Smoky Turkey Tomato Soup

My dad fried a turkey for Christmas Day and my mom gave me a ton of leftovers. We have been out at different events so much we haven't been home to eat it! So I decided to make some soup to freeze for lunches instead.

You can certainly change out some of these ingredients if you would like - or add some! Some additional add-ins could include diced green chiles, salsa instead of the tomatoes, or some green peppers sauteed with the onion. Be creative!

Smoky Turkey Tomato Soup

from Colleen's Kitchen

Makes about 6 servings

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 large onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 14.5 ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth

1 14.5 ounce can petite-diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups diced cooked turkey

coarse ground black pepper, to taste

Heat oil over medium-high in large saucepan or Dutch oven; add onions and saute until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chile and garlic, saute 30 seconds more.

Add broth and tomatoes; turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium, add turkey, and cook until turkey is heated through.

Serve with toppings of your choice: shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, etc.

Colleen's Chicken Salad

There are probably as many varieties of chicken salad out there as there are home cooks. The mix-ins and dressings are endless because chicken is so adaptable. This is my version of a more savory chicken salad, minus any nuts and fruits, because I like to eat it on a roll with a slice of bacon and tomato!

This is a perennial family favorite and sometimes I think it may be the only reason my brother comes to Christmas Eve brunch (just kidding, Bri!) When I make it for my family I omit the celery because no one really likes it, but I like the crunch it adds so give it a try!

Colleen's Chicken Salad
from Colleen's Kitchen
Makes about 4 servings

2 chicken breasts (about 1 pound), cooked and shredded
1 stalk celery, diced
1/3 to 1/2 of a large cucumber, peeled and diced
1/3 cup mayo, more or less to taste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
kosher salt and coarse ground pepper to taste

Combine chicken, celery, and cucumber in large bowl.

In small bowl, combine mayo, mustard, and lemon juice. Pour over chicken mixture, season with salt and pepper; toss gently to coat.

Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, can be made up to 24 hours in advance.

Treats from Katie

I have a lot of posts on here that talk about Katie, from Good Things Catered and The Hyper Homemaker. That's because Katie is a fabulous cook who has catered before so she knows almost everything there is to know about preparing food! We talk constantly about planning menus and how to spice up dishes, and usually it ends in Katie encouraging me to do something I have never tried in the kitchen.

So I was so happy when on Christmas Eve I received a package with all of the goodies Katie has been blogging about. They included Almond Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies, Warm Wishes Cookies using her awesome sugar cookie recipe, and homemade Marshmallows!

A final thank you again, Katie. Thanks for all the treats as well as your fanatastic friendship!

Crispy Shredded Potato Gratin

Ok, you got me. Of COURSE this is a version of the ever-popular hash brown casserole, but doesn't this name sound so much better? (Thanks, Katie!) This is a perfect brunch dish! You can also assemble this the night before and just pop in the oven to bake while you are getting everything else together.

I got the recipe for this particular version from my fabulous Aunt Jane. I would trust anything coming out of her kitchen because she is such a great cook, and this certainly delivers! It has all the comforting tastes of cheese, potatoes, and creamy soup. Make some for your family today!

Crispy Shredded Potato Gratin

from Aunt Jane

Makes about 12 servings

2 pounds frozen shredded hash browns, thawed

1 stick butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

16 ounces sour cream

1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of cheddar soup

2 cups shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Put potatoes in a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Season with salt and pepper.

Melt butter in medium-sized bowl and combine with onion, sour cream, and soup. Mix into potatoes. Sprinkle with cheddar.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

This cake is great for brunch because it's a nice light lemon flavor and made with yogurt so you can feel a little better about eating it before noon. :) The lemon cake base is enhanced with a lemon syrup glaze and then again with a lemon juice and powdered sugar glaze.

When you put the cake to cool on a wire rack, put it on a baking sheet with wax paper or foil underneath it. That way when you pour both glazes over it, the excess will fall on the wax paper and you have an easy clean-up.

There are no pictures of the preparation because I was so busy getting everything else ready for brunch. But here is a pic of the table!

Lemon Yogurt Cake
from Ina Garten
Makes one loaf

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the glaze:nocoupons
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Tag - I'm it!

Amy from From the French Kitchen tagged me and now I must share with all of you seven random/weird facts about myself. So since this is a food blog I will share food-related oddities rather than spill all my deep dark secrets!

1. When I was younger two of my favorite sandwiches (my cousin Katie loved these as well) were (1) peanut butter and margarine on any bread and (2) bologna or liverwurst and American cheese with ketchup on white bread. Yum!

2. I am still afraid to make "big cuts" of meat - this includes whole chickens and turkeys and things like roast beef - I am petrified I won't cook it all the way!

3. I don't like to keep leftovers in my refrigerator for longer than 4 days. I will throw them out even if they are still good!

4. A favorite childhood drink of mine was orange soda mixed with milk - a creamsicle!

5. I do not like to mix anything sweet with my actual meal - this includes fruit (or nuts) in salads, any sort of chutney or fruit topping on meat, or sweeter vegetables like butternut squash.

6. If you couldn't tell already, my absolute favorite course to make AND eat is the appetizer course!

7. And finally, I am also afraid to work with any sort of pastry dough or yeast-based recipe - I just don't have the patience!

And now I am tagging 7 others!

1. Brooke of ...and a cookie for dessert

2. Sarah of A Taste of Home Cooking

3. Cara of Cara's Creature Comforts

4. Jenn of Jenn's Jumpin' Kitchen

5. Lauren of Lauren's Kitchen

6. Kristen of Le Petit Pierogi

7. Stephanie of Macaroni and Cheesecake

Happy Holidays everyone!

Turkey Tortilla Bake

Ok so we have already had a discussion about how Chuck is not a fan of casseroles. However, I think his aversion is actually to the cream-of-whatever soup, rather than the casserole itself because this recipe is one of his favorites! And it comes from a book titled Best-Loved Casseroles (shh, don't tell him). It is a cookbook that my mom owns and it has provided us with many yummy dishes (well, if you love casseroles).

I have changed it slightly, adding more cheese and such, and my mom suggested the addition of the salsa as well. This is a tasty, easy dish that can be made in advance (prep through the assembly step) and then heated through later if you are crunched for time. As always with comfort food, not pretty to photograph, but delicious to eat!

Turkey Tortilla Bake
adapted from Best-Loved Casseroles
Makes 4 servings

9 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 package ground turkey (usually about 1 1/4 pounds)
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup (8 ounce bottle) taco sauce
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilis, drained
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn, thawed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup salsa
sour cream (optional)
4 cups prepared rice (for serving)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat an 11 x 7 baking dish with cooking spray.

Place tortills on large baking sheet; overlapping tortillas as little as possible. Bakes 4 minutes, turn tortillas. Continue baking 4 more minutes or until tortillas are crisp. Set aside to cool.

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add turkey and onion. Cook and stir until turkey is browned and onion is tender, about 5 minutes.

Add taco sauce, chilis, and corn. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Break 3 tortillas into pieces and arrange over the bottom of prepared baking dish. Spoon half of the turkey mixture over tortillas, sprinkle with half of the cheese, and top with all of the salsa.

Repeat broken tortilla, turkey, and cheese layers. Top with remaining 3 broken tortillas. Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.

Garnish with sour cream if desired and serve over rice.