Pressure Cooker Turkey Tetrazzini

It seems I've completely neglected this blog! Has it really been since January? And here we're already in December.

We have been eating, really we have. I just haven't been keeping track of any of it. I've actually been doing a lot of cooking in my pressure cooker. Yes, I kept hearing about how handy these appliances can be, and I decided to buy one. I got the Farberware one from Walmart. From what I can tell, they're all pretty much the same whether you buy the Instant Pot that everyone is talking about, this one from Walmart, or another brand.

I really didn't use my pressure cooker much at first because I really didn't know where to start. Thankfully, I stumbled across the Farberware 7-in-1 Pressure Cooker Facebook group (although other brands are more than welcome), and that has made all the difference.  Questions answered, recipes shared, and plenty of support. Now, I use my PC all the time. It really is as handy as everyone said.

We had this turkey tetrazzini for dinner tonight. I've made it before on the stove, but it turns out so well, and it's so easy in the pressure cooker, I see no reason to do it any differently from now on.

Pressure Cooker Turkey Tetrazzini 
adapted from the Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals cookbook

Ingredients:

• 3 T butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped green pepper
• 3 T flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 8 oz. dry pasta
• 2 cups chopped cooked turkey
• 1 cup shredded cheddar

Directions:

1. Heat PC on brown/sear setting; melt butter. Add onion, celery, carrot, and green pepper; saute until cooked and starting to brown. Add flour, salt, and pepper; cook for a few minutes. Stir in broth, milk, pasta, and turkey.
2. Put lid on PC and set to cook for 1/2 the time listed on your pasta bag or box. (For my Farberware, I use the Vegetable setting because the default time is 8 minutes, so there's less adjusting. I set it for 6 minutes tonight.)
3. Depending on your time schedule, you can either release the pressure when the time is up or do a Natural Pressure Release (NPR). Once the pressure has been released, remove the lid and stir in the cheese.
4. Serve immediately or replace the lid and leave on the Keep Warm setting until ready to eat.

I really love that I can brown or saute things right in the pot before adding other ingredients and setting it for pressure cooking (or even slow cooking). The pressure cooker will also keep the food warm until we're ready to eat, so it's great for throwing everything in whenever I have time and then expecting a great meal ready at dinner time. It's definitely my kind of kitchen appliance.

Southwestern Turkey and Hash Brown Casserole

I was searching for a recipe for "Turkey Breakfast Casserole" on Pinterest, because I had some cooked turkey in the fridge, and I was looking for a good way to use it for dinner.  Makes sense, right?  But I just wasn't finding anything interesting by just looking for a turkey casserole.

Anyway, I'm not sure why this particular recipe came up because it had absolutely no turkey in it, but it sounded really good so I went with it.  I just substituted my turkey for the sausage in the original recipe, added some corn, and used roasted red pepper instead of the diced green chilies.  It's pretty much the same...

Southwestern Turkey and Hash Brown Casserole
adapted from Julia's Album

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 a bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup diced roasted red pepper
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups diced cooked turkey
• 1 tsp chili powder, divided
• 1 tsp ground cumin, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 3 cups frozen hash browns 
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 can black beans (15 oz), drained
• 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.  Generously butter a 13x9" baking dish.
2. Heat oil in large skillet; add chopped onions and cook on medium heat 2-3 minutes. Add chopped pepper and cook until onion is translucent, stirring often. Add roasted red pepper, turkey, and half the spices (1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt) and cook until fragrant.  Add hash browns, corn, and  black beans; mix well.  Turn off heat.
3. In medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and the remaining spices (1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt - and a dash of black pepper).
4. Mix 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and the shredded mozzarella cheese into the hash brown mixture.  Cheese will start to melt.
5. Spoon half of hash brown mixture into prepared baking dish and pour half of egg mixture on top.  Repeat with remaining hash brown mixture and then egg mixture.  Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar on top.
6. Bake, uncovered for about 40-45 minutes, until eggs are set and casserole is nicely browned. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

This turned out really well.  It's good either just the way it is, or with some salsa and sour cream on top.  I love the browned edges.  And the flavors are all really good together.

