Turkey Crunch Casserole

Thanksgiving is a terrific food holiday, and when you have extra turkey, give this recipe a try. Mom's recipe box has an assortment of casseroles that are easy to make. This recipe reminded me of another casserole that Mom often made: Tuna Noodle Casserole, especially the cream of mushroom soup, chopped hardboiled eggs, and topped with potato chips. Just like the tuna version, the turkey version is delicious.

Mom's recipe called for a can of mushrooms. But I did not have any canned mushrooms on hand and did not miss the extra mushrooms. I did use extra almonds, which gave the casserole a nice crunch. Mom's recipe calls for topping the casserole with chow mein noodles or crushed potato chips. I used potato chips so that it would be more like Thanksgiving in a single dish.

Turkey Crunch Casserole 

• 3 cups diced cooked turkey
• 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 can (4 oz.) sliced mushrooms
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 Tbsp. chopped onion
• 1 can (10.5 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• crushed potato chips

Mix together the first six ingredients. Stir soup into mayonnaise and toss with the turkey mixture. Turn into a eight-inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with potato chips. Bake at 350 for 30 minute or until bubbly. Enjoy!

Cranberry Cake

When November comes around and fresh cranberries are easy to find, give this cake a try. Before this recipe, the only thing I had made with fresh cranberries was cranberry sauce. Usually I use dried cranberries in baked goods. So when I saw that this recipe used chopped up fresh cranberries, I gave it a try. The inside of fresh cranberries is white, so I was worried about how this cake would come out. But the cranberries cooked up into a bright fresh cranberry color and tasted perfect. I think I will try to use fresh cranberries for baked goods whenever possible. This recipe also includes a cream sauce to go with the cake. The sauce is a delicious addition to this cake and would go well with other cakes.

Cranberry Cake 

• 2 cups flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 5 Tbsp. melted butter
• 2 cups cut raw cranberries

Sauce

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup cream

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add the milk and  melted butter. Fold in the cranberries. Pour batter into a greased eight or nine inch pan. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. To make the sauce, combine the butter, sugar, and cream in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for ten minutes. Serve the cake warm topped with sauce. Enjoy!

Fresh Apple Cake

Fall baking seems to require using apples. So I went looking in Mom's recipe box for a good apple recipe and found this one. The fresh apple cake was so delicious. I especially enjoyed it while it was still warm from the oven, even though letting it cool longer might be better to prevent the pieces from falling apart. Also, vanilla ice cream would be a perfect topping for this cake.

Interestingly, this recipe calls for one cup of cold coffee in the batter. The coffee gives the cake some depth, but not a strong coffee flavor. The final product tasted very strongly of apple and not at all of coffee. Mom's recipe also called for raisins and walnuts, but I just used some extra apple instead. I am sure the cake would be delicious with raisins and/or walnuts.

Fresh Apple Cake 

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup cold coffee
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 4 cups chopped apple
• 1 cup raisins, optional
• 1 cup walnuts, optional

Cream butter. Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and coffee. Combine flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add to butter mixture and mix until no trace of flour remains. Fold in the apples, raisins, and walnuts. Pour into al well-greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!