“It looks like dessert!” my daughter said when she saw this. It definitely does, but it tastes like a wonderfully moist turkey meatloaf.

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
5 grated baby carrots
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tbsp sweet and sour sauce, plus 1/4 cup for topping
1 piece of cooked turkey bacon

Place muffin tin liners in 10 muffin cups. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Use an ice cream scoop to fill the liners. Divide evenly among the 10 cups (about one scoop per cup). Flatten the tops with a fork. Using a spoon, spread the remaining 1/4 cup sweet and sour sauce on top of the meatloaf. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

The sweet and sour sauce gives this a nice sweetness and tang. The turkey bacon adds an interesting smoky flavor. These are terrific the next day for lunch, cold!

“It looks like dessert!” my daughter said when she saw this. It definitely does, but it tastes like a wonderfully moist turkey meatloaf. 1 lb ground turkey 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 5 grated baby carrots 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup skim milk 2 tbsp sweet and sour sauce, plus 1/4 … Read more →

We don’t eat a lot of red meat, so turkey is definitely something I use a lot. It’s a nice change from chicken and fish. The key to turkey cutlets is keeping them moist and making sure they don’t get overdone. This recipe gives the turkey an interesting flavor and does it with no mess!

4 turkey cutlets
8 tbsp apricot preserves
4 tsp soy sauce
pepper
dry mustard
4 parsley sprigs (optional)

Place one cutlet in the middle of a piece of parchment. Spread 2 tbsp apricot preserves on top and drizzle with 1 tsp soy sauce. Add a pinch of pepper and a pinch of dry mustard to each packet. Top with a sprig of fresh parsley if you have any. Seal them up and bake at 400 for 15 minute. Allow them rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.

This is one of my favorite turkey cutlet recipes!

We don’t eat a lot of red meat, so turkey is definitely something I use a lot. It’s a nice change from chicken and fish. The key to turkey cutlets is keeping them moist and making sure they don’t get overdone. This recipe gives the turkey an interesting flavor and does it with no mess! … Read more →

This recipe came out of my crescent roll experimentation and I love, love it. You could also use cooked turkey in this if you have  Thanksgiving leftovers.

For each muffin liner tin you will need:
crescent roll dough triangle
4 bite size pieces of turkey
1 tsp black beans
pinch cilantro
salt and pepper
1 tbsp salsa
2 tsp shredded cheddar cheese

Spray the muffing tin liners with cooking spray. Place the short end of the crescent roll around the top of the muffin liner, and press it into place. Leave the long flap of the roll hanging. Layer in turkey, beans, cilantro, salt and pepper, salsa and cheddar. Then fold the dough flap over and tuck it down the side. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

These were so cute and so tasty! You could put a little dollop of sour cream or guacamole on top if you wanted as well. My kids are loving my muffin tin recipes. Mr. NoPot was a big fan of this one as well!

This recipe came out of my crescent roll experimentation and I love, love it. You could also use cooked turkey in this if you have  Thanksgiving leftovers. For each muffin liner tin you will need: crescent roll dough triangle 4 bite size pieces of turkey 1 tsp black beans pinch cilantro salt and pepper 1 … Read more →

Yes, really, Thanksgiving with no mess! I love Thanksgiving, but if you’re cooking for one or two or three, well, who wants to have a giant roaster to scrub? For those of you looking for all the flavors of traditional turkey, stuffing, and gravy, but who don’t want to spend the day in the kitchen, I’m happy to share this recipe with you. Mr. NoPot suggested we skip making a whole turkey and just do this, he loved it so much.

2 celery stalks
1 small onion
2 tbsp butter
4 slices whole wheat bread
4 tsp chicken broth
sage, rosemary, and salt and pepper
4 turkey cutlets
8 tbsp of turkey gravy, plus more for serving

You’re going to be bowled over by this method. Start with a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup. If you don’t have that, then just get a microwave safe bowl. I love the Pyrex because it has a handle, which makes it easy to get in and out of the microwave. Chop your celery and onions (you can use a mini food processor if you like, or do it by hand). Place them in the Pyrex. Add the butter. Microwave on high for 4 minutes, stopping every minute or so to stir. By the end, you will have vegetables that are soft and starting to brown.

