Turkey Pot Pie with a Crispy Parmesan Crust

Who doesn't love pot pie on a cold night? This one is thick and rich and chock full of vegetables as well as lean turkey. I used phyllo dough instead of a short crust because I wanted a crispy, flaky crust that would let the filling to be the star of the show. Having that hint of parmesan in the crust really steps up the flavor. Please make this-otherwise, you will never know the sheet soul satisfaction of cracking through the crispy crust and digging into that beautiful thick filling.

Ingredients (makes 8 servings):

2 Tablespoon canola oil

½ cup celery, diced

½ cup parsnips, peeled and diced

½ cup carrots, diced

½ cup onion, diced

1 cup white button mushrooms, sliced

¼ cup flour

2 ½ cups turkey or chicken stock (homemade is best, but use what you have)

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or powdered turkey gravy mix

2 cups turkey, cooked and shredded

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 cup frozen green beans, thawed

¼ cup half and half (I used fat free and it worked just fine—you just want it for some richness and body)

Salt and pepper to taste

6 sheets phyllo dough

¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Spray a 2 ½ quart casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add in the celery, parsnips, carrots, onion and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onion mixture is soft, but not brown.

Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and stir until the oil and flour become a paste. Cook for 2 minutes more to remove the raw flour taste. Slowly stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Add in the poultry seasoning/turkey gravy powder. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes more or until the mixture is thickened. Add in the turkey, peas and green beans as well as the half and half and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and taste, adding salt and pepper to your liking. Pour into the prepared casserole and let cool for a few minutes.

Lay one sheet of phyllo on top of the casserole and spray with cooking spray. Repeat with two more sheets of phyllo. Sprinkle ½ of the Parmesan over the casserole and then top with the remaining sheets of phyllo (again, sprayed between each sheet). Sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top and tuck the edges of the phyllo loosely into the sides of the casserole. Cut a few vents in the phyllo with a sharp knife to let steam escape.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling up through the vents you cut into the crust. (Hint: Place a sheet of foil over the top if the phyllo and parmesan topping appear to be getting brown too fast).

Let cool for 10 minutes. 

Cranberry Monte Cristo Casserole

Sweet-tart, savory and creamy all in one bite. This casserole rocks. Breakfast for lunch, brunch, dinner or even (gasp!) breakfast, you will want a piece of this casserole for every meal.

Ingredients (serves 6):

Cooking spray

1 box (10 count) frozen waffles, thawed

1 (14 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce, divided in half

1 (8 ounce) package Swiss or Havarti cheese slices (I’m using 4 ounces of each)

10 slices ham (thick slices, not the wafer sliced kind)

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard (totally optional, but I love the contrast of flavors)

6 eggs

1 cup half and half

1 teaspoon salt

Powdered sugar for garnish

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2 ½ quart casserole with cooking spray. Lay in half of the waffles, tearing them into pieces to fit in the spare spaces in the bottom of the pan in one even layer. Spread ½ of the cranberry sauce onto the top of the waffles, reserving the rest in a bowl to be served alongside of the finished casserole.

Layer the ham in a single layer on top of the cranberry sauce, then layer the cheese on top of that. If you are using the mustard, spread that evenly over the casserole. Top with the rest of the waffles in a single layer and push down to smoosh the casserole together.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half and salt. Pour evenly over the casserole and smoosh the casserole down again to ensure that the whole casserole gets some egg treatment.

Bake the casserole for 50 minutes or until the top gets slightly golden. Let cool for 10 minutes then cut into squares, dust with some powdered sugar and serve with reserved cranberry sauce.

Cheater’s Apple Crisp

This is a super easy (3 minute prep! No bowls to clean!) dessert that is healthy and incredibly satisfying. It is also very affordable because the oatmeal cup contains walnuts, dried cranberries and cinnamon, meaning I don’t have to buy separate packages of them. I love how this crisp smells and the fact that the top gets crispy while the rest of the dish remains soft, warm and inviting.

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 (20 ounce) can apple pie filling (I’m using the ‘no sugar added’ variety)

1 (2.64 ounce) cup of instant oatmeal (I’m using Quaker® “Real Medleys Apple Walnut Oatmeal”)

Boiling water

2 teaspoons light butter or margarine

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat a 1.3 quart casserole dish (or whatever oven safe dish you have) with cooking spray. Prepare oatmeal according to package directions, using slightly less boiling water than called for.

Place the apple pie filling in the bottom of the dish and spread the prepared oatmeal on top to evenly cover the surface. Dot with the butter and bake for 55-60 minutes uncovered. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. 

Sweet Potato and Chicken Sausage Hash with Chipotle-Apple Jelly and Parmesan Roasted Tomatoes

Big name for a big meal! And trust me, this is a complete meal. Think about this the next time you have weekend guests or host a breakfast or brunch. There are a lot of wonderfully flavored items in here, so I’m prepping the chicken sausage, sweet potato hash, the chipotle-apple jelly and the topping for the tomatoes the day before and refrigerating them until the morning. Then all I have to do is cook the hash, reheat the jelly, broil the tomatoes and cook the eggs.

