Thanksgiving in the Spring!

Turkey Tetrazini...mmmmm! Every Thanksgiving I put 2 cups of diced turkey in the freezer for a little Thanksgiving in the spring. Obviously, you don't have to use turkey leftover from November to create this delicious casserole.

8 oz. egg noodles - Cook, drain and set aside.

In big pan:
6 T butter - Melt.
6 T flour - Sit in until thick.
2 C chicken stock - Add slowly and thicken.
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. celery salt

In small pan:
1 C half n half - Heat to a boil then continue boiling for a minute until frothy on top.

Add small pan to big pan.

Take casserole dish (2 qt.) - Grease, then layer with noodles, turkey then sauce. Make 2-3 layers of this. Sprinkle the top with 1/4 C grated parmesan cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes.

My mom always said you have to add color to your plate, so I serve it with carrots.

Home-Made Macaroni and Cheese

Such comfort food! Mac and cheese...from scratch. No boxed food here! This is so delicious...enjoy!

2 T butter
1/3 C chopped green onion
Melt and saute.

2 T flour
3/4 tsp salt
Add and stir until mixed in.

2 C milk
Add gradually, stirring often.

1 and 1/2 C shredded cheese (I prefer cheddar)
Add gradually, stirring often. Stir until somewhat thickened.

Put 1 1/2 C cooked elbow noodles in a casserole dish and pour the cheese sauce over it. (I usually stir in just slightly so some of the cheese oozes down to the noodles at the bottom.) Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-30 min.

Molasses Crinkles

These are similar to ginger or spice cookies, but softer. These were always my favorite Christmas cookies! Note: You can make them with butter instead of Crisco, but they'll turn out a lot harder.

2/3 C crisco
1 C brown sugar
Cream.

1 egg - Add and beat.

1/4 C molasses
2 and 1/4 C flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
Add and beat. Chill dough. Shape into balls and dip the tops in sugar.

Bake at 375 for 8-10 min.

Crock Pot Pot Roast

I used parts of a recipe I found online and parts of my sister-in-law's recipe, then tweaked it a bit more to suit my and my husband's palates. It came out great! A lot of the seasoning I didn't measure so just add it to your own taste.

3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 stalks of celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 medium onions, peeled and cut into wedges
4 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into about 3 pieces

Put half of all the veggies on the bottom of the crockpot. Then you're going to lay the meat on top then the rest of the veggies.

For the meat... I chose to brown some of it to speed up the process, but you don't have to. By browning it I was able to have the crock pot cook everything in 6 hours instead of 8-10.

Smother the meat with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.

Cut it into quarters and brown it.

Once you've done the layers (veggies, meat, veggies) then sprinkle additional spices to taste. I added a bunch more salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. I also added some rosemary and thyme.

Then pour in one can of beef broth and one cup of dry red wine. I chose to make it a little brothy by adding all this liquid so that the meat stayed moist and I had broth to pour over the meat and noodles when serving.

I served this over egg noodles.

Snickerdoodles

These are so delicious it's hard not to eat a dozen in one sitting. They're always a big hit when I make them. They're a lot softer and fluffier than the ones you usually get in stores.

1/2 C butter
3/4 C sugar
Cream in large mixing bowl.

1 egg - Add and beat well.

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Add.

2 C flour
1/2 C milk
Add, alternating between flour and milk wihle beating.

1/2 tsp vanilla
Add and beat.

Drop dough on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with:
2 T sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, mixed (or just use McCormick's cinnamon and sugar mix)

Bake at 325 for 10-12 min.

Chicken a la King

This is one of my all-time favorite meals and a family favorite as well. Definitely a comfort food and super easy - it's all done in the microwave! It's chicken in a cream sauce served over rice. I usually serve it with carrots for a little color. Enjoy!

1/4 C margarine
Put in microwave-safe casserole dish and microwave on high for 45 seconds, covered.

1/2 C chopped green pepper
1/2 C sliced mushrooms
These ingredients are optional. Add to dish and microwave on high for 2 minutes, covered.

1 can cream of celery soup
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Add and microwave for 2 minutes on high, covered.

2 C cooked chicken (I use Tyson's pre-cooked chicken)
Add and heat on high for 5 minutes, covered.

Serve over rice.