Turkey Tetrazinni

 This is the first recipe I found. I have tried some easier recipes but this is still my favorite. It makes two 8" x 12" pans which is fine if you have that much turkey - but it is a lot. You can freeze it before baking - if you make the full recipe - which is a good option. Below is the recipe, halved.

LINK to the original recipe  which is from McCall's Cooking School. It includes the instructions for how to freeze before baking - and then how to bake from frozen.

HALF RECIPE - one 8" x 12" pan - makes 6 generous portions ( 8 portions - if there were side dishes)

Make a white sauce with

6 tablespoons butter and 6 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/16  tsp nutmeg

2 cups milk and 1 cup broth (chicken or turkey

After boiling the sauce gently for 2 minutes

whisk together 2 egg yolks and 1/2 cup heavy cream

Temper the egg mixture, return to the sauce pan and bring up to heat, but not boiling

Stir in 1/4 c dry sherry

While you are working on the sauce, boil 1/2 lb spaghetti in salted water until al dente.

Drain 1 can of mushroom pieces (or saute fresh mushrooms) OPTIONAL - saute some onion, celergy and a little garlic. It's not in the original recipe - but - it's a very nice addition - mince everything so that the flavors are in the white sauce - but it's not chunky.

Combine 3-4 cups turkey with mushrooms, cooked spaghetti, and 2 cups (or a little more) sauce.

Pour into a greased casserole - and top with 4 oz or 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese. Add Parmesan if you with, not in original recipe.

Preheat over to 350 to bake. Bake, covered, for 45 minutes - or until bubbly - let it rest before serving.

Reheat the leftover sauce to serve over the top of each serving.

Lemon Buttermilk Pie & Pecan version

This recipe came from my pen pal Jackie. She recommends rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar and I agree - otherwise the zest can clump. She also said that she prefers it with regular lemons - so that's what I used and I would not bother with Meyer lemons.

The instructions suggest that you just dump everything in one bowl - and mix - which probably works, but most recipes with eggs and milk will recommend slightly beating the eggs to break up the yolks and white and then stirring in the milk - so that's what I do - in a smaller bowl - which makes it a two-bowl recipe - but that's not bad.

You can go to the link at the end for the full recipe - or here are the ingredients - with abbreviated instructions.

Prior to making the pie - put 4 eggs and 1 c buttermilk out to come to room temp. It takes an hour - or 2 hours is better. 

Preheat over to 350°

Prep: Start by zesting a couple lemons to get 1 T zest and then squeeze to get 3 T juice. Then melt 1 stick of better. Get your pie crust ready.

Assembly:

In a large bowl rub 1 Tablespoon lemon zest into 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and set aside.

In a smaller bowl - slightly beat (with a whisk) 4 eggs (at room temperature) and 1 cup buttermilk (at room temp) until they are smooth

Add eggs and milk to sugar and lemon zest - and add

1/2 cup (one stick) melted butter

3 Tablespoons cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Blend with a whisk and then add 1/4 cup flour - and stir until just combined

Pour into an unbaked 9-inch pie shell and bake 60 minutes

***from the link

• Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust and bake for 60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crackly. To further assess doneness, jostle the oven rack slightly and look at the filling. The custard should jiggle when moved, but shouldn’t look liquidy or loose in the center.
  

  • Let the pie cool for at least 45 minutes before serving. Note that while the pie cools, it will deflate slightly, and this is normal because of all the eggs in the filling. When cooled, slice and enjoy!
    ***back to meI like it better chilled - but it is fine at room temp. I also like to serve it with a few berries because it is very sweet and the tartness of berries is a nice contrast. I also stuck a skewer in to make sure it was done - rather than relying on the jiggle method. I only use the unroll Pillsbury pie crusts for this kind of pie. Custardy pies always melt into the crust and prevent any possibility of flakiness. It's not worth it to bother with a homemade crust. Just my opinion - 
    
    

Here is an easier version with pecans on top - I have not tried it yet - but I will be adding vanilla.

The recipe suggests you can *make* buttermilk by adding vinegar to whole milk - but, I've read recipes for buttermilk pie that say it has to be actual buttermilk and I know I would not bother trying that substitute. 

https://www.midwestliving.com/recipe/pies/uss-missouri-buttermilk-pie/

 

Hot Beans

 This is a perfect dish to feed a crowd. Easy to make but pairs well with fancier dishes or burgers. What's not to love about a full cup of brown sugar?

Brown 1/2 lb diced bacon (or a full pound if you love bacon) - set aside

Brown 4 medium onions in the bacon grease (if there is a lot of grease - remove some)

Add 

1/2 garlic powder or granulated garlic or fresh garlic

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 cup vinegar

1 cup brown sugar

Simmer for 20 minutes - or as long as it takes you to open all the cans of beans

Drain and add beans -- listed are the beans in the original recipe - but you can use whatever beans you prefer. The only two that are essential* are the first two.

1 can pork and beans

1 jar B&M baked beans

1 can lima beans

1 can green beans

1 can kidney beans

(optional - black beans, butter beans, garbanzo beans)

Stir everything together and bake at 350° until it bubbles - somewhere between 1/2 hour and an hour. Don't bake too long or the beans get mushy. A flatter casserole will heat faster. A le Creuset is great if you want to take it to a pot luck. I put beach towels in a banker's box to insulate the casserole - and they will stay warm for a couple hours.

Feel free to add anything else that sounds good - to boost the flavors. The original recipe is pretty generic. - but nostalgic.

Turkey Tenderloin - Iowa State Fair recipe

 1 lb turkey tenderloins - 3/4 to 1-inch thick

1/4 cup each - soy sauce, vegetable oil, and dry sherry

2 T lemon juice

2 T dehydrated onion - or 1/4 c fresh onion

1/4 tsp ginger - or 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Mix together and marinate turkey tenderloins - half day is OK - better if they marinate overnight

Cook to 165° - grill to 155° - then take off grill, cover with foil and they should get to 165° in 5-10 minutes

May also cook in oven - or air fryer

https://foolproofliving.com/turkey-tenderloin-recipe/