Thanksgiving Leftovers Pot Pies

This year instead of making new recipes for Thanksgiving, I am making a few suggestions for using up leftovers. These Thanksgiving Leftovers Pot Pies were my husband’s favorite.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Pot Pies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Servings:  4 pot pies
• Time:  Prep: 10, Cook: 30minutes total
• Hardware A cutting board and knives, 6-6-ounce ramekins (or individual pie plates), a clean flat surface, a rolling pin, a fork, kitchen scissors, a baking sheet

 Ingredients

• Leftover cooked veggies

• green beans
• potatoes
• carrots
• onions
• peas
• corn
• onions

• Leftover cooked meat

• turkey
• ham
• brisket

• Gravy
• Two pie crusts
• Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Drain and dice the veggies and the meat.
3. Spray the ramekins liberally with cooking spray. On a slightly floured surface roll the pie crust.   Cut it into fourths. Place one fourth into a ramekin.  Gently push the dough down into the bottom.  Make sure that some dough hangs out the sides because you will need to seal the pies.  You may need to use kitchen scissors to cut off a piece and wet it with a little water to make the crust fit all the way around the edge. Repeat for the rest of the ramekins. 
4. Fill each pie with veggies and meat.  The beauty of this recipe is that everyone can have their own custom-made pie. Fill the pie with gravy.
5. Roll out the second crust and cut it into 4 pieces.  Lay a top crust on each pie.  Crimp the edges of each pie.  Make sure each one is sealed. You may use the kitchen scissors to trim up the edges. Use a knife to cut three vents in each top.  If you have leftover dough, you can roll it flat and bake it and serve it with the pies.
6. Place the pies onto the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
7. Remove the pies from the oven and allow them to cool until you can pick it up.  
8. Serve warm.

  

 
 

 

Keftedakia, Traditional Greek Meatballs

Traditional Greek Meatballs

A new Mediterranean restaurant opened up in our hometown. The dishes are mostly Greek inspired with some Italian flair and pizza. I really, really love Greek food. Until this place opened, we had to drive 2 hours to get anything resembling authentic Greek. I am overjoyed.

The first time we went, I ordered the Gyro Pizza: Gyro meat, purple onions, tomatoes, and feta. The crust is oiled and not covered in tomato sauce. It is thin and chewy and delicious. The second time we went I ordered Keftedakia, Traditional Greek Meatballs. My dinner was so good, I almost cried.

I went home immediately and began to research Keftedakia. After trying various incarnations, I came up with these. They might not make you cry, but they sure will make you happy.

You can substitute lemon juice for the red wine vinegar. You can also add a little oregano and/or coriander. But I did this, and it was love.

 

Servings: 20 meatballs
Time:  Prep:  10 minutes; Cooking: 20 minutes; Meatballs in about 40 minutes
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a food processor, a silicone spatula, a mixing bowl, un-powdered latex gloves, a large heavy pan, a large shallow bowl (or a pie plate), slotted spoons, paper towel covered plate

Ingredients:

• 1-pound ground beef
• 1 small onion (4 ounces)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 5-6 mint leaves
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar
• ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup flour (maybe more)
• Enough olive oil to fill the pan halfway
• Toasted flatbread (pita or naan), feta, lemon, fresh slices of mozzarella , tomatoes and fresh chopped parsley, large grain salt for serving

1. Put the onion, garlic, mint, parsley and black pepper into the food processor. Pulse until they are very finely chopped, but not liquefied. Add the egg, salt and vinegar and pulse a few more times. If you don’t have a food processor, chop the onions and herbs as fine as you can. Beat the egg and then proceed.
2. Scrape everything from the processor into the mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and meat. Put on latex gloves. Mix all the ingredients in the bowl with your hands. Make bite-sized (1 inch)meatballs.
3. Heat the oil on medium high.  Place the flour into the shallow bowl. Lightly dredge the meatballs.
4. Brown the meatballs for about 4 minutes and then turn. Don’t crowd the pan. You may need to fry them in batches. Remove them to the plate. You can keep them warm in the oven on the lowest setting until they are all finished.
5. To plate you should place slices of tomato, mozzarella and toasted flatbread on the plate. Place the meatballs beside them and squeeze a little fresh lemon juice of them. Sprinkle on feta, fresh chopped parsley and a little finishing salt.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

Rosemary Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

Rosemary Lemon Chicken and Potatoes is a one dish meal that checks off all the boxes. Delicious? Check! Simple to make? Check! Inexpensive? Check! Easy to clean up? Check! I just cooked up some steam in the bag broccoli to make this a complete meal.

When I make this, I use small new potatoes, because I just need to wash them and not peel or slice them. If you aren’t using new potatoes, add about 5 minutes to your prep time.

