Best Ever Turkey Sausage Casserole

Crispy, Creamy, Deliciousness oozing with sweet and savory flavors!

This is the best use of leftover turkey you will ever find!  Inspiration comes from one of my favorite cookbooks of all time: Marlene Sorosky's Year Round Holiday Cookbook, given to my wife and me in 1983!  Over the years we've made nearly every recipe and most are fabulous.  Our version of Marlene's recipe has evolved and her book is out of print but  I urge you to find a copy and buy it!

Handwritten notes on the pages of this 1983 Classic

Turkey Sausage Casserole

Ingredients

1 Pound Italian Sausage (mild or hot are both fine)

1/4 pound butter

3/4 Pound Mushrooms sliced

1 Large Shallot finely minced

4 Tbs all purpose flour

1/2 Cup Riesling Wine

1 1/2 Cups Chicken or Turkey Broth

1/2 Cup Whipping Cream

1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 Tbs Dijon Mustard

1 tspn Kosher Salt

4 Cups Cooked Turkey cut into bite sized chunks

2 Cups leftover stuffing or one package Stove-Top

Sauté sausage over medium heat and add about a 1/4 cup of water making it easier to break up the meat into bite sized chunks.  When done, drain the pan, add to a large mixing bowl where all ingredients will be mixed later.   

In a large saucepan melt 4 Tbs. butter add shallots and  for sauté a minute.  Add mushrooms stirring regularly.  When mushrooms are almost done, turn heat to medium high, add Riesling and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium low and add flour stirring constantly until a roux forms.  Add broth and stir constantly until all lumps are gone.  Add heavy cream and dijon mustard while continuing to stir and bring to a low boil for one minute.  

Lovin' those shallots...

 Mushrooms make this dish mildly addictive...

Add grated cheese, salt, pepper and turkey mixture to mixing bowl with sausage and toss together. 

Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole dish and cover with stuffing mixture.  I break up the stuffing with my hands, no other method works better.  Sprinkle stuffing over top of casserole and place a few pats of butter over top.

A little butter never hurt anyone.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Yum... goes well with leftover mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, corn pudding and cranberry sauce.

The Finished Product fresh out of the oven

Utterly scrumptious, a real crowd pleaser and best consumed over the weekend after Thanksgiving and prior to the Monday dieting routine.

Buon Appetito!

BBQ Brick Chicken

                                                   BBQ BRICK CHICKEN

Seriously Tender and Juicy

Every once in awhile I pick up an idea for a great dish from Guy Fieri.  The dude is crazy and wacky but he sure can cook.  I watched him make a variation of this on the Today Show and modified it to suit my tastes.  I give him full credit for the inspiration and Brick Chicken is now a family favorite.

Ingredients

• For The Brine:

• 1 cup kosher salt

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 3 bay leaves

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

• 3 cups ice

• One 5- to 7-pound whole chicken

• For The Sauce:

• 1 cup orange juice

• 4 Tbsp Prickly Pear Jelly

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

• 1/2 cup soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger

• For dry rub:

• 2 Tbsp garlic powder

• 2 Tbsp kosher salt

• 3 Tbsp plus Szego Hot Paprika

• 1 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper

• Freshly cracked black pepper

• 1 Tbsp Ground Cumin

• 1 Lemon, juiced

Preparation

Place the whole chicken, breast-side down, on cutting board. Using and electrice knife, serrated knife or kitchen shears, remove the backbone by cutting up from the tailbone to the neck on both sides. 

For the brine:

To a small saucepan, add 1 cup water, the salt, sugar, bay leaves and garlic cloves. Bring to a simmer to dissolve the salt and sugar. Once at a simmer, turn off the heat and add the ice. Once the liquid is cool, place into a resealable bag over a bowl and add the chicken to the brine, making sure it is completely submersed. Allow to brine in the fridge for at least an 60 mimutes but preferably several hours

Make the  sauce:

In a small pot over medium-low heat, combine orange juice, prickly pear jelly, soy sauce and sherry vinegar. When liquid simmers, whisk in the brown sugar and ginger. Simmer until  it begins to thicken, about 5 minutes or so.  Remove from the heat and let stand .

Needless to say, I like locally sourced ingredients and this is really good prickly pear jelly!

Preheat grill to medium

Rub the bird:

Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Thoroughly mix herbs together in a small bowl and coat the chicken with the dry rub, making sure to sprinkle the bird liberally inside and out.

