Chicken Divan or What Am I Going To Do With All This Leftover Turkey??

With Thanksgiving over, I find myself with about eight pounds of frozen turkey sitting in my freezer.  I have made about a billion turkey sandwiches and a couple of gallons of turkey soup.  So, now I am on the hunt for good recipes that will use up that turkey.  This is one that has been a family favorite forever and translates well from chicken to turkey.  I recently tried a recipe for chicken a la king, which didn't work out so well, but I will keep trying and will share the good ones here.  So, to business.....

Chicken (or Turkey) Divan
Serves 4-ish

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast (about 2 breast halves)
1 12-16 oz package frozen broccoli
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/4 c lemon juice
1 can cream of chicken soup (cream of mushroom works ok too)
1 tsp mild curry powder (or more if you like)
cheddar cheese
croutons (optional)

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1. Cook frozen broccoli.
2. Mix mayo, lemon juice, soup and curry powder in a small bowl
3. Put chicken and cooked broccoli in an 8 x 8 baking dish
4. Pour soup mixture over top.  At this point I usually stir things up a bit, so the sauce gets all over everything
5. Grate cheddar cheese over the top (In my house, if you can still see broccoli or chicken, there's not enough cheese :) )
6.  Add croutons if you want.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes till cheese is melted and bubbly and a litte browned.
Serve over rice

French Fruit Pie

Yum! This is my favorite pie! My brother loves it so much that he requests this for his birthdays instead of cake!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 c. whipping cream (the real stuff you whip yourself)

1 can (1 lb 4 oz) pineapple chunks

1 lg. pkg vanilla pudding mix (not instant)

1 can (11 oz) mandarin orange slices

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 c. milk

1 banana, sliced

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1 graham cracker crust (regular size, not large)

Follow these carefully- ignore the directions on the pudding packet, because this recipe uses a different amount of milk than regular pudding.

Combine pudding mix, milk, and 1/2 cup only of cream in a small saucepan. Cook on medium hight heat, stirring constantly, until mixtrue is thick. Chill. Beat remaining cream with sugar and vanilla until stiff in medium bowl. Beat chilled pudding until creamy-smooth, then mix into whipped cream slowly (don't beat hard- use a slow setting on mixer or just stir it by hand). Pour mixture into graham cracker crust and chill. Drain and measure juice from the pineapple and mandarin orange cans to make 3/4 cup (usually just the juice from the pineapple is enough). Stir a little of the measured juic into cornstarch until smooth in small saucepan, then add remaining juice (from the 3/4 cup). Cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils (it will go from foggy to fairly clear). Let cool slightly while arranging fruit. Arrange pineapple chunks, orange segments, and banana slices into 6 even wedge-shaped sectons on top of pie filling. Spoon warm glaze over fruit and smooth evenly. Chill at least 2 hours. Enjoy!

** can also make this recipe with mixed berries for a yummy variation. I have used raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and pomegranate seeds. When I use berries, I mix them all together for the topping, rather than doing sections. Fresh berries are great, but defrosted frozen berries also work well- and provide you with the juice you'll need to make the glaze.

The Best Mint Brownies on the Planet!

For those of us that went to BYU, I'm sure you'll remember the Fantastic mint brownies at the Creamery.  This is the official BYU mint brownie recipe (don't ask me how I got it.......ok it's posted on their website) and it is my new favorite dessert.  I'm a chocoholic and I ALWAYS keep brownie mix in the house in case of chocolate emergencies.  My poor husband is sick of brownies because of this, but when I found this lovely recipe, he didn't mind the brownie-baking so much.

BYU Mint Brownies

MAKES ONE 9-BY-13 PAN OF BROWNIES.
PREP AND COOK: 90 min. COOL: 1 hr.

Ingredients:

BROWNIES:
1 c. margarine
1/2 c. cocoa
2 Tbsp. honey
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts
12 oz. chocolate icing (Use your own icing recipe or purchase some chocolate frosting. You can also search the Internet for chocolate icing recipes.)

MINT ICING
5 Tbsp. margarine
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. mint extract (Note: don't accidentally buy peppermint extract...it just isn't the same)
1-2 drops green food coloring

Method:
1. Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.
2. Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.
3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing (Note: by short time they mean at least 30 minutes). Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.


PS:  If you are lazy like me, you can just do a box mix and then follow the recipe for the icing. It turns out almost as good as the "from scratch" recipe.  Also, the corn syrup isn't super-important in the mint icing, so you can skip it if you want and just add a little extra milk if it's too stiff.

Double Chocolate Almond Cookies

I made this today for the ladies in my ward and it was a BIG hit! I even had left overs to give to some of the Primary kids as they walked out of the room.

