Congratulations to Merry Graham and Audrey Shay who won The Busy Mom’s Holiday Recipe Contest!

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$200 William and Sonoma gift card winner
I’m excited that I could contribute a quick recipe for busy moms! My recipe, Quick Chicken & Broccoli Curry, is perfect for this time of year. A complete meal in one pot, fast, nutritious, and soothing! It’s a comfort food for me, and welcomed after a hectic day. The almond milk really makes a creamy sauce that is perfect for anyone with lactose intolerance. My chicken curry dish seems like a gourmet meal but can be served within 15 minutes! Feel free to add different vegetables or serve it on pasta, rice or just as it is with a green salad.

I have been entering recipe contests for a little over a year. Entering recipe contests helps me to stay enthused in the kitchen, think creatively, and challenges my mind when developing and perfecting recipes ~ I just love it! Happy Holidays and Merry Cooking to everyone!

Merry

$50 Harry and David gift card winner
This contest was really fun, it was great to get to read all the great recipes and get a chance to win at the same time!

Shay

If you prepare big Thanksgiving dinners, most likely you are left with an abundance of leftovers.  Why not use your Thanksgiving leftovers and turn them into some fabulous recipes?  I have yet to try some new recipes.  I have never thought to go outside of the box with yummy Thanksgiving leftovers, except for hot turkey sandwiches which can be absolutely amazing depending how you prepare them.  Busy Cooks over at About.com have some really awesome recipes that look worth a try.

Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers

Wild Rice Turkey Bake by Linda Larsen

Ingredients:

3 Cups Cooked Wild Rice

3 Cups Chopped Cooked Turkey

16. oz package of frozen green beans, thawed

17 oz. jar of Alfredo Sauce

½ Cup of Soft Bread Crumbs

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the turkey, rice, green beans, and Alfredo sauce in a large bowl.  Place the mixture into a 12×8 glass baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs.  This will bake for 45-50 minutes until bread crumbs are browned.

For Rice cooking preparation and freezing options go to wild rice turkey recipe.

Cashew Turkey Pasta Salad by Megan Taylor from Taste of Home

This recipe sounds unique yet delicious as the same time.  It received four and a half stars so it must be pretty good.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups uncooked tricolor spiral pasta

3 cups cubed cooked turkey

1 celery rib

3 chopped green onions

¼ cup chopped green pepper

¾ cup of mayonnaise

6 tablespoons of packed brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons of cider vinegar

¾ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup salted cashew halves

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse in cold water.  In a large bowl combine the pasta, turkey, celery, onions, and green pepper.

2. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, and lemon juice; pour over pasta mixture and toss to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Stir in the cashew just before serving.

Emeril’s Two Bean Turkey Chili over at Food Network

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

• 3 cups chopped yellow onions
• 3/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 pounds ground turkey
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro stems
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon Emeril’s Southwest Essence, recipe follows
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon crumbled Mexican oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups cooked and drained kidney beans
• 1 1/2 cups cooked and drained black beans
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves

For cooking instructions go to Emeril’s Two-Bean Turkey Chili.

For more yummy Thanksgiving leftover recipes go to All Recipes.

Do you have any delicious Thanksgiving leftover recipes to share?  Do tell.

Okay moms, Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  This either excites you to the 10th power or your head is spinning and you are stressed at just the thought of it.

Are you a fan of anything pumpkin?  Here is a recipe worth trying, perfect for busy moms or busy families for that matter.

Delicious Yet Simple Pumpkin Recipe

One of my favorite new sites Busy Mom Recipes contains amazing and simple pumpkin recipes that is a must try.  Charlene over at Busy Mom Recipes has graciously shared with busy moms her delicious yet simple Pumpkin Recipes, check out this one:

Sausage-Pumpkin Corn-Bread Stuffing

Doesn’t this sound amazing? It’s simply this:

Ingredients according to Charlene to Busy Moms Recipes

• 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 jalapenos, minced (with seeds)
• 12 corn muffins or two 8 1/2-ounce corn-bread mixes, prepared and crumbled (10 cups)
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 1 14-ounce can chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage or 1 heaping tablespoon dried sage

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage and jalapenos, breaking up the meat and cooking until it is no longer pink. Drain the fat.
2. Add the corn bread. Fold in the pumpkin, broth, cranberries, and sage. (Can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) For drier stuffing, omit the broth.
3. I love this, Charlene says it best, take note: ”TO FAKE IT…AND SAVE 30 MINUTES”
   Prepare one 16-ounce bag corn-bread-stuffing mix according to the label directions, omitting any butter and all but 1 cup of the liquid that’s called for on the label. Fold in one 15-ounce can pumpkin, one 4-ounce can chopped green chilies, 1 cup dried cranberries, and one 2.8-ounce package cooked bacon, chopped. Total time: 45 minutes.

Holiday Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients according to Charlene at Busy Mom Recipes

3-4 whole sweet potatoes
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp. softened butter or margarine
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp. Kahlua (or bourbon or orange juice)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Mini-marshmallows

Directions

Peel and boil sweet potatoes until soft; mash up with a fork. Add remaining ingredients (except marshmallows) and mix together well. Put in a baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees. Add marshmallows on top and put back in the oven for about 5 minutes until top is browned.

These sound amazing don’t they?  I have tried the sweet potatoes but need to try the sausage-pumpkin cornbread recipe.