Turkey and Stuffing Crepes #SundaySupper

We all look forward to Thanksgiving. It is the biggest foodie holiday of the year after all. I think most of us look forward to the leftovers almost as much as the big day itself. Turkey Sandwiches, Turkey Soup, Turkey Broth, and of course just reheating the goods and gobbling it down again.

But what about taking it a step or two further and making a whole new, different meal? The possibility list just expanded quite a bit didn't it?

Today's Sunday Supper is all about doing just that. Re-inventing your Thanksgiving leftovers.

One of my favorite things to do, and I've been doing this in various forms for years, is to use the turkey to fill crepes. It's such a simple, no fuss dinner that your family is sure to enjoy.

A quick note about the crepes: If you want to make them from scratch, go for it. Did I? Nooooo. Not that I haven't but to be honest, after spending the whole day in the kitchen on Thanksgiving, I don't usually have the drive to actually make crepes. I buy them from the market. Pre-made. They're found in the produce section of all places. I guess cuz they're known mostly for being filled with fruit. I happen to love them filled with yummy savory turkey and stuffing.

Turkey and Stuffing Crepes

Printable Version

2 cups cooked turkey, shredded
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup craisins
2 cups gravy, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups stuffing
10 crepes
1 cup cranberry sauce
1 tablespoon cranberry juice
chopped chives to garnish

Preheat the oven to 350'F. Spray a 13 x 9 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Heat the oil in a medium size skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey, craisins, and 3/4 cup of the gravy. Heat through, stirring occasionally for about 3 - 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Scoop 1/4 cup of the turkey mixture along the center of the crepe and top with 1/4 cup of the stuffing.

Very gently roll up the crepe, folding in the sides as you go and place into your prepared casserole dish. Repeat with the remaining crepes until you have prepared all 10.

Pour the remaining gravy over the top.

Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, heat up the cranberry sauce, adding the cranberry juice (or water) to thin out just a bit.

When the crepes are done baking, remove from oven. Gently remove the crepes from the pan with a long spatula to serve (if you're not careful, they will fall apart a bit). Pour the heated cranberry sauce over the top and garnish with chopped chives.

Doesn't get much easier than that, does it? It just a fancified turkey sandwich but it's elegant enough to serve for dinner.

I know there are more leftovers than just turkey and stuffing, so I think you need to check out what the rest of the Sunday Supper team has in store for you:


Breakfast:

• Cranberry Sauce Muffins by The Foodie Army Wife 
• Leftover Stuffing Breakfast Strata by Ruffles & Truffles 
• Sweet Potato Casserole Muffins by Magnolia Days 
• Turkey & Chorizo Breakfast Hash by Brunch with Joy 
• Italian Mashed Potato Pancakes by The Weekend Gourmet 
• Cranberry Sauce'd Corn Bread Muffins by Rhubarb and Honey 

Main Dish:

• Leftover Pie by Jane's Adventures in Dinner 
• Thanksgiving Leftover Waffles by Foxes Love Lemons 
• Stuffing Hash by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Turkey Pizza by Meal Diva 
• Turkey & Caramelized Onion Risotto by kimchi MOM 
• Turkey with Creamy Mushroom Marsala Sauce by Casa de Crews 
• Moroccan Turkey Stew by What Smells So Good? 
• Peruvian Cilantro & Turkey Soup by The Little Ferraro Kitchen 
• Turkey & Butternut Squash Stew by Cooking Chat 
• Turkey Kreplach Soup by Panning the Globe 
• Turkey & Stuffing Crepes by Peaceful Cooking 
• Cranberry Apple Pecan Chicken Salad by NeighborFood 
• Herbed Turkey over Cornbread Waffles with Cranberry Sauce by girlichef 
• Creamy Peanut Gochujang Pasta by Wallflour Girl 
• Cranberry Sweet Potato Soup by Take A Bite Out of Boca 
• Turkey Enchilada Pasta Bake by Curious Cuisiniere 
• Turkey Orzo Risotto by Family Foodie 
• Turkey Croquettes by Cindy's Recipes and Writings 

Side Dishes:

• Cheesy Mashed Potato Croquettes by Noshing with the Nolands 
• Whipped Carrots with Sriracha Butter by Healthy Delicious 
• Cranberry-Balsamic Glazed Cauliflower Wings by Cupcakes & Kale Chips 
• Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower and Potatoes by Momma's Meals 
• Cheesy Jalapeño Potato Cakes by Bobbi's Cozy Kitchen 

