Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Chicken Cornbread Casserole

Dinners have been crazy this school year.  Blockette has a later start time for school, which means a later end time.  Most days we don't walk in the door until 4:00.  We used to eat dinner at 5, but unless we're eating leftovers that just doesn't happen.  It works out though.  Because of the later start time, Blockette doesn't eat lunch until 1:45!  She's not really hungry again until a little before 6. 

I'm glad I don't have to wait until 1:45 to eat lunch!  I'm starving at 11AM!  At least they have a snack time so all the rumbling tummies don't disrupt class.

Blockette may not be hungry by 6, but I sure am.  By the time dinner is on the table I'm gobbling it up, not snapping a photo...so no photo.  I'm working on remedying this!  I promise!

Anyhow, Monday I said I'd write about what I made with the Maple Chili chicken leftovers.  I shredded them up and put them in this Chicken Cornbread Casserole from Betty Crocker.  I adapted the recipe a bit by adding some more veggies.

I'd make this again with leftover chicken.  The leftovers heated up nicely and made for an easy second day meal.

Southern Chicken-Cornbread Casserole  adapted from Betty Crocker
3 cups cubed (1 inch) cooked chicken breast (I used 2 large chicken breasts and shredded them)
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (I omitted since my chicken was already seasoned)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 c low fat sour cream
1 c milk
Salt and pepper to taste
3 green onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1c corn fresh or frozen
1c peas fresh or frozen

1.5 c shredded Cheddar cheese (I used mexican blend with jalapenos)

Cornbread Topping 
1 box cornbread mix
1 can (14.75 oz) cream corn
1 egg
2 T butter, melted

Heat oven to 400ºF. Spray 13x9-inch dish w spray. In lg bowl, mix chicken, garlic powder, sour cream and milk. Season well with salt and pepper. Fold green onions and veggies. Spoon mixture evenly into dish.  In medium bowl, combine cornbread mix, corn, egg and butter. Spread evenly over chicken mix. Top w shred cheese. Bake 30-40 min til toothpick comes out clean. Let set up 15 min before serving.
 

Monday, October 28, 2013

Chili Maple Crockpot Chicken

This crockpot recipe for chili maple chicken hails from the blog When The Dinner Bell Rings.  It doesn't look like much, but it was amazing.  I loved the spicy and the sweet together!


I didn't have any real maple syrup on hand so I used homemade pancake syrup instead.  I got some chipotle chile powder for my birthday and I thought the smokey element of the chipotle would add another flavor dimension.  Not having used chipotle powder before, I was concerned it might be too spicy for Blockette.  I used half regular chili powder and half chipotle.  The chicken was just spicy enough to prevent the chicken from tasting bland, perfect for tender tastebuds.

The lack of water in this recipe really surprised me.  I'm so used to cooking chicken that is completely submerged in some sort of sauce or broth while baking in the crockpot.  Rest assured, the chicken turns out just fine and is in no way dry!

We ate our chicken in a cold salad.  Since there was no real sauce, I thought it would be too bland or dry served with pasta or rice. The salad turned out to be perfect as we were having unseasonably hot temps when I made it back in late September. We wound up having leftovers.  I'll write about what I did with the remaining chicken later this week!

Chili Maple Glazed Chicken from When the Dinner Bell Rings
2 Tablespoons Water
1 Teaspoon Salt
1.5 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
4 chicken breasts

Toss all ingredients in slow cooker on high. Bake covered 4-6 hrs. 

Friday, October 25, 2013

Crockpot Minestrone Soup

This is the last recipe I made from the zucchini harvested from my little garden.  I had to remove the plant the first week in October.  The zucchinis were only growing to half as large as a normal sized zucchini before they began rotting on the plant.  If I brought them inside, they would start to get fuzzy after 24 hours.  The one plant gave us lots of veggies, but it was time to say good bye.

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The minestrone soup was really awesome the first day.  It made a lot so I froze the leftovers.  The zucchini got a bit more mushy upon defrosting and reheating that I'd have liked, but was met with zero complaints from the peanut gallery.  Well, at least no complaints about the zucchini.

