Fork it in Friday First Edition

Welcome to the premiere of Fork it in Friday Faves, where I choose my favorite meal from the week´s dinner menu, and share it with you.

Hoping to have a captivating, riveting meal to showcase in my 1st edition of the series, I was hesitant about my choice. You see, it´s a casserole, and not a pretty casserole at that. Nevertheless, this dish is DE-lish and very adaptable. Allow me to present: Tastes Like Thanksgiving Casserole.(For a lovelier graphic, click here for the original recipe and photo).

This dish is a prototype of Thanksgiving all stuffed into the same Pyrex dish. The bottom of the dish is filled with herbed celery stuffing, layered with turkey in a thick gravy sauce, and topped with cheesy mashed potatoes. It doesn´t get much better than this, especially if you are looking for a quick way to get rid of leftovers.

I have never been a fan of using condensed soups in recipes, and this casserole was no exception. My adaptation has omitted 2 cans of condensed  soup, sour cream, and a cheese or two both to make it more figure friendly (can you tell I watch Rachael Ray?) and inexpensive.


Tastes like Thanksgiving Casserole
yields 8 servings

6 medium potatoes, cut into chunks (peeled if you prefer)
3/4 c. chopped celery
3/4c. chopped onion
6 c. day old bread cubes I used sourdough
1 t. poultry seasoning
1/4 t. sage
1c. chicken broth
4 c. cubed, cooked turkey
4 cloves garlic, divided
s & p to taste
3/4 c. favorite melting cheese

Gravy/Sauce:
2T. EVOO or butter
2 T. flour
1 c. chicken stock or broth
1/2 t. sage
1T. white wine
1/4 c. milk or cream

1. Place potatoes and 2 cloves garlic in a large pot and cover with water. Boil until fork tender.
2. In the meantime, saute celery and onion in a bit of EVOO until tender. Remove from heat and in a large bowl combine these veggies with bread cubes, poultry seasoning, and sage. Transfer to a greased 9×13″ dish.
3. On medium heat, combine EVOO or butter in a small skillet or saucepan. When hot, add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Make a roux by stirring in flour. Stirring constantly, cook for one minute or so (this gets rid of the floury flavor). Add sage, stock, and wine and whisk smooth. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently, and allow to thicken to your liking. Sprinkle a bit more flour over the top of the mixture, if necessary, if it does not thicken up in a couple of minutes. When satisfied with consistency, add in milk and cook one more minute, whisking constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Combine  half of the gravy with turkey, and set aside.
5. Drain and mash potatoes and garlic with remaining gravy, adding milk, salt, and pepper to taste. If you like your potatoes rich and hearty, toss in a few pats of butter, sour cream, cream, or cheese.
6. Pour 1 c. chicken broth over stuffing cubes and toss gently. Spoon turkey mixture over the top.
7. Spread mashed potatoes over the turkey mixture, and sprinkle with your favorite cheese.
8. Bake, uncovered, at 350F for 30-35 minutes. Dig in!