The Mandela Effect and How Food is Remembered.

Before every food company converted their frozen meals to be microwaveable; the containers were aluminum and the plastic or cardboard covers needed to be removed first before heating. One of my very favorites was Stouffer's "Escalloped Chicken and Noodles"; chunks of white meat chicken, veggies and egg noodles in a luscious, creamy sauce. Alas, Stouffer's went the microwave route also; the containers became thin plastic with plastic wrap covers that stayed on, and the food stuck to. Not only that, the portions became smaller, but the prices almost doubled, and by now they have tripled.  What the heck is that all about!?!

I decided I'd had enough of this nonsense, and set upon making a copycat version of my own.  I purchased one more entree, heated it up and then analyzed it...the taste, textures, smell, what ingredients I could readily see or taste.  I'm sure if I was a scientist in a lab, I could have come up with an almost perfect copycat recipe; but I'm not and I'm still happy with the end result.

Using canned creamed soups saved me the trouble of using heavy cream which could break in a sauce if not cooked properly.  Adding chicken broth provided extra moisture for the egg noodles, so they did not harden up during the baking process.   I used fresh onion, red bell pepper and mushrooms, so their flavors are prominent in the dish now instead of just hinted at.

 

After making the recipe, and being very satisfied with the result, it was then that I took a look at the ingredient list on the box.  I wanted to see how close I was in my taste, texture and smell assessments.  Hmm, strange, but red bell peppers were not listed, but in the microwave entrée, I could see the tiny slivers of red.  There were also tiny bits of green, so I presumed that was celery diced to microscopic bits.  But no, what I took for peppers were “2% or less of carrots”, peas were listed, but where they were was a mystery to me.

Throughout the years of buying the boxed product, the predominant ingredients were “noodles, chicken, slivers of red, bits of green, loads of chopped mushrooms, toasted topping, and a very lickable creamy sauce.  But the box ingredient list states I am totally wrong, “Tender white meat chicken, freshly made fettuccini noodles, mushrooms, peas, celery, and carrots in a creamy sauce.”.  Listen, I know what I was eating, I saw what I was eating, tasted and smelled it, and the photo on the box did not show peas and carrots; not like it does nowadays.

Asking a question at the Stouffer’s site got me this result, “No, Stouffer’s did not use red bell peppers in the Escalloped Chicken and Noodles.    If you recall eating Stouffer's Escalloped Chicken and Noodles with red bell peppers, it's possible you are remembering a limited edition or regional version of the recipe.”.

Now I do not believe in coincidence, but right after this, Roy came in and started to ask me questions in the line of, “Do you remember this food having this name?”, or “Do you remember this food having this ingredient?”  Depending on the item, I could give a definite “yes”, “no”, or “never tried it, so don’t know”, and that’s when he began to explain “The Mandela Effect”.

The Mandela Effect is a phenomenon where a large group of people collectively misremembers an event or detail. The term was coined by Fiona Broome after she discovered many people shared her false memory that Nelson Mandela died in prison in the 1980s, when he actually passed away in 2013, and had been a freed man since 1990.

This principal is explained in two ways:

Collective false memory: It's a situation where many people share the same incorrect memory about something, such as an event, a phrase, or an image.

Psychological phenomenon: Psychologists explain the Mandela Effect as a demonstration of how imperfect and suggestible human memory can be. Memories can change over time and be influenced by external information.

When it comes to food, here are two perfect examples:

1 - Jif peanut butter was never called Jiffy; it has always been Jif since it was founded in 1958.

The name Jiffy may have been confused with the brand due to a tagline referring to making a sandwich "in a jiffy”; or by mixing the name with Skippy, another popular peanut butter brand. 

2 - Oscar Mayer: This brand is sometimes recalled as "Oscar Meyer".  This commercial jingle debuted in 1974.

"My Bologna has a first name,

It's O-S-C-A-R.

My bologna has a second name,

It's M-A-Y-E-R.

Oh, I love to eat it every day,

And if you ask me why I'll say,

Cause' Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A!!!!"