Create 4 individual packets. In each one place a slice of whole wheat bread. Sandwich bread works perfectly, or you could use a loaf of whatever you have hanging around. Spread 1/4 of the vegetable mix on each slice of bread. Spoon 1 tsp of chicken broth on top of each. Place a pinch of sage and a pinch of rosemary on each and lightly salt and pepper them. Lay a turkey cutlet on top of each. Spoon 2 tbsp of gravy over each one (you can use gravy from a jar or a can, or if you’re like my mom, you have homemade gravy in the freezer, ready for any gravy emergency!). Place a pinch of sage, a pinch of rosemary and light amounts of salt and pepper on top.

Fold the packets up and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (or until a thermometer poked through the parchment into the meat reads 165 degrees). Take them out of the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes, then serve with extra gravy on the side (warmed in the microwave – use that Pyrex again, no need to wash it first) and some cranberry sauce. Then be thankful you don’t have much to wash to clean up!

P.S. I know the turkey looks absolutely pink in this photo. It wasn’t until I tried to adjust it, then I couldn’t get rid of it. Anyway, please know it did not appear this color when we ate it and it was completely done!

Yes, really, Thanksgiving with no mess! I love Thanksgiving, but if you’re cooking for one or two or three, well, who wants to have a giant roaster to scrub? For those of you looking for all the flavors of traditional turkey, stuffing, and gravy, but who don’t want to spend the day in the kitchen, … Read more →

In celebration of the two year mark for this blog, I’ve gone back through every recipe of Martha’s I’ve cooked and put together a list of the best of the best (with links!). It was quite an eye opening experience. Apparently, I am a fan of dips! I also didn’t realize quite how many Martha recipes I’ve cooked. Over 600. That’s pretty amazing. So I guess you could say I’ve really become a de facto expert. Of those 600, there were some that were simply awful. The most memorable of those for me would be that awful chocolate pudding made with avocado and the no bake brownies. Truly disgusting. A lot of things fall into the ok, but not memorable category. Some were good, but not great. What I’ve tried to do here is list the things that I think were fantastic.

I expected that the list might be more diverse than it is. The most exotic and hardest to make thing on the list is the Croquembouche. The things that were most memorable for me were the Thanksgiving turkey, perfect roast chicken, spatchcocked chicken, stuffed cabbage, rolled omelet, Baked Alaska, and rice pudding. I’d forgotten about many of these recipes until I went back through the blog, but once I saw the posts, it all came back to me.

I was struck by the fact that most of these things are homey, traditional foods. There’s not a lot here that would make people gasp at a dinner party (until they tasted it and realized how good these recipes are). I don’t know if that means Martha is best when she sticks to the basics or if I’m boring and just like traditional foods (I don’t think that’s the case  though- I love to try new things). Some of the recipes are not true Martha (well, as true Martha as something can be when she employees tens of thousands of people to do everything for her), some are from Lucinda Scala Quinn and one is from Emeril, but they all appeared in Martha’s magazines or on her show, so I’ve included them.

Enjoy Martha’s greatest hits!

Soups

Cream of Broccoli Soup This is a go-to recipe for me that I’ve made over and over. It’s simple, tasty and my kids love it.

Corn and Shrimp Chowder Simple and delicious.

Roasted Fall Vegetable Soup This one is recent, but I liked it so much I’ll do it again.

Dips

Artichoke Dip with Fontina I love dip. And cheese. And artichoke.

Bean Dip I really love dip.

Caramelized Onion Dip with Fingerling Potatoes Dip plus potatoes is as good as it gets!