Sandwiches:

• Cranberry & Turkey Sandwich by The Redhead Baker \
• Monte Cristo Sandwich by Nik Snacks 
• Hot Brown Turkey Sandwiches by The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch 
• Sprouted Grain Turkey, Cranberry & Brie Panini by Amee's Savory Dish 
• Turkey Cranberry Flatbread by Peanut Butter and Peppers 

Condiments & Sauces:

• Cranberry Vinaigrette by Nosh My Way 
• Leftover White Wine Syrup by Food Lust People Love 
• DIY Yellow Mustard by The Texan New Yorker 

Dessert:

• Banana Cheesecake with Pecan Graham Cracker Crust by Desserts Required
• Cranberry Cream Cheese Bars by That Skinny Chick Can Bake 
• Gluten-Free Lemon Cake by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks 
• Spiced Cranberry Sauce Buckle by The Wimpy Vegetarian 

Cocktails & Drinks:

• Cranberry Orange Crush by The Messy Baker 
• Cranberry Bellini by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

 Join the #SundaySupper conversation on Twitter on Sunday!We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7 p.m. ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtagand remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

BBQ Beef Mac 'N Cheese

This is one of those dishes that kinda sounded odd to me. Intriguing...but I wasn't sure what to expect. I mean...this would require me to mess with an old favorite. After all, there is that saying...if it ain't broke, don't fix it. And people can be picky about their Mac 'N Cheese.

I'm so glad I messed with it.

Why would I even be thinking about doing this, you ask? Well...it all started when I received a jar of Uncle Gary's Gourmet Candied Jalapeno BBQ Sauce that I order from Uncle Gary's Peppers and Pepper Jelly

The minute I got it, I had to do the spoon test. OMG...I was hooked instantly. This stuff is amazing! I'm really picky about BBQ sauce. Not that I'm an expert or anything...but I know what I like. It has the perfect sweet BBQ tang, hint of smoke and a little jalapeno after-burn. And the consistency is perfect! (I can't stand runny BBQ sauce.)

Of course I had it with dinner that night. In an amazing BBQ sammich....

that consisted of fork tender chunks of chuck steak, grilled mushrooms and onions with melted smoked Gouda, the Candied Jalapeno BBQ Sauce of course, all on a toasted bun.

I ate two of them.

And used lots and lots of napkins.

Back to my point....Why would I mess with an American classic like Mac 'N Cheese? Because I wanted to try the sauce in something out of the ordinary. I mean, I knew it would be great on the standard ribs or chicken. And now I know that it's amazing in Mac 'N Cheese!!

BBQ Beef Mac 'N Cheese
Printable Version

5 oz elbow macaroni, cooked according to package instructions, drained
1 cup cooked beef, shredded or cubed
3 TB butter
3 TB flour
1/2 cup heavy cream (or milk)
1/2 cup beef broth
1 cup Uncle Gary's Gourmet Candied Jalapeno BBQ Sauce (or your favorite)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or to taste)
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese (or to taste)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup shredded smoked Gouda
1/2 cup cracker crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375' F. Spray an 8" round or square oven safe dish with cooking spray. 

Pour the cooked pasta into the dish. Toss in the cooked beef and set aside.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter over a medium low heat. Whisk in the flour and continue whisking for a few minutes. Don't let the flour get too brown. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream, beef broth and BBQ sauce. Continue to whisk until the sauce thickens. Don't let this happen too quickly...you want to cook out the flour taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Add the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses and stir until melted

Pour the sauce over the pasta beef mixture and stir until combined. 

Top with the smoked Gouda and cracker crumbs. Place the dish on a baking sheet...just in case it bubbles over. 

Bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on top.  

Allow to cool for a few minutes than serve.

If you happen to have any leftover, by all means....heat it up and have it for breakfast

BTW...I'm out of Candied Jalapeno BBQ Sauce now. It lasted a whole 3 days. I guess that's what happens when you eat it every night for dinner.

I have more on order. And this time I'm buying more than just one jar.

Thank God!

P.S. Uncle Gary's Peppers and Pepper Jelly is having a sale this weekend (7/13/13 & 7/14/13) Just sayin...

