sweet potato-topped turkey pot pie

This was a delicious take on the traditional chicken-pot pie!  I made it in the middle of summer, but the flavors brought me back to fall.  What a fun, easy, and absolutely delicious dish!

Sweet Potato-Topped Turkey Pot Pie
from Better Homes and Gardens, October 2013

Sweet Potato Topping:

• 2 lbs. orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cutes
• 2 t. kosher salt
• 3 T. butter, melted
• 1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg
• freshly ground black pepper

Turkey Filling:

• 2 T. butter
• 2 T. canola oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 3/4 cup peeled and diced carrots
• 1 t. kosher salt
• 3 T. flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup whipping cream or half-and-half
• 2 1/2 cups shredded roast turkey or chicken
• 2 t. parsley
• 1 t. sage
• 1 t. thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a saucepan, combine sweet potatoes, 1 t. salt, and enough water to cover by 1 inch.  Cover partially.  Bring to boiling over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium.  Simmer until potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes.

Drain potatoes; return to warm pan.  Stir over low heat for 1 minutes.  Using a potato masher, mash potatoes.  Stir in melted butter, nutmeg, the remaining 1 t. salt, and freshly ground black pepper.  Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter and oil over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, and carrots.  Cook and stir, about 2 minutes.  Add salt.  Cover partially.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook until vegetables are very tender, about 12 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over vegetables.  Stir to combine.  Slowly stir in stock.  Simmer, stirring occasionally until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes.  Stir in cream; bring to a simmer.  Add turkey, parsley, sage, and thyme.  Stir to combine; return to a simmer.  Remove from heat.  Spoon into a 2 1/2 to 3 quart baking dish.  Spread sweet potato mixture over filling.  Bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes.  Serves 5.

peachy summer pizza

This was SUCH a good creation.  It was so flavorful, light, and fresh.  My children couldn't get enough!  And to make it even better, it was an easy meal to whip together in under 30 minutes.  Don't skip the rosemary...it really makes the dish!

Peachy Summer Pizza

• 1 cup flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• 3/4 t. kosher salt
• 1 t. rosemary
• 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/4-1/2 cup peach preserves
• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
• 4 oz. Brie, sliced
• 2 nectarines or peaches, pitted and sliced
• 1/4 red onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1 t. rosemary

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and rosemary; add Greek yogurt and stir until it creates a soft dough.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and pat dough into a large rectangle.  Bake crust for 10 minutes; pull out, flip over, and bake an additional 5 minutes.  Remove from oven.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Brush preserves over crust.  Layer on chicken, Brie, nectarines or peaches, and red onion slices.  Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and rosemary over the top.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden and cheese has melted.  Serves 4.

cheese and sausage quiche

This was a delicious and hearty breakfast dish!  While I think it is technically six servings, we easily got eight servings by having a small piece of quiche alongside toast and jam or fruit.  It's also so rich with flavor that I think you could easily replace half of the sausage with veggies (spinach, artichoke, etc.) and not lose any of the delicious flavor.

Cheese and Sausage Quiche
from Southern Living, April 2014

• 1 lb. ground pork sausage
• 1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 6 oz. freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 T. flour
• 1 piecrust
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 t. parsley
• 1/2 t. seasoned salt
• 1/4 t. garlic powder
• 1/2 t. black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 8-10 minutes or until cooked.  Remove from skillet; reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet.

Saute onion and bell pepper in hot drippings over medium-high heat 3 minutes, or until tender.  Stir together cheese, flour, sausage, onion, and bell pepper.  Spoon mixture into piecrust.

Whisk together eggs and next 5 ingredients in a bowl until smooth; pour over sausage mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and set.

baked potato doughnuts

My kids LOVE donuts and would eat them all the time.  We do take time for special trips to our favorite donut shop, but we discovered that we love these lighter donuts as well!  They are fairly easy to make and keep nicely.  A few seconds in the microwave and a day-old donut is as fluffy as ever!

Baked Potato Doughnuts

• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 cup warm milk
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 1/4 t. active dry yeast

Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil; cook until tender.  Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid; set liquid aside and cool until warm.  Mash potatoes; set aside 1 cup and cool.

Place milk, eggs, shortening, sugar, salt, bread flour, yeast, potatoes, and reserved cooking liquid in a mixing bowl.  Knead on medium speed until dough forms a ball.  Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead in an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour if necessary.  Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness.  Cut with a doughnut cutter and place on greased baking sheets.  Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 25 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.  

For topping: Combine cinnamon and sugar in a bowl.  Dip into melted butter and then into cinnamon and sugar mixture.

homemade graham crackers

These graham crackers are the BEST.  We love making gourmet s'mores out of these with homemade marshmallows and fancy chocolate.  Or just eating them plain.  They are a perfect treat!  You can vary them up by changing the spices a little bit (I love them with British mixed spice and a bit of candied ginger mixed in).

Homemade Graham Crackers

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 T. honey
• 2 t. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 2 t. cinnamon, divided
• 3/4 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 3 T. sugar

Beat butter, sugar, honey, and vanilla on medium speed for one minute, or until fluffy.  

Combine dry ingredients; add to butter mixture, beating until just blended.

Use dampened fingertips to press dough into a 17"x12" jelly-roll pan lined with parchment paper.  Cover dough with additional parchment paper; smooth surface of dough with bottom of a dry measuring cup.  Remove and discard top parchment paper.  Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl; sprinkle over dough.  Using tines of a fork, score dough into 24 squares, pressing completely through dough with each indentation.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp.  While crackers are still warm, score again.  Cool completely in pan on a wire rack; bake into individual crackers.  Makes 2 dozen.

lemon tart with almond crust

When I asked my daughter what she wanted for her birthday dessert this year, she asked specifically for a lemon tart.  Wish granted!

Lemon Tart with Almond Crust
from Taste of Home, Feb/Mar 2008

Crust:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 T. cold butter
• 1/2 t. almond extract
• 1/4 t. salt
• 2-3 T. cold water

Filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 T. grated lemon peel
• dash salt
• 6 T. butter, cubed

Place the flour, almonds, sugar, butter, extract, and salt in a food processor.  Cover and pulse until blended.  Gradually add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture forms a soft dough.

Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in. fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack.

In a large heavy saucepan, whisk the first six filling ingredients until blended.  Add butter; cook and stir over low heat for 7-8 minutes or until thickened.  Strain; pour into crust.  Bake at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until set.  Cool on a wire rack.  Serves 6-8.

southwest beef stew

If you want a soup that's easy and delicious, this is it!  Most people call it a taco soup, yet it's better than any traditional taco soup recipe that I've ever had.  It's one of those recipes that people ask for after you serve it at a gathering...and for good reason.  It's healthy and full of flavor.

Southwest Beef Stew

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 28 oz. diced tomatoes, undrained
• 16 oz. frozen corn, thawed
• 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup picante sauce
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 3/4 t. salt
• 1/2 t. garlic powder
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar

In a large stockpot, cook beef and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Stir in the remaining ingredients (except the cheese).  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until corn is tender.  Garnish with cheese.  8 servings.