Seafood

Shrimp and Zucchini Tostadas I love the ease of this recipe and it’s very adaptable to whatever you have in the fridge.

Golden Crab and Papaya Salad The flavors in this were amazing and it was beautiful to serve.

Seafood Bake This one surprised me with how good it was and how much it was to make.

Mr. Jim’s Shrimp To die for! The best shrimp ever.

Poultry

Perfect Roast Chicken This is a recipe everyone needs!

Thanksgiving Turkey I’ll be using Martha’s recipe again this year, although it seems she is no longer selling turkeys.

Spatchcocked Chicken Thank you Lucinda for the amazing sauce that goes with this.

Chicken, Spinach Casserole This one is recent, but memorable. Simple and much more fab than it sounds.

Tortilla Pie with Chicken Delicious! Great flavors.

Other Entrees

Mrs. Kostyra’s Meatloaf Who knew meatloaf could be so much fun?

Emeril’s Meatloaf Apparently Emeril knew meatloaf could be fun because his is fantastic too! This is actually a turkey meatloaf.

Lamb Chops with Citrus Sauce This one is an elegant dish.

Marinated Steak Thank you Lucinda. Easy and delicious way to make inexpensive cuts of meat taste great.

Sides

Spanish Rice I need to make this again.

Green Bean Casserole Surprisingly great! But very rich!

Baked Onion Rings I forgot about this and will be making it again soon!

Tomato Hand Pies Another one I forgot about, but something to remember when I have some wonderful tomatoes to use.

Warm Potato Salad with Goat Cheese Incredible! Not a combo I expected to like, but I really did.

Potato Gratin A basic, but simply amazing.

Rolled Omelet So easy and so delicious! I was hooked on this one for weeks after I first made, making it in the toaster oven!

Irish Soda Bread I like my version a lot, but Martha’s is quite good too!

Stuffed Cabbage Something I never thought I would like!

Desserts

Double Chocolate Brownies Ah, brownies….

Croquembouche Impressive! Boy was I proud of this one.

Icebox Cake Surprisingly delish! And tres retro.

Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies Dude Martha’s fave!

Mrs. Kostyra’s Spice Cake Close to my wedding cake but not quite, but still excellent!

Baked Alaska A friend of Teen Martha’s still talks about how good this was.

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes I need to make these again – amazing.

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies I’m going to make these for Christmas again.

Genoise Something I never thought I’d try and it was great.

Rice Pudding This is now a staple in my house and I make it often.

Now it’s your turn. What are your favorite Martha recipes that you go back to time and time again? Have you made any of the ones I’ve listed? Do these appeal to you?

In celebration of the two year mark for this blog, I’ve gone back through every recipe of Martha’s I’ve cooked and put together a list of the best of the best (with links!). It was quite an eye opening experience. Apparently, I am a fan of dips! I also didn’t realize quite how many Martha … Read more →

I couldn’t help myself – I had to order a Martha Stewart turkey for Thanksgiving. If you order one this week, you can save $15 by entering the code Martha15.

I’m excited about Martha’s turkey for several reasons. The turkeys are not certified organic, but they are antibiotic and hormone free, vegetarian fed and humanely raised. Every single one of those factors is of great importance to me. The turkeys come in two sizes – 12 lb ($69.99) or 18 lb ($89.99), minus the $15 discount. You can choose your delivery date, which is a nice feature.

The turkeys are from Plainville Farms and I have had their regular turkeys in the past with great success.  I can’t wait to try it!

I couldn’t help myself – I had to order a Martha Stewart turkey for Thanksgiving. If you order one this week, you can save $15 by entering the code Martha15. I’m excited about Martha’s turkey for several reasons. The turkeys are not certified organic, but they are antibiotic and hormone free, vegetarian fed and humanely … Read more →

I couldn’t help myself – I had to order a Martha Stewart turkey for Thanksgiving. If you order one this week, you can save $15 by entering the code Martha15.