Green Bean Casserole - Alton Brown Style

I don't think Green Bean Casserole can ever really be considered "healthy". If you're gonna do it right, that is. Even if you use non-fat milk or some other milk alternative...it just won't be the same without those crispy French's French Fried Onions. I think I saw a low-carb or low-fat version at the market, but didn't pick them up. It seems that a lot of those altered products make up for the "low-this" and "non-that" by adding more sugar or sodium to boost the flavor. I once tried making the fried onions myself...in the oven. It didn't cut it. At all (sorry Alton).

Alton Brown has his Best Ever Green Bean Casserole recipe that is very very good. What I like about it most is that it doesn't use canned soup. You have fresh mushrooms, half and half, broth and other wonderful ingredients....without the MSG. Ya I know...those fried onions are loaded with MSG...but I just can't make this dish without them...so once in a while...I turn a blind eye. (a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.)

For the past several years, I've been making Alton's Green Bean Casserole. It only takes a little more time than the "original" Campbell's Soup version. You can do it ahead of time and just stick it in the fridge (before adding the fried onions) until you're ready to cook it. If you've found that the sauce has thickened more than you like, just add a little broth or half and half and you're ready to go.

I know that most people either hate it or love it....but Green Bean Casserole has been a favorite of mine since I was a child and I can't imagine a holiday meal with out.

Green Bean Casserole - without the canned soup
Printable Version

1 lb fresh green beans, cut into 2" pieces, cooked
2 TB butter
12 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 TB flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup half and half
1 1/2 cups French's French Fried Onions (or more if desired)

Preheat oven to 375' F.

In a large 12" cast iron skillet (or other oven safe skillet) melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start giving up some of their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue cooking for another minute or so.

Add the flour, stir to combine and continue to cook for a minute. Stir in the broth and continue to cook for a minute.

Lower the heat to medium-low and pour in the half and half.

Cook for about 6 - 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the green beans. (this is the point where I let it cool a little and place in the fridge until I'm ready to continue).

Note: If you put this dish in the fridge, the sauce may have thickened even more while sitting. If that's the case, just add a little (1/4 cup?) of broth until you have the desired consistency again.

Stir in 1/2 cup of French Fried Onions. Sprinkle the remaining onions on top.

Place in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes, until bubbly and the onions have browned a bit. 

And there you have it. Easy peasy. Better than ever.  

a vintage green bean casserole....just updated a little.

#CooksNetwork

Lady and Sons Chicken Pot Pie

First was Tyler Florence's Chicken Francese
Second was Ann Burrell's Braised Chicken with Tomatillos and Jalapenos
Third came a version of Ina Garten's Apple Pie; Apple Pear Pie in a Cast Iron Skillet

Now I'm on to Paula Deen. One of my favorite comfort foods is chicken pot pie. When I saw Paula Deen top hers with puff pastry.....well, it was a no brainer. I had to give it a try. Turns out that one of my daughter's liked the puff pastry more than what I normally do (which is pour bisquik over the top). My other daughter is lactose intolerant, has decided to eat gluten free and has slowly become a vegetarian. Sir Sportsalot wasn't home that night. My take? I'll tell you in a minute.

Btw, if you don't know what I'm doing....I'm cooking something from each of the celebrity chefs that some friends over on my Facebook Page, PeacefulCooking had listed as their favorite chefs. My next post will be a recipe from Jacques Pepin.

Back to the chicken pot pie. I cut the recipe in half and baked them in single serving bowls. With the girls grown (still living at home) and gone most of the time, I'm trying to teach myself how to cook less food. What a challenge that is! Anyway...I still had some "filling" leftover so I froze it for next time. Even though I cut the recipe in half, I'm going to share the full version recipe with you. Paula say's this will serve 4 people. I believe it could serve up to 6, but that depends on the appetites of those you're feeding.

Lady and Sons Chicken Pot Pie
Printable Version

4 sheets puff pastry, thawed (assuming you're using the frozen version)
1 egg, beaten
4 chicken breast halves or 2 cups leftover cooked chicken
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
2 TB vegetable oil
1/3 cup melted butter
2/3 cup flour
1 quart heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken base (I used 4 tsp bullion instead)
1 TB minced garlic
1/2 small onion, minced
1 cup each of frozen peas and carrots (I used 2 cups of a frozen veggie mix)
pinch fresh grated nutmeg (optional)


Preheat your oven to 350'

Cut your puff pastry into 1" strips so they're a little longer than your baking dish (if you're making individual servings then cut the strips thinner to accommodate the size of the bowl). On a cookie sheet you're going to weave the strips together:

Lay out the vertical row. Then fold back every other strip halfway. Lay a strip in the middle horizontally. Take the strips you folded back and lay them flat again.
Now take the opposite vertical strips and fold them back. Lay another strip horizontally. Take the folded back strips and lay them flat again. Continue this until you've reached the end.

