Not Your Grandma’s Green Bean Casserole

Posted on December 8, 2011 by kelleychisholm

My sister sent me a message on Facebook late one night with my food/drink assignments to bring to Mom’s for Thanksgiving: wine and/or beer (no-brainer), homemade beer-cheese bread (thrilled this was on the list) and green bean casserole (are you kidding me)? Green bean casserole – you know the one – canned French green beans, cream of mushroom soup and French fried onion rings. Mega sigh. I guess she had no idea how much I dislike this casserole. Don’t get me wrong, I love green beans if they’re fresh and mushroom soup, when done right, is delicious. I can even live with the onion rings. Just not mixed together into a mushy mess. Ick!

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Close to Home: Rudino’s Sports Corner

Posted on December 5, 2011 by kelleychisholm

Rudino’s Sports Corner recently opened at 3101 Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh, N.C.  27612, and I couldn’t be happier. Having enjoyed the North Raleigh Rooftop location off of Strickland Rd. for many years, this new location is approximately 2 ½ miles from home, which makes it a breeze to get takeouts or catch part of a game when the kids have a play date. Rudino’s Sports Corner has numerous flat screen televisions, ample seating and a great outside patio to enjoy when the weather is warm.

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Turkey and White Bean Crockpot Soup

Posted on November 29, 2011 by kelleychisholm

Here’s the recipe for the soup I mentioned in my earlier post on making the most of your leftover turkey.  This easy-to-make soup combines turkey, northern white beans and kielbasa to make a hearty, one-dish meal. Simmer this in your crockpot for several hours, letting the slow cooker do the work for you.  If you use “lite” kielbasa you eliminate much of the fat but none of the flavor. Yum!

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Posted in Meat and Poultry, Recipes, Slow Cooker, Soups and Such | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Tantalizing Turkey Tetrazzini

Posted on November 27, 2011 by kelleychisholm

As I mentioned in an earlier post on great ways to use leftover turkey, my Grandfather introduced me to turkey tetrazzini many, many years ago. This is one of those creamy casseroles that is great to reheat a few days later – just zap it in the microwave for a couple of minutes and you’re ready to eat – total comfort food!

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Turkey and Brie Panini Sandwich with Cranberry Sauce and Apples

Posted on November 26, 2011 by kelleychisholm

This panini is a great change of pace from your more “traditional” turkey sandwich. I start with three cheese semolina bread, and then add leftover turkey, cranberry sauce, brie and Granny Smith apple slices. I use my old George Foreman grill to heat up this wonderful sandwich, but you can just use a skillet and cook it grilled-cheese style.

This is so good – the creaminess of the brie and the tartness of the Granny Smith apples go great with the turkey and the tanginess of the cranberry sauce. If you don’t have brie on hand, Swiss cheese is a good alternative. It’s a great way to use your leftover turkey, and just one of the recipes I mention in my  recent “Let’s Talk Turkey” post.

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Tip of the Month, November 2011: Let’s Talk Turkey (Leftovers, That Is)

Posted on November 25, 2011 by kelleychisholm

Got leftover turkey? I certainly hope so – it’s one of my favorite parts about the Thanksgiving meal – getting to enjoy the leftovers for the next several days. I love the old standbys such as open-faced turkey sandwiches with stuffing and piping hot gravy on toast, with some cranberry sauce on the side, or just plain turkey, mayo, salt and pepper on soft white bread – yum!

This year, try thinking outside the box and try one (or all) of these ways to use your leftover turkey: turkey and brie panini sandwiches, turkey tetrazzini, and turkey and white bean soup with homemade turkey stock and kielbasa, made in the crockpot.

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Crockpot Pot Roast

Posted on November 21, 2011 by kelleychisholm

Now that the weather is getting cooler, I like to make this easy and tasty pot roast in my crockpot. I love using my slow cooker – it basically does all of the work for me once I’ve added all of the ingredients. This recipe is simple and the golden mushroom soup is awesome as a base for the gravy. Comfort food at its best!

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Food of the Month, November 2011: Homemade Bread

Posted on November 16, 2011 by kelleychisholm

In case you weren’t aware, November 17th is national homemade bread day. This year I’m celebrating it with my wonderful beer-cheese bread. I make this in my bread machine instead of kneading it myself, letting it rise and baking it in my oven, which may be cheating a tad. However, as far as I’m concerned as long as it’s not store-bought and I assemble all of the ingredients myself, then it is homemade.

I like using a good dark beer in this recipe, such as Guinness (after all, Guinness is good for you.)  Since the beer needs to be flat and you only use 7 oz., I recommend that if it’s already cold to go ahead and measure out what you need for the bread and then drink the rest so you don’t waste any of it. That would be a shame.

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November Drink of the Month: Galliano Liqueur

Posted on November 8, 2011 by kelleychisholm

In celebration of National Harvey Wallbanger Day (Nov. 8), the drink of this month is Galliano. Officially known as Liquore Galliano L’Autentico, this liqueur created in 1896 by Italian distiller and brandy producer Arturo Vaccari of Livorno, Tuscany, who named it after Giuseppe Galliano, an Italian hero of the First Italo–Ethiopian War at the end of the 19th century.

Galliano liqueur has a large amount of natural ingredients that includes star anise, Mediterranean anise, juniper, musk yarrow, ginger, lavender and peppermint as well as vanilla and cinnamon. Vanilla is the most important ingredient in this liqueur.

Here are two recipes that call for Galliano. One is for the Harvey Wallbanger to honor its national day (raise your glass!) and the other is for a yummy and scrumptious bundt cake that includes Galliano in the batter as well as the glaze. Now you can have your cake (and drink it, too!)

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Three Delicious Dips

Posted on November 4, 2011 by kelleychisholm

Here are recipes for three great dips that people usually gobble down when I serve them at parties. The first is a hearty queso and sausage dip that is wonderful, even more so when the weather is cold. I also made a vegetarian version of this by omitting the sausage and doubling up on the tomatoes/chilies – yum! The second is a more traditional sour-cream based dip, with crispy bacon and cheddar cheese. The coolness of the sour cream makes it great to serve in the summer, but I love it year round. The last dip is a baked artichoke and Parmesan cheese concoction that is simply addictive, especially right when it comes out of the oven!

The great thing about these dips is that they are so simple to make – each contains a maximum of four ingredients. I usually make all three for my New Year’s Day Open House because I know at least one of them will appeal to all of my guests, meat lovers and vegetarians alike. And these dips are not just for parties – this time of year you can enjoy them while you’re watching your favorite football team on TV and want to make something easy and delicious!

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