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

For the day before prep work:

Chicken sausage:

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon dried sage

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 pinch oregano

1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg

¼ cup yolk-free egg product (like Egg Beaters®)

1 pound ground chicken breast

Sweet potato hash:

2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes (about 6 cups)

1 small white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

¾ cup chopped bell peppers, any color or mix of colors

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon dried chipotle powder

½ a bunch of Swiss chard (about 5 stalks—stems and leaves both), chopped (this will seem like a lot, but chard cooks down to almost nothing in your dish)

Chipotle-Apple Jelly:

1 (12 ounce) jar apple jelly

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped

Parmesan topping for the tomatoes:

3 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon seasoned breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons canola oil

For the ‘day of’ cooking:

Canola oil

Cooking oil spray

Three smallish tomatoes, stemmed, cored and cut in half along the equator

6 eggs or 1 ½ cups yolk free egg product

Salt and pepper to taste

Sliced green onion for garnish

Directions:

On the day before you plan to cook:

Prep the chicken sausage. Mix the salt, pepper, sage, thyme, paprika, oregano and nutmeg together. Put the ground chicken in a bowl and add the yolk free egg product and the seasoning mix you just made. Combine thoroughly and place in the bottom of a zip top bag. Roll up the bag, push any extra air out and seal the bag. Refrigerate until needed.

To prep the hash, toss the sweet potatoes, onion, bell peppers and oil together in a large bowl. Mix the salt, pepper, and paprika and chipotle powder together in a small dish and then add to the veggie mixture. Mix until all the veggies are evenly coated and place in a zip top bag and refrigerate until needed. Place the Swiss chard in another zip top bag and refrigerate until needed.

To prep the chipotle-apple jelly: Heat the apple jelly on low heat in a saucepan. Add the chopped chipotle in adobe and stir until combined. Remove from heat and put in a container or bowl. Cover securely and refrigerate until needed.

Prep the tomato topping by combining the parmesan, breadcrumbs and canola oil in a small bowl. Put in a small container or zip top bag and refrigerate until needed.

The day you are eating:

Heat 2 teaspoons of canola oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add 1/3 of the chicken sausage and cook until browned, crumbling it as you go. Add in 1/3 of the sweet potato hash, and cook until the veggies are tender and begin to brown along the edge (about 12 minutes). It helps to stir every few minutes and pat everything down into a single layer after stirring. Remove to a serving dish and keep warm. Repeat in two more batches of sausage and hash. Finally, add in all the Swiss chard and cook for about 5 minutes until it wilts down. Toss it into the finished hash.

Place the Chipotle-apple jelly in a small saucepan on low heat and cook for about 7 minutes or until the jelly is liquid and warm. Remove and place in a small serving bowl or ramekin.

Preheat the broiler in your oven and coat a baking dish with cooking oil spray. Place the tomatoes in the dish, cut side up and sprinkle the topping evenly over the tops. Broil for 4 minutes or until the top is golden. Remove from the oven.

Add another 2 teaspoons of canola oil to the skillet that you used for the sausage and hash and cook the eggs or egg product any way you like, seasoning with salt and pepper to your liking. Place them over the entire dish of hash or over individual servings—your choice.

Place the hash, eggs, tomatoes, and jelly out on a table and let your guests go crazy. Use the Chipotle-apple jelly to drizzle over their hash or to use as a dipping sauce for pieces of hash.

Spicy ham, white bean and corn soup

Spicy from Salsa Verde and green chiles, but not over-the-top hot, this soup will warm you up on a cold fall night. The mashed beans make it thick and satisfying and you get a nice little pop of sweetness from the corn and bell peppers. You can totally make this vegetarian by leaving out the ham and using vegetable broth instead of chicken.

Ingredients (serves 6):

2 cans white kidney beans (cannellini), drained and rinsed

2 teaspoons of canola oil

½ cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup diced ham, plus a little bit extra for garnish

1 cup diced bell pepper (whatever colors you have—I had red, orange and yellow), plus a little bit extra for garnish

1 (16 ounce) jar Salsa Verde

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup frozen corn, thawed, plus a little bit extra for garnish

Salt to taste

Directions: Mash half of the beans with a fork or in a food processor. Add to the rest of the beans and set aside until needed.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it’s translucent. Add the garlic, ham and bell peppers and cook until everything becomes fragrant, but not brown. Add in the Salsa Verde, green chiles, broth, beans and frozen corn. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40-50 minutes, stirring and tasting along the way and adding salt to your liking. Serve in bowls and garnish with your extra bits of ham, corn and peppers as well as your favorite toppings: maybe cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado and/or parsley. Serve with crackers, corn bread or tortilla chips.

White Eggplant Casserole

Need an appetizer or light lunch for your next get-together? Look no more. This layered eggplant dish has the creamy goodness of mozzarella and the nutty taste of Parmesan. It can be served hot or at room temperature. Serve this next to a bit of spinach salad or cut into little squares and put on an appetizer tray. This is great even cold as a midnight snack. Would this be good heated up and placed in a toasted English muffin for a quick breakfast? I will have to investigate that…..

