Not that it’s a big deal for anyone outside Canada, Britain,
or other Commonwealth countries. The main reason I love Boxing Day is that it
means the craziness of the Christmas holiday is over.
The presents have been exchanged, the massive amounts of
food consumed (notwithstanding leftovers), and most of the company has gone
home. Not all, but most.
A wonderfully lazy day looms ahead of me as I plan for gift
returns, plot out the after-holiday sale shopping, and am perfectly happy with
a toasted turkey and cranberry sandwich for supper. With any luck, there will
be one last helping of broccoli casserole and a piece of sweet potato pie left
as well.
Then, for supper, I’ll make my favorite post-holiday
casserole ... Turkey Chalupa. For those still looking for something to do with
the last of the roasted beast, I’m happy to share:
Turkey Chalupa Casserole
- 1 bag of Frito chips, crushed (may substitute plain tortilla chips)
- 2 cups diced leftover turkey
- 1 16 oz container sour cream
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno peppers (from a jar) (optional)
- 1 tablespoon juice from jalapeno jar (for extra spicy, also very optional)
- 2 cups shredded cheese (divided) (I use a 3-cheese blend or Tex-Mex)
Instructions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
- Lightly butter or spray a 13x9 pan
- Cover the bottom of pan with crushed Fritos (or substitute)
- Top with diced turkey
- In a mixing bowl, combine sour cream, canned soup (do not dilute), and peppers. If adding juice, mix that in as well. Stir in half of the shredded cheese.
- Pour the sour cream/soup mixture evenly over the diced turkey
- Top with remaining cheese
- Bake for 40 minutes until cheese is bubbly and brown on top.
- Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
~ ~ ~
Once the casserole is in the oven, I usually curl up with a
good book and cup of coffee or tea and wait for the oven timer to ding!
If you’re looking for a new read that’s as spicy as my
casserole, may I recommend Do
You Want Me, a modern re-telling of the Grimm fairy tale, The Devil’s Sooty
Brother.
Decorated war hero Reece Michaels agrees to go undercover in
order to bring down the Irish Mob. In return, the civilian life he’s coveted
for the past six years will be returned to him.
Hired by mob boss Sean O’Malley to protect his youngest son,
Reece soon discovers the young man needs more protection from his own family
than its enemies.
What Reece doesn’t count on is his instant attraction to the
police chief’s beautiful and willing daughter. Abby Mackenzie is the younger
sister of a woman with whom Reece once had a torrid affair. He’s determined to
not give in to Abby’s come-hither ways. After all, one Mackenzie woman was more
than enough.
~ ~ ~
A Sneak Peek
Reece sat at the end of the long, mahogany bar nursing two
fingers of Scotch.
“The boss is finishing up with some family business,” the
bartender told him.
“Thanks, Eddie. I’m in no hurry.” He tossed back another
mouthful of the hot, amber liquid and turned on the wooden stool to survey the
room. Besides Eddie, the middle-aged bartender, three other ‘associates’ of
O’Malley’s camped out in different corners of the half-empty bar. Obviously,
O’Malley’s wealth was not dependent on his drinking clientele.
The door to the back office opened and a young woman stepped
over the threshold. She looked vaguely familiar. As discreetly as he could
manage, given the lack of a crowd, he studied her face. She smiled at him and
then walked slowly in his direction. The gentle sway of her slim hips drew his
attention like a magnet.
“Reece Michaels?” Her voice, a husky mix of warm honey and
expensive whiskey, literally melted over his name. “Is it really you?”
“Uh….”
She laughed softly and tossed her head, her auburn curls
swishing from side to side, dusting her silk-clad shoulders. When she met his
gaze, her amber eyes widened. “Abby. Abby Mackenzie. You know my sister Lily
and, as an unwelcome result, my dad.”
The breath he’d held came out on a whoosh. “My, my, haven’t
you grown up? And quite nicely, I might add.”
“And you look like crap.”
Laughter bubbled up in his chest, but he tamped it down.
“Thanks, I think.”
She made a show of waving her hand in a circle in front of
his face. “What’s with the scraggly beard and God-awful slicked-back hair? If I
remember correctly, and I’m sure I do, you used to be good-looking, in a
clean-cut sort of way.”
“And you used to have freckles and braces. We all change.”
~ ~ ~
Hopefully everyone is recovering nicely from whichever
winter holiday they celebrate.
Due to other professional constraints, this will be my last
column for the Decadent Divas. I wish all of the other contributors much
success and the readers many happy days of health, wealth and good reading!
Nancy
