Gooey Tear & Share Cheesy Bread

 

  

New Years Eve! Its hard to believe that we are at the end of what has been an amazingly difficult year for many if not all of us. This has absolutely been a year for the books. I think I join in with many of you in wishing and hoping that 2021 will be a lot kinder all around!

Needless to say because of Covid, celebrations will be somewhat subdued this year on many fronts. Its not a problem for me as I have never been one to go out and carouse on New Years Eve.  

 

I raised a rather large family and could never afford the cost of a sitter as well as going out to a dance or a party in my younger years. Staying home has always been pretty normal for me.  

As well my ex husband was in the Military Police so he always had to work on NYE.  That meant staying at home with the kiddles and enjoying a finger food feast. We would watch our favourite DVD's and eat picky bits until they came out our ears. 

 

We would all be trying hard to stay up until 12 o'clock so we could watch Dick Clark's Rockin New Year's Eve and watch the big apple fall in Times Square.  To me those were the best New Years Eve celebrations ever. 

I loved being with my children and enjoying our nibbles.  We would have potato chips and dips, maybe some chicken wings.  Meatballs, and small sandwiches, Prawn rings, and all sorts of yummy bits. One of my favourite things to make would either be Spinach Dip in a loaf, or this fabulously tasty Gooey Tear & Share Cheese Bread.

 

One thing that's really nice about this Tear & Share Cheesy Bread is that the bread itself is the bowl for the dip. (Much like Spinach Dip.) I uses fairly simple ingredients and I could often use cheese that was leftover from Christmas.

Camembert cheese, and soft goats cheesem both which melt beautifully.  I usually like to use a round loaf to hold the dip and make up the picky dipping bits, but this year I could only get an oval. No mind, it tastes the same no matter the shape!

The loaf gets hollowed out in the middle to make a "bowl" for the melted cheese. Make sure you save the bits you hollow out for dipping. You then cut the remainder of the loaf into one inch cuts, ready to pluck out and dip into the melted cheese as well.

 

You make a lovely garlic and herb oil which gets brushed all over the loaf before you bake it. It has just the right amount of green herbiness and pungency from the garlic. I use rosemary, but you can use whichever herbs float your boat. Just make sure he flavours go well with the cheese.

  

The cheese gets cubed and put into the centre "bowl" of the bread and then you cover the whole thing lightly with foil. It is then baked in the oven until the bread toasts and warms through, all of that lovely herby oil crisping it up in places.

The cheese gets all melty and gooey. You don't have to use the cheeses I have suggested. Its your choice. You can use any combination of melty cheese that you enjoy. I can tell you that reblochon is nice as is Swiss.  Just make sure it is a cheese with great melting properties.

 

A bit of flaked sea salt on the surface decorates it in a really nice way. Like little diamonds or jewels, also adding flavour.  Once this is ready all you have to do is sit back and watch your family and or friends enjoy it. 

Its so much fun and a great conversation piece. Not dissimilar to the fondu parties of the 19 60's and 70's where we all gathered around molten pots of cheese with bread to dip, or hot fat with pieces of chicken, etc. to fry.

 

You just can't beat the simplicity of this, or the taste. Its a fabulously party appetiser, whether you be many or a few. You can adapt it to smaller groups by using smaller loaves of bread.

You can even make individual ones (if you are really germ phobic) by using individual crusty rolls, which is really a lot of fun also.  Whatever you choose to do, one thing is for certain, this is sure to make for a really appetising and delicious part of your New Year's Celebrations!

Wishing a really Happy New Year to all! May your 2021 be happy and blessed and filled with peace, comfort and joy. Here's hoping it is a good year to us all!

Tear & Share Cheesy Bread

Yield: Variable

Author: Marie Rayner

prep time: 10 Mincook time: 25 Mintotal time: 35 Min

This delicious appetiser is simple to make, ready in minutes and delicious!

Ingredients

• 9 ounce (255g) round of Camembert Cheese
• 3 1/2 (100g) ounce round of goats cheese
• 1 (1 pound) loaf of Italian or Sour Dough bread, unsliced (a round loaf is best)
• 1 fat clove of garlic, peeled
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves stripped from stalk
• 3/4 tsp sea salt flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready a large baking sheet, lined with foil and buttered.
2. Trim any rind from the cheese and discard. Chop the remaining cheese roughly.
3. Hollow out a round roughly 4 1/2 inches across and 1 1/2 inches deep in centre of the loaf of bread. (This  becomes a receptacle for the melted cheese.)
4. Cut the remaining loaf into a cross hatch pattern, cutting almost all the way to the bottom, and spacing the cuts 1-inch apart.
5. Finely chop the garlic and rosemary leaves.
6. Whisk the rosemary, garlic, black pepper to taste and oil together in a bowl.  Brush this all over the loaf, making sure that you get it down into the cuts as much as possible.
7. Put the chopped cheese in the centre hollowed out area.  Sprinkle flakes of sea salt over all. Cover loosely with foil.
8. Place onto the baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until golden brown and the cheese has melted and is bubbling.
9. Serve  hot.
10. People can pull off pieces of the bread to dip into the cheese.