After eating the soup for the second time my husband told me he does not like cooked kale, or spinach, or any leafy green.  They do get a bit slimy so I can't really blame him.  We've come to a compromise to leave the greens out of the soup and serve them in a side salad instead.

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Cooked greens or no, this is the perfect dish to make with the last of your zucchini harvest as the weather makes the transition from summer to fall.  It's a nice healthy hearty soup that makes your insides all toasty and warm after a crisp autumn afternoon!

Crockpot Minestrone Soup from Skinny Taste
1 small onion, chopped
2 large  carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed (i used 1 1/2c cooked cannellini beans)
3 c chicken broth (I used homemade)
1 oz chunk of good Parmesan cheese rind (I omitted because I didn't have it)
1 fresh rosemary sprig (I used a t of dried rosemary)
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (I used 2 t dried)
1/4 c chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (I used 2 T dried)
salt and fresh pepper
1 med zucchini, chopped
2 c chopped fresh or frozen (defrosted) spinach or kale (I used kale)
2 cups cooked small pasta  (al dente) (I used ditalini)

Rinse and drain beans. Puree beans with 1 c broth. In crockpot, toss broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, Parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.40 min before soup done, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 min. Add cooked pasta, cook 10 min more. Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and top with extra parm if desired.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Morning Glory Oatmeal Cookies

So I don't have a photo for today's recipe, but I do have one of this enormous zucchini from our garden. The zucchini plant overwhelmed the raised garden bed, and this little squash got half hidden in the grass.  When I picked it, I thought it was going to be normal zucchini sized.  Boy was I wrong.

Most of this zucchini was shredded and put into muffins, but I did use some to bake these delicious zucchini carrot oatmeal cookies from Mom on Time Out.  They made a wonderfully moist, but not too moist cookie.  I think they taste just like these morning glory muffins I made back in July of last year, except the muffins have apples instead of zucchini!

I'd definitely make these cookies again next zucchini season.  The dough froze very well uncooked.  I love doing this for baking in the summer.  That way you only have to have the oven on for 15-20 min (including preheating) and there aren't a bunch of left over cookies calling your name throughout the week.

Morning Glory Cookies from Mom on Time Out
1 c old fashioned oats
1 c flour
1/2 c wheat flour
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla
3/4 c butter, softened
1 c grated zucchini
1/2 c shredded carrot
1/2 c shredded, sweetened, coconut
1/2 c Craisins
2 eggs
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Grate zucchini and squeeze out excess water, then grate carrot, let both sit in strainer until ready to use. Beat butter and sugars til fluffy in stand mixer. Add eggs and vanilla til combined. Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in med bowl. Gradually add flour mix to butter/sug mix. Beat on low til well combined. Add oats, zucchini, carrot, coconut, and Craisins. I used a small cookie scoop, about 1 T, to portion out dough.  Place 2" apart on sheet. Bake 10-12 min til just start to turn color. Cool on sheets 5 min before moving to a cooling rack.  To freeze: portion out dough and place on plate or cookie sheet that will fit in your freezer.  They can be close, but not touching.  Leave in freezer until they harden, about 1-2 hrs, then transfer to zip top bag for storage.  Cookies can be baked right from the freezer, but you will need to add an additional 3 min to their bake time.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Dairy Free Whole Wheat Zucchini Muffins

Here's a different version of Zucchini muffins. These Zucchini muffins from We Made That are made with whole wheat, oil and almond milk.  While they still contain quite a bit of sugar, it is less than a traditional muffin.

I put 1/2 c raisins in half the batch and 1/2 c chocolate chips in the other half of the batch.  If you add either one of these things, the cinnamon sugar sprinkle topping is not necessary as the chocolate and/or the raisins add their own sweetness.

Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of these muffins.  At least, I don't think I did.  Truth be told I couldn't tell if the pictures of the muffins were for the Loaded Zucchini muffins, or these!

They are both great recipes!  I made this version for a friend who can't eat dairy.  They got a double thumbs up from him.