Servings: 4
Time:  Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 50 minutes Dinner in about an hour
Hardware:  measuring cups, a microwave safe dish, a cutting board and knives, a small bowl, a large heavy bottom skillet that can be used on the stove and in the oven (I prefer a cast iron skillet), tongs, a thermometer

 Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thighs
• ¾ pound (12 oz) potatoes
• ½ pound (8 oz) onion
• 2 lemons
• 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
• ½ teaspoon of olive  oil
• Salt & pepper

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 375˚.
2. Slice the onion into rings. Wash the potatoes. If you are not using baby potatoes, peel them and cut them into chunks. Slice one of the lemons. Slice the other lemon in half and juice it. Set aside.
3. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Be generous.
4. Heat the olive oil in the skillet on medium high. When the skillet is hot, add the chicken skin side down. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until the skin is crispy. Turn the chicken with tongs and cook for 6 more minutes.
5. While the chicken is crisping, place the potatoes in the microwave safe dish and zap on high for 5 minutes. This ensures that the potatoes don’t take longer in the oven than the chicken does.
6. Nestle the onions, sliced lemon and par cooked potatoes around the chicken. Sprinkle on the dried rosemary or throw the sprigs of rosemary on top of the thighs. Pour lemon juice over everything and generously salt and pepper the whole dish.
7. Place the skillet in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the thermometer reads 165 ˚F  when inserted into the meatiest thigh.
8. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Taco Skillet

Taco Skillet

Most of my recipes are simple, nothing complicated. I believe that most people just want to make something quick and tasty for dinner. That is what I try to provide. This Taco Skillet only requires one pan and is easy and kid friendly. Maybe next time I’ll do something fancy. Or maybe the time after that.

Here are the tweaks: We were out of elbow macaroni, so I used ditalini. It worked out fine. You can use any small tubular pasta. You can control the heat by the type of Ro-Tel that you choose. If you want no heat at all, try Ro-Tel Mild. Ro-Tel Original is a little spicy. Chipotle, Serrano, and the aptly named Hot are much spicier. I use 2 packets of taco seasoning because I like bold flavors. That is up to you. In order to save time, you can buy diced onions and peppers in the produce section. You can also buy them frozen. If you don’t eat red meat, you could substitute ground chicken or turkey.

Servings: 6-8
Time:  Prep: 10 minutes, Cook: 20 minutes; Dinner in 30ish minutes
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and a knife, a deep skillet with a lid, a colander, a can opener, a wooden spoon

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 2 ounces (¼ cup) bell pepper
• 2 ounces (¼ cup) onion
• 8 ounces ( 1 cup) uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 can (10 ounces) Ro-Tel Tomatoes & Green Chilies
• 1¼ cup water (maybe more)
• 1¼ cup milk
• 1 packet of taco seasoning or 2 tablespoons of your own
• 8 ounces (1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese
• Optional: taco sauce, hot sauce, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, chopped tomatoes, roasted bell peppers

1. Dice the onions and green peppers. Cook them in the skillet with the ground beef over medium high. Crumble the beef while it is cooking. When it is cooked through, drain the beef mixture.
2. Return the beef to the deep skillet. Add the pasta, the Ro-Tel (do not drain), water, milk and seasonings to the skillet. Stir. Make sure the pasta is submerged. You may need to add a little more water or milk. However, you are not making soup. You just want the liquid to completely cover the pasta.
3. Cover the skillet with the lid and bring to a low boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, stirring once or twice, just enough to keep everything from sticking.
4. When the pasta is tender, usually after 10-11 minutes, stir in the cheese and remove the skillet from the heat.
5. Serve warm with any toppings that you would regularly put on a taco. This is really good as leftovers!

Blueberry Cheese Danish

Blueberry season is upon us. So, is Independence Day. So, I did a twofer-used up blueberries, made a patriotic looking breakfast. These pastries are as delicious as they are beautiful. They are very easy to make but look complicated. No one needs to know.

This Danish can be made without the fruit. You can also forego the pie filling and use just fresh fruit at the end. If you choose to do this, use more berries. You can use other types of fruit-peaches, raspberries, strawberries-if you want.

If you really  want to make them look more luxurious, you can sprinkle them with powdered sugar OR drizzle a little glaze over the top.

Servings:  11 Danishes
Time: Active time: 10 minutes; Thaw: 20 minutes Cook: 13-15minutes; Danishes in about an hour
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a clean flat surface, a rolling pin, a mixer and mixing bowl, a silicone spatula, a zester, a can opener, a 4.5 inch round cookie cutter (I used a Tupperware lid), a drinking glass, parchment paper or silicone baking mat, and a baking sheet

 

Ingredients:

• 2 frozen puff pastry sheets-thawed (one box)
  
• 1-8-ounce package of cream cheese
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 lime
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• 1¼  cups of blueberry pie filling
• 5 ounces fresh blueberries (rinsed0
• Flour 

 

 
 
 
 

1.  Read through the recipe before beginning. Allow the puff pastry to thaw for about 20 minutes. Set out the cream cheese, too. Zest and juice the lime. Set aside about 1 teaspoon of the lime zest for garnish. Open the blueberry pie filling. Cover the baking sheet in parchment paper (or the silicone mat) and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Place the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, lime juice and lime zest into the mixing bowl. Blend until the texture is completely creamy. Set aside.
3. Unfold one puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the sheet until it is about 1x1 inch larger on each side. With the 4.5-inch cookie cutter, cut out four circles. Using the drinking class score a smaller circle in the middle of each larger circle by pressing down but NOT through. You just want the smaller circle to be an outline. Do this with the second puff pastry sheet as well. Roll out the scrap dough to make 3 more Danishes. Place them on the baking sheet, not touching.
4. You may need to cook in batches. Place the waiting Danishes in the fridge until you are ready to use them. Make sure they aren't touching.
   
5. Place 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each Danish. Use the spatula to spread the filling to the edge of the inner circle. Top the cream cheese mixture with 1½ tablespoons of the pie filling. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the Danishes are golden brown. Top with fresh berries and a sprinkle of lime zest.
6. Allow the Danishes to cool to room temperature before serving.