Then repeat the process going the other direction. I hope this helps....

**If you don't want to go through all that, then just take the strips and lay them across each other without weaving.

Make as many lattices as needed.

Brush your lattices with the beaten egg.

Bake for about 5 minutes, until the dough rises and turns a light golden brown. Set aside.

(after 5 minutes in the oven, mine still weren't brown so I had to stick them back in)

For the filling, season your chicken with salt, pepper and garlic. I cut up my chicken before hand but you can either saute them in the oil whole, or cut up. Either way, saute the chicken in a large skillet with high sides until cooked. Cut them into chunks if you didn't do so before cooking and set aside.

Drain out the oil and melt the butter in the skillet. Slowly add in the flour, stirring constantly. Don't let it turn brown. Slowly stir in the cream until fully incorporated and smooth.

Add the chicken base or bullion, the garlic and onions. Stir until thickened. Add your veggies and cooked chicken.

Remove from heat and divide the filling into oven proof bowls or casserole dishes. Lay your puff pastry on top

Place on a baking sheet in order to catch any spills. Bake in a 350' oven for about 5 minutes or so, until nice and bubbly.

Now...my take on this dish. I LOVE the puff pastry. The filling is a bit rich. You can use half and half or just plain milk to tone it down or "lighten" it up. You can add a little more milk or cream to get the consistency you like. The flavor was wonderful. I love making them into individual serving sizes. Although for me...one bowl was enough for two dinners...it was that filling!

This dish is quick and easy. Especially if you were to use leftover chicken. It's hearty and filling...perfect for those cold winter nights coming up.

Carnitas and Tex-Mex Squash Casserole

Here you have some very basic, standard, simple ingredients. When you add a few spices and cooking techniques, they become exquisite.

I'm talking about two fantastic recipes from The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain. I swear...I just LOVE this book. It has become one of my favorites and for some reason, as the days get longer and sun gets hotter, I start cooking more Mexican and Tex-mex meals. They just seem to go with the season. I have a feeling that my new favorite cookbook will be getting a whole lot of use over the next couple of months.

Carnitas
Printable Recipe

3 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2" chunks
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
4 cloves of garlic (wait...what? only 4 for all that meat? I used the whole damn head of garlic)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

In a large heavy pot, combine all of the ingredients

Add enough water to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered for 2 hours.

Don't touch, don't stir. Just let it be.

Once the 2 hours have passed, turn the heat up to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes or until all of the liquid has evaporated and the fat has rendered (which means that all of the fat has left the meat and is not sitting in the pot, which by the way, will not evaporate).

You will know that the pork is done when it has browned on both sides.

Serve with tortillas, salsa and avocados.

Now...while that is cooking, lets make the Tex-Mex Squash Casserole.

Tex-Mex Squash Casserole
Printable Version

2 TB butter
1 lb yellow squash, sliced
1 lb zucchini, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and stemmed, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 TB all purpose flour
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups crushed canned tomatoes
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (more for garnish if desired)
2 cups tortilla chips, crushed
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 350' F and lightly grease a casserole dish (13" x 9")

In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the yellow squash, zucchini, onions and jalapenos.

 

Saute until the squash is tender. This could take about 10 minutes or more.

Add in the garlic, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Cook for a minute and add the salt and pepper to taste.

Add the flour and stir until you have a light brown paste. This takes maybe a minute or so. Stir in the broth and crushed tomatoes, stirring until everything thickens up. Add the half and half, sour cream and cilantro. Remove from heat.

In the bottom of your  prepared casserole dish, spread out the crushed tortilla chips. Pour the incredibly yummy squash mixture over the chips.

Cover the top with the grated cheese. Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes or until the top is brown and bubbly.

Garnish with more cilantro if desired

Serve along side your Carnitas

Let me tell how good this was. The meat had fantastic flavor and it was incredibly tender. The Tex-Mex Squash Casserole....wow! It reminded me of tortilla soup, only in a casserole form. Simple delicious.

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

I have just returned from a lovely two week vacation, visiting my family in Alabama. Good-byes are always so difficult. The hugs, and kisses and tears...knowing that it'll be quit some time before I see my family again. I hate it. But...I always carry a little bit of each of them back home with me (especially the pounds I gained eating all the fabulous food we all cooked).

