Today is gray and chilly with a misty rain some of the time. I can see thru the arch window on the front of my condo beautiful red leaves of a tree behind the across-the-street condo. This morning when I opened the blinds on the sliding glass door, a black squirrel was pawing thru the scattered sunflower seeds on the patio. My husband’s squirrel-proof bird feeder triumphed again. Little blackie did find something to eat though and ran off under the white pine to nibble awhile before leaving my sight. We had a mourning dove today, too, besides the sparrows. We put the feeder up Monday and are now starting to see a few visitors.
We have had the furnace running on non-sunny days and now have the electric blanket on the bed. We have been turning to comfort food. Tonight we will eat leftovers of a chicken casserole I baked Thursday. Have some left-over chili, too, which should be tasty tomorrow evening before going to the Second Sunday Series concert.
Three-Cheese Chicken Florentine Casserole
1/2 lb. penne pasta (I used farfalle instead this time)
1 T. olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
1 orange or red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 (10-oz) pkg washed baby spinach
1 T. dried tarragon
1 tsp. paprika
2 c. cooked chicken, skinned, boned, and bite-size
1 (10-oz) can cream of chicken soup
2 c. cottage cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, about 8 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms to skillet.
Sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the spinach, tarragon, and paprika. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir together the chicken pieces with the soup and the 3 cheeses. Spritz a 9 x 13 glass pan with cooking spray. Layer the drained pasta, then the sautéed vegetables, then chicken/cheese mixture. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until bubbly and brown, about 45 minutes. Serves 8.
Turkey Corn Chili
Use a 3-quart slow cooker
1 lb. or 20 oz. ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 16-oz. can Brook’s Chili Beans
2 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes (for me one of these is fire-roasted canned tomatoes and I leave out chili powder)
1 11-oz. can whole kernel corn
3/4 c. salsa or picante sauce
1 tsp. chili powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt, pepper to taste
Cook ground turkey and onion in skillet. Transfer to slow cooker. Stir in green pepper, beans, tomatoes, corn, salsa/picante, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Can be cooked in large pot on stovetop until heated through.
Serve with shredded cheese, rolls or cornbread. Freezes well.
Serves 4-6