* The dough is thick! You may even have to mix a little by hand at the end. The cookies do harden when cooled...and they are SO yummy!

I got the recipe from Ida Garten on Food Network.

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed dark or light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup almonds, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and sugars. Add the egg and vanilla and mix together. Add the flour mixture and continue mixing until just combined.

Add the chocolates and almonds and mix until combined. Using two tablespoons or a small ice cream scoop, drop the dough two inches apart on sheet pans lined with parchment. Bake for 15 minutes.

Cool the cookies on the cookie sheets. The cookies should be very soft when they are removed from the oven. They will firm up as they cool.

Tater Tot Casserole.

I like this recipe on cool days and with ketchup on the side :o) There are many ways to make this, but this is my way.

Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
minced dry onions (to taste)
salt & pepper (to taste)
1 bag tater tots
1 can cream of chicken soup + 1 can milk
cheese

Directions:
Flatten out ground beef in 9x13 pan. Sprinkle salt, pepper and minced dry onions over beef to your liking.
In separate bowl, mix cream of chicken + milk. Line tater tots in rows over beef, pour cream of chicken mixture over tater tots. Put in 375 degree oven for 1 hour.
About 10-15 min before the hour is up, pull the pan out and sprinkle cheese over it. Put back in oven for the remainder of the time, or until the cheese is melted to your liking.

Serve and Enjoy!

Ground Beef and Everything

Hi! I'm Crystal Farnsworth, Kira's mom. I hadn't cooked this recipe in probably 25 years, but I needed something good and hearty for the fire department dinner last month and it was a hit! It is easy, rib-sticking, very flavorable, good for a large group, and freezes really well.



2 lbs. lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 can mild Ortega chilis, chopped

2 fresh tomatos, chopped

1 can sliced mushrooms

1/2 lb. Mozarella cheese, grated

1/2 lb. cheddar cheese, grated

Brown and drain ground beef. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook until cheese is entirely melted, stirring often. Serve on French rolls or pita pocket bread.

Serves 16

Thanksgiving Cranberry Relish

From the Kitchen of Melody Armstrong:

1 pkg cranberries

1 cup sugar (or more, depending on how sweet you like the relish)

1 apple (peeled and cubed)

1 orange (peeled and cubed)

1 tsp cinnamon (this is just a rough estimate, add another 1/2 tsp if needed)

.

Put cranberries in pot. Fill with water to just cover the cranberries. Add the peeled and cubed apple and orange, sugar and cinnamon. While it's boiling a pink foam will form- just skim it off.

Cooking time: about 30 minutes or until the cranberries pop and it becomes thick.

Pour into a bowl, chill and serve.

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Hi!  I'm Kirsten, Kira's friend from...well, from pretty much forever.  She is a lovely person and has let me ride her coat-tails and contribute to her recipe blog.  Hopefully, she won't regret that decision :)

When I was pregnant with my son, I craved V8 like nothing else, which is weird because I usually can't stand the stuff.  As soon as I gave birth, the cravings for V8 disappeared and I found myself with several LARGE bottles of V8 to use.  I found this on a recipe website (Recipezaar, which is now food.com) when I was looking for something that would use it up.  It also used up a bunch of the stuff in my overly-crowded freezer.  So I couldn't resist trying it out.  It turned out really good!

 

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew for your Crock Pot

 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 lb beef or pork stew meat, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
• 2 1/2 cups cubed potatoes
• 1 cup frozen cut green beans
• 1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
• 1 cup sliced carrot
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable juice cocktail
• 2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh marjoram, crushed or 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh oregano, crushed or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf

Directions

1. Place flour in a plastic bag.
2. Add meat cubes, a few at a time, shaking to coat.
3. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven brown meat, half at a time, in hot oil.
4. Drain off fat.
5. In the bottom of a 3-1/2- or 4-quart electric crock pot layer onion, potatoes, green beans, corn, carrot, and meat.
6. Combine vegetable juice cocktail, bouillon granules, Worcestershire sauce, marjoram, oregano, pepper, and bay leaf.
7. Pour over meat and vegetables in crock pot.
8. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender.
9. Discard bay leaf.

Snickerdoodles!

I admit I totally stole this recipe off my coworker's blog (Thanks Jeannie). I'm looking forward to trying it out!

1 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400

Mix the shortening and 1 1/2 cups of white sugar until smooth. Stir in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each. Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into the batter until blended.

Roll the dough into balls the size of small walnuts. Roll in a mixture of the 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown, but still soft.

Yum!

Dressing Chicken

This one is from Rich's Aunt Janet. I'm looking forward to trying it!

4 skinless chicken breasts
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 package dry onion soup
1 cup dressing (french, russian, or catalina- she likes catalina, but plans to try russian)

Mix last 3 ingredients, pour over chicken.

Bake for 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

Recipe #3 Chicken Stir Fry

This one is my own concoction. It's so yummy, very healthy, and great for dieting!

serves 4

(all quanities are estimates- add as much or as little as you like)

1 cup brown rice (the kind that cooks slowly, not instant)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large chicken breast, thawed and diced

2-3 full carrots (or a handful of baby carrots) sliced small

3/4 cup chopped celery

3/4 cup fresh broccoli florettes

1 small, drained can of water chestnuts

2 pieces garlic cloves minced (or about 2 tsps garlic powder, unsalted)

Soysauce

Various spices- I use whatever smells good, typically I include oregano, basil, parsley, marjoram, thyme, lemon pepper, onion powder, and a little bit of Mrs. Dash table seasoning. Be generous!

In a pot, prepare the rice, following the instructions on the bag.

In a LARGE frying pan, put in the olive oil, chicken, carrots, all the seasonings, and 1 cup of water. Make 2-3 circles around the pan with the soy sauce. On Medium High heat, stir these ingredients. When the chicken is starting to cook, and the carrots are starting to soften, add the celery and water chestnuts. Wait another few minutes and add the broccoli florettes. Add more water if needed (the bottom of the pan should stay wet, with about an 1/8-1/4 inch juices all across it). You can also add more seasonings and/or soy sauce to taste. Cover pan with lid or a piece of tinfoil. Lower heat to medium low and let simmer until all veggies/chicken are cooked. Serve over rice.

Recipe #2: Homemade French Onion Soup

This recipe is my own modification from one I found in a Rachel Ray book. It's fantastic, and reheats well. Even my husband, who doesn't like raw onions, LOVES this soup.

Feeds 8-12

1 baguette, ends trimmed sliced at a diagonal (or a loaf of sourdough bread, in slices that would fit in your bowls)
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) real butter (I like the no salt added kind)
5 large yellow onions (or 3 of the huge ones) peeled, halved, and thinly sliced into strips
1/2 tbsp ground thyme
8 cups beef broth
5 cups chicken broth
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (at least... based on how much you like cheese!)

Lightly toast bread/baguette on both sides in the broiler, set aside for later. Melt butter in large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add thyme and onions and cook until caramel brown in color (onions will also be slightly transparent), stirring frequently to prevent burning the sugars that are cooking out of the onions. Add broths and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 30 minutes.

To serve, ladle soup into oven safe crocks or deep bowls. Float toast on top and sprinkle generously with mozzarella. Put bowls on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven on broil until the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned. Carefully remove and put bowls on cool underliners/plates. The bowls and soup will be VERY HOT, so be careful. Serve and enjoy.

**Tip for quick leftovers: Heat the soup first for 2-3 minutes in the microwave (until mostly hot- if you try to do it with the bread already on it, it takes forever to get hot enough). Toast some sourdough or french bread in the toaster, place it in the soup, and throw some cheese on it in the microwave for another minute. Not as fabulous as when it's prepared the "long way", but good for a quick lunch!

Recipe #1: Almond Chicken Dijon

This is yummy, easy, pretty quick, and nutritious!

4 chicken breast halves (about 1lb)
2 tbsp light mayo
2 tbsp dijon mustard (I like Grey Poupon Country Dijon)
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased glass baking dish (I use about 1/2 a tbsp of olive oil)
Mix mustard and mayo together in a separate bowl.
Spread mixture evenly over chicken - try to cover all surfaces
Sprinkle slivered almonds on top.
Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (needs longer if chicken isn't completely defrosted or is really thick).
Per Serving: 200 calories, 1g Fiber, 9g Fat, 26g Protein.

I first came across this recipe when my Aunt Suzanne had leftovers of it in her fridge. She found it in a Kraft Foods flier. It can also be found at Kraftrecipes.com

I love it! Serve it with some brown rice and a veggie and it's a great meal. (It also reheats well- so leftovers are great!)

Just for fun

Hi Everyone-

A lot of my friends have family recipe blogs to share their favorite meals, desserts, snacks, etc. It can get boring making the same old thing, and it's always nice to get and exchange new recipes, so I thought I'd create a blog for more recipe sharing. If you have something to add, just email me or send it in a message on Facebook, and I'll add it (giving you credit, of course!). If anyone I know would like to be a regular contributor, let me know and I'll add you as an administrator!

Enjoy and Bon Apetit!

Kira