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants, tops/ends trimmed and peeled

Kosher salt

Cooking spray

½ cup seasoned, dried breadcrumbs plus 2 Tablespoons

½ cup grated Parmesan

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella

¾ cup egg substitute

¾ cup fat free half and half

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Salt and pepper to taste (for me, I just added some freshly ground black pepper)

Directions: Prepare the eggplant by slicing in half lengthwise and then place each half flat side down on a cutting board. Cut lengthwise into ¼ inch slices, the whole length of the eggplant. Repeat until all the eggplant is sliced, then layer in a colander with a generous sprinkling of kosher salt between each layer and let sit for 1 hour. Rinse and dry the eggplant thoroughly on paper towels.

Combine ½ cup of the breadcrumbs, all the Parmesan and all the mozzarella in a small bowl. Set aside ½ cup of this mixture in another bowl and set both bowls aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the egg substitute, half and half and garlic salt. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 2 ½ quart rectangular baking dish (or whatever you have) with cooking spray. Sprinkle the 2 Tablespoons of dried breadcrumbs in the bottom and shake to coat evenly.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Brown all the eggplant slices on both sides and remove to a plate. If your eggplant is dry and your skillet hot, this will only take a minute on each side. Spray with extra cooking spray whenever you feel the need.

Layer the casserole by placing a layer of eggplant and then a sprinkle of the breadcrumb/cheese mixture from the biggest portion until you use all the eggplant and all of the bigger portion of breadcrumbs/cheese  (you want to end with the eggplant here).  I got four layers of eggplant, which meant I could use a generous handful of the breadcrumb mixture between each layer. That is perfect—I want the breadcrumbs to soak up any extra liquid and make this a firm casserole. I also want cheesy goodness with every layer.

Pour the half and half mixture all over the top and then sprinkle with the reserved 1/2 cup of breadcrumb/cheese mixture.

Bake 40 or so minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Slice into big, healthy slabs.

Peanut Butter Granola

I firmly believe that granola should come in great big chunks for snacking. This version tastes like a giant peanut butter cookie and has lots of good-for-you ingredients: oats, nuts, seeds and dried fruit; but the real reason to make it is the taste. It hits the perfect spot-it’s not too sweet and there are lots of different flavors and textures going on. The hit of salt really pulls this one over the top.

Ingredients:

Dry:

3 ½ cups rolled oats

¼ cup ground flax seed

¼ cup toasted oat bran (or toasted wheat germ)

1 cup roasted and salted peanuts

½ cup roasted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

1 cup raisins

½ cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup almond or garbanzo bean flour

½ teaspoon salt

Wet:

1 cup natural peanut butter

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg white

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a smaller mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients (using a whisk really helps here). Stir the wet into the dry until all of the dry ingredients are well coated. It takes a few minutes of stirring, but trust me, it coats the dry ingredients perfectly.

Spread the granola evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth to an even layer. Bake for 50-60 minutes, stirring and patting back down to a single layer, halfway through. Remove from the oven and let cool completely-like 1 or 2 hours. Break into large clusters. 

Roasted winter vegetables with Marsala hunter’s sauce for dipping

I never knew vegetables could be like this. Trust me, I love veggies, but this is a whole new thing. It's a bounty of warm, deeply roasted vegetables served with a rich tasting dipping sauce. Put this out at your next dinner party with a bunch of forks-your friends and family will think you are amazing (as well they should). Bonus: any leftover veggies make an excellent soup or go into omelets or wraps the next day.

Ingredients:

Roasted vegetables:

3 parsnips, tops and tips trimmed

5 large carrots, tops and tips trimmed

1 large zucchini

12 or so button mushrooms

1 (14 ounce) bag frozen pearl onions, thawed and patted dry

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to your liking

4 sprig of fresh thyme

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Sea salt to finish

Marsala Hunter’s sauce:

1 Tablespoon butter

2 Tablespoons finely diced shallot

½ cup finely diced button mushrooms

¼ cup Marsala wine

¼ cup tomato paste

1 cup beef or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

A few drops of Kitchen Bouquet, if you have it (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Roasted vegetables: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut carrots, parsnips and zucchini into approximately 3 inch lengths, cutting any thick pieces down to about an inch. Toss those in a very large bowl. Then add in the mushrooms and pearl onions. Drizzle in the olive oil and balsamic until the veggies are just coated. Toss in the kosher salt and the black pepper. Stir well and then lift the vegetables out of the bowl and divide them between the two baking sheets (lifting them out means that any excess liquid doesn’t come with them). Toss the rosemary and thyme over the top and bake for 60 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve them right from the baking tray (hint: you can put one out and leave the other resting in the oven to stay warm) or put on a platter with a ramekin of the sauce.  

Marsala Hunter’s sauce (I used vegetable broth and added the Kitchen Bouquet):

Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it foams. Add in the shallots and cook 3 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add in the wine, tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire, Kitchen Bouquet if using and seasonings. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer about 15 minutes or until sauce is thick and slightly reduced. Keep warm until needed. Pour into a ramekin and serve alongside the roasted veggies.