Michigan Cottage Cook: EASY CREAMY CHICKEN OR TURKEY BROCCOLI CASSEROLE AND QUICK BAKED POTATOES

Creamy Turkey and Broccoli stuffed Quick Baked Potato.

When I posted P.F.Changs CHICKEN IN LETTUCE WRAPS-NOT, I promised more uses for your bottle of Sherry. Spiked with sherry, I always look forward to this hot-dish after I cook a turkey. This casserole is wonderful with left-over turkey as well as with chicken. It is quick and easy for a family dinner; yet rich and delicious enough for company. Tom says the Sherry wine gives it a gourmet restaurant touch. If you don’t want to add alcohol, just add more milk and maybe a little more cheese to make up for the flavor loss.
http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2010/06/p-f-changs-chicken-lettuce-wraps-not.html

Celebrity chefs have made cooking with canned soups a very out-dated, archaic way to cook. However the soup companies have kept up with the times, making low-fat and low-sodium products available. These new soups work well with the old recipes which call for “cream of…..” soups. Chef’s have sous chefs and other helpers for prepping food and making sauces. When it is just me and company coming or I need to get a dinner on the table, I’ll take all the help I can get from Campbell’s. You need to know my hometown was Grand Rapids, Michigan, which according to a grocery survey I once read, is the city where the most cream of mushroom soup is sold. This is Grand Rapids, Michigan not Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Minnesota is known as the hot-dish capital of the world which means Michigan is using a huge amount of cream of mushroom soup.

When I worked in the food business, we toured the Campbell’s mushroom growing facility in Fennville, Michigan. The mushrooms are grown in dark rooms in a “soil” mixture which contains manure brought to Michigan from Kentucky. They only use Kentucky manure as it comes from the farms raising thoroughbred horses. The horses have a very controlled diet; therefore, Campbell’s know exactly what is in the manure. When the mushrooms are ready for harvest workers, in miner hats with lights, go into the rooms and cut off the mushrooms that have reached the correct size.

So creamy and so flavorful, enjoy!!!

EASY CREAMY CHICKEN OR TURKEY BROCCOLI CASSEROLE
The lovely cream sauce is fantastic on mashed potatoes, left-over stuffing or rice. For something different, I like to serve this over baked potatoes. Stuffed baked potatoes use to be very popular but seem to have drop off the horizon. Time to bring them back!

Stuffed Baked Potato.

2 (10oz.) pkg. frozen broccoli, simmered
4 chicken breasts or left-over turkey

2 cans cream of mushroom soup or 1 can cream of mushroom and 1 can cream of chicken (low-fat, low-sodium works well)

1/2 c sherry wine or ½ c extra milk (not cream sherry)
3/4 c mayonnaise, I use less, low-fat works well
1 (8oz.) can whole mushrooms, or fresh mushrooms, I like canned for this recipe
1 c Cheddar cheese, shredded (I like sharp Cheddar)
1 c milk
Bread crumbs or cracker crumbs (cheese or a buttery cracker)

Ingredients: Turkey or chicken, cheese, broccoli, canned mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, Sherry, mayonnaise and milk.

If using chicken, bake chicken like the turkey was baked only dark meat should be cooked to 180° if using. Debone baked chicken and cut into cubes. If using left-over turkey, cut meat into cubes. Cook the broccoli until just fork tender. Drain well. Drain canned mushrooms. Put cooked broccoli, chicken and mushrooms into a 3-quart casserole dish. Make a sauce out of all the other ingredients EXCEPT bread crumbs. Spread sauce over chicken and top with bread or cracker crumbs. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until bubbly.

I bake my turkey breasts like my Mom roasted a whole turkey. Put into a baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Add some water and chopped onions.

Tent the pan with aluminum foil. Leave two ends open like a pup tent.

Baked at 350° for 45 minutes or to 160°.

I used 20-ounces of fresh broccoli. Washed and chopped.

Steam broccoli just until tender to the fork.

Skin and cut turkey into pieces.

Spray a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

Drain mushrooms.

Broccoli is done when you can pierce with a fork.

Put turkey, mushrooms and broccoli in prepared baking dish.

Mix the three ingredients together.

Put cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups right from the can into a mixing bowl.

Grate sharp Cheddar cheese.

Measure out milk and Sherry.

Add mayonnaise, milk and Sherry to the soup mixture.

Mix the soup mixture together.

Add cheese and mix well.

Pour soup mixture over the turkey, broccoli and mushrooms.

Casserole ready for bread crumbs or cracker crumbs.

Put crackers in a plastic bag.

Crush with rolling pin.

Sprinkle over the casserole and bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until bubbly around the edges.

Serve and enjoy!!!!

QUICK BAKED POTATO

A microwave cooks a potato quickly but it just doesn't have the texture and flavor of a baked potato. A baked potato usually takes an houror more in the depending on its side. I wanted both the flavor and the convience of cooking quickly so I started the potato in the microwave and then put it into a very hot oven for about 15 minutes. My family loves potatoes done this way.

Scrub potatoes well and prick with a fork so the potatoes do not explode.

Cook the potatoes on HIGH in the microwave. I cooked 2 potatoes this size for 9 minutes until they can be pinched and be soft. Time depends on how many potatoes you do at once and the size of the potatoes.

This is optional: I like to rub the skins after they have been microwaved with a little butter.

Microwaved and buttered potatoes.

Second optional step is to sprinkle with a little salt. Put into a 450° or 500° oven for about 15 minutes. Use the higher temperature if you like the skins of the potatoes crispy.