Previously, "The Wiener Song" debuted in 1962, but the lyrics only said the name, and did not spell it out as it was sung.

"Oh, I wish I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener,

That is what I'd truly like to be-ee-ee.

Cause if I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener,

Everyone would be in love with me."

With this information, now I had to wonder if my memory of a favorite frozen dish was actually false, or just mixed up with another item I used to eat often.

So back to Escalloped Chicken and Noodles, and the development of the recipe during the Depression Era.  It became such an easy, and cheap in cost, recipe to make; with its popularity escalating once Stouffer’s began to sell prepackaged meals in the frozen food section of local markets and supermarkets.

Here is my version of this dish, sans the peas and carrots, but if you want to try the recipe, and add them (1 and ½ cups frozen peas and carrots mix, thawed), be my guest.

 

Escalloped Chicken and Noodles

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. butter

1 cup sliced mushrooms

½ cup diced onion

Chicken Breasts are boiled in salted water.

½ cup diced red bell pepper

4 Tbsp. flour

4 cups cooked and shredded white meat chicken

½ tsp. ground black pepper

1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth

1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of celery soup

1 (8 oz.) package medium width egg noodles, cooked

1/2 cup plain, fine bread crumbs

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F. and spray a 3-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.

 

 

 

In 10-inch skillet, medium-high heat, melt butter and sauté mushrooms, onion and red bell pepper until softened, but not browned; add flour and mix well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In large mixing bowl, combine sautéed vegetables, chicken, pepper, broth, creamed soups and noodles.

 

 

Spread mixture into casserole dish; sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Bake 30-35 minutes; until sauce is bubbling and bread crumbs are golden brown.

 

Sprinkle bread crumbs over all.

Makes 8 servings.

Remembering something from the past, and you are positive, but facts say otherwise, maybe you are experiencing The Mandela Effect.

Mary Cokenour 

 

Which Side of the Dish is the Side on?

The “side dish”, what does that exactly mean?  After laying out the main meal, then comes the sides, sort of like an after-thought.  Sort of like, “Hey, we have all these extra cans of green beans about to expire, let’s gussy them up and serve them with dinner!”.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the side dish as, “A food served separately along with the main course.”, and all I can think is, “Duh!”  Not a very good definition to truly explain its inclusion to a meal.  In Mexico, meals include beans and rice; in Japan, rice is served with every meal, including breakfast.  These are traditional culinary staples of these cultures, and are meant to enhance the main item of the meal.

In America though, the side dish plays several roles, and the variety has infinite possibilities.  The best way to explain this is by quoting Quora which is a question-answer site that offers up academic and professional information.  However, online users are allowed to post their own comments and “knowledge”, and you have to take these responses with a grain, or huge shaker, of salt.   

Anyway, Quote, “American food often includes side dishes for a few key reasons:

Variety and balance - Side dishes allow for more variety in a meal and help balance out the main dish. They provide complementary flavors, textures, and nutrients.

Portion control - Sides help control portion sizes of the main course. The side dishes can be smaller portions that supplement the larger main dish.

Cultural tradition - Serving multiple dishes together is a longstanding culinary tradition in American cuisine, influenced by the diverse cultural backgrounds of Americans. It allows for sampling of different flavors.

Accommodating preferences - Sides cater to individual preferences and dietary needs. Guests can customize their plate by choosing which sides to include.

Extending a meal - Additional side dishes help stretch a meal and make it more filling and satisfying, especially for larger gatherings or hearty appetites.

So, in summary, the side dish format in American meals provides flexibility, balance, and a more complete dining experience compared to a single main course alone.”

Here is a test for all those home cooks about to put dinner on the table, “What do you typically serve and why?”.  Since the first settlers stepped foot upon Northern America, cooking and eating what they knew was what they strived for.  First, a protein of some type: poultry, meat (beef or pork), seafood; while the British love their bit o’ beef, Italians and Germans like their pork, while Greeks and Spanish favor seafood.  All depends mainly on the region of the country, what was bred, or what was more easily accessible.  Bread is definitely a food item that could be found at every table, used to sop up any lasting gravy or sauce on the plate.  Fresh garden grown vegetables were a treat, and if stored correctly, fed a family throughout the harsh and barren winter months. 

