Elegant Turkey Casserole

Elegant Turkey Casserole

     Well my last post of the year. Can't believe it's going to be 2015 tomorrow! When I was a kid I always use to hear the adults saying that time is flying by. I never quite got it as a kid, but now I do.

     Anyways, I thought I'd post this recipe to end out the year. It's a recipe that I usually make after we've made a turkey, but chicken could easily be used to make this as well. It is an expected dish the next day following a turkey dinner.

     This casserole has a tangy sweet flavor and the salty chips just adds a little something to make it delicious. I never, ever have leftovers with this one. The recipe asks for water chestnuts and I try to make a point of putting them in. It gives it a little bit of crunch and no one seems to mind, not even the picky eaters. I don't always have the slivered almonds for this so one can easily leave them out and it will still taste great.

    So here's to a Happy New Year! Hope the upcoming year is a great year for everyone!

Elegant Turkey Casserole
Mix all ingredients together and put in buttered 9X13 pan. Top with 2 cups crushed potato chips. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

2 cups chopped chicken or turkey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup green pepper
1/2 cup mayo
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup cheddar cheese
2 cups chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup water chestnuts

Gingerbread Bars

Gingerbread Bars

     I finally finished my Christmas shopping today. The dogs were the last ones that I had to do. I of course went to Petco and got them each an antler bone. Those things are the greatest. They don't leave a mess and it literally takes months for them to finish one of them.

     I even finished wrapping all the presents that I bought. They are now neatly tucked under the tree and I can now work on picking up those stocking stuffers. I always am picking stuff up for the stockings up until the last minute. I already know what I want to get so hopefully I can finish that on tomorrow.

   Now my next plan of attack is baking Christmas goodies. Last year at this time I had already baked several treats, but this year I'm not doing so well. I have made Reindeer Mix a couple of times though, but I'm not sure if that counts as a Christmas goodie, although my family may disagree.

     I did bake these awesome gingerbread bars this week. I decided about an hour before bedtime that I was going to whip these up. They do not take long to mix up and the baking time is very minimal. They turned out great. They actually taste like gingerbread and are chewy and taste delicious with a glass of milk. The only thing that I would do different is I would half the recipe for the frosting. I just don't like it so sweet. My husband who does have a sweet too agrees with me (which is odd) which is something I did not expect him to say.

    Nevertheless, these are still good bars and I know I will be making them again real soon.

Gingerbread Bars
1/2 Cup butter, melted
3/4 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 Cup molasses
1 egg
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 Cup flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting (this recipe is halved from the original)
4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons of butter, softened
1 1/2 Cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan.
In a large bowl combine melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and molasses. Add the egg and mix well. In a medium bowl mix baking soda, flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix well. Spread dough in 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Let bars cool.

Frosting
Blend cream cheese and butter together. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until creamy. Spread on cooled bars. I store my bars in the refrigerator.

Recipe from Chef in training