Turkey Au Gratin – Kenna Christensen’s leftover Thanksgiving Dinner Specialty

Turkey Au Gratin – Kenna Christensen’s leftover Thanksgiving Dinner Specialty

3 Tlbs. butter, melted

½ cup chopped onion

3 Tlb flour

½ tea salt 

2 cups milk

2 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken 

½ cup sharp cheddar cheese

1 Tlb Lemon juice

4 cups egg noodles, cooked and drained

1 cup crushed Ritz crackers 

1 Tlb melted butter or margarine

Melt the 3 Tlb butter or margarine in a large skillet. Sauté onions in butter until onions are tender. Add flour and mix until well blended. Stir in salt and a of dash pepper. Remove from heat. Add milk, stirring to blend. Cook, stirring until thickened. Blend turkey or chicken into white sauce along with lemon juice and cheese. Fold in egg noodles. Pour mixture into a two-quart casserole. Combine crushed Ritz crackers and the 1 Tlb melted butter margarine. Sprinkle this mixture over casserole and bake at 325˚ for about 20 minutes or until hot. Serves 12. 

Yams

6 Medium Yams

3 or 4 apples peeled and sliced

½ cup butter

3 Tlbs. cornstarch

Optional: small can crushed pineapple

1 cup sugar

1 tea salt

2 cups water 

2 Tlbs. lemon juice

Par boil yams, cool, peel, and slice in layers in buttered casserole dish. Alternating yam slices and apple slices. 

Sauce: Melt butter in a small sauce pan. Add cornstarch, sugar and salt. Blend well, add water, cook and stir until sauce thickens, add lemon juice and pineapple. Pour sauce over yams and apples. 

Grandma Rita’s Yams – Sheila Hurst

6 medium sized yams (fresh, not canned)

½ cup brown sugar

½ stick butter

½ tea salt

1 tea cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tea ground cloves

(Or you can substitute 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice for the spices)

1 egg, slightly beaten

Half and Half

¾ c pecans or walnuts

Boil yams until fork tender. Add a glug of cooking oil to water so the sticky residue from potatoes is easier to clean from pot. Peel and mash yams with all ingredients, except cream. Adjust spices to your personal taste. Whip with mixer, adding cream until consistency of regular mashed potatoes. Add ¾ cup chopped pecans ore walnuts and turn into Pyrex dish. Bake at 375˚ until hot through. Top with large size marshmallows and brown under broiler, 3-4” away from heat, until brown. Watch carefully- they burn easily. If you prefer, you can heat yams in microwave and then put marshmallows on and place under broiler. Yams are a much deeper orange color and they are more flavorful than sweet potatoes. 

Holiday Cauliflower – Kenna Christensen

1 large head cauliflower

1 - 4oz. can mushrooms

1/4 cup sliced green peppers

¼ cup butter

1/3 cup flour

2 cups milk

1 tea salt

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 Tlb. plus 1 tea. Pimento

Break cauliflower into medium size pieces. Cook in boiling water until tender- crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain well, set aside. In a 2 quart sauce pan, sauté mushrooms and green pepper in butter until tender. Blend in flour, gradually stir in milk. Cook, stirring in salt, cheese, and pimento.  Place half of the cauliflower in a 2 quart, casserole dish. Cover with half of the sauce, add remaining cauliflower and sauce. Bake at 325˚ for 15 minutes.