Kickin' Butternut Squash Soup

I  love a good soup, and I buy squash during the fall cheaply.  Butternut squash soup sounded good to me.  I prepared it one Saturday afternoon, and enjoyed the pot during the week. I even packed it for lunch using smaller Pyrex storage bowls.

Maybe you, like me, needed to know what this was.

A bowl of hot soup helps you to brave the cold temperatures and take the kids out for recess. After making this soup a few times, I modified the original recipe to fit our tastes more.  I also highly recommend a stick blender for this recipe; I bought mine for under $30 at Kohls. The first few times I made this soup, I took small batches and pureed in my blender instead; it was a lot of work.

A note about the jalapeno pepper-I use a can instead of fresh since my skin doesn't react well to cutting those.  A little bit goes a long way, this soup will be tangy and hot if you use the entire can of jalapenos.  You may want to experiment and start with a quarter or half the can.



INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups butternut squash, cooked and mashed
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 can jalapeno pepper
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 t olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 1/2  cups chicken broth
• 16 oz. heavy cream
• 1 t ground cumin

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix squash and brown sugar; set aside.  
2. Over medium heat in a soup pot, combine jalapeno pepper, celery, onion with oil. Saute until tender.  
3. Add salt, pepper, broth, and squash mixture.  Using an immersion (stick) blender, puree the mixture until smooth.  
4. Stir in cream and cumin; cover and simmer for 20 minute.

Difficulty: Medium

Time: 60 minutes to cook squash; 45 minutes for soup

Source: adapted from The Christmas Table by Gooseberry Patch

Time Note- I made this soup over two days; the first day, I roasted the squash and diced my veggies.  Roasting a halved squash face-down on a lipped cookie tray in a 1/4 inch of water for an hour allows you to scoop out the contents (yeah-for no peeling and cubing).

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Monthly a new book display decorates our break room for a week.  The staff of Book Are Fun bring a wide selection of reading materials and other neat products.  Cookbooks are always hot sellers.  My dad picked me up this 3 in 1 cookbook by Kraft, Nabisco, and Velveeta a few years ago from his work display.  I never really had time to go through the book.  But when he brought me over 3 pounds of cooked, cut chicken breasts, I opened right up to the casserole main dish section. I found this quick and easy recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (14 1/2 oz)
• 1 package stuffing mix (6 oz)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size pieces)
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Stir tomatoes, stuffing mix, water and garlic just until stuffing mix is moistened.
2. Place chicken in 9x9 inch baking dish.  Sprinkle with seasonings.  Top with stuffing mixture and cheese.
3. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

Difficulty: Easy
Time:10 minutes prep, 30 minute baking time
Source: Kraft Cheese Casseroles & More copyright 2009

10 Great Recipes for the Holidays

GREAT USES OF LEFTOVER TURKEY:

Turkey Day Casserole 

     

Easy Turkey Stromboli

EASY APPETIZERS:

White Pizza Dip

Baked Artichoke Appetizer

SIDE DISHES TO TAKE ALONG:

Mashed Potato Casserole

Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Apples

EASY CAKES:

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Stir Crazy Cake

GREAT FOR THE COOKIE TRAY:

m&m Cookies

Old Fashioned Orange Cookies

Salsa Chicken Tortilla Bake

While I love leftovers, my family is not always as excited as I am to see the same dish.  One of my favorite recipes is Salsa Chicken; it's a regular in my monthly meal rotations.  I try to change it up by serving it one day with pasta and the next with quinoa...my family is not fooled.  When I saw a recipe calling for chicken, salsa, and tortillas, I made it the next day; after my family enjoyed it; I thought I could make recipe much easier on myself by using my crock pot leftovers (I even threw in the extra quinoa and mixed it up).  It was a quick hit with my family; the kids loved being able to pick up the wedges and dip into additional salsa.  No one realized it was yesterday's chicken.

Salsa Chicken ingredients; add tortillas and cheese for Day 2!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 10-inch flour tortillas
• Shredded salsa chicken (leftovers)
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• Garnish-sour cream, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place one tortilla in the bottom of a lightly greased 2-quart round casserole dish; set aside.
2. Spoon 1/3 of leftovers over tortilla in the dish, top with 1/4 cup cheese; repeat layering, ending with last tortilla.
3. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; cover with aluminum foil.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly; uncover for the final 5 minutes.
4. Cut into wedges and serve. 

