Turkey Casserole from Leftovers

With all the turkey usually leftover after Thanksgiving, this looked like a great recipe. Besides everyone is usually sick of turkey sandwiches by Friday.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups prepared turkey stuffing
• 2 cups cooked cut up or sliced turkey
• 1 3/4 to 2 cups prepared turkey gravy
• 1/3 cup jellied or whole cranberry sauce, cubed

Preparation:

Butter bottom and sides of 2-quart baking dish. Arrange half of the stuffing in bottom of dish. Add half of the turkey then half of the gravy. Repeat layers. Top with cubes of cranberry sauce. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

This recipe adds a twist to the traditional sweet potato or pumpkin pie that is served this time of year. It calls for you to make you own frosting....cream cheese pre-made frosting can also be used.

Ingredients
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
3 egg whites
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup low-fat (1.5%) buttermilk
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
1 package (8 ounces) nonfat cream cheese
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup apricot jam

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
2. In a large steamer, cook the sweet potatoes for 20 minutes or until very tender. Transfer to a bowl and mash.
3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well combined. Beat in the whole eggs and egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the chocolate, vanilla, and mashed sweet potatoes. Alternately fold in the flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pans on a wire rack, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl with an electric mixer, cream the nonfat and reduced-fat cream cheeses, the confectioners' sugar, and cocoa together.
6. Place one layer on a cake plate. Spread the layer with the apricot jam. Top with the second layer and frost the top and sides with the cream cheese frosting.



Look for next weeks turkey leftover recipe.....

Orzo Pasta with Shrimp and Feta

My husband loves pasta and I not such a fan but this sounds delicious.......I thought my readers would enjoy. I found this recipe at Essence.com .

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 ½ pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 12 ounce orzo pasta
• 1 cup feta cheese

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 425°F. In a 4-quart sauce pot over medium heat, cook onion, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes in 1 tablespoon oil. Stir until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add wine, and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and salt; reduce heat; and simmer briskly until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp, stirring occasionally, until they are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Set aside. Cook orzo according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, and drain the rest. Return orzo to pot, toss with 1 tablespoon oil, and stir in sauce with shrimp and reserved cooking water. Spoon half of pasta into an oiled 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish; sprinkle with ½ cup of feta cheese. Top with remaining pasta and feta, and bake uncovered until cheese is slightly melted and pasta is heated through, about 10 minutes.

Lemon-Garlic Roasted Chicken

With the holidays just around the corner, I thought this would be a great and simple addition to turkey.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 item garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/4 cup lemon juice, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 8 item medium-size chicken thighs; remove and discard visible fat
• 2 item zucchini, halved crosswise, quartered lengthwise

PREPARATION

Optional Garnishes: Lemon Slices, Wedges or Zest; Rosemary Sprigs

In a reseallable plastic food-storage bag, combine rosemary, oil, garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, salt, pepper and paprika. Add thighs; seal and turn to coat. Marinate 15 minutes at room temperature or longer in refrigerator, turning cicken occadionally. Heat oven to 400ºF. Remove chicken from marinade; arrange skin side up in roasting pan. Roast, basting frequently with remaining lemon juice and pan drippings, until chicken is cooked, about 30 minutes or until juices run clear when cut at bone. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, steam zucchini in lightly salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Garnish and serve with zucchini.