The older of my two sisters, Jenifer, picked me and my youngest daughter up from the airport. Our first night there we decided to keep dinner simple and easy. (it was something we had discussed and planned days in advance....1. I'm always thinking about what we're going to cook and eat. 2. Jenifer is a planner. She probably has Christmas already planned and began Christmas shopping months ago) Jenifer had the perfect meal in mind....Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole. Just a few simple ingredients thrown together with fabulous results. Comforting and tasty in no time at all. If I remember correctly, she said she found the recipe in Southern Living magazine. I poked around the internet a bit to see what was out there. I found a few variations of this recipe....some included cheese, others had onions....but this recipe is great as is. Not only because of it's simplicity but also because the ingredients are basic staples that most of us can find in our pantry on any given night. Which by the way is perfect for Jenifer. I mean....seriously...with her crazy life....working full-time, raising two wonderful children, keeping up with their activities....and maintaining a loving home, I don't know how she does it. This recipe is made for families like hers.

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
Printable Version

4 - 5 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
2 cans cream of chicken soup
8 oz sour cream
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 to 2 sleeves of crushed crackers (she used Ritz)
1/2 cup melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350' F, spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray (for good measure)


In a large bowl, combine the chicken, soup, sour cream and poppy seeds. Put the mixture into the casserole dish. Top with crushed crackers and drizzle the melted butter over the crackers.
Bake at 350' for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubble.

And that's it. With a quick salad tossed together...maybe a few slices of Texas Toast on the side and dinner is served, devoured and enjoyed.

Fresh Tex Mex Corn Casserole

Corn is one of my favorite veggies. I love grilled corn, creamed corn...and just plain ole corn off the cob with butter, salt and pepper.

I especially love when corn is in season. Fresh, juicy, sweet corn.

There are a lot of ways you can make corn, but when the weather starts to heat up and bbq's and get-togethers by the pool with friends and family start filling up the calendar, this has become one of my go-to recipes.

Tex Mex Corn Casserole
Printable Version

1 medium onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup melted butter, cooled
1 - 4oz can of diced green chillies 
4 ears fresh corn 
2/3 cup  flour
1/2 cup corn meal
3 TB sugar
1 TB baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350' F. Spray a 13x9 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray

In a medium pan heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil over medium low heat.  Saute the onions, bell pepper and garlic until tender.

In a large bowl, combine the egg, sour cream, whipping cream, 2 TB vegetable oil, melted butter and green chillies.

Cut the corn off the cob and then run the knife up the cob to release the remaining "milk"

Add corn to the mixture.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine then add to the corn mixture.

Pour into your prepared casserole dish

 

Bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top and bake for an additional 10 - 15 minutes or until golden brown and the center is set.

 

If you'd like more ideas or more information about the wonderfulness of corn, visit FreshSuperSweetCorn.Com

Chicken and Spinach Casserole and a GIVEAWAY!

Sometimes its the quick and simple things that are closest to my heart and soul. Especially when it's been a long day or week....or I'm just flat out tired (and maybe crabby)! One of the reasons why this recipe made it to my hearth was the fact that not only is it quick and simple but it doesn't include a single can of cream of something soup. I'm not sayin' that I never use the stuff....but I think they're overly used when it comes to casseroles. Once you see how simple it is to not use a cream soup as the base for a casserole, maybe....just maybe you'll choose the better other choice. If you're concerned about fat....use milk instead of the half and half. If you're concerned about flavor...just add your favorites. Just don't add the MSG.

You know...casseroles bring back a lot of memories. They're sorta nostalgic for me. I think (I could be wrong)...but I think casseroles peaked in the 60's, and even continued with a bit of momentum in the early 70's. I remember eating them quite a bit. More often at friends houses than my own. One of the most famous casseroles from my generation is the dreaded tuna casserole. Sir Sportsalot still enjoys it. I don't have a favorite. But I do have a love for them when time is of the essence. Especially with this one because the baking time is so minimal.

Now all I need to really bring the memories flooding back a drop leaf table. My brother and I use to eat on one of those for every meal until we moved into a bigger house after my first sister was born. At breakfast time, the leaf was down (you don't need a lot of room to eat when you only have a bowl of oatmeal or cereal), and we'd get yelled at for playing with it....I mean, come on...when you're a kid, if something could move....it became a toy of sorts, right?