I thought about adding some crushed tortilla chips to the mix, but since I was planning to serve this with some cornbread muffins, I decided to skip the chips. I also think a green salad would be great with this, but we'd just finished our salad for lunch, and I didn't feel like making another one.  So we had peas instead.  I think it just needs something green to go with it.  Of course, I think that about a lot of things.  Every meals deserves some green.

Southwest Barley and Black Beans (Slow Cooker)

I've made this a couple times so far, and it is really good.  I love all the flavors, and I especially love how easy it is.  Slow cookers are the best!  I usually mix all the ingredients in the slow cooker and refrigerate overnight - or longer - and then start it cooking the next day or whenever needed.  It's great for potlucks or taking food to share.  It would also make a great weeknight meal.

Southwest Barley and Black Beans(Slow Cooker)
adapted from 365 Days of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chicken (or turkey), chopped
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup pearl barley (NOT quick)
• 1 cup frozen corn, rinsed
• 1 bell pepper, chopped (red is prettiest)
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 T chopped cilantro
• 3/4 cup salsa
• 2 cups chicken (or turkey) broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• salt & pepper
• juice of a lime
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cook 4 hours on High, OR 6-8 hours on Low, until barley is cooked and tender.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste if needed.
3. Serve with desired toppings: cheese, sour cream, additional salsa, cilantro, avocado, and/or tortilla chips.

The original recipe called for less liquid and none of the veggies.  I just had to add some corn because it goes so well with chicken and black beans.  And then I had a pepper I needed to use and some onions and cilantro, and I just had to add those too.  And cilantro goes with all of it!  It looks really pretty too.  This is before I added the broth and salsa:

If you want to keep it really simple (not that this isn't simple) you can skip any or all of the added veggies and just use the chicken, barley, black beans, broth, salsa and seasonings.  Either way it will be good.  The seasonings are great.  I will definitely be making this again - in one way or another. (It depends on what I have in the house, but don't all recipes?)

Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

I was looking for some kind of crock-pot recipe to take to a potluck.  Since I just cooked a turkey, I wanted something with turkey, but didn't really have anything else in mind.  This recipe came up, not because it's a crock-pot recipe, but because someone had made a note that she made this and threw it in the crock-pot on low until dinner time.  And that's pretty much what I need - something I can make on a Friday and then take on Sabbath and just warm up with the crock-pot.

So, I made it Friday, had some for lunch, and threw the rest in the crock-pot to warm up for the potluck.  Good thing I had some for lunch, because there was none leftover to bring home after the potluck.  The recipe says it's "a healthier twist on a classic creamy turkey and wild rice soup" but since I've never made any kind of creamy turkey and rice soup, I don't really know about that. I do know that it's a simple soup to make with a really good flavor, and with plenty of veggies in it, there's no reason why it wouldn't be healthy.

Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
adapted from Delish

Ingredients:

• 1 c. uncooked wild rice or wild rice blend (I used a wild rice and brown basmati blend)
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 c. sliced mushrooms, about 4 ounces
• 1/2 a medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 c. chopped celery
• 3/4 c. chopped carrots
• 1/4 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. parsley flakes
• 4 c. turkey broth
• 2 c. cooked turkey, chopped
• 1/2 c. sour cream

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, celery, carrots and onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour, salt, pepper, and parsley and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.
3. Add broth and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in turkey, sour cream, and rice and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more.  Taste and season with additional salt & pepper if needed

The original recipe called for 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, which I did not have, so I substituted dried parsley.  If you use fresh, add it at the end with the turkey, rice, and sour cream.