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Spicy Tomato & Sausage Pasta (small batch)

 

This tasty pasta recipe I am sharing with you today makes for an excellent mid-week supper.  I am in the process of down-sizing a lot of my recipes, so this is a small batch recipe and feeds two people generously.  

 

If you are just one, you will have one serving to eat now and one serving to freeze for later on!  Many of us are having to survive in limited circumstances at the moment, without having a lot of others around to feed. Recipes that just feed one or two are certainly going to come in very handy. 

 

 

You can also certainly double or triple any recipe to serve more if you wish. I try to always share recipes that are very "cook" and family-friendly, using simple ingredients and methods, so they are easily adaptable to many tastes and needs. 

This recipe I am sharing today uses very simple ingredients. Italian sausage, marinara sauce, onions, garlic, Pesto, spinach, cheeseand pasta.  There is nothing too out of the ordinary at all. Generally speaking I will always have most of these ingredients in my store-cupboard.

 

You can certainly make your own Marinara sauce for this, but a good bottled one works very well. Just buy the best one you can afford to buy. There are some really great ones out there.

Its a bit of a cheat using jarred marinara sauce, but it does make for quite a time saving.  If you use a really good quality one however, it won't really matter.

 

 

I like to use sweet Italian Sausage, but that is a personal preference. Feel free to use a hot Italian Sausage if you wish. In the UK I used to pick up my Italian Sausage at Costco. They had some lovely ones.

I have not sourced it here in Middleton yet, but I think that you can buy it in most of the Grocery stores. I live in a really small town at the moment, so I have only a few places to choose from. In larger urban centres you will be literally spoilt for choice!

 

When I was growing up my mother used to make us Spaghetti Bolognese once a week just about every week. It consisted of her browning a pound of ground beef and adding a can of Catelli Spaghetti Sauce.  That was Italian to her! 

I wasn't very fond of the meat in the sauce, so she used to save out a spoonful of the sauce for me without meat in it. That's a mother's love for you. It is limitless and without judgment! 

 

For this sauce you just remove the skins from the sausage and crumble it into a skillet. (Its really easy to take it out of the casings.  Just slip a sharp knife into the casing to make a cut and slip it right off.)Add the onions and garlic and brown it all together. 

Once you have everything browned off you can add your marinara sauce. I used the President's Choice Marinara Sauce from the Atlantic Super Store. Their products are usually quite good. I recommend Lloyd Grosman Tomato and Basil sauce if you are in the UK.

 

You let it all simmer for about 15 minutes and by that time it should be nice and thick. You are going to stir some Basil Pesto into it for even more flavour. 

I used to like making my own Basil Pesto when I was in the UK.  I am still finding my feet over here in Canada, so just use whatever brand of Pesto that you like to use. 

Once I get into my own place I plan on growing my own Basil if possible. I would like to have a little window sil herb garden.

 

I just need to source a good place to buy seeds from. Any recommendations?  I am flying in the dark here. 

Once you have the sauce made, all you need to do is to combine it with your cooked pasta, the cheese and fresh spinach. I adore fresh spinach in bakes like this. If they are very long, I always remove the stems. If short, I leave as is.

 

I also always use whole wheat or smart pasta if possible. Its just healthier and to be honest, I can't really tell the difference, especially in a bake like this. 

Every bit of extra fibre helps!  I try to pack it into my diet wherever I can. Funny how when you are young, you don't really think about things like that. I didn't at any rate.

 

Now I am older and have more years behind me than ahead of me, I think about things like fibre and fat. And sugar. I try to do my best when I can. 

Don't we all! Youth is wasted on the young. If I had known then what I know now, I might have done a lot of things differently, especially diet wise, but alas I did not. All I can do is the best that I can now.

 

I like to reserve a bit of cheese to sprinkle on top after I spoon everything into the casserole dish.  A bit of cheese on top always goes down a real treat.

The casserole I used for this was a small pyrex one. It was about 7 inches square and two inches deep. It was just the perfect size for this.

 

The flavours in this are spot on and so delicious.  I adore casseroles like this. Simple to throw together and using simple ingredients. 

They make the perfect midweek supper for those nights when you are not feeling truly inspired but you still want to put a tasty meal on the table. NO fuss and NO faff spells winner to me!