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 10 minute prep, 35 minutes baking time

Source: inspired by Gooseberry Patch's Weeknight Dinners

Turkey Day Casserole

During my first pregnancy, I fell in love with The Food Network.  While on bed rest, I watched episode after episode.  Semi Homemade with Sandra Lee stood out to me as food I might be able to make.  She had tons of shortcuts for busy people.  My dad and I take turns talking up her recipes.  Recently, he found a new discount store near his home; they had an entire section of Sandra Lee stuff.  He bought me two new cookbooks.

I chose to try this recipe because many of the ingredients are on sale as Thanksgiving approaches.  My favorite local grocery store had a special on ground turkey for $1 a pound.  This was super easy to put together and tasted wonderful.  I plan to make it with my Thanksgiving leftovers in a few weeks, substituting turkey leftovers and homemade mashed potatoes. I can't wait!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 container (24 oz) mashed potatoes
• 1 pound uncooked ground turkey
• 1 box stuffing for turkey
• 1 can (16 oz) whole cranberry sauce
• 2 jars home-style turkey gravy
• 2 T butter, cut into small pieces

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit   Microwave mashed potatoes, uncovered in container on high for 1 minute.  Stir to break up potatoes.
2. In a medium pan, brown ground turkey; drain.
3. Spread dry stuffing mix in the bottom of a casserole dish.  Top with cranberry sauce.  Layer turkey and 1 jar of gravy.  Spread mashed potatoes over layers in dish.  Dot with butter pieces.
4. Bake in oven for 30 to 40 minutes
5. Serve; heat remaining gravy (I suggest trying the dish before opening the second jar; we didn't need one).  Serve with casserole.

This version is made from leftovers, so the turkey is not ground.  Not a totally photogenic meal, but delicious!

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 15 minute prep; 40 minutes baking time

Source: Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Slow Cooker Recipes

Mexican Casserole

I love making casseroles! This one is quick and easy. Plus, you can use leftovers to make it; I make this the same week I prepare taco cupcakes so that I brown the ground meat, black beans, and taco seasonings and reserve half. If you don't want to have two Mexican dishes in the same week, go ahead and freeze the meat mixture.

  INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup black beans
• 1 package taco seasoning and 2/3 cup water per directions
• 15 ounces of refried beans
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese (I also use Colby Jack if that is what I have)
• 1 cup salsa (I finish off the jar from the taco cupcakes)
• 1 can sliced black olives (drained)
• 1 tomato (chopped)
• 2 cups crushed corn chips
• 1 green onion (chopped)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Brown and drain meat. Add black beans. Add seasoning; following the package directions. Set aside.
3. Heat refried beans in saucepan. Add salsa and 1 cup of cheese. Stir.
4. Place crushed corn chips on bottom of 8x8 dish. Spread bean mixture. Add meat.
5. Sprinkle remaining cheese, green onion and black olives.
6. Bake until heated and cheese is melted.
7. Sprinkle with chopped tomatoes (if you don't have fresh tomatoes, I have used canned with green chilies, drained).

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 10 minute prep; about 15 minutes baking time

Source: http://blogchef.net/mexican-casserole-recipe/

Easy Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

I have made this enchilada recipe for many years, and my whole family absolutely loves it.  It is a simple recipe made even more simple if you use chicken that you cooked earlier in the week while prepping for another meal.  I think the filling is just perfect - I could eat it by itself for a meal!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 sm onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 small chicken breasts, shredded
• 1 cup salsa (divided)
• 4 oz cream cheese, cubed
• 1 T chopped cilantro (my husband doesn't like cilantro, so I leave this out)
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1 c shredded cheddar & monterey jack cheese, divided (I use sharp cheddar)
• 8 flour tortillas 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Heat large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat.  Add onions and garlic, cook and stir 2 minutes.  
2. Add chicken, 1/4 cup of salsa, the cream cheese, cilantro, and cumin; mix well.  Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.  Add 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese; mix well.
3. Spoon about 1/3 c of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla; roll up.  Place seam-side down in 13x9 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining 3/4 cup of salsa and 1/2 cup of cheese.
4. Bake 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Serve with sour cream, if desired.

