Leftover Turkey Soup

I love this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I actually made it back in November to use up our Thanksgiving turkey. It would be great use of leftover Christmas turkey as well. If you want to make this and don't have leftover turkey, you could use leftover chicken or meat from a rotisserie chicken. 

Leftover Turkey Soup

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped onion
¼ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh, chopped
¼ teaspoon crushed dried rosemary or 1 teaspoon fresh, chopped
6 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth/stock
½ to ¾ cup brown rice or brown rice blend 
2 teaspoons salt, like kosher salt
Pinch of black pepper
1 cup half and half
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
3 to 4 cups cooked, chopped leftover turkey (or chicken)

1.  In a 6-quart saucepan or pot, heat the butter and oil until hot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, thyme and rosemary and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are slightly tender, 3-4 minutes.

2.  Add the broth, rice, salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the rice is tender. The exact time will depend on variety of rice and package directions. For a brown and wild rice blend, the time will be about 30 minutes.

3.  Whisk together or blend the half and half and flour until smooth and there are no lumps. Stir the flour mixture into the soup, whisking quickly, and simmer gently until slightly thickened, 5-6 minutes.
Stir in the cooked turkey and heat through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve.

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Molasses Cookies

Merry Christmas Eve! I've never made molasses cookies before, but I finally did because my husband likes them. This was a great recipe to try for the first time! They are easy to make, and have a wonderfully soft and chewy texture. You can taste the molasses, too. He took some to work to share and they enjoyed them there, too. 

Molasses Cookies 

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

4 cups (568 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ cups (340 g) salted butter, softened
1 ½ cups (318 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup molasses
Sugar for rolling

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a couple large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, silpat liners or lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Set aside.

3.  In a large bowl (or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer), beat together the butter and granulated sugar, 2-3 minutes, until light and creamy. Add the molasses and eggs and mix until well-combined, another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

4.  The dough can be rolled and baked right away, but the cookies will be slightly thicker and chewier if refrigerated for a bit. If so, chill for 20-30 minutes (or up to several days) before rolling into balls.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls (you can make them smaller or larger, too) and then roll the cookie dough balls into granulated sugar. Space the cookies an inch or so apart on the lined cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes (don’t over bake if you want a soft, chewy cookie). Adjust the baking time, more or less, if the cookies are overly small or large.

5.  Remove the cookies to a cooling rack and let cool completely. These cookies stay soft and chewy well-covered for several days at room temperature and the baked cookies also freeze very well.

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Classic Pecan Pie

I have good recipes for Maple Pecan Pie and Pecan Bars on here, but I've never done a classic Pecan Pie. I finally did for this year's Thanksgiving, and really loved it. I'm not sure why I've never made one before! I was able to find a good-quality frozen pie crust that tasted just like homemade (to me) so that saved me some work this year. (I made 4 desserts the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.) 

Classic Pecan Pie 

adapted from Cooking Classy

1 single-crust pie crust, unbaked*

2 cups (214g) Fisher Pecan Halves, divided
1 cup (220g) packed light-brown sugar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup (73g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
3/4 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1.  For the filling: Chop 1 cup of the pecans then sprinkle evenly into pie crust. Sprinkle 1 cup whole pecans over chopped layer. Set aside. (I could only find chopped pecans and threw them all in there together.) In a mixing bowl whisk together brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Mix in butter, corn syrup, eggs and vanilla extract (there should be no streaks of egg).

2.  Pour mixture evenly over pecan layer in crust. Transfer pie to a baking sheet. Bake in lower portion of the oven, covering edges or tenting entire top of pie with foil as needed. Bake until pie is set, about 45 - 55 minutes (it should appear set when you nudge the baking sheet, a very light jiggle is fine). Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

*I used a frozen pie crust and did not do any pre-baking. If you are using homemade, you will want to blind bake it first for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, using pie weights.

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Crusty Artisan No-Knead Bread

I finally got one of those fancy cast-iron enameled Dutch ovens. I think this bread was the first thing I made in it! It was so exciting when I removed the lid after baking and saw my little loaf looking all perfect and crusty in there. I've made a few no-knead breads before, but I never had the correct baking pan, so this was exciting for me. The bread was tasty, of course. And so easy! You just need to plan ahead- to let it rise overnight. 

Crusty Artisan No-Knead Bread

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

3 ⅓ cups (473 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ cups room temperature water

1.  In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix until the dough is combined and has a shaggy, sticky texture (I use a large silicone spatula). Cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 12-18 hours. It will get puffy and bubble.