This is one dish that has a lot going for it flavourwise!  Well everyway-wise really. Quick, easy and delicious works for me every time, and when I can manage that pint sized, even better!

All you need for this is a salad on the side. The glutton in me always loves a bit of garlic bread with it as well, but an ordinary crusty loaf or roll also goes very well!

Spicy Tomato & Sausage Pasta

Yield: Serves 2

Author: Marie Rayner

prep time: 20 Mincook time: 30 Mintotal time: 50 Min

I cheat a bit with this by using a good jarred marinara sauce, but I think you will agree that this dish is fabulously tasty! Quick, easy and delicious! You can easily double to serve 4. It also freezes well.

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

• splash of olive oil
• 1/2 pound Italian sausage links, casings removed and discarded
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
•   2 small cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 (26 ounce/730g) jars/carton of good marinara sauce
•   3TBS of good Basil Pesto
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

You will also need:

• 1/2 pound (225g) penne pasta, uncooked
• 4 ounces (115g) of finely diced or grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup (90g grated Parmesan Cheese
• 3 ounces (85g) baby spinach leaves 

Instructions

1. Heat a large heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat. Add a small splash of olive oil, then crumble in the sausage meat. Cook, breaking up with a spoon, until the sausage is evenly browned and no pink remains.
2. Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes longer. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute and then add the marinara sauce. Reduce the heat to medium.
3. Simmer for about 10 minutes, then stir in the pesto, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings to your taste. Set aside.
4. Cook the pasta according to package directions in a large pot of lightly salted water. Drain well.
5. Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of the dish.
6. Combine the pasta with the remaining sauce, the spinach leaves (I like to try to pick off and discard any large stems), the mozzarella cheese, and 60g of the Parmesan cheese (1/3 cup) Mix well to combine and then spoon into the prepped casserole dish. Scatter the remaining Parmesan cheese over top.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until the casserole begins to bubble and the cheese is golden. Serve hot.

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Quick Naan Bread Pizzas

 

Here we are in that no-man's land between Christmas and New Years. Some of us have exhausted our desire for turkey sandwiches and what-not.  We are trying to recoup our energy before preparing to cook our New Years Feast.

These are the days when we are not necessarily wanting to expend a lot of energy on preparing meals. We just want to catch our breaths before the next onslaught! Most of us will have had smaller than normal Christmas celebrations this year.

  

But small or not, they will have required a lot of time, effort and planning to produce. It takes just as much time and energy to produce a meal for one or two as it does for four, six or more people.  Its just cooking on a smaller scale, but  not necessarily less work.

If you are like me, you have a healthy store cupboard and these few days in between the Christmas leftovers and the New Years preparations are the perfect time to avail yourself of some of the convenience contained within! 

It is surprising just how delicious a meal you can produce with a very few ingredients put together in a delicious way. One of those fab and tasty creations are Naan Bread Pizzas!! 

 

Naan Bread is a flat yeasted bread which hails from the North of India.  Similar in appearance and texture to Pita bread, it comes in a variety of flavours. You can get them in a large size, ready to be torn up or you can get them in smaller sizes as well. 

For these pizzas I like to use the plain ones, which are simply flavoured with garlic.  They are shaped like a tear drop and are roughly the size of your hand.

 

They are baked on top of the stove on a flat grill or skillet here, but in India they would be baked in a Tandoor oven. They are incredibly convenient to use as a quick and easy pizza crust, much like a Pita bread would be. 

 

You will also need a nice melty type of cheese. Mozzarella is the normal cheese that is used on Pizzas and is known for its ooze factor. You can use any cheese you like or a combination of cheeses. I love fontina cheese, or Gouda.

You don't need a sauce for the Naan Bread pizzas, but you will want a nice layer of melty cheese to grab your toppings and form a nice flavour base.  You can get as wild as you want with this or keep  it simple. Its all a matter of taste and choice.

 

I always like to keep a variety of olives in my store cupboard. I adore olives. They come in very handy for using in salads, sauces, etc.  And . . . they are wonderful on Pizzas.

In the UK I used to be able to get foil packs of dried and seasoned olives in both the green and the black variety.  They would sometimes be seasoned with garlic and herbs.  They were perfect for use on pizzas.  

 

I would simply tear them up and scatter them over top. I am sure going to miss them. I haven't been able to find them here yet, but I maybe am just not looking in the right places.

Another ingredient I aways keep in my larder are marinated artichoke hearts.  They are such a versatile ingredient. I use them to make Artichoke Chicken and a fantastic Artichoke Dip which is really great when you are entertaining.