Time-saving tips:

• The rice will take 45-50 minutes to cook; cook it early in the day or the day before and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Slice mushrooms and chop the rest of the vegetables; store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Red Bean Turkey Chili

I love this cooler weather because it's the perfect weather for soup! And boots and sweatshirts, fires in the fireplace, and snuggling up under the covers at night.  I mean, I would be OK if it wasn't quite so cold already in November, but I'm just going to enjoy it.  And make soup.

I made this one last week, and it's very tasty and satisfying.  I love all the beans.  I can't believe there was a time I didn't like beans.  Now I adore them.  The original recipe called for 2 cans of beans.  I ended up using 4!  I was really only planning to put 3 in, but I accidentally opened a can I didn't mean to open.  The beans were on top of the diced tomatoes I meant to grab, but somehow I moved the beans to grab the tomatoes and then put the tomatoes back and kept the beans - and then I opened them without looking at the can.  Oh well - lots of beans in this soup!

Red Bean Turkey Chili
adapted from Hip Foodie Mom

Ingredients:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 1 T cumin
• 1 T dried oregano
• 2 T chili powder
• salt and pepper
• 2 cans (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans (15 oz.) red beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
• 1-1/2 cups frozen corn
• 4 cups turkey broth
• 1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 to 3 cups cooked turkey, shredded
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes; optional

Directions:

1. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds then add and the bell pepper and season with the cumin, oregano, chili powder, and salt & pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the beans, kale, corn, turkey broth, and tomatoes.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat down low and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until some of the liquid has reduced. Add the shredded turkey and red pepper flakes (if using) and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper, to taste. Enjoy!

Like most soups, this is a great make ahead meal. Make it one day, cool and refrigerate, then reheat the next. Soups just get better and better the more times you reheat them. I did end up adding a bit of water the second time I reheated this, because it thickened up a lot and there wasn't much broth left.

The flavors were really good in this.  The combination of seasonings was really good. (I did not use the red pepper flakes because I was afraid it would make it too spicy for my husband, though I think it would have been fine.) 

The original recipe used white beans, chicken stock and rotisserie chicken, Swiss chard, and added some diced zucchini, but I had just pulled some red beans and kidney beans out of my freezer - to make just a regular old pot of chili, except I then realized I had no tomato sauce so I needed another recipe for the beans - so I used the red beans.  I think any beans would work, whatever you like or have on hand.  I used turkey and turkey broth because I had those in my freezer too, and with Thanksgiving coming up and turkeys on sale, I will soon be cooking another turkey and replacing some of that cooked turkey and broth.  I'm cleaning out the old to make room for the new!

Anyway, that's a long way to say - the seasonings are really good in this, but you can mix, match, and substitute the ingredients you have and the ingredients you like, and you're still going to come out with a very good soup perfect for a cool weather meal.   Serve with a pan of cornbread fresh out of the oven, and you have perfection!  Or something very near.

Creamy Turkey Enchiladas

It's time again for  Secret Recipe Club (Secret Recipe Club) reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month was Jessie Weaver the Vanderbilt Wife. Jessie is a Tennessee wife and mother who leads a crazy, busy life - but then, who wouldn't with three little kids?  Check out this 'day in the life' post if you don't believe me.  I'm pretty sure we've all been there!

Somehow, amidst the fun of raising those adorable children, Jessie still finds time to cook and post some great recipes.  Whether the kids will eat them or not is another thing altogether.  Me?  I found plenty I wanted to try, including Slow Cooker Taco Soup, Easy Pineapple Chicken, and Cranberry Nutmeg Breakfast Cake.

I finally decided to make these enchiladas, and they were a big hit!  My parents were visiting, so we had them for dinner last weekend - twice!  And the leftovers were just as good as the first time around.  I will definitely be making these again.