Hit The Grill:

Place chicken, breast side down first, for 7 to 8 minutes on a hot grill. Place a heavy weight (like a foil-wrapped brick) on top and press down firmly to flatten the chicken. Turn once and continue to grill, bone-side down for another 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium as it cooks if it starts to burn - this will allow the chicken to cook through.

Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken as it cooks and the skin gets browned and crispy. Remove brick and with a silicone pastry brush, glaze the chicken with the Cactus Jelly Sauce during the last 5 minutes. The chicken is doen when an instant-read thermometer tucked under the breast will read 165 degrees. Allow the chicken to rest for 6 to 8 minutes.

Carve and Serve:

Carve the chicken into breasts, thighs and wings. Arrange on a large serving dish alongside the sauce.



Buon Appetito!!

Homemade Salsa Fresca

Homemade Salsa Fresca

Salsa Fresca!

Like so many recipes in our family, this one is named after the person who brought it to us and in this case it was our youngest, Tara.  We celebrate Cinco de Mayo here in Tucson and all of our kids came home from school with a Mexican food recipe.  This was an instant hit and if you've got a few sharp knives, it only takes about 20 minutes to prepare.  It is best left in the frig for a few hours to let the flavors meld together but can be eaten within minutes.  We make this all summer long and enjoy with fresh chips or on top of our favorite mexican specialties.   This salsa goes really well on top of a couple of fried eggs on Sunday morning or atop some freshly grilled fish later in the week!

                                               Fresh Ingredients Are the Key!














                                             






Tara's Homemade Salsa Fresca

Ingredients

5 Tomatoes, Roughly Chopped

2 Jalapeños, Seeded and Finely Chopped
3 Cloves Pressed Garlic
2 Fresh Squeezed Limes
1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Fresh Cilantro
Fresh Ground Pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a glass mixing bowl and stir well.  Place in the Frig for at least one hour.

Prior to serving it's a good idea to do a final taste and adjust seasonings.

Occasionally,  I will cut an avocado into bite sized chunks and toss it in a small bowl for a delicious twist with a bit more gusto!

Serve with your favorite chips and and enjoy!

This keeps in the frig for a day or two and makes a great addition to a batch of guacamole.

                                           Taracita

The Princess in her younger days....

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Ricotta Appetizer

Quick Update:  Allow me to apologize for my hiatus and thank all of you who have bugged me to the point that I am now getting back into the groove.  We are having a "Promotion Party" for our youngest daughter tonight and will be serving one of our family favorite appetizer trays built around roasted  tomatoes and ricotta cheese served beside olives, salami and whatever else happens to be in the frig.


Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients

2 Pints Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
Splash of Good Olive Oil
Big Pinch of Kosher Salt
1/2 tspn Red Pepper Flakes
Fresh Ground Pepper
One Tspn Dried Oregano 


Preheat Oven to 450 degrees

Place the tomatoes in a large mixing bowl and hit them with a good splash of olive oil.
Sprinkle a pinch or two of kosher salt  and grind a good amount of black pepper on top
Add the red pepper flakes
Finish with Oregano and toss well in the bowl.
Transfer to a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 20-30 minutes--Keep an eye on them and begin checking at the 15 minute mark.
Tomatoes need to "pop" and crisp up a bit for this dish to taste really good
When tomatoes are done, remove from oven and let them sit for a few minutes
Remove from the baking sheet with a spatula and place in a bowl
Mash well with the back of a spoon and place tomatoes in the center of a large serving tray.


Ricotta Spread

Ingredients

One 15 oz. Container of Ricotta Cheese
Two Tbsb Finely Chopped Pine Nuts
1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Fresh Basil
Splash of Olive Oil
Kosher Salt to Tast

Place the ricotta in a food processer along with the chopped basil and finely chopped pine nuts and about 1/4 tspn of kosher salt.  Place lid on processer and turn on low while drizzling in olive oil until the blade is moving well and the spread reaches a smooth and creamy texture.


Create your Antipasto Tray

Roasted Tomatoes & Ricotta Spread with Salami and Cucumbers

Usually we create a tray with the roasted tomatoes in the center ringed by the ricotta cheese and then add a ring of good salami and on this day we added a ring of thinly sliced cucumber as well. It's a good idea to have some pita chips on the side or a bit of roasted italian bread.  For those heading down the low carb road, the cucumbers serve as a healthier chip substitute.

This is truly a scrumptious summer dish and a staple at our house, especially when we are entertaining guests.  If there are any leftovers they combine well and serve as a great spread on crackers or bread.

Buon Appetito!