 

But they are also fantastic to use as a pizza topping. I like the marinated one because they have plenty of flavour, but you can also use plain tinned ones as well. Both are very good.

 

I tend to use the oil marinated ones, which is naughty I know.  That marinade oil has lots of flavour in it however and is perfect brushed over the Naan breads before you top them with anything else.

It is also very delicious drizzled over top of the finished pizza, again, adding flavour.  They are usually marinated in olive oil with garlic and herbs.  Delicious! I don't like to waste anything.

 

Today I have kept the toppings very simple.  You can go crazy with toppings however. Adding some chopped pepperoni, or ham.  Pineapple even, if you are so inclined.

Other good add ons are chopped onion or mushrooms, or both. I like red onions because of their colour and mild flavour. Spring onion is also very nice. Today I added some fresh thyme leaves.

 

One thing I always, ALWAYS add to my pizzas is Parmesan Cheese. Its a lovely dry and hard cheese that packs plenty of punch. You don't need a lot of it to add flavour to anything. It is the dieter's friend in that way.  

You get the flavour of the cheese without needing a lot of it. I cannot imagine not liking Parmesan Cheese. It is one thing I would never be without if I could help it. Its great on pastas and in salads as well.  

 

I always save the rinds which I throw into soups and sauces when I am making them. They add unimaginable flavour to these things. Never ever throw the rinds away!

 

These are just my suggestions for topping these quick and easy pizzas. You can of course adapt the idea to incorporate your own favourite toppings as and how you wish.

I always make a salad to serve with these, and with the nice bagged salads on offer these days, even that need not take a great deal of effort to execute.  And there you have it, a delicious supper for the family that everyone is sure to love! 

With minimum fuss, and minimum muss. Little to clean up and yet still incredibly edibly pleasing to everyone involved! The perfect catch-your-breath meal!

Quick Naan Bread Pizzas

Yield: 4

Author: Marie Rayner

prep time: 10 Mincook time: 10 Mintotal time: 20 Min

These make for a quick and easy midweek supper. Perfect for when you are just exhausted and can't be asked! They are delicious, simple to make and use store cupboard ingredients. You can also make as many or as few as you want.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (280g jar) of quartered artichoke hearts, marinated in olive oil,
• 4 small individual Naan breads (I like the plain ones with garlic)
• 12 ounces (350g) sliced Taleggio Cheese (Dutch Gouda is a good substitute)
• 2 cups (400g) pimento stuffed green olives
• 4 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 4 heaped TBS frshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 heaped TBS of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F gas mark 6. Have ready a large baking tray.
2. Drain the artichokes, reserving the oil.
3. Place the naan breads onto a large baking tray.  Brush with a bit of reserved artichoke oil.  Divide the Taleggio cheese between the breads.
4. Top the cheese with the drained artichoke quarters, the olives and the thyme leaves. 
5. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over top.  Dust with a bit of sea salt and lots of black pepper. (Remember that the olives and artichokes will probably be quite salty)
6. Drizzle a bit more of the artichoke oil over top.
7. Bake for about 10 minutes in the heated oven, until the cheese is bubbling and the naan are golden brown at the edges. 
8. Sprinkle with some of the chopped parsley and serve hot.

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This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again! 

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Turkey Mulligatawny Soup

 

One thing that mom always mad after the holidays was soup.  If there was a leftover bone or carcass or meat from anything, one thing we could count on was a big pot of soup.  

We loved mom's soups. They were hearty and delicious. I used to make soup a lot when my children were growing up as well.  My ex husband called it Stewp because he felt they were like a cross between a soup and a stew.

Holiday Leftovers

 

So here you are. It's boxing day and you have a whole fridge filled with leftovers. What to do . . . what to do . . .

I thought I would give you some tasty ideas this morning to help you use up some of those scrummy leftovers. Of course you could just have a reheat of the leftovers, but it's also nice to dress them up in a few different ways too! 

I'll start with turkey as most of us in Canada and the UK will have leftover Turkey to contend with, but further on down the page you will find ways to deal with everything else. Leftovers don't have to be boring! In fact I often enjoy them even more than I do the first meal!

Turkey Leftovers:

 

Hot Turkey Poutine.  It's your favourite sandwich, but it's not a sandwich.  It's poutine!  

 

Chips, cheese, gravy, stuffing and turkey!  This is soooo good, I often just buy a small turkey breast roast to cook just so we can have it. You don't get much better than this!

 

Turkey Hash.  This dish is something I like to do with leftover turkey.  It's really simple to make and quite delicious.  

With both sweet and regular potatoes, celery, carrots, spring onions and plenty of cheese!  Pass the lefover gravy! Yum yum!