Creamy Turkey Enchiladas
 adapted from Jessie Weaver

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked, shredded turkey (or chicken)
• 1/2 c. diced onion
• 8 flour tortillas (6 or 8-inch)
• 8 oz. salsa
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 T butter
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 4 T flour
• 1 1/3 c. water
• 4 oz. diced green chiles
• 2/3 c. sour cream

Directions:

1. Saute onions until tender, then add shredded turkey or chicken and cook for a few minutes. Stir in salsa and heat through.
2. Divide chicken mixture into tortillas and top each with 1 T cheese. Roll the tortillas up and place them seam down in 13x9" baking dish.
3. In saucepan, melt butter with bouillon cube, then whisk in flour. Stir in water. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, then stir in chiles. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Pour the sauce over rolled enchiladas in baking dish.
4. Cook at 350° for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes or so, or until cheese is melted.

Jessie's recipe can also be made with 1 lb. ground beef instead of the turkey or chicken.  Just brown the beef with the onions and drain any fat before adding the salsa.  I used turkey because that's what I had in my freezer, and I pretty much use chicken and turkey interchangeably, so either would be good.  The sauce on top is what really makes these special - so creamy and good! - and it's really simple to make.

Thanks, Jessie, for sharing your family recipe.  My family loved it!

An InLinkz Link-up

How to Cook Your Holiday Dinner without an Oven

Two days before Thanksgiving my oven quit.  Definitely not good timing - as if any time is a good time for the oven to quit.

I had plans for Wednesday, plans that involved lots of baking.  I was going to cook the turkey in my roaster oven while I used the oven to bake pies and rolls.  Without a working oven, those plans changed.  Thankfully I had already baked a pie on Tuesday afternoon, before the oven quit, so I only had two more to bake.  And the rolls, and - well, the oven plays a very important part in fixing any big family dinner.  How do you cook everything without an oven?



Use the roaster oven!  Yep, that's right, those pies and rolls can be baked in the roaster oven.  It's not just for turkeys and big pots of chili.  Preheat the roaster with the rack, then place the unbaked pie on the rack and bake.  Do not remove the lid to check it, because that will let the heat out - at least until the designated baking time is up.  I found that my pies needed more time in the roaster than in the regular oven, so next time I will just bake them longer before I check on them. 

German Chocolate Pie

You may also need to adjust your baking times, but try the regular recipe time first.  An advantage to knowing you can bake in your roaster oven?  You can use it in the summer time when you want to bake, and you don't want to heat up your whole kitchen!

I baked my pies and my turkey in the roaster oven.  It took longer because I couldn't do it all at the same time - one pie at a time and then the turkey - but I did get it done.  Instead of baking the rolls on Wednesday like I'd planned, I mixed them up and formed them into rolls after letting them raise the first time, and then I covered them and refrigerated them overnight.  The next day I pulled them out of the fridge and let them warm up and raise (about 1-1/2 hours), and then I baked them in the roaster oven.


Use crock pots!  Another option for cooking that holiday dinner without an oven is to use crock pots - in addition to the roaster oven.  I bought a triple crock pot last year, and that thing really came in handy.  I mixed up my dressing, and instead of baking it in the oven like I would normally have done, I greased a crock pot (actually I needed 2 of them), spooned the uncooked dressing in, and cooked it on high for about 4 hours.  It turned out great.  Same thing with my sweet potatoes.  I boiled them first, then peeled and sliced them, and layered them into another greased crock with a butter and brown sugar syrup.  Again, normally I would have put the sweet potatoes into a casserole dish and baked them, but they turned out just fine in the crock pot.  Yummy!

The mashed potatoes were, of course, boiled on top of the stove, and I made the gravy on the stove, too - as usual.  I warmed the turkey in the roaster oven the same way I would have done it in the oven - put some of the sliced turkey in a 13x9 cake pan, add some broth to keep it moist, cover with foil.  The hardest part was getting the pan of turkey out of the roaster oven without burning myself when it was time to eat, but I managed.

