Cranberry Chicken Cornbread Muffin Sandwiches

I know Thanksgiving isn't even here yet and I'm posting a suggestion of what to do with leftover turkey.  Shame of me but when I saw the below recipe and I had leftover chicken I felt compelled to make some.  It was very tasty and I know you like recipe ideas so bare with me and save this recipe for later or make it now with chicken.  Enjoy! M.j.


I just saw this recipe in People Magazine and thought it would be so good with leftover turkey or chicken.  I decided to change it up a bit and adapt it to my liking so you can do it my way or you can do it their way.  You choose.  

Fork and knife required

I mixed the jellied cranberries with the chicken and added my herbs.

My recipe says time and steps. The only thing I didn't like was I should have waited a little longer for my muffins to cool a bit more because they were so fresh that they crumbled a little more than I would have liked them to.  Also you have the option to mix the cranberry sauce with the chicken/turkey you can put a dollop on sauce top of the meat.  I found that a little more cranberry sauce on the side was a good idea too!  Hubby and I love cranberry sauce.  

Yummy!

Here is their recipe:

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp. Kosher salt
2/3 cup whole milk
6 T unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
4 T. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 T finely chopped chives
5 oz. shredded leftover turkey, chicken or (deli ham,sliced and quartered)
2/3 cup cranberry sauce or relish (I'd prefer whole cranberry sauce as I think the whole berry texture would compliment.

Preheat oven to 350
Muffins
Spray a 24 cup mini muffin pan with cooking spray
Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl
In another bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, egg until well combined. Pour the milk mixture into the dry cornmeal mixture and whisk just until incorporated.
Spoon batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan.  About 1 1/2 T per cup.
Bake (12) twelve minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for about 5 minutes and then slice each in half(like a sandwich bun).

To assemble, stir softened butter and chives together in a small bowl.  Spread about 1/4 tsp. chive butter on each half of the muffins.  Top with a piece or two of turkey,chicken or ham and top with a dollop of cranberry sauce. Cover with muffin tops and serve.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time 12 minutes 

Note: Short cut recipe: I'm using corn muffin mix

Upside down muffin with added cranberry sauce on top.

1-8.5 oz. Jiffy Corn muffin mix.
pinch salt
1 egg beaten
6 T. melted butter
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar(optional)  I personally don't think it needed the extra sweet since the cranberry sauce is sweet.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease well  a muffin pan with cooking spray.  I used an extra large muffin pan so It made 4 muffins. Smaller muffin pan will make about 6 medium muffins.

Bake at 400 degrees 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. **Remove from oven and let set for about 7 minutes. Muffins will remove easier when cooled slightly.

Slice muffin lengthwise and spread with chive butter on both sides of muffin.
**note chive butter 4 to 6 T. softened butter and 1 T. chopped chives.  Mix together until blended. Set aside.


Mix chopped chicken with several tablespoons cranberry sauce, pinch of thyme, salt and pepper to taste. 
note:  I only had jellied cranberries but I think whole cranberry sauce would be better. 

Spread chive butter on muffin, top with cranberry mixture and muffin top.  Serve with extra cranberry sauce.

This recipe would work well with leftover turkey.  Easy!

Quadrucci in Chicken Soup! They're Italian noodles

A Thanksgiving Suggestion:  A cup of soup before your turkey dinner or maybe make some turkey soup the day after.  A cup of soup is always a nice touch to add to any meal.

My mother in law was famous for the quadrucci she made for soup.  Chicken Soup! Short cut.  Check out the pasta isle at the grocery store.  **If you can find them Gia Russa or Manichevitz brand have these noodles.

Add a little grated Italian Cheese to enhance the flavor

* I wasn't familiar with the name other than I knew it had to be Italian so I went to my Blue Guide Italy Food companion and it describes quadrucci(kwod-roo-chee)as pasta squares that are added to soups or broth...

My mother law would make her pasta dough and dry it and layer each pasta sheet ( cutting her pasta in long narrow sheets she would place one on top of each other (several sheets) and cut them into tiny squares so precisely and oh so perfect..What a wonderful memory I have of her cutting the quadrucci...and after they were cut to perfection she would lay out clean tablescloths to dry the quadrucci on..My kids loved them!!! and so did my hubby and I.   Fond memories to share with you!  Hope you enjoyed reading them!

While I was visiting up home(I always call NE Pa. as home) we stopped at one of our local Italian pasta markets...These little Italian markets sell homemade cappelletti, ravioli, gnocchi , guadrucci, homemade fettucini , spaghetti and red sauce..Pizza shells too!!  So I decided I'd buy some guadrucci.. I haven't made that type of noodle yet so today I am making chicken soup and adding the bought but home made little square noodles to my soup.