 Whole Wheat Zucchini Muffins from We Made That
2 C Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/3 c Flour
1 C Sugar
2 t Cinnamon
2 1/2 t Baking Powder
1 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Salt
2 2/3 C Shredded Zucchini(I used shredded yellow squash and zucchini)
1 C almond Milk
1/4c Oil
1/4c Honey
2 eggs

optional topping:
2 T sugar
1/2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400F.  in lg bowl mix flours, sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and soda. In sm bowl mix squash, milk, oil, honey and eggs. Add wet to dry. (Fold in any add ins at this point.)  Scoop into sprayed or paper cup lined muffin tins.  Mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle on top of batter, if using.  Bake 15 min.  Remove muffins from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Zucchini Brownies

These zucchini brownies from Crazy for Crust were so rich and chocolaty.  A slice this small was almost too much!   

We had some of these brownies for dessert when Blockette had a friend over.  She was so amazed that they contained zucchini.  Cause zucchini is super gross and who would put a vegetable in a brownie. 

Me, of course!

I liked that these brownies were vegan.  I mean the frosting isn't, but the base is.  It would be very easy to swap out a different frosting, like this one, if needed.

Zucchini Brownies from Crazy for Crust
1/2 c oil
1 1/2 c sugar
2 t vanilla
2 c flour
1/2 c cocoa
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 c shredded zucchini (1 lg or 2 sm)
1 T water
1/2 c chopped walnuts

Frosting:
3 T cocoa powder
1/4 c butter, softened
2 c powdered sugar
1/4 c milk
1/2 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 9x13 pan w foil and spray with Pam. Set aside. In med bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Using electric mixer with paddle attachment, mix oil, sugar, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Fold in zucchini. If mixture very powdery, add up to 1/4 c hot water, adding 1 T at a time, stirring after each addition.  The batter will be crumbly, but NOT powdery.Fold in Walnuts. Bake 25-30 min til brownies spring back when gently touched.
For frosting: Mix soft butter, cocoa, and powdered sugar with hand mixer. Add milk and vanilla. Spread over cooled brownies. Cut into squares.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Zucchini Waffles

Zucchini in waffles? Why not!

I'd like to say that you can't taste the zucchini in these waffles, but that would only be a half truth.

Fresh off the waffle iron there is not even a hint of zucchini, but when the leftovers were reheated on a skillet, I could taste a hint of zucchini.  This was probably because I eat waffles with little to no syrup.  I'm sure normal people who drown their waffles in butter and syrup couldn't taste anything but waffley goodness.

Zucchini tasting leftovers or not, I'll be making these again next year at zucchini harvest time.

Zucchini waffles from The Perfect Pantry
2 med zucchini, shredded
1-1/2 c unbleached flour
1 T baking powder
1 t kosher salt
1 t cinnamon
1/3 c sugar
1-1/2 cu skim milk
2 large eggs
1 t vanilla

Place shredded zucchini in a strainer, and sprinkle with 1 t kosher salt and let drain for 30 min. Rinse under cold water, shake off excess liquid, and squeeze out as much moisture as you can from  zucchini, and set aside.  Preheat waffle iron to high.  In lg bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar.  In another bowl, mix milk, eggs, and vanilla . Add dry ingredients, then zucchini. Spray waffle iron with cooking spray (top and bottom plates). Add batter and cook per your waffle iron directions.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Loaded Zucchini Muffins

Let's talk about ZUCCHINI!

This was my first year growing zucchini.  I planted one yellow squash and one zucchini plant.  My yellow squash didn't produce a lot, but the zucchini did.  This next series of posts is going to be about the various things I made with the zucchini from the garden.  (Well, aside from shredding them up to put in pasta sauce and grilling them up and topping them with Parmesan cheese...mmmm!)
I made these zucchini muffins from Simply Recipes three times I liked them so much!  The muffins froze really well too so I didn't have to worry about them going bad before we got around to eating them.  I made a batch for the girls at Blockette's birthday party sleep over to eat for breakfast.  One girl liked them so much she ate THREE...and half a peach and a bowl of cereal.  I'm pretty sure she had a hallow leg.

So why do I call these loaded zucchini muffins?  Cause I added everything but the kitchen sink!  They've got raisins, craisins, walnuts, pecans, white  and semi sweet chocolate chips.  What's not to like?  I'm not normally a fan of raisins in baked goods, but even I enjoyed them in these muffins!

