Posted on 05/28/2015 3:40:05 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
Many years ago, we invited a bunch of people for lunch two days after Christmas, to use up the leftovers from an enormous holiday dinner party. We had just found a great soup recipe that we thought would be a perfect addition to the leftover casserole. We added a crisp salad with a light dressing, and it was a great meal.
The casserole comes from an old edition of 'The Joy of Cooking', and uses leftover turkey. This was also a 'food memory' from a visit with a friend who invited me to lunch after a Thanksgiving.
The soup is a somewhat spicy Navy Bean-Spinach-Hot Sausage recipe; but you can tone it down by using mild sausage, and not using as many of the red pepper flakes as we do. (We like stuff hot ;-)
The day of our brunch was an extremely cold day, and some people had just come from the local, annual Christmas Count. They said that this soup was just the thing for their nearly-frozen extremities!
Sausage, Spinach and Bean Soup
8 oz. Hot Italian Sausage, casing removed (or your favorite sausage - I usually use one of the little 'chubs' of hot sausage)
1 tsp. Olive Oil
5 cloves Garlic, minced (Yes, 5; you may want to tone this down, too)
1/2 tsp. dried Red Pepper flakes
2 10-oz packages of fresh Spinach, torn (Baby Spinach is good here)
2 15-oz cans of Great Northern Beans, undrained
1/4 cup unsalted Butter
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan Cheese
2 plum Tomatoes, diced (can use canned)
2 T. chopped Parsley
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
3 cups Chicken Broth
Brown sausage in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat for 10 minutes, breaking it up and stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink.
Add garlic and crushed red pepper, and saute 2 minutes.
Add spinach and saute 2 minutes, or until wilted.
Stir in the beans and cook 1 minute. Add broth, and bring to a boil. Add butter, cheese, tomato and 1 T. parsley.
Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in salt and pepper.
Sprinkle each serving evenly with 1 T. parsley.
And, the casserole:
Turkey or Chicken Casserole with Vegetables
(this is almost the same recipe as the one in 'The Joy of Cooking'; I add chopped walnuts or pecans sprinkled on top before baking, as per the original:
http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/turkey-or-chicken-casserole-with-vegetables/22145
-JT
After-holiday food with friends - and not just for bird-watchers.
(If you would like to be on or off of this weekly cooking thread, please send a private message.)
-JT
sounds like a hearty meal
Yum! Looks delicious! My husband made chicken soup today with baby bell mushrooms, broccoli florets, carrots, vidalia onion, celery, red peppers, and red onions.
He made the stock first with the whole chicken, onion and carrots, holding aside the meat.
Probably TOO hearty; but depending on where you’re living, Christmas Count is very cold, ‘hearty’, work ;-)
-JT
New York City. It can range from 10 degrees to 50 on any given year. I like it cold personally. It keeps the Liberals indoors lol.
I think soup-making is the most satisfying and contemplative work we do in the kitchen. I have more fun with it than with any other kind of recipe. Soup just never seems like *work*.
-JT
Well,,, grossly off topic, but,,,, I had bought myself a nice steak for Monday. I was at the store and thought it would be nice to get something that I, as an old bachelor, wouldn’t make for myself. Bought some Giant Eagle Deli Potato Salad. Tasted great! Was sick for two days! Short shelf life I guess? Steak was great though!
That looks so good. I think I’ll try it when my sunburn heals-feeling the heat enough as it is.
It’s a good way to use up all of your vegetables that may soon be going past, too!
Learn to make your own potato salad, Old Bachelor; the store-bought stuff cannot compare. It’s really easy, once you get the potatoes done just right, which can be tricky.
(The stuff in the store always seems to me to have undercooked potatoes; probably also a shelf-life issue.)
-JT
I have not figured out why so often during this glorious Springtime, my mind has wandered to cold-weather food...
But, inspiration for a weekly cooking thread just comes out of the ‘ether’, and I go with it ;-)
-JT
I don’t know if this is off-topic, but I always like to have a list of food-items that I plan on trying, in the short run, to incorporate into my diet. Currently, my list is: butter salad dressing, green curry, and frittatas (or any similar egg-based dish, possibly Spanish omelets).
Well, I live in MN. Even on a day like today in which I got sunburned, I regretted leaving my jacket at home. We eat soup year round :-). I recently bought “Nourishing Broths” and am working on adding more bone broths into our diet.
My parents get together with a group of friends a couple days after Thanksgiving every year for what they call “dab day.” Everyone brings their leftovers, even if it’s just a dab of this or a dab of that. They have a potluck style meal and great time trying out each others’ recipes.
What is ‘butter salad dressing’? I’m intrigued.
JT,
The problem for a single guy is “Whatcha gonna do with all the leftovers after you eat one or two servings?”
“Might be one of the preservatives they use you are sensitive to.”
Good point! After spending Tuesday in “the reading room” i’m loathe to try their stuff again!
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