Yes, it would have been easier to cook Thanksgiving dinner if I'd had the use of my oven, but everything still turned out great.  It just took a little extra planning and time.

Related articles

• Where's the Heat?
• Giving Thanks for Resourcefulness

Turkey and Barley Chili

I haven't really used barley much, but I bought some recently thinking it would be a good addition to our diet.  It's supposed to be really good for you.  I was thinking along the lines of a beef barley soup, but there was a chicken chili recipe on the box that caught my eye.  I cooked some turkey wings and some black beans earlier in the week, so it seemed like a perfect time to try the recipe - with my own spin to it, of course.

Turkey & Barley Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 t. cumin
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
• 16 oz. tomato sauce
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup medium barley
• 2 cans (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-1/2 cups frozen corn
• 2 cups cooked turkey

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in 6-qt. saucepan; add onions and garlic and saute while chopping celery and green pepper.  Add celery and pepper and continue to cook until very soft and starting to brown; add spices.
2. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and barley.  Over high heat bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add beans, corn, and turkey; increase heat to high until chili comes to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for another 5 minutes, or until barley is tender. 
4. If upon standing the chili becomes too thick, add more broth or water until chili is desired consistency. 
5. Serve with grated cheese and/or sour cream, if desired

The original recipe did not call for the onions, garlic, celery or green pepper - but it just didn't seem like chili without them!  Or at least not without the onions and garlic.  While I was adding vegetables, I figured celery and green pepper couldn't hurt.  I also added about twice as many beans as the original recipe asked for.  Again - chili needs beans! - and I had them.

I'm planning to take this for potluck on Sabbath, so I haven't actually tried it yet - except for a quick taste, which was really good.  I'm thinking that I will need to add a bit more water, or maybe another can of tomatoes when I heat it up, because it turned out pretty thick.  I'm thinking of either making cornbread muffins to go with the chili or serving it with tortilla chips.  I think either would be really good with this.

Related articles

• Butternut Chicken Chili (recipes.alwaysbcmom.com)
• Broke Bean Stew (a Biggest Loser Recipe) (dalailina.wordpress.com)

Peasant's Offering

Another recipe from my favorite cookbook, The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals.

Peasant's Offering

Ingredients:

• 2 T cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 lb. lean ground beef (or turkey)
• 1 medium head cabbage, grated
• 2-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 cup sour cream
• 5-6 large potatoes
• 1 cup milk or less
• 1 T butter
• Chopped parsley or chives

Directions:

1. Heat cooking oil in very large skillet. Add onion and saute lightly. Add ground beef and stir to keep meat loose and fine. cook just until pink disappears.
2. Gradually add grated cabbage, stirring until all cabbage is well cooked. Add seasonings adjusting to taste. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in sour cream. Spoon into rectangular baking dish (13X9) and spread evenly over bottom. Keep hot in oven.
4. Dice and cook potatoes. Mash with milk and butter until desired consistency. Layer mashed potatoes over cabbage mixture.
5. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives and serve.

This is always really popular at potlucks. I usually spoon the meat and cabbage mixture into my crockpot, layer the mashed potatoes on top, and turn it on low to keep it warm. If I'm fixing this at home, I usually just leave the meat and cabbage mixture in the skillet and put that in the oven to keep it warm. Then layer the mashed potatoes on top and serve. I usually completely forget about the parsley or chives, but I figure they're more for looks than anything - and no one seems to care.

• Print this recipe

Turkey Tetrazzini

We had this for dinner this week, and it was yummy!
 

Turkey Tetrazzini
 
Ingredients:

• 8-oz. package noodles
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 1/3 cup chopped green pepper
• 3 T. butter
• 3 T. flour
• 1 t. salt
• Pepper to taste
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups turkey broth
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups chopped cooked turkey
• 1 cup buttered bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain.
2. Saute onion, celery and green pepper in butter. Add flour, salt and pepper. Add milk and broth and cook until thickened. Stir in cheddar cheese. Add noodles and turkey to this mixture.
3. Spoon into greasted casserole dish and cover with bread crumbs.
4. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.

