Turkey Green Chile Quesadillas

This was the first year that neither of our 20-something daughters came home to celebrate Thanksgiving, and we attended a massive potluck dinner at a friends' house. So there was no need to cook a big meal at home on Turkey Day. 

But that didn't stop us from making Thanksgiving foods during the next several days, including crockpot cranberry sauce, date pudding, pumpkin pie, and a 19-pound turkey. After we ate two meals we put half of the remaining meat in the freezer.

This week, I defrosted more turkey and dreamed of warmer weather as the Kansas City area plunged into the season's first deep freeze. I scoured the refrigerator and cupboards for ingredients and then developed this quick and easy recipe. Serve with black beans, a green salad and a margarita.  :)

Turkey Green Chile Quesadillas

Makes two large quesadillas

4 flour large tortillas (VOE - I used whole wheat)

2 cups turkey (or chicken), diced

1/4 cup red onion, minced

1 small can green chiles, pureed

1/2 cup mozzarella, grated

3-4 large Italian canned tomatoes, diced

minced cilantro as garnish

Make filling in a large bowl, combining turkey, red onion and green chiles. Heat a dry skillet to medium and lie one tortilla in the pan. Top with 3/4 cup filling and spread to half inch from the edge. Spread 1/4 cup cheese on top and then put second tortilla on top.

Cook until cheese melts, about 4-5 minutes, *flip quesadilla, and then cook 2-3 more minutes. Remove from pan and make a second quesadilla. Cut both into six pieces. Top with tomato and cilantro. Add sour cream, black olives, and fresh avocado or guacamole for more flavor.

*VOE - I used two spatulas with long 'blades' in order to flip the quesadilla, but I'm not very good at it. If you feel the same way, try making four smaller quesadillas by filling 1/2 tortilla and then flipping other half over the filling to make a half circle. This will make the flipping easier.

Black Bean Cornbread - Take II

If you follow this blog regularly, you know my household is making some dietary adjustments because of my husband's recent heart procedure. I wrote my recipe, Black Bean Cornbread with Quick Chile Sauce long before we had to watch salt, sugar, and fat intakes (see 10/24/08 entry). But with leftover cornbread, black beans, and low-fat organic mozzarella on hand, plus a quick grocery run to get canned green chiles, I revised this recipe a bit to make it more heart-healthy.

Black Bean Cornbread - Take II
Makes 5-6 large servings

1 red onion, diced fine
2/3 pan cornbread
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 can black beans, drained

2, 4-ounce cans diced green chiles
(VOE- Interesting thing about these green chiles versus
the green chile sauce I previously used; 15 ounces of green chile sauce has 15% of the
RDA for salt, while two cans of chiles only has about 6%)

4 sandwich slices of low-fat mozzarella

Saute red onion over medium heat until limp; set aside. Puree green chiles in food processor; set aside. Slice cornbread in half between top and bottom 'crusts.' Place slices in a 9 x 13 baking pan beside each other.

Spread black beans evenly over cornbread and then spread red onion over beans. Spread green chile puree over beans and onion. Top with mozzarella.

Bake at 350 degrees for about half an hour. Garnish with cilantro and serve with stir-fried zucchini.

Mexican Scalloped Potatoes

Since my husband and I are empty nesters and our Thanksgiving table will include only two additional people, using up a five-pound bag of Yukon gold potatoes while they're still fresh seemed a daunting task.

That is, until I created this twist on classic scalloped potatoes. Green chile sauce adds a bit of zing that pairs perfectly with teriyaki-marinated pork tenderloin, or chicken breasts marinated in Italian dressing. And these spicy spuds taste even better the day after you bake them.

Mexican Scalloped Potatoes
Serves 8-10

4 Yukon gold potatoes, each approximately the size of a fist

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup low fat milk

6 ounces low-fat (Neufchatel) cream cheese

1 can (10 ounces) green chile sauce

Slice potatoes about 1/4" thick and set aside (leave skin on). Make a basic roux: melt butter over medium heat and then stir in flour until smooth. Add milk, increase heat to medium-high, and stir continuously until thickened. Stir in green chile sauce and cream cheese and continue stirring until cream cheese melts into sauce.

Cover bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with half of potatoes. Pour one cup of sauce over potatoes to cover thoroughly. Add second potato layer and then pour remaining sauce over top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes, and then broil for 7-8 minutes until slightly browned on top. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Yukon Green Chile Soup

Ever since we first tasted Yukon gold potatoes, our family has loved their soft, buttery texture and flavor. Because our grocery store only sells them by the 5-pound bag, I often have these beauties on hand.

After a recent vacation, and with little food left in our refrigerator or cupboards, I pulled together a pretty wonderful, savory soup with just a bit of heat. We ate ours on a cold and rainy night, with some crusty garlic bread and fresh veggies on the side. It should also make a great lunch, after thinning with a little water or milk.

Yukon Green Chile Soup
Makes 4-5 large servings

3 1/2 cups Yukon gold potato chunks, skin on
2 cups water
3 teaspoons bouillon powder
1 medium onion, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of butter
4 slices of cooked bacon, chopped
6-8 ounces cream cheese
2-4 ounces green chiles, chopped
1/2 cup instant milk
1 tablespoon fresh Parmesan
2 tablespoons sherry
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine potato chunks, water and bouillon powder in a large pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, approximately 40 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. While potatoes cook, saute onion and garlic in butter until onions become translucent, about 3-5 minutes.

After 40 minutes, mash potatoes in cooking water over low heat, leaving occasional small chunks. Add instant milk, bacon, cream cheese, Parmesan, sherry, chiles, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil briefly, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve with crusty French bread, and a crisp salad or raw vegetables.