 Turkey & Stuffing Casserole. A hearty casserole that is healthy and deliciously low in fat and calories, served with it's own gravy. 

This is one of my favourite things to do with leftovers.

 

Turkey & Ham Pie. How to turn a little bit of leftover cooked ham and cooked turkey into a delicious new creation that the whole family will love. 

Creamy and rich. If it is in a pastry I am all over it. I adore pot pies and this is fabulously tasty! 

 

Stacked Turkey Mexi Melts.  These are surprisingly hearty and delicious.  Serve with a salad on the side for a complete meal. 

Although the recipe does use ground turkey, you can just replace that with chopped cooked turkey and they will be just as delicious!

 

Green Chili Turkey Enchiladas. Rich, creamy, spicy and delicious.  A great way to use up some of your leftover holiday turkey! Fabulously tasty!

 

I just adore these!!  

 

Bombay Turkey.  Who fancies a curry?  Something deliciously different to do with your turkey leftovers! 

This always goes down a real treat with everyone.  A bit of rice, some naan bread on the side and nobody minds in the least that it is leftovers! 

Cheesy Cornbread Turkey Pot Pie.   You are going to love this delicious version of a Turkey Pot that I am sharing. Whether you are in the UK and looking at this after Christmas, or in North America, it is sure to please everyone! 

 

 Leftovers from your holiday meal, put together in a very delicious way.

Of course you can have a plain old turkey sandwich, but why not dress it up a bit and serve it open faced on a rustic piece of bread, topped with some leftover cranberry sauce, some of the leftover stuffing heated and crumbled on top of the cranberry, then the heated sliced turkey and some heated leftover gravy ladled over top. Delicious with a few sliced pickles and some potato crisps on the side!

My mom always made Turkey Pot pies.  We loved them! You can follow the  outlined recipe below, which is only a rough guideline of what to do. You can adapt it to whatever it is you have in your fridge.



*Turkey Pot Pie*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe




2 mugs full of leftover turkey, chopped
2 mugs full of leftover cooked vegetables, chopped
(peas, carrots, corn)  If you haven't got any, then you can
use 2 mugs of frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
a handful of roasted potatoes, chopped
1 mug full of leftover turkey gravy
1 mug full of milk
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 tsp summer savoury
salt and black pepper to taste
Pastry to cover
milk and beaten egg yolk



Mix together all the ingredients except for the pastry in a large bowl, seasoning to taste with salt and black pepper.  Spread into a large round, or oval shallow casserole dish.  Roll out your pastry to cover and place over top, venting to allow steam to escape.  Brush with a bit of milk and beaten egg yolk.  Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes in an oven which has been preheated to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Serve warm.

I think one of the most popular things to do over here in the UK with the leftover turkey is to make a Turkey Curry, but how about Curried Turkey Salad! Yummo!!

*Curried Turkey Salad*
Serves 4

Printable Recipe

This is a very delicious salad.

2 cups of leftover cooked turkey, cut into cubes

olive oil
salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good mayonnaise (330g)
1/3 cup dry white wine (80ml)
1/4 cup mango chutney (55g)
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 large celery ribs, medium diced
1/4 cup chopped spring onions (2 spring onions)
1/4 cup raisins (37g)
1 cup whole roasted salted cashews (150g)

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the mayonnaise, wine, chutney, curry powder and 1 1/2 tsp salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Combine the turkey with enough dressing to moisten well. Add the celery, spring onions and  raisins. Mix well together. Cover and chill for several hours to let the flavors blend. Add the cashews and serve.  

  

*Turkey and Stuffing Pie*
Serves 4

Printable Recipe

This may not look like much, but this is absolutly delicious!

2 celery ribs, trimmed and chopped
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 TBS butter
8 ounces stuffing crumbs, or crushed croutons (2 cups)
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp marjoram
pinch ground nutmeg
1 TBS parsley flakes
salt and black pepper to taste
1 large free range egg, beaten
375ml of warm chicken broth (1 1/2 cups)
2 cups of chopped cooked turkey
To serve:
Creamed peas and carrots (optional)

Melt the butter in a frying pan.  Add the onion and celery.  Saute without colouring until soft, stirring frequently.  Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Butter a 9 inch pie dish.  Set aside.

Tip the bread crumbs into a bowl along with the sage, thyme, marjoram, nutmeg and parsley flakes.  Mix together well.  Stir in the broth, beaten egg and sauteed vegetables.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in the turkey.  Mix well.  Spread this mixture into the buttered pie dish.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until set and lightly browned.

Serve cut into wedges along with some creamed peas and carrots spooned over top if desired.  A tossed salad goes very well with this.

