Otter's Creamy Turkey-Pasta Casserole EDITED**

Otter had an assignment for cooking class.  She had to create a casserole.  This is what she came up with.  It's pretty good and I think it would be great on a cold evening.  Also, this is one that you can play with a little as far as the ingredients go.  Because it was for a grade, measurements did happen here!  But she chopped up the vegetables and then measured them when it looked like she had enough. :)


Creamy Turkey-Pasta Casserole

½ c Chopped Bell Pepper
½ c Chopped onion
1 lb low-fat ground turkey meat
1 tsp olive oil
1 can low-fat cream of mushroom soup
2 c cooked pasta
6oz water
1tsp parsley
1 dash garlic powder
¼ c shredded cheese.

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.Combine Ground turkey, onion, and bell pepper in large frying pan and cook on med-high heat, scrambling the meat with a wooden spoon, until meat is no longer pink.  Drain excess grease.  Add soup, pasta, water, parsley and garlic powder, stir over medium high heat until all ingredients are blended. Top with cheese and serve.

Also, you could use ground beef instead of turkey and the soup flavor could be changed if you wish.

**EDIT:  Otter increased the soup to two cans, the water to about a soup can full and the cheese to about 1/2 cup.  It worked well and is still very tasty.

Recipe Shortcuts, Do It Yourself Hamburger Helper Mix

I have used this in the past, but I'm not sure if this is one I've used or not.  I didn't originate this, Bill found it somewhere.  The first recipe is for the base, the rest are add-ins.  My comments will be at the end and are marked with **.

T = Tablespoon
t = teaspoon

Homemade Hamburger Helper Mix


2 cups of powdered milk
1 cups corn starch
¼ cup chicken bouillon powder
2 T dried onion
1 t. basil
1 t. thyme
1 t. pepper
2 T dried parsley
1 T garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together and store in a canning jar with an air tight lid.

To make:

Chili Mac

Brown one pound of hamburger and add:
1 cup of water
1 ½ cups of uncooked elbow noodles
2 cans 15 oz. chopped tomatoes
1 T chili powder
½ cup helper mix

Bring above ingredients to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until noodles are cooked completely.

Hamburger Stroganoff

Brown one pound of hamburger and add:
2 cups water
½ cup helper mix
2 cups linguine noodles

Bring mixture to a boil and stir, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until noodles are tender. Then add:

½ cup sour cream and serve.

Hamburger Potato Casserole

Brown one pound hamburger. Add:
¾ cup water
6 peeled potatoes, sliced thin
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup (slightly heaping) helper mix

Lasagna Casserole

Brown one pound of hamburger and add:
½ half cup mix
1 chopped onion
2 cups water
2 - 8oz. cans tomato sauce
3 cups pasta of your choice
¼ cup parmesan cheese

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. top with:
2 cups mozzarella cheese

Cover with a lid and do not stir. Turn off heat. Let it sit long enough for cheese to melt.

**I have used a couple of different versions of this.  There is a little taste difference, but a lot of that is because this version doesn't have the preservatives and additives that the boxed Hamburger Helper mix has.  Also, it is a lot lower in fat.  You can use whole-wheat pasta if you chose to.  And some of the measurements are going to be determined by your individual taste, for example 2 cups of mozzerella cheese (in the last one) might be more or less than you want.  But this is one that you can have fun with, and you might already have most or all of the ingredients on hand.  I store mine in a ziploc bag, and it can also be kept in the freezer to keep it a littler fresher.  You can also vary the spices a little, experiment and have fun.

Cinnamon Spice Christmas Ornaments

This is a fun recipe to make, especially with the kiddos.  We made these many years ago, when I was troop leader for Otter's Brownie troop and the girls had a blast with it.

