Leftover Turkey!

OK, I know it's the day before Thanksgiving and you haven't even cooked the turkey yet, but it's not too early to plan for what to do with your turkey leftovers.

This month I have a recipe appearing in Cook's Country that won the grand prize for their leftover turkey recipe contest. I actually look forward to leftover turkey more than turkey on Thanksgiving Day because there are just so many delicious things you can make with the leftovers. This recipe combines pecans, blue cheese, cranberries and pears in a rustic tart.

Super tips: make this tart any time of the year using leftover roasted chicken or store bought rotisserie chicken. For an extra rich flavor substitute creme fraiche for the sour cream and heavy cream. Add a few dried cranberries and crushed pecans to the top just before baking for a splash of color on top.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Rustic Turkey Tart

1 (9-inch) round prepared pie dough

1 1/2 cups leftover turkey meat, cut into bite-sized pieces

3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

2 firm pears, peeled, cored and diced

1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

salt and pepper

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Gently press pie crust into 9 inch tart pan and trim excess dough with a knife. Prick bottom of dough all over with tines of fork. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes; cool on wire rack.

2. Combine turkey, 1/2 cup cheese, pears, pecans, cranberries, sour cream, heavy cream and thyme in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Transfer turkey mixture to cooled pie crust, then sprinkle with remaining cheese.

3. Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Tart can be refrigerated for 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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We have a winner!!! Some of you have a lot of my favorite appetizers as yours!!

Thank you to all those who participated in my 100th post giveaway....and the winner is....Andi!! That green bean appetizer that you wrote about sounds very interesting...I would love to try it-could you send me the recipe for that too?!!

Andi please email me at vcallag61@aol.com with your mailing address and I will get your package out right away!! Congratulations.

Thanksgiving Appetizers-Blue Cheese Cranberry Pear Toasts

Pssst...shhh...this is a secret.

I can't believe I am doing this, but I am about to share with you a top secret recipe. This is an appetizer recipe so secret that I have never shared it with another soul, until now.

Ok I'm being overly dramatic it's really not that unique, but let me tell you it's good...I hope you will agree. I love the blue cheese/pear/cranberry combination; it's great for a salad, it's great for a filling and it makes great appetizers. In this version the cheese is melted on toasts, but the spread is equally delicious served cold.

Super Tips:

Choose your blue cheese carefully. Pick one that you know you love and one that isn't too bitter-it's all about the cheese here.

Toast your bread ahead of time if you need to. Place toasts in a plastic bag until ready to use. Don't refrigerate the toasted bread or it will get soft.

For a low carb version, skip the bread completely and just serve the cheese spread cold on pear slices.

Serve the cheese spread on crackers or celery.

Walnuts make a fine substitution for the pecans or if you prefer leave the nuts out completely.

Blue Cheese Cranberry Pear Toasts

24-1/2 inch thick slices French bread

cooking spray

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

4 ounces blue cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup pecans (be generous)

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 Bosc pear, very thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray both sides of the bread slices with the cooking spray. Arrange bread slices on a large baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 7 minutes.

In a small food processor combine the cream cheese, blue cheese, pecans, cranberries and cayenne pepper; process until just combined, but not smooth. Spread the cheese mixture onto one side of the toasts. Arrange a thin slice of pear on each toast.

Bake in the oven for 5-6 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield: 24 toasts

Sweet!! Guess what's coming next??? My first giveaway!! Stay tuned!

Spinach, Pear, Blue cheese Bacon Wraps

Apples are not the only delicious fruit in plentiful supply this time of year; Bosc pears can still be found gracing supermarket produce aisles.

There are few food combinations I love more than blue cheese and pear. I had it for the first time a few years ago at a party when not wanting to be rude I was too afraid to say to the hostess I didn't (think) I liked blue cheese when she was passing blue cheese and pear on toasts... well I loved it.

I love the blue cheese pear combination in salads, broiled on French bread slices as an appetizer and I love it in this quick and easy wrap. It makes a perfect lunch or slice each wrap into 6 bite-sized pieces, secure with toothpicks and serve as appetizers.

What is your favorite food combination? Does it change with the seasons?

Spinach, Pear, Blue cheese and Bacon Wraps

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 ounces Saga Blue cheese

3 slices center cut bacon, cooked until crispy then crumbled or thinly sliced

6 small flour tortillas, warmed

2 cups fresh spinach leaves, trimmed

2 Bosc pears, very thinly sliced

In a small bowl combine the cream cheese and blue cheese with a fork. Stir in the crumbled bacon.

Spread the cheese mixture over one side of each tortilla.

Divide the spinach between the tortillas arranging in an even layer on top of the cheese. Layer the pear slices over the spinach.

Roll the tortillas around the filling then cut diagonally to serve.

Yield: 6 wraps