When you get tired of turkey sandwiches, whip up a creamy pan of Leftover Turkey Noodle Casserole to enjoy that Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey. You may just decide it's so good, you don't want to wait for turkey leftovers to make it!
Well my friends, Thanksgiving has come and gone. And it's time to finish up those turkey leftovers.
But when it comes to turkey leftovers, you can only eat just so many turkey sandwiches, right?
While I'm certainly not knocking the good-old turkey sandwich ... believe me, I've sure enjoyed more than my fair share of them. I love them best slathered with mayonnaise on white bread, perhaps with a little slice of leftover stuffing tucked inside. Oh, it's an after-Thanksgiving special treat for sure.
There are about a million versions of this casserole out there, but this is my take on it. It's one of our favorite ways to enjoy leftover turkey.
Whole Roasted Chicken with Vegetables ~ It's a meal perfect for a casual weeknight family dinner, or a meal fit for company alike. Pop some vegetables in the bottom of the pan, and you've got a totally delicious, totally easy side to serve up alongside that beautiful bird, too. That's a whole lot of deliciousness from just one pan! CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS FOR LATER
You know what they say about roasting a chicken, right? ... That it's one of those things every cook should be able to do. Fortunately for us cooks then, roasting a whole chicken truly is quite simple.
While it may seem daunting to some, with just a few easy prep steps, that chicken is ready to pop in the oven ... and then it's pretty much ready to take care of itself from there.
Mmmmmm, Hot Chocolate Martinis. Bundle up, sit by the fire, and
sip this rich chocolate cocktail ~ it's the perfect plan for warming up during
cool fall and winter days. CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS FOR LATER
Oh baby, it's getting cold outside! Yes, it's that time of year when most
of our country has to start enduring some colder temperatures.
Is pecan pie on your menu this holiday season? Easily feed that Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner crowd with Pecan Slab Pie. It's got all the deliciousness of its traditionally-made counterpart with more servings and more serving-size-flexibility per pan! CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS FOR LATER
I discovered the beauty of slab pies last Thanksgiving season when I turned our family-favorite pumpkin pie into Pumpkin Slab Pie. At first, members of the family were skeptical. Just what is a slab pie? ... some thought. Well quite simply, slab pie is a shallow pie made in a rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan. It's got all the deliciousness of its traditionally-made counterpart ... only thinner. And wider. Which has some wonderful benefits when it comes to big feast meals or cooking for a crowd.
Pecan Slab Pie's got all the deliciousness of its traditionally-made counterpart with more servings and more serving-size-flexibility per pan!
For the baker ~ slab pies = more servings per pan. When cut into triangles as shown in my photos, this pan yields 24 servings. That makes feeding a crowd a snap! For the eater ~ slab pies = thinner filling and more flexibility in choosing your serving size. Which means the most important thing of all when it comes to big feast meals ... you can easily find room in your tummy to indulge in more than one dessert! And hey, that's the best slab pie perk of all.
So this Thanksgiving season, I decided to turn my Mom's pecan pie into Pecan Slab Pie.
Mom's pecan pie has been a family-favorite for years. But it's a tad bit different than most pecan pies ... because the filling is made with Jell-o vanilla pudding ... the cooked kind ... in it.
The dry pudding mix creates a filling that's not quite as syrupy-sugary-sweet as many pecan pies can be.
This may sound a bit strange, but believe me, it creates a very tasty filling!
The dry pudding mix is whisked together with the usual corn syrup and eggs to create the same custardy-type filling as traditional pecan pie, but it creates a filling that's not quite as syrupy-sugary-sweet as many pecan pies can be.
I wondered if Mom's filling would work to create a tasty slab pie. And true to form for me, I gave it a try.
I'm happy to report the answer is a resounding yes!
To create the slab pie version's filling, I made 1 & 1/2 times Mom's recipe for traditional pie. So if you'd like to try to make a slab pie with your favorite pecan pie filling instead of Mom's, I recommend increasing your ingredient amounts to make 1 & 1/2 "batches" of your recipe.
So if pecan pie is on your menu this holiday season, consider easily feeding that Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner crowd with Pecan Slab Pie. It's got all the deliciousness of its traditionally-made counterpart with more servings and more serving-size-flexibility per pan!
Check out these other tasty perfect-for-fall and Thanksgiving pie recipes:
Is pecan pie on your menu this holiday season? Easily feed that Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner crowd with Pecan Slab Pie. It's got all the deliciousness of its traditionally-made counterpart with more servings and more serving-size-flexibility per pan!
1 1/4 c. evaporated milk {not quite all of a 12 oz. can}
2 1/2 c. pecan halves {I use 2 cups pecans halves + 1/2 cup chopped pecans}
instructions:
How to make Pecan Slab Pie
Line a 15x10" rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. Fit both crusts into the bottom and up the sides of the baking pan, cutting pieces and fitting together as needed. Press together seams well with your fingers. Fit a piece of aluminum foil on top of the crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and remove foil.
While crust bakes, whisk together dry pudding mix and corn syrup. Gradually add evaporated milk and eggs, whisking to fully incorporate after each addition. Stir in pecans.
Place baking pan with crust on oven rack. Carefully pour in pecan filling and spread evenly over crust.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes until filling is set and golden brown. Cool on a rack. Cover and chill at least 3 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator.
At serving time, garnish with whipped cream, if desired.
TRACEY'S NOTES
To create this slab pie version's filling, I made 1 & 1/2 times my Mom's recipe for traditionally-made pecan pie. So if you'd like to try to make a slab pie with your favorite pecan pie filling instead of Mom's, I recommend increasing your ingredient amounts to make 1 & 1/2 "batches" of your recipe.
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With their white chocolate-drizzled maraschino cherries perched prettily on top, these adorable little Cherry Almond Cookies are one tasty treat! Perfect for Christmas cookie trays, cookie exchanges, Valentine's Day treats ... or, for everyday enjoying. CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS FOR LATER
Creamy Broccoli Casserole is a family-favorite, indeed. With its cheesy broccoli goodness and buttered cracker crumb topping, what's not to love? It's a perfect side for the holidays or any day! CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS FOR LATER
Well, it's happened. After 40+ years of my Mom cooking our family's Thanksgiving dinner, this year the torch is passing to me. Now even though I love to cook and cook all the time, the task of taking on my first Thanksgiving dinner still makes me a tad bit nervous.
I mean, I've been responsible for several Thanksgiving meal side dishes before ... but never the entire dinner.
Do you want to know what dish is making me the most nervous?
Creamed Pearl Onion Gratin ~ Tender pearl onions are baked in creamy cheesy sauce, delicately seasoned with a fresh thyme crumb topping. They're a perfect Thanksgiving or holiday side!
Thank you to the Partnership for Food Safety Education for sponsoring this post. CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS FOR LATER
I just love to hear what foods are Thanksgiving traditions for different families. For our family, some form of an onion dish has always graced our Thanksgiving table. And I must say, aside from stuffing (that's my absolute favorite), the onion dish is the one I look forward to most.
For the last six years or so, this Creamed Pearl Onion Gratin has become our traditional go-to Thanksgiving onion dish. And man, is it delicious!! I'm so glad we decided to give this recipe a chance on the Thanksgiving menu those several years ago. It's become our favorite ever since its debut.
While I love to debut new foods in our holiday meals, do you know what I don't want to debut at our house for Thanksgiving? Bacteria in our food that could lead to foodborne illness, that's what!