The Fayette Citizen-Special Sections
Wednesday, November 18, 1998
Dining Guide

Turkey Pot Pie perfect for after the holidays

Tired of turkey sandwiches? The Martha White Kitchen has a delicious answer for all that leftover holiday turkey. Next Day Tuket Pot Pie teams turkey and ham in a creamy spinach filling flavored with onions, carrots and celery. An easy Parmesan pour-batter topping made with self-rising flour bakes into a crispy crust.

Ingredients

Filling

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 (9 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

3 cups cooked turkey, shredded or chopped

1/2 cup chopped country or baked ham

1 (10-3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 cup milk

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Crust

1-1/2 cups Martha White Self-Rising Flour

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1-1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup butter or margerine, melted

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease shallow 3-quart baking dish. In large skillet, cook onion, carrots and celery in vegetable oil until tender. Stir in spinach; pour into baking dish. Add turkey and ham; distribute evenly in dish. In medium bowl, combine soup, milk and pepper; pour over turkey mixture. In medium bowl, combine crust ingredients; stir until smooth. Pour over ingredients in baking dish. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. 6 to 8 servings.

You say stuffing, I say dressing

Southerners don't stuff, they dress. That's the finding of an informal survey conducted by the Martha White test kitchen staff who recently polled the folks in the office.

The survey was prompted by the results of a national turkey producer's survey indicating that 60 percent of Americans stuff the holiday turkey. The remaining 40 percent must be Southerners because the Martha White results indicate that 88 percent call the famous accompaniment dressing not stuffing and prefer to bake it in a pan alongside the turkey. Only 12 percent call it stuffing and actually stuff the bird.

"We just had a feeling that there are distinct regional differences on the dressing issue," said Linda Carman, the Martha White Southern foods and baking expert. "Our survey, while not scientific, makes a strong point for preferences dictated by family history and tradition. In fact, those who said they stuff and call it stuffing were all displaced Northerners."

When it comes to the holidays, mama's cooking reigns. Whatever you grew up on stuffing or dressing baked in a bird or in a pan made with cornbread or bread is probably what you'll prefer for life. Historically, this make perfect sense because the deepest traditions are born by folks making do with what's on hand. In the rural South, that meant leftover cornbread softened with a few leftover biscuits, seasoned with celery, onions, sage, broth and maybe some sausage.

Why Southerners prefer to call it dressing and bake the mixture in a pan instead of the bird, remains a mystery. However, time and again, the Martha White survey participants mentioned with mouths watering, the buttery crisp texture of baked cornbread dressing.

Chesapeake Bay Cornbread Dressing

Cornbread

1 egg

1-1/3 cups milk

1/4 cup oil

2 cups Martha White Self-Rising Corn Meal Mix

Dressing

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 medium onions, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium yellow or red bell pepper, chopped

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. grated fresh lemon peel

12 oz. fresh or frozen crabmeat, flaked

6 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread

4 cups dry bread cubes or crumbled toasted biscuits

2 (14.5 oz) cans ready-to-serve chicken broth

1/2 cup water

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease 9 or 10-inch ovenproof skillet. Place in oven for 7 to 8 minutes or until hot. In a large bowl, beat egg. Add remaining cornbread ingredients; mix well. Pour into hot skillet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cornbread; crumble and set aside. Reduce oven to 375 degrees. Grease 13x9-inch baking dish or pan. In large skillet, melt butter. Add onions, celery and bell peppers; cook and stir until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Add mustard and lemon peel; mix well. In large bowl or stockpot, combine vegetables with remaining ingredients. Stir gently. Spoon into greased baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. 10 to 12 servings.


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