I found the original recipe in my favorite cookbook, The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals. The recipe was for Chicken Tetrazzini, but I had turkey, so that's what I used. You can use either one based on what you have and what you like.

• Print this recipe

Turkey Split Pea Soup

I cooked a turkey last week, so I've got turkey and turkey broth - perfect for making soup!

Turkey Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cups turkey broth
• 3 cups water
  or 7 cups water and 2 or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 cups split peas, rinsed and sorted
• 6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. celery seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of white pepper
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups cooked turkey
  

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a 5-6 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes.
2. Add broth, water, split peas, potatoes, carrots, salt, celery seeds, bay leaf and white pepper.  Cover and cook on low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 1-1/2 hours.  Add the turkey or chicken and heat through. 
3. Discard the bay leaf before serving.

This is also good with chicken broth and cooked chicken, if you don't have any turkey.  A 1 lb. bag of split peas is about 3 cups, so sometimes I just use the whole bag.  Also, you can adjust the amount of potatoes and carrots to suit your tastes or just to use whatever you have on hand.  It's soup - the measurements don't have to be exact.  And, it gets better after it's been refrigerated and reheated.

• Print this recipe

New Year's Soup

I'm really not sure why this is called New Year's Soup, but the first time I made it was New Year's Day several many years ago. I probably wouldn't have noticed it if the time hadn't been right while I was looking through my favorite cookbook (The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals) for a soup recipe to try. I'm glad I found it, because it's a very good soup - and I'm reminded of it when New Year's rolls around. I don't necessarily make it every year, but I'm reminded.

I've modified it slightly, like I do with most recipes. I just can't help myself!

New Year's Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. dried beans
• water to cover beans
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T salt (or less)
  
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• juice of 1 lemon
• 28-oz. can diced tomatoes

Directions:

1. Wash beans. Place in 5-qt. crockpot, cover with water to about 2 inches above bean line and soak for several hours. Turn crockpot on low and cook beans overnight.
2. The next day, when beans are cooked, brown ground turkey with onion and garlic. Add salt, chili powder, and lemon juice. Add to crockpot along with tomatoes and continue to cook on low for a couple hours, or until you are ready to eat.
3. Serve hot and enjoy

You can use whatever beans you like. I used pinto beans. I made some whole wheat sourdough bread that we had with it, but I think cornbread is best. I'm going to heat the leftovers up tomorrow, and I think I'll make the cornbread then.

• Print this recipe

Chicken, Broccoli, and Macaroni

It's kind of like macaroni and cheese, only with more stuff in it. I use cooked chicken and turkey interchangeably - whatever I have. Last week I cooked a turkey, so I used turkey.

Chicken Macaroni and Cheese w/ Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 1 cup elbow macaroni
• 6 small green onions (or 1 small yellow onion), chopped
• 4 T. butter
• 1/2 cup grated cheese (or more)
• 2 cups frozen broccoli
• 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken (or turkey)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 cup grated cheese

Directions:

1. Cook macaroni according to directions
2. Saute chopped onions in butter and mix with cooked macaroni. Spoon into greased 9"x13" baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Break up uncooked broccoli and place over cheese. Cover with cubed chicken or turkey.
3. Combine soup, milk, salt and curry powder. Pour over other ingredients in baking dish. Cover with grated cheese.
4. Cover and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer.

The original recipe came from my favorite cookbook, The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals, but of course I've changed it up to suit my tastes.

• Print this recipe

One-Pan Tomato Basil Chicken

I found this recipe ages ago in the coupon section of the newspaper, but I hadn't made it in years. I don't know why it's been so long. This is really good, and so easy.

