For the first day of October, I thought I’d post a pumpkin recipe…seeing as it’s officially pumpkin season now. I made this delicious Pumpkin Sausage Lasagna last night for dinner. While it may not be the prettiest dish (it is a casserole, after all), it definitely is flavorful and it makes a wonderful Autumn meal.

For the pumpkin bechamel sauce, canned pumpkin is mixed into an easy-to-make white sauce, adding a light orange color but no pumpkin flavor…so even pumpkin-haters will like it!

I substituted crimini mushroom for the eggplant (approximately 8 oz.), which I sliced and sauteed with the onions and sausage. The mushrooms were a great addition!

After assembling the lasagna, I let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before baking to let the oven-ready noodles soften a bit. I then covered it with tin foil, baked it for 30 minutes, removed the foil and finished baking another 15-20 minutes (until the cheese browned a bit on top). Serve with a big green salad or Broccoli with Caramelized Onions and Pinenuts. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Sausage Lasagna
-recipe from Rachael Ray

This decadent lasagna is layered with sausage, eggplant, noodles, and a pumpkin-bechamel sauce. Yields: 4-6 servings.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 1/2 pounds bulk sweet Italian sausage (pork, chicken or turkey, whatever you like), casings removed
1 large eggplant, peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk (eyeball it)
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
Few dashes fresh nutmeg
1 box oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 1/4 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 375ºF.
 
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons EVOO, about two turns of the pan. Add the sausage and cook until golden brown, breaking the meat up as it cooks with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Push the meat to one side of the pan and add the eggplant, onion and garlic. Cook 7-8 minutes, until tender, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
 
While the veggies are cooking, place a medium-size sauté pan over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook the mixture for about 1 minute. Whisk the milk into roux, breaking up any clumps. Bring the mixture to a bubble and add the pumpkin puree and nutmeg. Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper, reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes, until slightly thickened.
 
Spread about 1 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 13 x 9″ casserole dish. Layer three lasagna noodles over the sauce, then top them with about 1 cup of the meat mixture, a cup or so of the sauce and a palmful of cheese. Repeat these layers two times, topping the casserole with a layer of lasagna noodles. Spoon the remaining sauce over the noodles, sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake the lasagna until the sauce is bubbling and pasta is baked through, about 45 minutes.
 
During the last ten minutes of baking, remove the aluminum foil to brown the cheese. Once out of the oven, allow the dish to rest a few minutes before serving.

Tags: autumn, Bechamel sauce, Casserole, italian sausage, oven-ready lasagna noodles, parmesan cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, pumpkin, pumpkin bechamel sauce, pumpkin puree, pumpkin sausage lasagna, Rachael Ray Show

Now don’t let the word casserole scare you away. Festive Chicken Casserole is simply a chicken, cheese and tortilla dish, similar to enchiladas only layered instead of rolled and served with salsa instead of baked with enchilada sauce. I substituted chile powder for paprika and cheddar cheese for the jack cheese. I also added some thawed frozen white corn for added flavor. To add a little color to the finished casserole, I garnished with chopped red peppers and green olives. Serve with plenty of good salsa.

Festive Chicken Casserole
-recipe from The Big Book of Casseroles by Maryana Vollstedt

Serves 6.

This is a good casserole to make for a party because it should be assembled several hours ahead or even the night before baking. Layers of tortillas, chicken, chiles, and cheese in a creamy sauce will get you “raves” on this casserole dish. Serve with a salad of orange and jicama slices.

2 cups light sour cream
1 can (7 ounces) diced green chiles, drained
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped green onions, including some tender green tops
2 cloves garlic, minced
9 corn tortillas, softened*
4 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
4 cups (about 1 pound) grated Monterey Jack cheese
Salsa for topping

In a medium bowl, mix sour cream, chiles, paprika, cumin, salt, onions, and garlic. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray or oil, place 3 tortillas so that they overlap slightly. In layers, add one third of the chicken, one-third of the sour cream mixture (it will not cover chicken completely), and one third of the cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times, beginning with tortillas. Cover and refrigerate sevral hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bring casserole to room temperature and then bake, covered, until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with salsa as an accompaniment.

*To Soften Tortillas: There are a number of easy methods for warming tortillas. Wrap them in paper towels and microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. Wrap them in aluminum foil and place in a 350F oven for 6 to 7 minutes. Fry them one at a time over medium heat in a small nonstick skillet or griddle lightly coated with cooking spray or oil. Heat on a grill turning once with tongs. Stack tortillas and keep warm until ready to use.

Tags: Casserole, Chicken, Mexican, tortillas

I like the traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner but I don’t like it so much that I want to eat the same meal multiple days in a row. After the main Thanksgiving meal and a meal of leftovers the next day, I’ve pretty much had my fill of turkey and stuffing to last me until next Thanksgiving. At that point, I’m ready for something new. That’s exactly why I like to use the leftover turkey in a different dish like these delicious, creamy enchiladas. I brought them to a potluck and they were gone in no time. I doubled the recipe but probably should have tripled it.

Pretty much the only thing I did differently was to soften the tortillas in the microwave instead of frying them in oil. To do this, I wrap the stack of tortillas in a damp kitchen towel and microwave them at 30 second intervals until warm and pliable. Not only is this faster but it slims down the recipe. I like to garnish the enchiladas with sliced green olives because I love the salty flavor and color that they add to the dish. You can substitute cooked chicken for the turkey if you like. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd.

The Great After-Thanksgiving Turkey Enchiladas
- recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine - epicurious.com

Yield: Serves 6

3 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups finely chopped onions
1 28-ounce can enchilada sauce
5 plum tomatoes, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle chilies*
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups coarsely shredded cooked turkey
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup sour cream
12 5- to 6-inch corn tortillas
*Chipotle chilies canned in a spicy tomato sauce are sold at Latin American markets, at specialty foods stores and at some supermarkets.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 cups onions and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add enchilada sauce, tomatoes and chipotles. Cover; simmer 20 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Mix turkey, 11/2 cups cheese, sour cream, 1/4 cup onions and 1/2 cup cilantro in bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Cook 1 tortilla until pliable, about 20 seconds per side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Spread 1/2 cup sauce in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1/4 cup turkey mixture in center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas. Arrange seam side down in dish. Spoon 2 1/2 cups sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Bake enchiladas until heated through, about 30 minutes.

Rewarm remaining sauce in saucepan over medium-low heat. Transfer to sauceboat. Serve enchiladas, passing sauce separately.

Tags: Casserole, Christmas leftovers, enchiladas, holidays, leftover turkey, Main Dish, Mexican, Thanksgiving leftovers, turkey