One vegetable that is most versatile is the potato; it can be steamed, boiled, mashed, baked, fried, and roasted. When added to a casserole, or fancied up into a side dish, well, for a good many of us, we are tasting nirvana.  By the way, sweet potatoes are not potatoes, and true yams are not sweet potatoes.  All three are root vegetables, but have different genealogy.   Potatoes come from the nightshade family, and toxic if eaten when they are green in color.  The sweet potato comes from the morning glory family and can be eaten raw. True yams, while they look like sweet potatoes, are darker in color (dark red or brown), less sweet, starchier, drier, and poisonous if eaten raw.

Now that I have you thinking about side dishes, here is my chance to share a favorite potato recipe with you.  For you, it could be same old-same old, or something completely new, but definitely a plus when added to a meal.

Scalloped vs. Au Gratin potatoes, what is the difference?  They are both baked in casserole dishes, have a creamy sauce and use thinly sliced potatoes.  The sauce for scalloped potatoes can be made with either heavy cream or broth, and there is no topping, on the potatoes, that will bake to a semi-crunchy texture. If anyone has a dairy issue, using broth to create the sauce means this potato side dish can be enjoyed.

Au gratin also has a cream sauce, but with shredded cheese in-between the potato layers.  The topping is either more shredded cheese, or buttered bread crumbs. To balance the taste of the cream sauce with the cheese, use a sharp cheese like Cheddar, white Vermont Cheddar, aged Swiss, or aged goat cheese.

Russet potatoes are typically used for these side dishes, but if potatoes are not your vegetable of choice, try using sliced yellow squash.  Leave the skin on the squash when slicing as it will soften up in the baking process. The thickness, for either vegetable, should be ¼-inch or thinner.  Depending on your knife skills, you can also use a mandoline slicer, or the slicing side of a grater (the openings look like smiles).

 

Au Gratin Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

2 cups heavy cream

2 and ½ cups shredded sharp cheese, divide into 1 cup, 1 cup and ½ cup portions

6 medium potatoes, skinned removed and thinly sliced

1/2 cup diced onion

Optional: ¼ cup crushed, dried parsley – sprinkle over potatoes before adding cheese and topping with sauce.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F, and butter the inside of a 2-quart baking dish.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth.  Stir in cream, increase heat to medium and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat; stir in one cup of cheese until melted.  

In the buttered baking dish, begin layering 1/3 potatoes, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/3 potatoes, ½ cup cheese, ending with 1/3 potatoes.  Pour the cheese sauce over top, and work it carefully down among the layers with a fork or spatula.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake one hour. Uncover and sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese over top. Bake 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender, and sauce is bubbling and cheese slightly browned.  Let rest about five minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Beef Wellington with a side of Potatoes Au Gratin.

 

If using yellow squash for this recipe, cut the initial baking time down to a half hour covered, and 15 minutes uncovered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the way, next time you decide to make candied sweet potatoes (molasses + brown sugar is way better than using corn syrup), add chopped walnuts to the mix instead of marshmallows.  Sweet potatoes are already naturally sweet, and the taste and texture of the walnuts brings this side dish to a whole new level.

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Day of Infamous Remembrance.

According to an article, in Good Housekeeping magazine, there are 142 reasons, for celebration, in the month of December.  Instead of only the big three, Christmas, Hanukkah and

Kwanzaa, we have Boxing Day on the 26^th, and my birthday as well; New Year’s Eve (31^st), Yule/Winter Solstice (21^st), Pearl Harbor Day (7^th), International Animal Rights Day (10^th), and a host of other religious, food related, and rather silly days in-between.