Speaking of "toys"....how would you like to win a nice Gift Certificate to buy yourself something fun? Yes, you heard me right. I'm hosting a Giveaway for CSNstores.com and they have a ton of stuff to choose from. Not just kitchen stuff (although you know that's where you'd find me) but stuff for your home, kids, garden, pets, office...etc etc. Yep, you can even find a drop leaf table over there.

Here's how it works.....US and Canada Residents (sorry for leaving the rest of you out)

Prize: $75.00 Gift Certificate for any CSNstore (they have hundreds). Shipping and handling charges are not covered with the gift certificate. But you know what? They have a ton of stuff that ships free.

Leave a comment -  Make sure that there's a way for me to get in touch with you. If I can't find you, I can't give you your prize and I'll have to give it to someone else. That would be such a bummer (well, for you, but not for the replacement winner haha). If you don't want to participate in the giveaway, but you want to leave a comment, just specify that in the comment.

It's always nice to have new followers but it's not necessary. But hey, if you don't already follow me, and you decide you'd like to....sure I'll give you an extra entry. Just leave a separate comment stating so.

I have a Peaceful Cooking Facebook Fan Page....if you wanna follow me there, sure...I'll give you another entry. Just leave a separate comment stating so.

Stumble this page and you'll get an extra 2 entries. Just leave a separate comment stating so

There are other hoops you can jump through if you'd like...the old...Twitter, Facebook Share..etc etc. Whatever you want to do, go for it. Just leave a separate comment stating what you did.

Contest ends: Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. PST. The winner will be announced 10/19/10

And now....let me introduce you to a new fun casserole dish. I found this recipe in my Everyday Food mini magazine. I've been finding a lot of recipes in there lately, but hey...I subscribe to the darned thing so I figure I'd better get some use of them, right?

Chicken and Spinach Casserole
Printable Version

(I wish I could say that I baked that bread, but I'd be lying)

2 cups torn bread
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Oil (whatever you like to use for sauteing)
4 cups packed spinach
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove (or 2 or 3) minced
1/4 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup shredded or chopped pre-cooked chicken

Preheat oven to 450' F Lightly spray or grease a 2 quart casserole dish

In a medium bowl, drizzle the bread with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with a bit of salt and set aside.

In a medium sized skillet, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil over medium high heat. Add the spinach, season with a bit of salt

Cook, while stirring until it's all wilted (and it looks like you hardly have anything left). Drain the spinach in a colander until it's cool enough to touch. Squeeze all the water out. Trust me...lots of water comes out of a little spinach. It always surprises me

Then give what's left of your spinach a rough chop.

Ya, that's all that's left. Doesn't look like much does it?

Clean out the pan you used for cooking the spinach and saute the onions and garlic until tender. (Actually, you can do this while the spinach is cooling off in the colander.) Add the white wine (or chicken stock) to the onions and continue cooking until almost all of it has evaporated. This will take about 5 minutes. Add the flour to the onion mixture and cook while stirring for 30 seconds.

Gradually whisk in the half and half (or milk if you're slimming things down). Squeeze in a bit of fresh lemon juice (it says 1/2 teaspoon...but honesly....it can handle a bit more than that....maybe a teaspoon or two). Bring the mixture to a boil.

Remove from heat and stir in your chopped spinach and chicken.

Let me say something about the chicken. The more flavor your cooked chicken has, the more flavor your casserole will have. Roasted or rotisserie chicken is best. Of course you can use boiled or baked....but it just won't be as flavorful. That's all.

Season with salt and pepper. Pour into your prepared casserole dish. Top with the bread crumbs that you set aside earlier.

They just look so rustic, don't they? Oh...and check this casserole dish out....

Isn't that just the coolest? It was my mother in-laws. I bet she got it way back when casseroles were the rave! Back when just about every dinner table had a casserole on it at least once a week. I imagine Sally (my mother in-law) coming home after volunteering for PTA and throwing together her ingredients and within an hour, this baby graced the table and fed 2 adults and 3 kids. (of course Sir Sportsalot doesn't ever remember seeing this dish before. (men!)).

Bake until the bread is golden brown and the mixture is nice and bubble....about 10 minutes or so.

I really enjoyed this dish. It was like eating croutons on your meat and veggies (who doesn't like croutons?). I think next time I'll add a few mushrooms. Not too many because I don't want to throw off the sauce to meat / veggy ratio and end up with a dry casserole. Hmmm...then again, I could increase the sauce by half and really go to town on more stuff in this thing. See? That's what's so cool about casseroles. They are so versatile. Just change up a few things and make it your own....to represent your families tastes.