One-Pan Tomato Basil Chicken
ready in just 30 minutes

• 1 package (6.9 ounces) Rice-a-Roni Chicken Flavor
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 2 cups broccoli flowerets, or green beans
  
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Mozzarella cheese (optional)

1. In large skillet (10 inch), prepare Rice-a-Roni mix as package directs, except simmer 10 minutes.
2. Stir in chicken, basil, broccoli, and tomato.
3. Cover, continue to simmer 5 to 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with cheese before serving, if desired.

Serves 4

I used cooked turkey instead of chicken, and peeled and chopped a frozen tomato. The original recipe calls for broccoli, but green beans are good, too. Also, I did not have any Mozzarella, so I used cheddar. Parmesan works, too.

More Rice-a-Roni recipes.

• Print this recipe

Turkey Rice Casserole

I bought a wild rice and brown basmati rice mixture last time I went to the grocery store. About the same time I had some cooked turkey and turkey broth, and I put this recipe together:

Turkey and Wild Rice

• 1 cup wild rice and brown basmati
• 2 cups turkey broth

Bring to boil in 2 quart saucepan, cover, turn heat to low, and cook until done and all broth is absorbed.

• 1-1/2 cups chopped cooked turkey
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 soup can water
  
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups chopped broccoli

Add to cooked rice and mix well. Put into greased 2 quart casserole and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through.

You could also add a little salt and pepper if desired, depending on how salty your broth is. Overall, really good and really easy.

• Print this recipe

Turkey Potato Soup

I cooked a turkey this week. The kids complain that when I cook a turkey we have to eat turkey for weeks! It's really not that bad. We do have turkey for a few meals - last night was turkey, some baked sweet potatoes and potatoes drizzled with a little olive oil and salt and pepper, and green beans. Simple but delicious. Today I'll be making this soup. It's a recipe I adapted from a couple other recipes.

Turkey Potato Soup

Ingredients: 4 cups peeled, diced potatoes 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 cup grated carrot 1 stalk celery, finely chopped 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 T. dried parsley flakes

1 tsp. rosemary 4 chicken bouillon cubes 6 cups scalded milk 4 T. butter 1/4 cup flour 2 cups chopped cooked turkey

Directions:

1. In large Dutch oven or kettle combine potatoes, onion, carrot, celery, salt, pepper, rosemary and bouillon cubes. Add enough water to just cover vegetables.
2. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Do not drain.
3. Scald milk by heating until tiny bubbles form around edges of pan. Remove 1-1/2 cups milk from saucepan. Stir butter and flour into this milk with a wire whisk.
4. Add remaining milk to vegetables.
5. Gradually stir thickened milk into kettle until well blended.
6. Add turkey and simmer 15 minutes on low heat or until heated through.

This is so good! Don't forget the crackers.

• Print this recipe

Hot Chicken Salad

I made this for lunch quite a while back and almost forgot about it. I had some cooked turkey in the refrigerator that I needed to use, and this recipe popped into my head. Actually, the memory of this recipe popped into my head, but no matter how hard I looked, I could not find it. I almost gave up, but gave it one last try and finally found it. I'm so glad I did, because this is really good.

Hot Chicken Salad

• 2 c. cooked, chopped chicken
• 2 c. chopped celery
• 1/2-1 c. raisins
• 2 tbsp. minced onion
• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1/2 c. shredded cheese
  

Soak raisins in hot water (or, if you cooked the chicken, the chicken broth) for about five minutes. Drain well. Stir everything except the cheese together. Lightly grease a 2-qt casserole, and lightly place mixture into it. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes. Serve warm with bread, croissants, or crackers.

Since this was just for me (no one else in this house likes raisins), I halved the recipe. I mixed everything right in the dish I baked it in, popped it into the oven, and baked it. I did end up baking it for somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes because I like my cheese a little more cooked. Next time I think I'll add a little salt and pepper, too. It was wonderful with round snack crackers - think Ritz. I ate about half of it, so I have the other half for lunch today or tomorrow. YUM!