Difficulty:  Medium

Time:  about 45 minutes, including baking time
Source: Kraft Food & Family magazine

Chicken and Ham Stew

I generally make a turkey for Christmas and my mom makes ham for Easter, so I don't often find myself with much in the way of leftover ham.  Several years ago, however, I decided to change things up a bit and make ham for Christmas.  We had so much leftover that I was searching for recipes to use the remaining pounds.  I ended up using much of it in this great slow cooker recipe.  Sometimes I think too much ham in one meal is overwhelming, so I love that this strikes a balance with both ham and chicken.  My kids love it, too.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups diced ham
• 2 cups diced boneless chicken
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup frozen onions
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 tsp dried marjoram
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• (2 Tbsp cornstarch)
• (2 Tbsp water)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine soup, ham, chicken, vegetables, and seasonings in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours or high 1-3 hours.
2. If you like the mixture a bit thicker, mix the cornstarch and water in a bowl, stir it into the slow cooker and cook for 10-15 minutes longer.
3. Serve with warm buttermilk biscuits.

Note:  Because this recipe has ham in it, it does tend to be a touch salty.  If you are able to use low sodium cream of mushroom soup, I would recommend it.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 15 minutes or less prep, 1-5 hours cooking

Source: Adapted from a Crock Pot Chicken recipe book

Cheesy Ham and Potatoes (Slow Cooker)

This recipe is a fantastic use for leftover Christmas or Easter Ham.  To be honest, the first time I made it, I wasn't sure how it was going to all play out.  But I couldn't believe how quickly my notoriously slow eaters gobbled it up.  The quote from my husband the first time I made it: "Wow!! This is really good!!"  With the family's full endorsement, this one made the "will definitely make again" pile.

INGREDIENTS:

• about 1.5 lbs cubed ham (a little more or less would be fine, too)
• 8-10 red potatoes, peeled and sliced 
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cups grated cheddar
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup

DIRECTIONS:

Layer the ingredients in the following order in a 4qt crock pot (I have two crock pots and this is the smaller of the two): 1/2 ham, 1/2 potatoes, 1/2 cheese, all of onion, rest of ham, rest of potatoes, rest of cheese, pour soup on top.  Cook for 6-8 hours on low.  (I cook mine for longer because I don't have a timer on my slow cooker and it cooks while I am at work.  It turns out just fine.  Delicious even!)

Difficulty: Medium.  (Only because it one requires a bit of slicing and dicing and peeling the night before it cooks.)

Time: It took me about 25 minutes to prep, but I am pretty slow at slicing, dicing, and peeling.  Then the 6-8 hours of cooking time.

Source: Someone shared this on Facebook a while back...and now I just saw it on The Crockin' Girls website!

Easy Turkey Stromboli

This recipe is amazing, and is a great use of leftover turkey if you have it. I wish I had a nice camera and was good at taking pictures of food (someday, maybe), but if it is any testament, my husband seriously thought I bought this stromboli pre-made.  It looked that good. Trust me, there was nothing to it! (As a side note - I am so happy my kids like spinach. You may want to use a little less if you are just introducing them to it, but the other ingredients make the stromboli so tasty that this might just be the recipe to get them to eat that green stuff!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb turkey breast tenderloins (I am sure it would be great with chicken, too. Incidentally, I cooked 2 lbs and used the rest in another recipe later in the week when I made this the first time.  Use leftovers from Thanksgiving, if available.)
• 1 pkg (11 oz) refrigerated thin crust pizza crust (like Pillsbury)
• 1 cup pasta sauce or pizza sauce
• 1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained (I forgot to thaw so I heated in microwave for a couple of minutes and then pressed the water out in a colander)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (Colby & Monterey Jack is great in this, cheddar or mozzarella would be good, too, if that is what you have)
• 2 tsp grated Parmesan
• 2 tsp milk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Boil a cup of water on medium in a large skillet. Cut turkey into strips and add to boiling water. Return to boiling, cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and then chop.  **If you are using leftover turkey, you just need to make sure it is chopped.
2. Unroll crust onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray. Spoon half of the sauce down the center, lengthwise, leaving about 3 inches on either side. Layer spinach, turkey, and cheese over sauce.
3. Cut 12 strips on both sides of crust. Fold strips over filling, so they overlap. Brush with milk and sprinkle with Parmesan.
4. Bake for 12 minutes, serve with remaining sauce.

Difficulty: When you see the finished product, it will look like it was hard, but it isn't at all!
Time: 35 minutes (15 prep, 20 cook)
Source: Parents Magazine, April 2009