This is my entry this week for The Hearth and Soul Blog Hop.

If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend it. You are bound to find lots delicious recipes you're gonna wanna make. And maybe you'll have one you'd like to share with the hop too. How fun would that be?

Soul Casserole

I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep. (don't you just hate when that happens?) It was around 3:00 am and I tossed and turned. Couldn't get comfortable. Couldn't shut my mind off. Not to mention that Sir Sportsalot was happily snoring away.

After over an hour of this nonsense, I decided to revert to my childhood. It seemed that whenever I said my prayers, I'd fall asleep in the middle of them. So there I lay...saying my prayers in my head at 4 something. When all of a sudden the word CASSEROLE yelled in my head.

What??!! I don't even LIKE casserole. What's that suppose to mean? Casserole? Well, some casseroles are good. But they aren't my favorite. So why did my mind yell casserole to me in the middle of my "help me fall asleep prayer"?

So of course....instead of falling asleep, I was then thinking about casseroles.

Now here's where I let you have a sneak peak into a part of who I am. I like analogies. It's the way my brain works. Helps me to have a deeper understanding of things. Helps me to connect. So I started wondering what casseroles had to do with prayers.

The dissection process started....casseroles are a one-dish meal. Everything combined together into one. Prayers are soul related. A belief (should you so believe). Souls are windows into who you are.

Ok...so how are casseroles and souls related.....

I posed the question to some friends to see what connection they'd make. I'll share their views before I share mine.

Here's the question....(feel free to leave your version of an answer, if you'd like)

Food for thought.....how are souls like casseroles?

"they rhyme" (giggling)
"....because a good soul, like a good casserole, brings comfort in times of difficulty" (nice)
"thank God I haven't burned any lately" (hahaha)
"I guess that makes me a cheesy turkey" (LMAO)

You gotta love how people think!

I think the connection lies in the "ingredients". Every ingredient in a casserole affects the whole thing. For the good or the bad. Just like every action, choice, life experience affects our soul...who we are.

After I solved that little analogy, I happily drifted off to a dreamless sleep. But woke up still thinking about casseroles. So I figured I'd better make one for dinner.

This is a simple recipe I came up with during my afternoon break at work. I love alfredo sauce. I wanted the sauce to shine, so there aren't any other strong flavors in this recipe. I chose chicken (cuz well...how often do I not choose chicken?). Zucchini is mild and replaced my initial thought to use broccoli. Then followed the tomatoes. For the fresh, delicately sweet flavor they'd add.

I LOVE this casserole. I love the cheesy alfredo sauce. I love the mildly sweet flavor of the tomatoes. I love that it wasn't loaded down with a gazillion spices. I also love that this was a small casserole, that can be easily doubled to make a "regular" sized casserole.

Soul Casserole

Printable Version

1 heaping cup of pre-cooked chicken (I used a store bought rotisserie chicken)

1 heaping cup of egg noodles

1 heaping cup of sliced zucchini, quartered (about 1 smallish zucchini)

1 heaping cup of bite sized tomato cups (about 1 medium tomato)

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 cup butter, divided

1/4 cup or so, pasta water

1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350' F

Spray an 8x8 casserole dish with cooking spray (more of a precautionary thing than a necessity)

Cook the egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain, saving the pasta water. Do not rinse the pasta (you want the starch. It helps to thicken the sauce)

While the pasta is cooking, cook your zucchini. Any way want. You can boil 'em, steam 'em, saute em. I boiled mine. I thought about sauteing but I didn't want to dirty up another pan, so I actually boiled the zucchini with the pasta....only I had to scoop them out after a few minutes so they didn't get mushy cuz it doesn't take as long to cook zucchini as it does for pasta to boil.

In a medium bowl, while the pasta is still hot, combine the pasta, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of butter. Stir until butter is melted. Stir in the pasta water along with the garlic powder, salt and pepper until you have a "runny" sauce. The pasta will probably soak up some of the sauce and it will thicken as the dish cools after cooking.

Toss in the chicken, cooked zucchini, and the tomatoes and toss

The picture shows garlic powder added at this time but I think if you add it while making the sauce, you're guaranteed that the sauce will be evenly garliced. (ya I know...it's not a word, but it works.)

Pour into your prepared 8x8 dish. Melt the other 1/4 cup of butter and combine with the bread crumbs. Crumble them evenly over the pasta. Then sprinkle 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese on top. 

Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly, melty and you know....yummy. Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Go ahead...take a bite! Taste the cheese..the chicken...the buttery bread crumbs and then the burst of freshness from the tomatoes. 

And know that this casserole is probably better than my soul. (giggles)

Chicken Enchiladas

It's been a long time since I've made enchiladas. I like cheese enchiladas (anything cheese is a winner in my book) and I like chicken enchiladas. I'm just not a fan of the red sauce. Green sauce is my preference. One afternoon while I was grocery shopping, I bought a can of enchilada sauce. I thought I had picked up the green version but somehow I ended up with red. (I can't won't tell you how many times that sort of thing happens....I'm not sure what goes wrong between the second my eyes see something and my hand picks it up and plops it into the cart).

To make a long story longer.....

I was thumbing through a pretty cool little cookbook called What Can I Bring? by Anne Byrn when I came across her recipe for Chicken Enchiladas. It called for salsa....I used the "unwanted" can of red enchilada sauce. Well, at least some of it.

It also called for two 4 oz cans of green chilies. Which I thought I had. Turns out one of them was actually a can of diced jalapenos. Where did those come from? Seriously, I didn't even know they existed. So I substituted one can of jalepenos for one of the cans of green chili. Which turned out to be a great.

These were the best enchiladas I've ever had. (I can't say they're "authentic" or anything cuz I've never really researched homemade enchiladas). They weren't too spicy. Lots of cheese...and the sauce had a great depth of flavor. Man, were they good! Ok, let me put it this way....Sir Sportsalot....the KING of anti-leftovers, actually requested these for dinner the next night.

YES!! Can you believe it? He actually WANTED leftovers! I just about fell over. But instead I just smiled (and jumped for joy inside). When they were all gone, he said to me..."I hope you wrote down what you did so you can make them again!"

Yes Dear. Of course

(apparently he doesn't know all that much about food blogging)

Chicken Enchiladas (with my minor alterations)
Printable Version

Cooking spray
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced or diced onion
1/2 roasted red bell pepper from a jar, chopped (a red bell pepper is what the cookbook says)
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (mine was sauteed in butter, parsley and lemon juice)
1 teaspoon cumin
4 oz mexican crema (or 4 oz cream cheese, cubed)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 - 4 oz can of chopped green chilies (recipe called for 2 cans)
1 - 4 oz can diced jalepenos (not called for in the recipe)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of cilantro, packed (recipe said lightly packed. I happen to love cilantro)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup red enchilada sauce (or salsa)
10 flour tortillas (not the giant ones...they have to fit in your casserole dish, remember?)
Lots of shredded cheese!!! I used mozzarella, cheddar and queso fresco. The cookbook say 2 1/2 cups of mexican style cheese. HAHAHAHA!! Ya right! I probably doubled that. (just sayin')

Preheat your oven to 375'F. Lightly spray a 13x9 glass casserole dish with cooking spray. Metal is not recommended due to the acid in the tomatoes.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium - low heat. Saute the onion and red bell pepper, stirring frequently until the onion is soft. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in the chicken and cumin. Add the mexican crema and return to heat. Cook, stirring constantly until heated through. If using cream cheese, stir until the cream cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Place the chilies, jalapenos (if using), garlic, cilantro and oregano in a food processor (or blender) and process until smooth (about 30 seconds or so). Add the chicken broth and enchilada sauce and continue processing a few seconds more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Check it out!! I ended up with a deep green (almost brown) sauce!! It made me kinda nervous at first but I forged ahead.

Spoon 1/3 of the sauce into the casserole dish

Set aside and get ready to assemble the enchiladas

Lay out your tortillas on the counter. Dividing the chicken filling evenly amongst them all, spoon the filling down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle some cheese over the chicken filling

Roll up the tortillas and place them seam side down, into the casserole dish

(bad lighting....I swear the sauce was not that dark!!)

You will most likely have to really squeeze these suckers in there so they all fit....but that's expected

Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with more cheese. Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes, until the cheese is all melty and the sauce is bubbly.

Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving

I served myself 2 of them. But they were so filling that I could only eat one. The second one willingly became lunch the next day.

I wish I had more.

Oh ya....the author said that you can make a big batch (double the recipe). If you use a larger pan (roasting pan) then bake them at 350'F for almost an hour. Bring these babies to your next potluck or bbq and see who asks you for the recipe :)