With so many “holidays” to celebrate, it would be only right to try and focus on, not the big three, but on some of the other interesting ones.  The first I have chosen is Pearl Harbor Day, observed annually in the United States on December 7, to remember, and honor, the 2,403 Americans who were killed in the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.  The attack occurred on the island of Oahu, one of eight major islands of Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, leading to the United States declaring war on Japan the next day, and forced into entering World War II.

https://www.pearlharboroahu.com/

 

 

I was fortunate enough to visit Oahu twice, and made sure to put the Pearl Harbor Memorial tour on my visit list, both times.  This is a heart wrenching, heart breaking experience that left, not one person, without tears streaming down his or her face.  First, there is the movie, using historical footage, showing the bombing, the utter destruction of the Navy’s shipyard, and ships.  Then there is the boat ride out to the USS Arizona which is the eternal grave site of 1,102, of the 1,177 sailors and marines, killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Standing at the railing, looking downward into the murky water, a sheen of oil can be seen as it continues to seep from the bowels of the ship.  One can only imagine what those valiant men experienced as the bombs exploded, the ship tore apart, and down into the water it sank; taking most of them with it.

Divers have attempted exploration of the ship, since the sinking, but it was not until submersible mini-subs, and ROVs, were able to go inside.  With modern technology, the interior was recorded, and everyday items like shaving kits, kitchen pots and pans, even uniforms hanging on clothes hooks, could be seen.

Has this information made you sad?  As I have grown older, I have seen the “holiday months” go from one of grateful, friendly and loving gathering to the point of “why bother?” to “it’s only about the monetary amount of the gifts that counts”.  So, here I am, to remind you, that these months were not always full of 100% joy and good cheer.  People suffered to make sure that freedom remained free, and we should be grateful to them for the joy and good cheer we obtained.

So, after the sadness I have dropped upon you, it might seem a bit like nonsense to suddenly write about food.  However, our sailors and marines, even in 1941, ate well; and up to the nutritional standards known about at that time.  A 1941 ship’s manifest, for the USS Washington declared, “supplies the battleship took aboard after about a week at sea with a crew of 1,500 were 2,400 lb. lemons, 1,700 lb. cucumber, 2,400 lb. lettuce, 1,800 lb. each of sweet potatoes, tomatoes and asparagus, 1,200 lb. celery, 3,000 lb. carrots, 3,800 lb. oranges, 1,513 lb. smoked hams, 19,971 lb. of frozen beef, 4,070 lb. veal sides, 507 lb. head cheese, 1,040 lb. flounder and 1,010 lb. rhubarb.” ( https://www.navalgazing.net/Naval-Rations-Part-3).  For Thanksgiving and Christmas, ham and turkey, with all the typical trimmings, were served to all.

Here is a recipe I developed, December 9, 1995, two days after Pearl Harbor Day; those men must have been on my mind, even then.

 

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

 This recipe was chosen and featured in the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, March 1999 issue.  It also appeared in the Better Homes and Gardens “Annual Recipes” cookbook, 1999.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. sweet potatoes

¼ cup milk

½ tsp. each salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg

2 lbs. lean ground lamb

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup dry red wine

1 Tbsp. snipped fresh savory

1 tsp. finely shredded orange peel

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Preparation:

Peel and cut up sweet potatoes.  Cook in a small amount of boiling water, just enough to cover, for 20-25 minutes, or until tender; drain.  Mash potatoes; add milk, salt, ½ tsp cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large skillet, cook lamb, mushrooms and onion together until there is no longer any pink to the lamb meat; drain excess fat.  Stir in wine and savory; cook for 1 additional minute and remove from heat.

Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.  Spread 2/3 of the mashed sweet potatoes over the bottom and up the sides of the dish.  Fill center with lamb mixture; top with remaining 1/3 of potatoes, spreading evenly over filling and to edges of dish.  Bake for 20 minutes; sprinkle orange peel and remaining ½ tsp cinnamon over top; bake an additional 15 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings. 

Mary Cokenour

Three Countries Influence Creation of One Recipe.

 When it comes to food, it seems that more peaceful moments are shared around the dining table.  Picture it, 1840s, France brings thinly sliced veal, covered in breadcrumbs and fried to a crisp, golden brown.  Russia cannot afford veal, but chicken is plentiful, so they decide to do the same style of cooking to chicken breasts.  Germany simply sits there, a smirk on the face, and declares, “You have copied our Schnitzel!” 

