Creamy Turkey Lasagna

 I haven't been here for a while,

and I'm sorry,

very sorry,

And I'm a little late with the turkey leftover recipe.

But I know you have picked turkey in your freezer.

Yes, you do.....

Because I do!

This is a perfect dish to serve using leftover turkey.

 Why haven't I been here for a while?

Because I have been working on my life. 

I have to have my life in order before I can bring you any

kind of goodness.

I have met a man named John.

John loves to cook.

John loves to travel for FOOD.

John is the perfect match for ME.

FOOD + ME + JOHN = HAPPINESS

John and I searched All Recipes to see what we could do

with our leftover Thanksgiving turkey.

This is what we found:

Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Lasagna

We took out the chicken and added turkey.

Genius, I say!!

We used 1 elephant garlic in place of the 4 cloves of garlic.

We also used a parm mixture (Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano mix). 

So click on the link above to gather this amazing recipe.

We loved it!!

And we had loads of fun making it TOGETHER.  

Pesto Chicken Casserole

 Pesto Chicken!

One of my favorites!

Actually, anything with pesto is a favorite of mine.

I made a trip to Trader Joe's and found a package of pesto chicken breasts.

I took it home, cooked it up, ate one piece for dinner, and found out

quickly that one person absolutely cannot eat 6 pieces of chicken....

Well, maybe one person can, but this ONE person cannot.

So, I had 5 pieces left over. 

 This is what I did with my leftover pesto chicken....

Pesto and pasta are awesome together,

so I created a Pesto Chicken Casserole.

 This is what it looks like before entering the oven.

The tomatoes were an awesome addition.

It kind of looks like something you would get at the Olive Garden, right?

I was thinking the same thing....

I sided it with a Caesar salad. A kit that I picked up at my local Meijer store.

A kit! Did you catch that?

But when I went to prepare the kit there was no Caesar dressing.

Are you kidding me?

Parmesan cheese, croutons, but no Caesar dressing. 

I had to use what I had on hand, ranch.

Now let me see if I can get this into recipe form for you.

Pesto Chicken Casserole

5 pieces fully cooked pesto chicken breasts

1 c. onion, chopped

3 TBS butter

3 TBS flour

salt and pepper to taste

1 TBS balsamic vinegar

3 c. chicken broth

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

2 TBS dried parsley flakes

2 c. chopped fresh tomato

1 box cooked spaghetti

Place the chicken in a lightly greased casserole dish.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a Dutch oven place the butter and onion. Cook over med/high heat until the onion is translucent and beginning to caramelize. Add the flour and stir for one minute. Slowly add the broth and cream stirring constantly. Bring to a light boil and stir for 2-4 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and add the vinegar, cheese, salt and pepper, and parsley flakes. Stir well, and then pour over chicken. Place the chopped tomato down the center of the casserole and bake in oven for 25-30 minutes. Cook pasta during the last 10 minutes of baking time. 

Plate the pasta and spoon casserole on top. Serve.

A Chicken/Pork Soup

 It's almost Spring, and that means the soup season is coming to an end.

So I thought I would throw one more at you.

I was debating on posting this one. 

This soup is kind of odd with the ingredients I chose to put in it.

But my son was very persistent.

He said the soup was fantastic and that it needs to be shown to the public.

So here I am with a throw together soup that I created.

I have a full plate as of late, and some of you regulars may have noticed.

I am struggling with keeping up my posts, but I promise, no matter how busy

I get, I will keep you supplied with great recipes. 

It looks like I will be making another move (3 hours away from where I currently live), 

and there may be a slight break (down time) concerning the blog. 

I will keep you informed on what is going on.

Until then, let's eat!

A Chicken/Pork Soup

2 c. ham broth (jellied broth from ham roast that I had in the fridge, fat removed)
3 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. water
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic and herb seasoning
1 c. carrots sliced
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 c. dry whole wheat pasta shells
1/2 c. diced ham
2 c. cooked chopped chicken

Combine broths, water, onion powder, and garlic seasoning together in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer and add carrots. Simmer carrots until tender (about 8-10 minutes). Add black beans and pasta. Simmer according to pasta package directions. Add ham and chicken, heat through.