 

*Creamed Peas and Carrots*
Serves 4

Printable Recipe  

Delicous served over crackers, biscuits, toast, fish cakes or my tasty Stuffing Pie. 

2 TBS butter
2 TBS plain flour
1 pint of milk
salt and pepper to taste
cooked peas and carrots to taste
(I like a larger ratio of sauce to veg, but some people like more veg than sauce)

Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Whisk in the flour.  Slowly whisk in the milk.  Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened.  Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for about five minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in the vegetables and heat through.

 

  

A delicious leftover Turkey Casserole never goes amiss.  This one is a bit different than other casseroles.  It's kind of like a Turkey Cottage pie!   You have delicious layers of  turkey, mash, stuffing and a few other tasty bits!

  

*Turkey Casserole*
Serves 4 to 6, depending on appetites
Printable Recipe

A delicious casserole which is easy to put together and helps to use up leftovers from your roast dinners.

4 cups of prepared stuffing, divided
4 cups of coarsely chopped leftover cooked turkey (about one pound)
3/4 cup of good quality mayonnaise, divided
1/4 cup of whole berry cranberry sauce
2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes
1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese  

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/   Butter an 8 inch square casserole dish.    Spoon half of the stuffing mixture into the bottom of the dish and spread it out to cover.   Sprinkle with the turkey pieces.   Whisk together 1/4 cup of the mayonnaise and all of the cranberry sauce.   Spread this mixture over top of the turkey.   Beat together the remaining mayonnaise, the mashed potatoes and the  mozzarella cheese.   Spoon this over top of the turkey, spreading it over to cover.   Sprinkle the remaining stuffing over top.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until bubbling and heated through.   Allow to stand for 10 minutes or so before serving.   Delicious!  

Here's another delicious Turkey Oven Bake.

  

*Turkey Oven Bake*

Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

A delicious casserole that is very easily thrown together. A real family pleaser!!

one heaped mug of long grain rice

3 mugs of cooked turkey, chopped

2 mugs of cooked chopped broccoli

1 tin of condensed cream of chicken soup (batchelors, or campbells)

375ml of milk (1 1/2 cups)

250ml of chicken broth (1 cup)

2 dessert spoons of mayonnaise (about half a cup)

2 stalks of celery, trimmed and chopped

1/2 medium onion, peeled and chopped

8 ounces of strong cheddar cheese, grated

salt and black pepper to taste

crushed round buttery crackers, about a handful    

 

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a large shallow baking dish. Set aside.

Stir together the rice, turkey, broccoli, soup, milk, broth, mayonnaise, onion and celery in a bowl. Add half of the cheese and stir again. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with some foil.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the rice is cooked and the casserole is bubbling. Remove from the oven, top with the remaining cheese and crushed crackers. Bake for a further about 10 minutes until the cheese is nicely melted on top and it is lightly browned. Serve hot.  

Salads are always nice, especially when it's as tasty as this delicious Turkey Cobb Salad!  

  

*Turkey Cobb Salad*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is a delicious salad which contains no less than 3 of the super foods!! Turkey breast, avocado and tomatoes! Bacon and cheese aside, I reckon it is pretty good for you!

2 TBS white wine vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 TBS good quality mayonnaise
4 TBS olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
8 slices of thick cut bacon
1 head of iceberg lettuce, cored and thinly sliced
2 small avocados, peeled, stoned and cubed
4 small plum tomatoes, chopped
8 ounces cubed turkey breast (1/2 pound)

First make the dressing. Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, oil and a pinch of pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in a quarter of the cheese.

Fry the bacon in a heavy frying pan over medium heat until crisp. Drain well on paper towels, then crumble.

Add the lettuce to the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Divide the lettuce amongst 4 chilled plates. Arrange the avocados, tomatoes and turkey on top. Sprinkle with the bacon and the remaining cheese and serve.  

 

  

And there you have it! A multitude of ways to use up some of your temptingly tasty turkey leftovers! I am sure some of these will come in handy!

Ham Leftovers:



We like to have ham, cut into thick slices and fried in butter along side of our fried eggs for a special boxing day breakfast. Just melt some butter and add the ham once it begins to sizzle. Cook until it begins to get crisp on the edges, flip over and repeat on the other side.

You can chop it up and add it to your favourite macaroni and cheese recipe, or to a pan of scallopped potatoes.

Combine it with some of the leftover turkey, and some of that Stilton in a tasty salad! 

   

*Ham and Mac Bake*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

This is a wonderful casserole that is not only very tasty, but also very easy on the budget as well. My children always loved it when they were growing up and it was something different to do with the ham that was leftover from Easter. I often buy a slap of ham at the shops so that I can make this as well.