The last time I made these muffins I had a very moist zucchini.  When I assembled the batter, I felt it was too viscous.  To fix that I added about a cup of oats to thicken up the batter.  The resulting muffins were a bit drier than the original, but not to the point of being crumbly.

Loaded Zucchini Muffins adapted from Simply Recipes
3 c grated zucchini (do not squeeze out excess water)
2/3 c melted butter
1 1/3 c sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 t vanilla
2 t baking soda
3 c flour
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 c raisins1/2 c craisins
1/2 c walnuts
1/2 c pecans
1/2 c white chips
1/2 c semi sweet
About 1 c rolled oats, if needed

 Preheat oven to 350°F. In lg bowl mix sugar, eggs, and vanilla by hand. Add zucchini, then melted butter. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to  zucchini mixture. Add, nuts, dried fruit and chocolate.  Once combined, add oats if needed.  Spray pan or use paper muffin cups.  I like to use a 3T cookie scoop to portion the batter into the muffin tin.  I got 24 regular sized muffins and 5-6 mini muffins.

 Bake 25-30 min, on middle rack til muffins are light brown, and tops spring back when pressed. Cool for 5 min in pan. Remove muffins and cool completely on rack.



Friday, October 11, 2013

Jalapeno Jelly

Who would have thunk it? I LOVE jalapeno jelly! 

I had this plethora of jalapenos from the garden this year.  (Hooray for not killing off all the plants this summer!)  There were so many that I thought I'd take a risk and attempt something new...canning.

This was the perfect way for me to delve into the world of canning.  There was a very small yield, so if I completely messed things up I wouldn't have wasted a bunch of time and energy.

The recipes I used were from Mommy's Kitchen and the Cafe Sucre Farine. Most jalapeno jelly is green, but I used half a red and half an orange pepper, so my jelly is orange-y.  I prefer this because green jelly weirds me out.  It reminds me of Slimer from Ghostbusters.

I haven't tried the jelly in these jars yet.  I didn't sterilize enough jars so I put some jelly up in the fridge.  The fridge jelly seemed a lot clearer and brighter, probably because it didn't go through that final boil to seal the jars. 

The Jelly in these jars look a lot more brown than orange.  That is more a trick of the poor lighting in my kitchen.  Although, like I said, the fridge version of the jelly is a lot more vibrant than the stuff that went through the canning process.  Hopefully, it will taste just as good.

Jalapeno Jelly from Mommy's Kitchen and Cafe Sugre Farine
6 oz jalapeno peppers, seeded (about 7 medium) (I took all the seeds out of mine, but leave some in if you want the jelly to be really spicy!)
1/2 each roasted red and orange peppers, seeded
1  c apple cider vinegar
3  c sugar
1 - 3 0z pouch Ball or Certo Fruit Liquid Pectin (Ball makes a really thick jelly, which I prefer)
3 - half pint canning jars with Lids & Bands

Wash jars in hot soapy water and then prepare a large pot with a round rack or dish cloth on the bottom of the pot. Place jars on top of rack/dish cloth. Simmer, not boil, jars and lids in hot water bath until ready to use. Set bands aside.  Remove seeds and stems from all peppers. Use gloves when handling the jalapenos as the oil will burn for some time if you touch your eye or nose, even if you are super careful.  Puree peppers in food processor with 1/2 c cider vinegar til smooth, do not strain. In lg pot combine puree w remaining 1/2 c cider vinegar and sugar. Bring to boil over high heat. Boil 10 min, stirring frequently, making sure it doesn't boil over. Add pectin, making sure to squeeze all of it out of the pouch.  Boil hard for 1 min, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam. (I didn't have any)
 
Ladle into hot jar leaving 1/4" head space. Wipe rims with clean cloth. Remove lids from hot water and center on jars. Apply bands but do not over tighten .   Add jars to hot water bath. Water level should be as such to cover jars completely.  Boil 10 min, starting timer when water is at a rolling boil.

Remove jars to hot pad to cool.  After 24 hrs, lid should not pop up when center is pressed.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Cinnamon Roll Bars

I made these Cinnamon roll bars from Blissful Whimsy for my husband's family reunion in early Sept.  The only changes I made was to use butter pecan cake mix and half the drizzle the recipe called for.  I made a full recipe of glaze and saved half in the fridge to use on apple bread!  (Which I'll write about at a later date.)


