Baked Turkey Tetrazzini

It's that time of year again...The wonderful time of year that we all slave over our holiday turkeys for hours and, if you're anything like me, you always end up with more leftover turkey than you know what to do with! I know there are plenty of recipes out there for leftovers but this recipe is one of my all-time favorites. (Is it wrong that I look forward to making this with the leftovers a little more than I look forward to the original turkey feast itself?) So if you're tired of cold turkey sandwiches, then look no further! I'm certain this will be one of your new favorites, too! Enjoy!

Baked Turkey Tetrazzini



What You'll Need: 

1/2 lb spaghetti
2 Tablespoons butter
8 oz package of baby portabello mushrooms
2 1/2 teaspoons Garlic & Herb Seasoning
12 oz jar Alfredo sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine or cooking sherry
1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded*
2 cups leftover cooked turkey
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese*
4 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled

*Cook's tip: I've started using block cheese and shredding it myself. One, it's more cost effective and two, the cheese melts and works better in the recipes. Why? Because bagged/pre-shredded cheese has cellulose added to it to prevent clumping/caking. What's cellulose? Oh, just superfine wood pulp. So if you'd rather not eat sawdust and have more cooperative cheese, you should try buying blocks yourself. You won't be disappointed.

Creamy Bacon Ranch Chicken and Pasta

Over the last year or so, I discovered the joy of cooking with my slow cooker. I went on a kick where I was trying out new recipes on my family several nights a week. I had found this recipe on the Crockin' Girls website, and figured just by the recipe name (Bacon Ranch Chicken) that it would have to be delicious. Of course, I have made some modifications to the recipe and it has made it's way into our regular dinner rotation. I use more bacon, more garlic and have substituted Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. The great thing about this recipe is you can make this dish as sinful or as skinny as you like. I've listed both the skinny and sinful options in the recipe. Enjoy!

Creamy Bacon Ranch Chicken and Pasta

What You'll Need:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  (I use frozen.)
• 1 cup of Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt (skinny) or Sour Cream (sinful)
• 1 can (98% Fat Free - skinny) Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 packet dry Ranch Dressing mix
• 2 large cloves of Garlic, minced (approx 1 1/2 Tbsp)
• 6-8 Slices of Bacon (sinful) or Turkey Bacon (skinny), cooked and crumbled
• 1 package whole grain ribbon noodles or egg noodles

Chicken Rigatoni in a Creamy Tomato Sauce

The other day I was trapped under a sleeping baby while my older son was watching Curious George. After Curious George ended, a cooking show came on. I'm always looking for inspiration so I decided to watch it. The woman went on to make a delicious rigatoni dish with chicken, herbs, tomatoes, cheeses and heavy cream. I thought it sounded amazing but I wanted to try to make it just a little bit healthier. So I decided to substitute Greek yogurt for the heavy cream and I was thrilled with the "skinny" results. Enjoy!

Chicken Rigatoni in a Creamy Tomato Sauce 


What You'll Need:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs,
  cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of Rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon of Savory
• 2 Bay Leaves
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 - 15 oz can diced tomatoes (I used the Fire-Roasted Garlic because I love the flavor.)
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek Yogurt 
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
• Rigatoni pasta, cooked to package directions

Easy Cheesy Tuna Casserole

I figured this was a good recipe to share for all my friends that are observing Lent. This is such an easy recipe and it's so good! This is one of those dishes that I usually have all the ingredients on hand, so it's always an option. My whole family loves it. Enjoy!

Easy Cheesy Tuna Casserole

What You'll Need: 

•   2 cups uncooked macaroni or similar pasta
• 2 cans of tuna, drained
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded cheddar or colby-jack cheese
  OR 8 slices American cheese
• 1 cup French's fried onions

Homemade Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I started making this for Thanksgiving and Christmas nearly ten years ago. Honestly, that's really the only time of year that I make it. In my mind, it's just one of those rich, special occasion foods. It's so creamy and cheesy and delicious, I just don't see how anyone can resist! Enjoy!

Homemade Baked Macaroni and Cheese

What You'll Need:

• 2 cups macaroni (dry), cooked and drained
  (You can substitute a similar pasta. I used Cellentani.)
• 2 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup milk, warmed
• 1/2 pint heavy cream
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese
• 3/4 - 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
  (regular or Panko)

Simply Delicious Lasagna

This is a new recipe to our family. My friend Monica asked if I was looking for any new recipes and told me that she had a good lasagna recipe. I took her up on her offer and made it for the first time tonight. It really didn't take long to prepare or cook and it tastes so good! I am definitely adding this to my bag of tricks as my go-to lasagna. Thank you so much for sharing, Monica! Enjoy!

Simply Delicious Lasagna