But wait, time warp jump to the left, then take a step to the right, and we are in the 1940s.  Since Switzerland is a neutral country, during World War 2, it is not suffering the same food shortages, and horrors, of the war.  Switzerland is a mixture of four origins: German, French, Italian, and Romansh (official national language of the Swiss), and with languages comes culture and cuisines.  They took the “schnitzel style” meat, layered ham and cheese on top of the chicken, rolled it, and then deep fried it.  The word “bleu” refers to “blue ribbon” which was a wide blue ribbon, worn by the members of the highest order of the French knighthood, L’Ordre des chevaliers du Saint-Esprit, since the year 1578.  Basically, the Swiss took creative license, with what we know as Chicken Cordon Bleu, from the influences of France, Russia and Germany.

The first reference of this recipe, in America, was in the New York Times, 1967.  However, American cookbooks, chefs and home cooks were already making their own versions.  The addition of Dijon mustard gave it more of a French flair, while Alfredo sauce gave the Italians a hold of the plate.  However, the cheese was still Swiss, and bleu cheese was only in side salads.

Then comes along this home cook, and she decided to make a complete meal, including vegetable, in one pot, a crock pot.  My invention is the Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole.  I still used chicken and Swiss cheese, but paid homage to Germany by using Black Forest Ham.  This type of ham has blackened skin and light, smoky flavor.  The blackened skin comes from the spices (salt, garlic, coriander, juniper and pepper) that is applied, and smoked over pine or fir.  The process takes up to three months, and the origin is, of course, from the Black Forest area of Germany.

Side note; if you have never visited Germany, I highly recommend a visit to the beautiful city of Munich, and the Black Forest.  Then take a side trip, only five hours east, to the Bavaria Alps, and visit Neuschwanstein Castle, home of the Mad King, Ludwig.  Back to the recipe…

I did Americanize the recipe by using cornbread stuffing, for a southern touch, and using “cream of” soups for convenience.  This is a layered casserole, but cooks up completely in only four hours, on a low setting.  While enjoying your meal, let your mind wander off to Europe and visit all the countries that inspired the original recipe.

 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

 

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat, cut in half width wise

½ tsp. coarse sea salt

½ tsp. ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. paprika

8 slices Swiss cheese

8 slices Black Forest Ham

1 (12 oz.) bag cornbread stuffing

1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of celery soup

1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of chicken soup

2 cups milk

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. celery seed

1 (12 oz.) bag frozen, cut green beans, thawed

Preparation:

 

Spray interior of 6-quart crock pot with nonstick cooking spray.  Layer chicken over bottom.  In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper and paprika; sprinkle over chicken.

 

 

 

 

 

Layer cheese over chicken, ham over the cheese, then stuffing over the ham.  In large bowl, whisk together soups, milk, mustard, and celery seed till smooth and well combined; pour over stuffing.  Spread out green beans over the sauce.

 

Cover crock pot, set to low, and meal will be completely cooked in four hours.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kentucky-Up Those Turkey Leftovers.

Thanksgiving leftovers stocked in the refrigerator, and the thought of one more cold turkey sandwich makes you winch a bit?  Now this scenario might not be an issue in your home, but for others it is, as they want the leftovers gone now!  Many, like myself, clean off most of the the meat and freeze for later comfort meals of turkey strata, tetrazzini or added to a hearty soup.  The bones themselves are simmered in seasoned water, strained, and the savory stock also frozen.

For many years, I watched many a show on Food Network or The Cooking Channel, and I gained truckloads of knowledge.  Well I should also admit to watching PBS cooking shows on Saturday afternoons, and this started well into my teens.  Once I moved to Pennsylvania, I would attend a “food-con” in Ephrata, and I attended demonstrations of many of my favorite PBS chefs.  Buying a latest cookbook, getting it signed, and speaking with the chef; oh I was wowed for days; and could not wait to attempt some recipes.