I don't know that I would go so far as to classify them as cinnamon roll bars.  People thought they tasted more like gingerbread bars.  Not that they were complaining!

This was a super easy recipe that I would definitely make again.

Cinnamon Roll Cookie Bars from Blissful Whimsy
1 box yellow or butter pecan cake mix
1/2 c melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 c br sugar
1/4 c sugar
1 1/2 T cinnamon  (Yes. Tablespoon.  Do it.  Cinnamon is awesome!)

Icing
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups powdered sugar

Mix all bar ingredients in large bowl and pour into a greased 9"x13" baking dish. Bake at 350F for 25 min. When browned and edges pulling away from the side of the pan, remove from oven and cool.  Once cake is room temp, mix powdered sugar and milk. Drizzle icing over top in kriss-cross pattern.  I only used half of the icing called for in the recipe, and stored the remainder in the fridge.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Watermelon Slushy Fail

A few weeks ago I bought this massive watermelon.  The large ones were cheaper than the personal ones for some reason.  A large watermelon is way too much for the three of us to eat before it spoils.  I looked to see if there was some other way we could consume the melon aside from just eating it normally in cut up cubes.

I came across this recipe for Watermelon Lime Frosties over at My Life in Food.  So I froze the remaining watermelon, which just happened to be exactly 3 cups-exactly what the recipe called for.  It must be kismet, right? 
Hmmm.

Not so much.

First off my wimpy blender did not like the frozen watermelon.  I thought I was going to burn out the motor on the poor guy.  As luck would have it, I did not and I managed to puree the mixture after adding an additional cup of water.  That and pulsing and poking at the concoction for a good 20 min.

Then I thought to myself, "Man, this better be worth it."
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Sadly, not so much.  Although, it wasn't nearly as bad as the Cucumber Drink of Slime.

The drink was a beautiful pinkish red though.  I think that was the biggest improvement over the Failed cucumber drink.  It actually looked like it was going to taste good.

So what was the problem with the drink?  It tasted bitter.  I even added additional maple syrup - 3 additional Tablespoons for a total of 5 Tablespoons.

I'm pretty sure the culprit was the seeds.  Huh?  Well, you ask, why didn't I pick out the seeds?  It was a seedless watermelon.  What?  I thought you said the seeds were the problem.  Gee you should get your story straight. 

Yes.  The seeds WERE most likely the problem.  Even seedless watermelon has seeds.  They are usually those tiny puny little seeds that are impossible to pick out.  Normally, they just get eaten and you can't taste them at all.  But in pureeing the melon...they get pulverized and their bitter qualities overwhelm the entire drink.  This is the only thing that I can think of that would make the drink bitter as the lime juice was sour, and the banana and maple syrup were sweet.

To be fair, this drink wasn't a total Fail.  Blockette loved it.  I'm not sure why.  I gave her a big old glass and she slurped and gulped that bad boy down.  I poured some of the leftovers into Popsicle molds, but tossed the rest.  Mrblocko didn't even want to try it.  I think he was still reeling from the cucumber drink debacle. 

This slushy concoction could have been salvaged by adding some booze.  Something like Malibu would have added sweetness and I believe the coconut flavor would have overwhelmed the bitterness.  However, it was a school night and Alcohol and I are not friends.  I didn't think the experiment was worth the pain I'd have to suffer the next morning. 

Hangover + walking into traffic = Pancake Mrsblocko
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Watermelon Lime Frosty from My Life in Food
3 c watermelon, cubed and frozen
1 ripe banana, peeled and frozen
2-5  T  maple syrup
Zest from 2 limes
Juice from 2 limes (about 4 tablespoons)
1/2 -1 c water

Blend all ingredients until smooth, adding more water as needed to keep the mixture moving. Add booze as needed.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Chewy Chunky Chip Cookies

This is my take on the Chunk cookies from Sally's Baking Addiction.