I’m excited about Martha’s turkey for several reasons. The turkeys are not certified organic, but they are antibiotic and hormone free, vegetarian fed and humanely raised. Every single one of those factors is of great importance to me. The turkeys come in two sizes – 12 lb ($69.99) or 18 lb ($89.99), minus the $15 discount. You can choose your delivery date, which is a nice feature.

The turkeys are from Plainville Farms and I have had their regular turkeys in the past with great success.  I can’t wait to try it!

I couldn’t help myself – I had to order a Martha Stewart turkey for Thanksgiving. If you order one this week, you can save $15 by entering the code Martha15. I’m excited about Martha’s turkey for several reasons. The turkeys are not certified organic, but they are antibiotic and hormone free, vegetarian fed and humanely … Read more →

On the day after Thanksgiving, Martha made a Turkey Cobb Sandwich on her show. The recipe is also in the November Living on page 68 (although this did not jump out at me until I saw her make it on tv). I love a good Cobb salad (although I pick out the olives), so this sounded pretty good. I’m definitely tiring of turkey at this point, so this seemed like a good (and fast) way to disguise some for a weeknight meal.

First, I cooked the bacon. While that was cooking I smushed up avocado with bleu cheese and sliced tomato and turkey. I quickly heated up turkey and then cooked the egg over easy. While all that was happening, I toasted the bun. I put it all together and it was quite a sandwich! I was afraid it was going to slip and slide all over the place and fall apart, but it didn’t. I’ve got one trick to share that I think helped. When I put tomato slices on sandwiches, I pick out the gooey seed part then I set the slices on a paper towel for a few minutes. It really helps dry them off so they don’t slide all over.

This was a great sandwich (although I don’t think I want to know how much fat and calories is in it!!). I would definitely make this one again. I served it with fresh fruit and it was a nice light (well, it felt light, ok, even if it did have egg, bacon and avocado in it!) fast meal. A good thing!

On the day after Thanksgiving, Martha made a Turkey Cobb Sandwich on her show. The recipe is also in the November Living on page 68 (although this did not jump out at me until I saw her make it on tv). I love a good Cobb salad (although I pick out the olives), so this … Read more →

We have a lot of leftovers from our turkey. The day after Thanksgiving, we usually have turkey sandwiches for lunch. For dinner, I reheat the entire Thanksgiving meal. To reheat the turkey, I put some gravy in a pan and heat that, then add in some slices of turkey for just a few minutes until it is hot. That way the turkey doesn’t overcook and stays moist.

By the Saturday after Thanksgiving I am starting to tire of turkey. So I really appreciated the section in the November Living with all the great leftover idea. My first try was turkey croquettes (page 70).

The recipe seemed pretty easy. You cook onion in a pan with oil then add thyme and sage. Next you add some chopped turkey and a little cream and cook until the cream is gone. You transfer it to a bowl and let it cool. Then add mashed potatoes, flour and egg. Mix it up and make little croquettes. Here’s where it got tricky. These croquettes were very, very mushy. Martha says to dip them in breadcrumbs, put them on a tray and freeze them for 15 min (a lot of Martha’s recipes

require a freezing step, I am finding). It was very hard to cover the mushy blobs in breadcrumbs and hard to transfer them to a tray. I muttered a bit at Martha under my breath. I think it might make sense to freeze the mixture for a few minutes first, then shape them into croquettes. They were really hard to work with.

After I froze the breaded croquettes, them it was time to fry. The key here is make sure your oil is very hot. The first batch I did broke apart a little and didn’t cook

very evenly, but the second batch was perfect.

You serve them with cranberry sauce. They were tasty with a nice flavor. What was weird was you couldn’t really tell you were eating potato at all. They definitely need the cranberry sauce, so don’t leave that out. I would definitely make these

again next year. They’re a nice alternative to other turkey leftover dishes I think. A good thing.

