Tuesday, November 26, 2013

NonTurkey Casserole

NonTurkey Casserole


If you are interested in a break from TURKEY this week and next, here is a recipe that I just concocted. But wait, it was so good according to the guys that let’s say I CREATED the recipe. There, that sounds divine.
I had some Smithfield Rosemary and Olive Oil pork tenderloin left over-we usually do not have red meat in the house except for the rare Sahlen’s Hot Dogs, but I have been advised again to increase my red meat consumption, gross. So, I am blindly agreeing with the doctors and calling it red meat and also the spin doctors for the Pork Industry and referring to it as “The other white meat.” A piece of meat like this will give us three meals!
Leftover number one was the following casserole. And since I only used about 4 ozs of meat for the entire dish, I added to the protein with Feta cheese.
Here goes:
-2 cups cooked rice-I only had white rice because I used up all the brown rice on that recipe for stuffed pepper soup that I made for the recent Soup Tasting Fundraiser-seemed to go over well-let me know if you want that recipe
-1 LARGE TBSP. Crushed garlic-added to rice while it is cooking
-One bag BIRDS EYE frozen mixed veggies-cooked. Tim reminded me that he used to like the “carrot squares and peas” that I gave them when they were kids. At that time-I used canned-and it was only slimey carrots and peas-these BIRDS Eye veggies are really good: peas, carrots, corn and green beans (Matka just popped into my head to remind me that she liked to cook elbow macaroni and add these mixed veggies to it for a meal-thanks Mom)
-4oz. Cubed cooked tenderloin pork (cooked chicken or that “T” meat of course could be used)
-2 TBSP. Olive Oil
-2 TBSP. Lemon Juice
-1 cup Chicken Broth-if you think you need more-splash it in-you do not want this to be dry when you take it out of the oven
-1 cup Feta cheese-crumbled (I only had plain, but I am thinking that one of those flavored kind with Mediterranean spices would be good-omit the additional basil-but maybe not the one with the sun-dried tomatoes though-but you decide-hey, you the boss!)
-1 tsp. Basil-dried -or any other not too overpowering seasoning -the lemon juice and olive oil keep the flavors light for this dish
-1 tsp. Black pepper Stir all together very well in an ovensafe pretty dish, cover with foil and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes Did you know you can buy a box of Reynolds “Wrappers”-box of 25 pre-cut foil sheets for $1.00 at Dollar Tree? Perfect size. I know, if you count the amount you get against a regular box of Reynolds foil-it is not a bargain-but if you count that you always need a piece of foil now and this one allows you to just pull it out the box-snappy-well, that is a savings in my book!
Stir before serving, and remember, if you change just one ingredient-you can lay claim to it being YOUR recipe-my new rule!
Reviews: Three out of three thumbs up, and plenty left for another meal. My kind of cooking.


2 comments:

Diana said...

Velly interesting!

sally said...

It really was good too!