2. Scrape down the sides of the dough and let it gentle deflate. Turn it out onto a lightly greased piece of parchment paper and using your hands (lightly grease them if the dough is sticking too much) pat it into a thick oblong shape. Fold one of the long edges to the middle. Fold the other long edge over the top, forming a thick log. Take one short end and fold it in toward the middle and repeat with the other short end – basically like folding up a blanket or towel.

3. Carefully and quickly flip the mound of dough over so the seams are on the bottom. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and doubled, about 2 hours.

4.  About 30-45 minutes before the dough is ready, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a 6- to 8-quart heavy cast iron pot (like the popular enamel covered ones) in the oven as it heats and let it stay there for 30-45 minutes.

5.  When the dough is ready, quickly remove the pot from the oven and take off the lid. Lift up the corners of the parchment paper and set the bread and parchment paper right into the pot. Cover with the lid and return to the oven to bake for 30 minutes.

6.  Remove the lid from the pot and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the top of the loaf is browned and lovely. Carefully grab the corners of the parchment paper and remove the bread to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Creamy Chicken and Corn Chowder

My husband and I loved this chowder. I've made it twice recently. It comes together quickly using meat from a rotisserie chicken. When I've made this, I buy a rotisserie on the weekend, enlist my husband to get the meat off, and freeze 3 cups of it so I can make this soup in the coming week. It makes it easy to get this on the table on a weekday. This chowder is wonderful with these quick Garlic Cheese Biscuits. 

Creamy Chicken and Corn Chowder

adapted from Cooking Classy

3 cups cooked shredded chicken (from a rotisserie chicken)
1/4 cup butter
1 large red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced (can use 1 tsp. of garlic powder if desired)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 medium (22 oz) potatoes, peeled and chopped slightly less than 1/2-inch thick (I used yellow)
2 bay leaves
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 1/2 cups half and half

real bacon bits OR cooked bacon, for topping
Chopped green onions and shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add red bell pepper, onions, jalapenos and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds longer. Stir in flour, and cook 2 minutes stirring constantly. While stirring, slowly pour in chicken broth. Add potatoes, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a simmer stirring frequently, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. 

2. Add in cooked chicken, corn and half and half and simmer, uncovered 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Serve warm topped with cooked bacon and optional green onions and cheese.

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Chewy Almond Blondies

Yum- I think these are some of the best blondies I've ever made. They use a "Frangipane"- a mix of almond flour, butter, and sugar that's used to fill desserts, like almond croissants in France. The original recipe author was inspired by French almond croissants and came up with this recipe. I absolutely love the almond filling mixed with buttery blondie batter. My fam enjoyed these too. I need to make them again soon! Note: This recipe called for unsalted butter but I just used regular, salted butter. 

Chewy Almond Blondies  

adapted from An Edible Mosaic

Frangipane:

4 tablespoons butter, melted
6 tablespoons granulated white sugar
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Blondies:

10 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
1 large egg
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:

6 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 tablespoon powdered sugar for garnish

1. For the Frangipane: Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor, and process until smooth.

2. For the Blondies: Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper so it hangs over all 4 sides. (I skipped this because we just eat them right out of the pan.) 

3. Heat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in a large microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, or in a double boiler on the stovetop. Once the butter is melted, stir until the sugar is fully dissolved and mixture is thick like caramel (this takes about 2 minutes). Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Then stir in the flour and salt, being careful not to over-mix.

4. Spread the blondie batter evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Drizzle on the frangipane. Sprinkle on the sliced almonds. Bake until the outside is golden and the center is puffed, about 20 to 30 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake! Less time is better so you don't dry these out. 

5. Cool to room temperature, and then dust the top with powdered sugar, cut, and serve.

Storage: You can store these bar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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Original Chex Mix (Savory)

I usually make the sweet PB-Choc Chex Mix for my fam (muddy buddies), but they wanted to try this one again. I hadn't made it for a long time. I also don't have Muddy Buddies on my blog yet, I think, so next time we make that I'll have to put it up. It is easy to find online, too. 

Original Chex Mix   

adapted from Chex

3 cups Corn Chex™ cereal
3 cups Rice Chex™ cereal (I only use Rice Chex- 9 cups total)
3 cups Wheat Chex™ cereal
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup bite-size pretzels OR cheese crackers
1 cup garlic-flavor bite-size bagel chips or regular-size bagel chips, broken into 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons butter 
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Pre-heat oven to 250°. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Place mixture into ungreased roasting pan and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool in the pan. 

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