook for a couple minutes, just until soft. Crumble the bacon into the pie crust. Remove onions from skillet with a slotted spoon and add to pie crust on top of bacon. Sprinkle cheese over all.

Whisk together eggs, flour, half and half and seasonings. Slowly pour into pie shell. Cover edges with foil or a crust guard. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, until firm in the center.

May 13, 2011: Chicken Pot Pies Recipe

Are you wondering what to do with that leftover chicken in your fridge and you’re tired of chicken salad sandwiches? How about making quick and easy individual chicken pot pies for dinner?

The other day at my women’s Bible study meeting, our hostess, Phyllis, was giving away several old cooking magazine she no longer wanted. Being the foodie that I am, I jumped at the chance to take them home. As I was thumbing through a Southern cooking issue from last Thanksgiving, I found several recipes for pot pies. Although I usually think of this dish as a comfort food for cooler weather, I had some leftover chicken and it sounded good right now (besides, it’s been staying rather cool here and doesn’t feel at all like spring).

I took a conglomeration of those pot pie recipes and turned them into this one, simple dish that was perfect for using up all the leftovers in my fridge. Don’t feel compelled to use the same vegetables I did; nearly anything you’ve got on hand will work nicely.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies

4 T. butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
2/3 cup half and half
¼ cup chicken stock (if necessary to thin sauce)
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1 cup cooked cauliflower florets
2 red potatoes, cooked, peeled, and chopped
2 cups chicken, shredded
1 sheet puff pastry

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 4 individual baking dishes, including the rims. Take the puff pastry sheet from the freezer and thaw at room temperature while preparing the pot pie filling.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the chopped onion and cook for a couple minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the soup, half and half, and chicken stock and heat through. Add remaining ingredients, up until puff pastry, and stir until combined. Divide mixture between the four prepared dishes.

The dough on these was a little too thick - next time I will roll it out thinner so it completely covers the top of the bowls.

Place the puff pastry sheets onto a floured surface and cut into fourths. Lightly roll out the sheets so they fit your baking dishes (the thinner the better it will cook) and place over the top of the chicken filling in each dish. Press down lightly so it covers the filling. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the crust is cooked through.