2012 Was a GREAT Year: 6 Most Popular Recipes

2012 was a GREAT year,

and I'm here to review with you the top 6 recipes of the year.

I hope these recipes brought joy to your families,

and most of all to your palate.

Here we go.....

Crock Pot Beer Chicken

This recipe was viewed 3492 times in 2012.

I'm sure this recipe created many happy,

satisfied appetites.

 Crab Rangoon Dip

This is the perfect appetizer to serve to that seafood lover.

This recipe was viewed 2898 times in 2012. 

Sausage Gravy Biscuits

This recipe was an awesome challenge in 2012.

A reader challenged me to create a biscuit that has sausage

gravy right in it. An on-the-go biscuit.

And I never refuse a challenge.

This biscuit, I must say, was my most successful moment for 2012.

This recipe was viewed 2721 times.

Peanut Butter Nutella Cake

I remember this one just like it was made yesterday.

This cake made my whole entire house smell like peanut butter.

And everyone loves peanut butter, right?

This cake did not last long, and makes the perfect potluck cake.

This recipe was viewed 1142 times.

Spaghetti Salad

This will make your eaters happy, happy, happy....

It is also the perfect potluck dish.

This recipe came from a great friend of mine, Joelle.

If you have not taken the time to visit with her, you are

truly missing out. She is a wonderful cook and really knows

how to use her spices.

This recipe had 1061 views.

Pizza Pasta Bake

If you are looking for a family pleaser.....this recipe will hit the spot.

This recipe comes from a great blogging friend, The Country Cook.

Every recipe that I have made from Brandie's blog has been wonderful.

She usually has step-by-step instructions, along with pictures to

help you along.

Take some time to visit with Brandie. You will not regret it.

This recipe had 675 views in 2012.

What a great year! And I am looking forward to spending 2013

with all of you.

Don't be afraid to comment with suggestions, recipes you would like

to see, or new ideas that you would like me to apply.

Working together in 2013 is what I am most looking forward to.

Have a safe and happy New Year.

May all your dreams come true in 2013!

Love you all!! 

Recipe: Pasta w/Sausage & Arugula

 This is one of the best meals I've had in a long time.

Very low calorie with tons of flavor.

The exact reason I don't diet.....No flavor!

But this could be put on my plate every day and I would not complain.

And if you have never had cooked arugula.....

I suggest you run out and buy some right now.

Cooked arugula keeps a crunch, where spinach gets soggy.

Much more flavor than spinach also.

 These are the ingredients I used for a very satisfying light dinner.

And yes, that is a bottle of wine back there.

If you are a fat and calorie conscience person you will love this dish.

The influence for this recipe came from Girl Gone Gourmet.

Thank you for a great recipe Girl Gone Gourmet....

I made a few changes, but if you want to refer back to her recipe, you can.

Let me see if I can get this in recipe form for you:

Pasta w/Sausage & Arugula

4 TBS olive oil (divided)

1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs

salt and pepper

1 sliced small/medium onion

1 tube Jennie-O breakfast sausage

1 tsp. Rosemary leaves

1/2-1 c. white wine

6 c. arugula

2 c. uncooked pasta

Place a pan of water on the stove to boil for the pasta. Place 2 TBS of olive oil in a large skillet and heat slightly. Once the olive oil is heated place the bread crumbs, salt and pepper in the skillet. Toss bread crumbs till nice and browned. Pour the crumbs out of the skillet into a bowl and set aside. At this time the water for the pasta should be ready. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. In the same skillet the bread crumbs were in place 2 TBS olive oil. Over medium heat brown the sausage and onion, breaking the sausage into chunks with a spoon. Once the sausage is cooked add the wine and Rosemary leaves. Allow the wine to reduce a little, then add the arugula a handful at a time, allowing it to wilt. Drain your pasta when it is done cooking and add to the sausage and arugula mixture. Stir together, place in serving bowls and sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs.

This recipe is linked to:
Foodie Friends Friday