We have a lot of leftovers from our turkey. The day after Thanksgiving, we usually have turkey sandwiches for lunch. For dinner, I reheat the entire Thanksgiving meal. To reheat the turkey, I put some gravy in a pan and heat that, then add in some slices of turkey for just a few minutes until … Read more →

As I posted earlier, this year I made Martha’s dry brined turkey. In the past I’ve done a wet brine and been very happy with it. I took the plunge though and put my turkey in Martha’s hands.

The dry brine meant I coated the turkey with a mix of salt and bay leaves and left it in the fridge for 48 hours. Thanksgiving Day, Mr. Turkey came out and we first rinsed it well inside and out. I was a little paranoid about so much salt, so I really wanted to give it a good rinse. Martha says to pat the turkey dry and then rub it with half a stick of butter. I’ve never rubbed a turkey with butter, but if Martha says so I will obey. I also sprinkled some poultry seasoning and salt and pepper on it.

I stuffed the big cavity with regular stuffing. I admit I did not do a Martha stuffing since my kids would mutiny. Here’s how I make stuffing. All year long I keep a bag in the freezer and throw stale bread and the ends of loaves into. Come Thanksgiving, I have a nice variety of different breads and plenty to make stuffing with. I cook up onions and celery and add that with poultry seasoning, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, sage, salt and pepper to the stuffing. Then I get it wet with broth and water. Pretty easy.

The small cavity was stuffed with a new family tradition – cornbread stuffing. We tried this last year and it was a hit and everyone wanted it again. I make cornbread and treat it like I do the regular bread stuffing.

Once the turkey was stuffed, Martha says to tuck the wings underneath it. It took a while to figure out how to do this. What she really means it to take the tips of the wings – that third, skinny part – and bend it backwards and then stick it under the front of the turkey (the neck end). Next, I tied the legs together as directed by Martha. Into the oven it went. Martha says to baste it every half hour with a butter and white wine mixture. I just used butter (we’re not big on wine).

Martha says to start the oven at 425 then turn it down to 350 after half an hour. I did as directed.

Here’s where things got a little kooky. My turkey was 19 lbs and every chart I consulted said it should take 4 1/2 to 5 hours stuffed to cook. Ha! This bird was done in 3 1/2 hours! I was not prepared at all! I turned the oven down to warm and raced around peeling potatoes and cooking veggies.

I let it rest outside the oven for about half an hour before Mr. MarthaAndMe carved. What a beautiful bird this recipe produced! It was a gorgeous bronze color, just like the one of the cover of the November issue of Living. I’ve never seen a turkey so brown and perfect.

This was hands down the most delicious turkey I have ever made. It tasted simply incredible. Moist, flavorful, silky – to die for. I did use a different kind of turkey this year – organic, free range when in the past I’ve only used organic, so that may be part of it. But I believe the dry brine definitely made this turkey moist and tasty. Slathering it with

butter probably helped too.

What else did we have? Mashed potatoes, gravy (pan drippings mixed with turkey broth that I mix Wondra into), and roasted root vegetables (carrot, parsnip and rutabaga with olive oil and balsamic vinegar). Pumpkin pie for dessert (that’ll be tomorrow’s post, so tune in to find out how Martha’s pie went).

We had a great Thanksgiving. We watched the parade and the dog show. After dinner we played some games and then watched the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving show. It was a terrific, relaxing day. We have lots of leftovers – Oh! I can’t wait to have that turkey sandwich at lunch! I’m also planning to try out some of Martha’s leftover ideas from November Living.

I will definitely make this dry brined turkey again next year. It is much easier to make than the wet brine and the results were simply incredible!

As I posted earlier, this year I made Martha’s dry brined turkey. In the past I’ve done a wet brine and been very happy with it. I took the plunge though and put my turkey in Martha’s hands. The dry brine meant I coated the turkey with a mix of salt and bay leaves and … Read more →