Cinnamon Spice Christmas Ornaments

1 Cup Applesauce
1 Cup Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Teaspoon Allspice
1 Teaspoon Cloves

Mix above ingredients until dough forms.  Knead a little if necessary, and if too wet you can add more cinammon.  Then roll to 1/4" thick.  Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters - I suggest you do this step on wax paper.  Use a straw to poke a hole so you can insert a hanger or thread after drying.  Allow to air dry for 4 days, turning over each day.  Depending on the humidity of your area, it might take more or less days for the ornaments to harden enough.  They will need to be stored in sealed containers such as a ziploc bag, because they can draw ants that will be attracted to the sweetness.  They smell lovely!

Easy Potato Soup

This is about as easy and basic as it gets, but it's also about as good as it gets.  Very simple!

Potato Soup

Several potatoes, washed (peeled if you chose) and cut or sliced up MDHH**
Onion, chopped (about 1/2) (Optional)
Carrots, peeled & sliced or chopped (about 2 or 3)
Celery, 2 - 3 stalks chopped or sliced

Put above veggies into a pot filled with water to about 1 - 2" over the potatos and boil until the potatos are just done - you don't want to let them get mushy.  DO NOT DRAIN THE POTATOS!

Add:

Salt to taste

Milk  (guessing about 1 cup but play with this recipe until you see how much you need!) MDHH**

Butter (or substitute)

Pepper

Stir over low heat until warm again, it doesn't need to boil at this point but it will need to be warm.

You can adjust the amount of water, you might like more broth or less.  Since the water isn't drained, it becomes the broth.  I'd suggest starting out with a small amount and then increasing it as needed when you add the milk and other ingredients.

The onion, celery and carrots are optional, but I think it improves the soup.

You can use garlic powder, parsely, whatever you have on hand as a seasoning either during the boiling process or sprinkled on top when serving.

If you prefer a thicker soup, add a very small amount (probably 1/2 teaspoon or less) of corn starch after you've added the milk and let it cook a little longer.  Corn starch will thicken it, and this is also something where you'll need to experiment until you find the thickness you want.

If not eaten, any leftovers will need to be refrigerated.  I usually freeze any leftovers immediately as cooked milk tends to sour fast.  If you do freeze it, the potatos will be a little mealy or mushy when you thaw & warm it, but they are still good.

**Measurements Don't Happen Here!

Otter's Favorite Cupcakes

These are pretty easy, according to Otter.  She's made them a lot lately.  They are certainly very good.  The recipe calls for butter, I'd suggest using real butter and not the healthy butter substitute unless it specifically says it's for baking.

Cupcakes

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) softened butter  (not melted)

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour**

1 tablespoon warm water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cupcake cups.  Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Starting & ending with an egg, alternate adding eggs & flour.  Beat until each is thoroughly mixed before adding the next egg or flour.  Beat in water and vanilla until just mixed in.  Spoon mixture into paper cups.  Bake 15 - 17 minutes at 400 degrees, in the middle of the oven if you can adjust your oven racks.  Let cupcakes cool for a couple of minutes before removing from muffin pan, stand on a wire rack to cool.  Makes one dozen.  Cool completely before frosting.

**If you have rgular all-purpose flour, add to flour:  1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder & 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Otter has added food coloring to the batter, use whichever color you desire and add a drop at a time until the color is how you want it.

Potato Salad

This one is very easy and it's also one that can be changed to suit your own tastes.  All measurements are approximate, this one varies depending on the amount of potatos.

Potato Salad

Potatos, peeled and chopped (You don't have to peel them, but they will need to be scrubbed very well if you leave the peeling on).

2 eggs

Boil the potatos and the eggs together, it just saves time and that way you only use one pan instead of two.

At this point, I usually put the boiled potatos in a bowl with a lid and refrigerate them until they are cooled down.  The eggs need to be peeled, which is easier if they are fairly warm.  I usually cool the eggs for a few minutes under running water, so that they are still warm but not too hot to hold.  The eggs can be put in the same bowl in the fridge with the potatos if you want.  I frequently boil the potatos the night before I plan to serve it, then assemble it right before serving.

When everything is cool, add the following:

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

2 eggs, sliced or chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/4 cup pickles, chopped

2 tablespoons olives, sliced or chopped

1 teaspoon pimentos, chopped

1/2 cup mustard

and/ or

1/3 cup mayonnaise

Stir it all together, add salt and pepper to taste and you can also hit it with a few shakes of paprika.