1/2 pound of macaroni (1 2/3 cups)
1/4 cup butter (2 ounces)
1/4 cup flour (1.5 ounces)
2 TBS Dijon mustard
salt to taste
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups milk (5ooml)
2 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
2 cups cubed, fully cooked ham (about half a pound)
2 medium eating apples, peeled and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1 cup soft bread crumbs (about 1 1/4 slices)
2 TBS butter melted

Cook the macaroni in lightly salted boiling water until done, according to the packet directions. Drain well, rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside until needed.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ Gas mark 4. Melt the 1/4 cup of butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for one minute over low heat. Blend in the mustard, salt, pepper and sugar. In the meantime bring the milk just to the boil. (Just until bubbles appear around the edges) Slowly whisk the heated milk into the flour mixture, cooking and stirring it until thickened, smooth and bubbly. Stir in the cooked macaroni, ham and apple slices. Turn into a greased 2 litre casserole dish.

Toss the bread crumbs with the 2 TBS butter and sprinkle evenly over top of the casserole. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned on top.


*Boxing Day Salad*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

100g bag of baby leaf salad greens (about 4 cups)
1 head of red chicory
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
100g of cooked turkey (1/4 pound)
100g of cooked ham (1/4 pound)
50g chopped toasted walnut pieces (1/4 cup)
2 ounces stilton cheese, crumbled
4 TBS reduced fat caesar salad dressing

Place the salad greens in a large shallow bowl. Break up the red chicory leaves and toss into the bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil Tear the turkey and ham into bits with two forks. combine in a bowl along with the walnut pieces and stilton cheese. Add the salad dressing and mix to combine. Pile this mixture on top of the salad leaves and serve.

It's delicious chopped and mixed with grated cheese and then stuffed into a nice big fluffy baked potato.


Leftover Roast Beef??  

A tasty Cottage Pie with a Potato and Parsnip Mash Topping fits the bill perfectly!  


 

*Cottage Pie with Potato and Parsnip Mash Topping*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is a delicious way of using up some of the leftovers from your Sunday Lunch. You can make this with fresh ground beef of course, but we love it made with chopped leftover roast beef. I also like to use any leftover cooked vegetables in the filling as well. Usually it's just peas and carrots, but sometimes there is some swede as well. Just make sure you chop your cooked carrots and or swede into roughly the same size as the peas. French beans chopped are also nice. You can use leftover gravy if you wish, but I normally don't have any leftover so have made my own sauce.

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 large parsnips, peeled and cut into coins
1 spring of thyme
a knob of butter and a splash of milk
salt and pepper to taste
For the filling:
2 cups chopped leftover cooked roast beef
1 cup leftover cooked vegetables, chopped into small bits
2 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
2 TBS plain flour
4 cups boiling water
3 to 4 beef bouillion cubes
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 heaped dessert spoon of tomato ketchup
1 TBS horseradish sauce
Salt and black pepper to taste 

 

Place the potatoes, parsnips and thyme into a saucepan of slightly salted water. Bring to the boil. Cook until the potatoes are soft, then drain well, discarding the stem from the thyme. Mash well, adding a knob of butter and some milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Place the leftover roast and onions in a large skillet, with any beef drippings that you may have. If not you may need to use a bit of oil. Cook and stir until the onions are softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further minute or so until fragrant. Sprinkle with the flour and stir it in. Stir in the boiling water until the sauce thickens. Crumble the bouillion cubes in, stirring until they are completely melted. You may need the full 4 depending on how much of a beefy flavour you want. Stir in the worcestershire sauce, ketchup and horseradish sauce. Mix all in well. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. Pour this mixture into a shallow baking dish.

Spoon the parsnip mash over top in a rustic manner.

Bang into a pre-heated 200*C/400*F oven and bake until the filling is bubbling and the mash is beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes or so before serving. Delicious!





Leftover Vegetables:

We can't be forgetting the leftover Christmas Veg!! I know we all buy in far more than we need, and then end up with it hanging about the fridge. Here's a few different recipes for some dishes using some of that leftover veg so it doesn't get all wilted and go to waste!

*Spicy Parsnip and Sprout Hash*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

800g of parsnips, peeled and chopped into chunks (1 1/2 pounds)
300g of brussels sprouts, peeled and finely shredded (1/2 pound)
a large handful of frozen peas
the juice of 1/2 lemon
50g of butter (1/4 cup)
1 TBS cumin seeds
1 TBS garam masala
1 red chili, deseeded and chopped
1 bunch of coriander, chopped (reserve a few leaves to garnish)
salt

Place the parsnips in a pan of cold water to cover. Add a pinch of turmeric and salt and bring to the boil. cook for 12 minutes. While the parsnips are cooking, blanch the sprouts in another pan of boiling water for about 3 minutes, until tender, adding the peas for the final minute. Drain all the vegetables well. Tip the drained parsnips back into the pan along with the lemon juice and half the butter. Mash roughly. Beat in the cooked sprouts, peas, cumin, garam masala, chili and coriander. Season to taste with some salt.

