almonds

One of the great things about this recipe is you do NOT have to bake it – just pop it under the broiler to melt the cheese and brown the almonds!

Or – you can make it ahead & reheat it in the oven!

Not too long ago I made a scrumptious lasagna using ravioli – and was very happy with the the results. So I thought, “How about preparing my usual Turkey (Chicken) Tetrazzini with tortellini”?

My son M. and I prepared this dish the day after Thanksgiving, which I spent in Philadelphia. (I always ask his mother-in-law for the turkey carcass AND the glorious turkey drippings.) My daughter-in-law picked up cheese-filled tortellini, but, of course, you can use any type of tortellini you like.

I think you’ll enjoy this new twist on an old favorite. I know we did.

++ I have this recipe in a cookbook I made for my twin sons and their wives.. and that made posting this recipe a bit quicker because I could just ‘cut and paste’ the ingredients and instructions!! : o )

Mushroom Ravioli Lasagna

Follow this link for “Mushroom Ravioli Lasagna with a Light Basil & Bell Pepper Tomato Sauce”

Ingredients and Method

++ Set oven at broil – if serving this right away – broil until shredded Parmesan is melted and and almonds are slightly browned. ++ Place oven rack so that casserole is about five inches below broiler. ++ PREHEAT BROILER !!

++ OR – put casserole in the oven at 350F until the filling is bubbling – about a half hour.

++ OR – refrigerate casserole for a day or two, allow casserole to come to room temp, then bake at 350F until filling is bubbling – may take a bit more than a half hour.

++ Casserole is baked UNCOVERED.

Ingredients

3 (9 oz.) packages refrigerated tortellini – cooked per package direction
PREFER TO USE PASTA – 1 (16 oz.) package spaghetti or fettuccine, cooked & use HALF the sauce recipe.
2 cans chicken-mushroom soup, undiluted ++ OR cream of chicken soup OR mushroom soup
2 cups turkey or chicken stock ++ Or 2 cups boiling water and 2 bullion cubes
2 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, cut into small pieces
1/4 – 1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/2 – 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese ++ My daughter in-law, who did the shopping, bought a bag of refrigerated, shredded Parmesan cheese. I usually recommend freshly grated cheese but the refrigerated cheese was very good. ; o )
sprinkle of paprika, for color

In medium saucepan combine 2 cans chicken-mushroom soup, 2 cups chicken/turkey stock (or 2 cups boiling water and 2 bullion cubes), 2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 1/2 tsp.salt and 1/2 tsp.pepper. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until mixture comes almost to a boil. Add 2 cups cooked turkey (or chicken) cut into small pieces. Remove pan from heat. Add cooked tortellini and mix well.

Pour mixture into a 10” x 13” casserole or pan. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, then slivered almonds and a bit of paprika, just for color.

TO SERVE IMMEDIATELY – Place casserole under broiler for about 4 minutes or until Tetrazzini is browned and bubbly. ++ Be sure to watch it. One second you have a lovely, bubbling casserole with toasted almonds… but within a few seconds you can have a disaster.

TO SERVE LATER – OR TO COOK CASSEROLE IN THE OVEN – see directions above. Enjoy!

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Believe it or not, I’ve never made a cheesecake… ever! My sister-in-law Doris makes a killer cheesecake, so I get my ‘cheesecake thrills’ whenever we’re all together. But when I saw this recipe, I knew just had to make it. I’m so glad I did because these cheesecake bars taste like a candy bar in cheesecake form.

My Very First Cheesecake Ever is in the oven right now. It’s gonna be interesting to see if it comes out a bit lopsided. The kitchen floors here in My Yellow Farmhouse are old and slant down a bit, especially right in the corner where the stove resides. My Man of All Work (my brother-in-law Mike) did his best to level out the floor, but since I moved here I’ve never baked a cake that was absolutely level. ++ The cheesecake actually came out level – hurrah!

I recommend baking these cheesecake bars the night before, or early in the morning of the day you plan to serve it because once the cheesecake is cooled completely, it’s refrigerated for 4 hours. Then a simple creamy chocolatey topping is prepared using chocolate chips and Cool Whip, then toasted almonds and coconut are sprinkled on top. Yummy!

INGREDIENTS

Chocolate Wafer Crust

1 ¼ cups finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies ++ About 25 – I used Nabisco ‘Famous Chocolate Wafers.
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
¼ cup melted butter

Cheesecake Filling

4 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese – SOFTENED
1 cup sugar
½ tsp. vanilla AND ½ tsp. almond flavoring
½ cup coconut milk ++ Due to my broken ankle I accidentally ordered an Almond Milk/Coconut Milk blend to be delivered via Pea Pod …. luckily, it worked great!!
4 eggs

Creamy Chocolatey Topping with Toasted Almonds and Coconut

1/2 cup chocolate chips ++ I used mini-chocolate chips.
1 (8 0z.) container of FROZEN whipped topping, such as Cool Whip
2 drops almond extract
1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup sliced almonds – OR – 1/2 cup almond pieces ++ I had whole almonds, so I put some in a food bag & ‘smacked them down’ a bit. ; o )

Line a 10″ x 9″ pan with aluminum foil Bake at 325F for 45 minutes

Once cheesecake is fully cooked, turn off oven – leaving door open – and let cheesecake sit in oven for 20 minutes.

METHOD

In a small bowl, thoroughly mix 1 ¼ cups finely crushed chocolate waferS, 2 Tbs. granulated sugar and ¼ cup melted butter. Using your fingers, press chocolate wafer mixture into bottom of a 13 x 9” pan, which you’ve covered with aluminum foil – edges hanging over. ++ This will help will when removing the cheesecake bars.

In a medium bowl, using mixer, thoroughly blend 4 packages (8 oz.) SOFTENED cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, ½ tsp. vanilla AND ½ tsp. almond flavoring. Slowly add in 1/2 cup coconut milk. ++ Or.. Almond Milk/Coconut Milk Blend. Add 4 eggs – one at a time, mixing on low until well blended. Pour over chocolate wafer crust.

Bake at 325F for 45 minutes – or until center is almost set. Turn off oven. Open door and leave cheesecake in oven for 20 minutes. ++ If you’re like me and you’ve never made a cheesecake before, you’ll be pleased to see that, after 20 minutes sitting in the still-warm oven, the center will be fully set!! Remove cheesecake from oven, place on a cooling rack and cooled completely. Refrigerate 4 hours – or overnight.

The Finishing Touches — microwave 2 oz. chocolate chips and 1 cup FROZEN whipped topping (such as Cool Whip) in a medium bowl – on high – for 1 minute. Stir and heat on high for another minute. ++ The whipped topping will melt down… don’t worry. That’s the way it should be! Add in 2 drops almond extract. Whisk hot mixture until chocolate chips are completely melted, then mix a bit more until you get a nice dark chocolate color. Pour over cheesecake and spread evenly. Sprinkle on 1 cup flaked coconut and 1/2 cup almond bits – or sliced almonds. Cut into squares and refrigerate until its time to serve. Enjoy!