You can use any small type pasta and I also think they sell square pasta noodles too. **Gia Russa brand has them and they are labeled Egg Flakes.  They are larger than my mother-in-laws size noodles but they are a good substitute. 

11/18/11

Potato Cheese Pierogi (Mom's recipe)

Last week when I visited Mom she handed over to me her recipe binder and lots of index cards that are handwritten with some family recipes. One of which is Pierogi (Pee' dough he' ) Slovak pronunciation . Last year I gave you my Aunt Betty's Pierogi recipe but moms is a bit different.

I sauteed them in loads of fresh butter with sliced onions..Yummy!

Just check out the "oh so yummy" cheese and potato center!

Mom uses her basic dough recipe(which can be easily doubled if necessary) which I have posted earlier on one of my blog posts. Here is her basic dough recipe if you like to refer to it. If you would have any questions on this or any other recipe please feel free to email me @ mjvee@consolidated.net
 or mjkitchenjoy@ gmail.com.

2 1/2 cups flour
3 eggs@ room temperature (take them out for a bit before making dough)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 shot glass water

*1/2 cup extra flour to add if needed so it will go through pasta maker easily allowing a resting time of a few minutes to allow dough to be able to work easily.

 *Note:   I add about 1 shot glass of Olive oil also to my dough.. (I think a lot depends of the size of the eggs) 

 Note: I think the key to great dough is leaving the eggs out to room temperature(around 15 minutes or so)helps with the blending of the flour.

For the potato cheese filling she uses baking potatoes  and for cheese nothing but Cooper Sharp Cheese.  She grates a whole block of cheese in her potatoes.  She boils about 5 lb. of cubed potatoes in salted water.  When the potatoes are tender she drains them but allows a bit of water(a few tablespoons) to stay in the pot.  She then adds the grated Cooper Sharp (white or orange in color)cheese and beats them until the cheese has blended with the potatoes.

I made a small batch of about 50 today. They really were so similar to Mom's although I remember Mom's being a bit smaller. After sealing them I quickly brought a pot of water to a boil, adding a bit of salt and cooked the Pierogi until tender.  Pierogi will raise to top, then cook for a few minutes. (Do not overcook) Drain and add sweet onion that has been saute'd in butter .

Note: I have a dough recipe that uses sour cream in the dough.  I may try it next time I make the pierogi!

Happy Baking and Cooking from my kitchen to yours,

5/7/12 


 

Sweet Tooth Cravings: Sweet and Salty Treat!

 I made these Pretzel Turtles with chopped pecans but I have also made them with pecan halves.  Both are yummy!

Check this out!


Mini Rolo's (You can use regular size Rolo's)
Snap Pretzels
Pecan Halves (I had some chopped pecans and opted to use them instead of going out and buying the halves)

Turn oven to 300 degrees.  Place parchment paper on cookie sheet, line pretzels, add small mini rollo.  Bake 3 to 4 minutes.  Just enough to soften Rollo. Take out of oven and lightly push pecan into chocolate.  Cool completely before storing.  

Happy Fun Snacking from my kitchen to yours,

12/18/12

Copykat Pasta Fagioli (similar to Olive Garden)

Hi everyone!

I recently came across a recipe that looked like it might be something we would enjoy. It is totally different from my grandmother's pasta Fagioli recipe which is meatless so being a person who likes to try different recipes I knew this just might be something hubby and I would like and we definitely did. Excellent!!! Just as good as Olive Garden!!!!!

It was suggested it be made in a crockpot which is fine too but since I had time and didn't need an all day cook I decided to make it on top of the stove.  Here is my recipe and you can feel free to use the crockpot method if you so desire.

Mine was ready to eat in 1 1/2 hours so if you have the time you can do it my way or use your crockpot and it will take about  7 to 8 hours on low. Enjoy! FYI:  You must brown meat even if you use crockpot.

My stove top version which can also be used in the crockpot.

1 lb. ground chuck (browned on stove top) and drained of any grease
1 small onion chopped
2 stalks celery diced
2 carrots diced
1 can 14 oz. canned diced tomatoes juice and all
1-  15. 5 oz. can dark kidney beans drained and rinsed
1- 15.5 oz.can white northern beans drained and rinsed
1-32 oz. Beef Broth
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. dried parsley
4 oz. tomato sauce
4 oz. pasta (I used small shells)
Grated Italian Romano cheese

In a large pot (I used a dutch oven) brown meat with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Drain all fat.

 Add the rest of ingredients and simmer slowly on medium heat slightly covered approximately 1 1/2 hours.  About 30 minutes before serving add small pasta.  Garnish with cheese and Serve with crusty rolls.