The mayo and/or mustard can be increased or decreased, I'd suggest you start with a small amount and then add more in as desired.  It's a whole lot easier to add more than it is to take it out!

I usually use about 6 to 8 medium size potatos.  They don't have to be peeled, but if you do peel them - it's much easier to peel them before cooking.  My mom used to make this by boiling the potatos whole, then peeling them and cutting them up while still hot and it was messy as well as difficult.

Any of the vegetables can be changed, use your imagination and have fun.  Sometimes I put sliced or chopped jalepenos in it for Bill.  It will need to be refrigerated if it's not all eaten in one sitting.

Meat Loaf **EDITED**

This one is pretty basic, but it's also pretty good.  I don't make it often, but we always enjoy it when I do make it.  This is one that you can experiment with.  Also, the recipe I use calls for 2 lbs. of ground meat, but you can half it or increase it as you want.  When I make it, I usually use two pounds and then make it into two small loaves so that I have leftovers for the next day.  I've learned, I can make one large loaf and serve it but there won't be anything left!  Or, I can make it into two smaller loaf pans and only serve one so that we'll have leftovers.  Bill likes meatloaf.  A Lot!

This is a dish that can be personalized, you can use the vegetables & spices I suggest or use whatever you like or have on hand.  Meatloaf was probably invented as a way to stretch the available resources.  You can leave out the eggs and use about 1/4 cup of milk if you'd prefer, but I strongly suggest that you use either one of them as the breadcrumbs need the moisture.

Meat Loaf

2 lbs. gound meat (I usually use turkey but you could use lean beef, chicken or even buffalo!)
1/2 of an onion, chopped
1/2 of a bell pepper, chopped
2 - 4 stalks celery, chopped
1 - 2 tomatos, chopped

Mix all ingredients, I usually use a wooden spoon to stir because it can be too heavy for a plastic spoon.

Add:

2 eggs (can use one)
breadcrumbs (I use crackers most often, about 1/3 of a tube and crush them in a baggie with a rolling pin)
(Mom would use about 1/2 cup of oatmeal or actual breadcrumbs, if that's what she had on hand)

Salt (not much, maybe 1/8th of a teaspoon)
Pepper (about 1/8th teaspoon)
Dash garlic powder or about 1/8th teaspoon fresh, crushed garlic (or less)
1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/8th teaspoon sage
Dash Rosemary
Dash dill seed (optional)
1/8th teaspoon basil
Ketchup, probably about 1/4 cup (optional)
(and more) Ketchup spread of the top of the meat loaf before baking (optional)

Stir well.  Place it in a baking dish or two loaf pans (I usually spray the pans very lightly with an olive oil based cooking spray).  Cook at 350 for about an hour.  If you are using one large pan, it may need more time.  Check for doneness using a fork, most cooks can tell by the way the meatloaf feels in terms of firmness but I usually insert the fork in the middle and break up a small piece so I can tell by sight.  It is probably going to need to be drained as there will be some grease.  Beef will have more than turkey.  I've never made it with chicken but I would expect grease.  When draining, you might need an extra pair of arms to hold either a spatula, plate or lid over the top of the pan so that the grease drains out but the loaf stays in the pan!

You can make this one ahead and freeze it, just be sure it's thoroughly thawed before baking.  Also, it's baked uncovered.

**EDIT:  I made this with 1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey but I was out of tomatoes.  Being a Texan, Rotel is always on hand and I decided to try it instead of fresh tomatoes.  I used one can, the one I had was the "hot" variety.  I mixed it in with the meat and all the other stuff, then cooked it at 350 degrees and it took right at an hour.  It was delicious!  Spicy, but not overly so.  I didn't use the ketchup in/on it this time since I wasn't sure how it would taste with the Rotel but I think I will use the ketchup the next time I make it this way.  I'll probably continue to use Rotel every time now, it was so good.