They were good, but I didn't think they were really any better or any worse than any other chocolate chip cookie.  Mine didn't get as puffy as the original recipe.  They never do.  I think it's some sort of cookie conspiracy.  They were puffier than Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies though.  So I guess that's something. 

I did freeze half the batch and they baked up the same way, puffy, but not as puffy as I expected.  I'm going to blame the poofy failure on the humidity, as I made them in early July.

So have you tried this recipe out?  Let me know how your's turned out!

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Sally's Baking Addiction
2  1/4 c  flour
1 t baking soda
1 1/2 t cornstarch
1/2 t salt
3/4 c  butter, melted
3/4 c  br sugar
1/2 c  sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk - room temp
2 t vanilla
1 c chocolate  chunks

In lg bowl mix flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt. Set aside. In med bowl, mix melted butter and sugars til smooth. Whisk in whole egg, then yolk, then vanilla. Pour wet into dry and combine. Fold in chips.  Cover and chill dough for 2 hrs - 3 days. Soften dough at room temp for 10 min while oven preheating to 325F. Roll into 3T dough balls.  Dough may be crumbly. Roll dough taller than wide, to aide in thick baked cookies.  8 cookie dough balls per parchment/silpat lined cookie sheet. Press a few chocolate chunks on top of dough balls if desired. Bake 11-12 min. The cookies will look  underbaked. Cool on sheet 10 min as the cookies continue to cook. Move to wire rack and cool completely.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Turkey Mushroom Wild Rice Casserole

I made this Turkey Mushroom Wild Rice Casserole way back in June when Blockette was away at camp.  I thought it would be a perfect meal for Mrblocko and I to enjoy while she was away.  That way we could eat our dinner without the whining and gagging noises that we are serenaded with when Blockette is forced to endure eating a meal that includes mushrooms in some form or another.

The recipe was originally called mushroom and wild rice casserole. I found it over at the blog: Girl Versus Dough.  I hadn't intended on altering the recipe so much, but that's the way things wound up.  First, I added 2 cups of shredded turkey.  I knew the man would not be happy without some meat in his meal.  Turkey and wild rice always seem like a natural choice, plus I happened to have some hiding in the freezer. 

The next biggest change I made was to use Progresso creamy mushroom soup.  I could not find the Progresso Soup Starter.  Apparently my grocery store doesn't carry it.  I imagine that the soup starter is more like condensed soup.  Regular Progresso soup is well...soupy.  To make up for the extra liquid I added some carrots, celery, peas, corn, and red pepper.  They made the dish nice and colorful too. Well, as colorful as a dish that gets coated in white sauce can be.  Yeah.  No picture this time.  C'mon, Blockette was at camp and I had a nice long weekend alone with my husband.  Who thinks about taking a picture of their food when blessed with that kind of opportunity.  Not this lady.

The last change I made was to use both Gruyere and Italian blend cheese.  I thought I had enough Gruyere, but I was sadly mistaken.  I did have just enough so that you could taste the salty wonderfulness that is Gruyere though.  Gruyere rocks in my book.

With all these additions I needed to bake it in a 9x13 pan.  Boy did we have leftovers!

And guess what?  I wound up feeding some of those leftovers to Blockette when she came home and miracle of miracles...she loved it.  Not a single complaint about the mushrooms!  She even said they tasted good.   Amazing what summer camp will do!

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Turkey Mushroom Wild Rice Casserole adapted from Girl Versus Dough
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1/2 roasted red pepper, minced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 c frozen corn
1 c frozen peas
3 cups cooked wild rice
2 c shredded cooked turkey
1 can Progresso mushroom soup
1/4 -1/2c shredded Gruyere cheese
1 c Italian blend shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Over med-high heat, heat large skillet with 1T olive oil and cook mushrooms until liquid evaporates, about 5 min.  Add onions, cook 3 min, add carrots, celery, and red pepper. Cook 3-5 min.  Add corn and peas until heated through, about  2 more min.  In a large bowl add contents of skillet, rice, turkey and soup.  Stir to combine and pour into pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste, remembering that the cheese is salty.  Top with cheese. Cover with foil and bake 35 min.  Remove foil and bake 20-30 min until filling is bubbling and cheese is golden brown.  Let sit for 15 min before serving.