Pretty Penne Ham Skillet

This in another one I found in my Simple and Delicious magazine. It is a fast one too- I love meals that I can throw to gether quickly. This is great to use up ham left-overs. It is also a flexible recipe- things usually turnout no matter how carefully or not you measure.

Pretty Penne Ham Skillet (This is a good one to half for a small family too)
1 pound uncooked penne or medium tube pasta (I only had egg noodles left as you can see :)
3 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 large sweet red pepper, diced (I used green)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (1-2 tsp dried)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 tsp minced fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried
1-1/2 tsp minced fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
3 T butter
1 can (14-1/2 oz) chicken brother
1 T lemon juice
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute ham, pepper, oni9on, parsley, garlic, basil, and oregano in oil and butter for 4-6 minutes or until ham is brown and veggies are tender. Stir in broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Drain pasta; stir into ham minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Dehydrated Apples

I just thought I would mention this one if you have a dehydrator. (I bought 80 pounds of apples the other day and have been pretty creative if trying to use them all up. This was a good way! They are very tasty and healthy and my kids love them!)

Dehydrated Apples
Apples (I think I used about 2 apples per tray)
Apple peeler and slicer
*Place sliced apples on the 4 trays and set the time for 8 hours at 135 degrees.

Cafe Rio Lime Ranch Dressing

My friend, Leslie, gave me this recipe to go with my Cafe Rio Recipes a while back, and I finally remembered to make this last time I made my Cafe Rio. It was SO good! I thought it totally enhances an already delicious meal! Thanks Leslie!

Cafe Rio Lime Ranch Dressing
1 1/3 c. sour cream
2/3 c. mayonnaise
1 bunch cilantro
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
4 T. salsa verde
2 cloves garlic
1/8 t. Tabasco sauce
juice of 1 lime

Mix in blender until smooth.

Rachel Ray's Swedish Meatballs

I found this one in that Rachel Ray cookbook my mom sent me a while back. It was pretty tasty and it didn't take long to make. The recipe I had was a stove-top recipe though. You just fried up the meatballs in a skillet and then added the sauce while cooking. (I also used turkey burger.)

Rachel Ray's Swedish Meatballs

• 1 pound mixed ground beef, pork and veal
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/4-1/3 cup cream
• 3 tablespoons white onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg (eyeball it)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons of your choice: lingonberry preserves, red currant or grape jelly
• 1 pound egg noodles, cooked to al dente
• Finely chopped fresh dill, for garnish
• Finely chopped parsley, for garnish
• 1/2 cup cornichons or baby gherkin pickles, finely chopped (optional)

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 400ºF.

In a bowl, mix meat with egg, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup cream, onion, mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and arrange on a nonstick baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.

Heat a saucepot over medium heat. Melt the butter, whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or two. Then whisk in stock and thicken for 6-8 minutes. Stir in sour cream and jelly and warm through. Season the finished sauce with salt and pepper.

Carefully remove the meatballs from the baking sheet with a thin spatula.

Mix meatballs and egg noodles with sauce and garnish with dill, parsley and finely chopped cornichons or baby gherkin pickles, if using.

Ginger Bread Cookies

I had the opportunity to go to Nauvoo, Illinois this last year for my brother's wedding. This is the actual Scovil Bakery Ginger Bread Cookie recipe. When they gave it to me, I decided right then and there that I was going to make ginger bread ornaments for the tree this year. :) They turned out really well, and the girls and I had a lot of fun making them. (Don't forget they have to be refrigerated for 24 hours- I got the girls all worked up, but then read that part. They were a little disappointed. :) To make ornaments, I just poked a hole in them while they were soft- I used a chop stick, but you could probably find something more effective. They were tasty to eat too- not just as ornaments. I figured, if I make enough, I won't mind it the girls play with or even "eat" the ornaments this year. :)

Ginger Bread Cookies (Scovil Bakery-- Nauvoo, Illinois)
1 cup sugar
1 cup Sorghum or Molasses
3/4 cup oil or lard
1/2 cup hot water

Combine
(It says to rinse the malasses from the cup with hot water, but I just put oil in first and it didn't stick.)

Add: 2 eggs

Mix together the following:
1 tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ginger
6 or 7 cups of white flour

Refrigerate dough overnight. Roll out and cut with cookie cutters.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

To roll out the dough, we use Pam in place of flour.

Cookies freeze well and are softer and more flavorful after freezing.

Club-Style Turkey Enchiladas

This is another great one for Turkey left-overs. What a great taste- so different from the Thanksgiving leftovers I have been having all week! I think the bacon really adds to it! (Bacon and butter make everything better- as Paula Dean would say!) And lets face it- I am truly not much of a food photographer. I'll have moments, but they pass quickly, and this sure wasn't one of them, no matter how hard I try, so I'm stealing someone elses, too, in order to lure you into this yummy recipe. :)

Club-Style Turkey Enchiladas
8 bacon strips, chopped
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper (I only had green and it worked great)
1/3 cup chopped onion
10 oz thinly sliced cooked turkey, shredded
1-1/2 cups shredded Swiss (or mozzarella) cheese, divided
1/4 tap salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8 yellow corn tortillas, warmed (I substituted flour tortillas)
1 carton (10 oz) refrigerated Alfredo sauce (I used about 2/3 jar of ragu alfredo)
1/4 cup milk
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 can tomatoes, well drained (I chopped up 2 fresh)

In a large skillet, saute the bacon, red peppers and onion until bacon is crisp and vegetables are tender; drain. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, bacon mixture, 1 cup cheese, salt, and pepper. Place 1/2 cup turkey mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in a greased 13x9 baking dish. In a small bowl, combine Alfredo sauce and milk; pour over top.

Cover and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Garnish with lettuce and tomatoes.

Creamy Turkey Vegetable Soup

Still have any Turkey left overs? This was an amazing recipe I found in Simple and Delicious, and both Doug and I thought it was great! He said, "It tastes like the inside of a turkey pot pie, only better." I would have to agree. It makes me want to bake another turkey, just for the leftovers with good recipes like this one!

Creamy Turkey Vegetable Soup
1 cup diced fresh carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 T butter
2 cups diced cooked turkey
2 cups water
1-1/2 cups peeled, diced potatoes
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2-1/2 cups milk, divided (Confession: I used half and half to make it creamier)
3 T all-purpose flour
*I also added about 1 cup of stuffing I had left over- it added some fun flavor, and I thought it was a good addition if you have it sitting around. :)

In a large saucepan, saute the carrots, celery, and onion in butter until tender. Stir in turkey, water, potatoes, bouillon, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in 2 cups milk. Combine flour and remaining milk until smooth. Stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cool and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.