As with MTV (remember when it showed actual music videos!?!), I have noticed, that the channels geared towards food, are now more prone to game shows or competitions.  Too fast paced and definitely not informative enough for me.  Back in the middle 2000s though, there was one show that was a competition, but slow paced enough to allow the viewer to make notes, and learn.  Throwdown with Bobby Flay was looked forward to weekly, not just to see if someone could beat him, but what new recipe might be tempting enough to try myself.

Now why am I rambling on about cooking shows when I first began writing about turkey leftovers?  To share with you all a recipe, learned on Throwdown, tried out at home, and deemed most delicious!  The Hot Brown was featured (Season 2, Episode 13, Air Date: July 10, 2007); Joe and John Castro, chefs of the Brown Hotel in Kentucky, competed and won against Bobby Flay.  The Hot Brown could be considered a fancified version of an open-faced hot turkey sandwich, or, as the originator intended, the Welch Rarebit.  Originally created during the 18th century and called Welsh Rabbit, no actual cute, fluffy-tailed bunnies were used, so the name changed to Rarebit.  Welsh Rarebit is a British dish consisting of a hot cheese-based sauce served over slices of toasted bread, often topped with tomatoes and bacon.

The Hot Brown was created in 1926 by Chef Fred K. Schmidt; he worked at the Brown Hotel, located in Louisville, Kentucky.  “In the 1920's, The Brown Hotel drew over 1,200 guests each evening for its dinner dance. By the wee hours of the morning, guests would grow weary of dancing and make their way to the restaurant for a bite to eat. Sensing their desire for something more glamorous than traditional ham and eggs, Chef Fred Schmidt set out to create something new to tempt his guests' palates. His unique dish? An open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and a delicate Mornay sauce.” (History of the Hot Brown: https://www.brownhotel.com/dining/hot-brown )

Here is that original recipe.

 

The World Famous Hot Brown

Ingredients:

Makes Two Hot Browns

2 oz. Whole Butter

2 oz. All Purpose Flour

8 oz. Heavy Cream

8 oz. Whole Milk

½ Cup of Pecorino Romano Cheese

Plus 1 Tablespoon for Garnish

Pinch of Ground Nutmeg

Salt and Pepper

14 oz. Sliced Roasted Turkey Breast, Slice Thick

4 Slices of Texas Toast (Crust Trimmed)

4 Slices of Crispy Bacon

2 Roma Tomatoes, Sliced in Half

Paprika

Parsley

In a two-quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined and forms a thick paste (roux). Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk heavy cream and whole milk into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino Romano cheese until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

For each Hot Brown, place two slices of toast with the crusts cut off in an oven safe dish – one slice is cut in half corner to corner to make two triangles and the other slice is left in a square shape - then cover with 7 ounces of turkey. Take the two halves of Roma tomato and two toast points and set them alongside the base of the turkey and toast. Next, pour one half of the Mornay sauce to completely cover the dish. Sprinkle with additional Pecorino Romano cheese. Place the entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top, sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.

Around the same time, I found a similar recipe, by Paula Deen, but the Hot Brown was made casserole style.  Since we held gaming groups regularly on Saturday nights, I used our players as guinea pigs, and happily there were no leftovers and only praises.

Paula Deen Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole

https://www.pauladeen.com/recipe/kentucky-hot-brown-casserole/

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups whole milk

2 cups divided shredded Swiss cheese

1 cup shredded extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 slices thick sandwich bread, toasted

2 pounds thinly sliced turkey

1/4 teaspoon paprika

8 slices bacon, cooked and halved crosswise

Garnish chopped tomatoes

Garnish fresh parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to broil. Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat, and whisk in 1 cup Swiss, Cheddar, salt, and pepper until melted.

Place bread in prepared pan, overlapping as needed to fit. Top with turkey, cheese sauce, and remaining 1 cup Swiss; sprinkle with paprika.

Broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

Top with bacon and tomatoes. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

There you have it, two recipes to help those turkey leftovers have an original taste, and new recipes to add to your book or card file.  Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour