Mama M's Cucina

We are only exchanging dinner on Monday and Tuesday this week and I don't have to cook either one! Bad news is I have no idea what we are having for dinner so I can't share much of a menu.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday and a fantastic new year! 

Monday: ????
Tuesday:?????
Wednesday:  Christmas Eve dinner with friends, in between church and our family tradition of going with friends to see a live nativity play. It's potluck and I'll be making my crockpot macaroni and cheese.
Thursday: Christmas morning we'll have breakfast casserole - watch for recipe. Then we head to relative's house for lunch/dinner. Would that be linner?
Friday: We're going to my mom's house for homemade Lasagna. Yum!!
Saturday: Leftovers, I'm sure

Red Beans and Rice
Serves: 8
Slow Cooker Size: 4 quart

1 medium size onion, chopped
1/2 C. green bell peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. olive or canola oil
1/3 C. fresh cilantro, minced
3 16 oz cans red beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 C. water
1/2 t. salt
1 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. black pepper

1. In a large skillet, saute onion, green pepper and garlic in oil. Cook until tender.
2. Add cilantro. Stir in beans, water, salt, cumin and pepper.
3. Transfer to slow cooker
4. Cover. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Serve over hot cooked rice

I've haven't been updated my weekly menu like I should. If you've read my other blog you already know about my Grandma. If not she has been in the hospital, nursing home and now in a rehab center so I've been busy driving to the city she lives in and back taking care of the boys but I'm back and here's our weekly menu.

Monday: Chicken Parmesan & Dessert
Tuesday: Red Beans and Rice, Veggie
Wednesday: Breakfast Casserole and Fruit Salad
Thursday: Sweet and Sour Meatballs and Rice

I haven't made my menu for the weekend yet so I don't have Friday-Sunday ready to post.

I had a really great question posted on my weekly blog and thought I would share the answer with everyone.  On Thursday's in my weekly menu post you will most likely always see TBA (to be announced) the reason for this is we have one member of our group that "doesn't like to plan" - those are her words. So I usually never know in advance what we are having for dinner on Thursday and I haven't been really great about going back to edit the post.

Wow, I don't know where time went last week, I didn't even get our weekly menu posted. You didn't miss much we had frozen pizza and lots of leftovers.

This week's menu will include

Monday: Tater Tot Casserole
Tuesday: Meatloaf, Garlic Noodles, Green Beans
Wednesday: Meatball Sandwiches, chips, veggie, dessert
Thursday: Ham, Cheesy Potatoes, Rolls, Broccoli, Cauliflower and Carrots
Friday: Garlic Pepper Steak, Baked Potato, Salad
Saturday: Alfredo Pasta with Italian Sausage
Sunday: Roast, Potatoes, Carrots

Do you still have tons of leftover turkey in your fridge? Are you tired of turkey and mashed potatoes for dinner and lunch and snack and...

Try these recipes for a nice change of pace

Turkey Enchiladas

3-4 cups chopped turkey
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C. sour cream
1/2 C. Green Chilli Enchilada Sauce
1 C. Shredded Cheese
1 Package flour or wheat tortillas

Combine soup, sour cream and enchilada sauce.  Reserve enough to cover enchiladas. Mix turkey with remaining miture. Spoon mixture on tortilla shells and roll up.  Place seam side down in a baking dish. Cover with remaining mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes.

Turkey Salad Sandwich
1/2 - 1 C. chopped turkey
Mayo (as much as you like)
Chopped olives
Chopped onion
Garlic salt, pepper
Cranberries (if you like)


Mix everything together and place on your favorite bread


Turkey Patties (I got this one from allrecipes)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups half-and-half cream, divided
1 cup cooked, chopped turkey meat
1 teaspoon finely chopped onion
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2/3 cup crushed cornflakes cereal
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Blend in flour, salt, pepper and 1 cup of half-and-half. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring, until thick. Stir in turkey, onion and bread crumbs. Mix well, then shape mixture into 8 small patties and refrigerate to chill for 30 minutes.

Place cornflake crumbs in a shallow dish or bowl and place remaining 1 cup half-and-half in a second shallow dish or bowl. Heat oil in skillet. Dip patties in crumbs, then in cream, then in crumbs again; brown patties in the hot skillet, place in a serving dish and cover with soup.