Heat the remaining butter in a medium sized non-stick skillet. When it begins to sizzle, tip in the parsnip mixture, pressing it down to form a flat cake. Cook, until it is browned underneat. Turn over carefully with a fish slice. (It may break up but that's ok) Continue cooking until crisp on this side as well. Keep flipping and turning until you have a nicely crisped cake. Slice out onto a heated plate. Garnish with the coriander leaves. Cut into wedges to serve.

*Roast Vegetables with Stilton and Chestnuts*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

3 TBS French Walnut oil
4 large parsnips, peeled and quartered lengthwise
4 large red potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
4 large carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
2 large onions, peeled and cut into wedges
200g pack of peeled and ready to use chestnuts (1 cup)
(roughly chop)
the juice of one lime
sea sald and freshly ground black pepper
200g Creamy Blue Stilton cheese, crumbled (1/4 pound)

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark6. Place 2 TBS of the oil in a large roasting tin and heat in the oven for 5 minutes. Toss iin the prepared vegetables, giving them a stir to coat with the oil. Roast for one hour until tender, turning occasionally.Mix in the chopped chestnuts and cook for a further 10 minutes. Whisk together the lime juice, remaining TBS of oil and a bit of seasoning. Divide the roasted vegetables between 4 heated serving plates. Scatter with the crumbled stilton and drizzle with the lime dressing. Serve immediately.


Leftover mincemeat and cranberries??? 

 Why not a delicious Spicy Cranberry, Mincemeat and Almond Eve's Pudding!



Spicy Cranberry, Mincemeat and Almond Eve's Pudding*
Serves 4 to 6 depending on appetites
Printable Recipe

The perfect way to use up that half eaten jar of mincemeat lanquishing in the back of your refrigerator!

1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and chopped
2 TBS water
200g of mincemeat (a generous cup)
100g of cranberries, frozen or fresh (1 cup)
100g of butter (7/8 cup)
100g of golden caster sugar (1/2 cup)
2 large eggs, beaten
75g of self raising flour (2/3 cup)
25g of ground almonds (1/3 cup)
a small handful of flaked toasted almonds

Cream to serve

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready a shallow 11 by 7 baking dish. Set aside.

Place the apple in a pot with the water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer, cover and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the mincemeat and cranberries. Pour into the baking dish, leveling out.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Sift in the flour and stir in along with the almonds. Spread this mixture over top of the fruit in the baking dish. Level off and then sprinkle with the flaked almonds.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the topping is well risen and golden brown, and the fruit is bubbling beneath. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes then, serve warm with some pouring cream. Delicious!

Leftover Christmas Pudding?

 How about a Christmas Pudding Trifle!



*Christmas Pudding Trifle*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

A delicious trifle which consists of a lovely rich custard baked over top of some crumbled Christmas pudding until wobbly. Chilled and then covered with amaretti biscuits, brandy cream, flaked almonds and silver balls, this is probably one of the nicest trifles I've ever eaten . . .

300ml of milk (1 1/4 cups)
200ml of double cream (3/4 cup whipping cream)
freshly grated nutmeg
6 large free range egg yolks
70g caster sugar (about 1/3 cup)
Leftover Christmas pudding (It's up to you how much)
12 crisp amaretti biscuits
150ml of double cream (about 2/3 cup), whipped lightly with a dash of brandy
1 TBS Toasted Flaked almonds
Silver balls

Preheat the oven to 110*C/225*F/ gas mark 1/4. Place 6 200ml containers on a baking tray. Crumble some Christmas Pudding into the bottom of each. You can use as much as you want. I crumbled about 1 TBS of the stuff into each container, so that it was about 1/2 inch deep. Set aside.

Heat the milk and double cream together, along with a grating of nutmeg, just to the boil. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale. Whisk in the heated milk mixture, whisking constantly. Strain this mixture into the prepared pots, dividing it equally amongst them. Grate a little more nutmeg on top. Bake in the heatred oven for 30 to 40 minutes, just until set. The centre should still have a slight wobble. Remove from the oven. Cool to room temperature and then chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Just before serving, whip the cream softly along with a dash of brandy, or brandy flavouring. Crumble 2 amaretti biscuits over top of each pudding, then top with some whipped brandy cream. Sprinkle some toasted almonds and silver balls over top of each and serve.

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