This casserole is perfect for using up some of the

Thanksgiving leftovers.

It calls for turkey but I have used ham and

 I think salmon would be great to.

I do prefer using ham over turkey but both are good.

You can play with this recipe.. try different cheese and vegetables..

Make it your own.. It is good and easy.

 

CHEESY TURKEY PASTA 

12 ounces penne pasta

1 box frozen peas and carrots

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon onion flakes

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

5 tablespoons flour

3 cups whole milk

2 cups cooked turkey, diced ham.. or whatever you like.

2  1/2 cusp shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

 

heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 3 quart baking dish with non stick cooking spray; set aside.

In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions. When cooked, drain and rinse with hot water. Cook the peas and carrots according to package directions; drain and set aside.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add the onion flakes, parsley and garlic. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for an additional minute. Next add the milk and stir until thickened. Add the turkey and 2 cups of the shredded cheese and cook until cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. Add the drained pasta and the peas and carrots to the sauce, stirring to with a dash of salt and pepper, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

 Bake pasta dish for about 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted.

 

This year for Thanksgiving hubby and I

decided to do something we have never done.

Well not at Thanksgiving any way...

He took some vacation time and I took four days off

so we could spend some time off together...

just us... LOL like that really ever works out.. right.

Ok so it had been deer season here....sssoooo...

 We spent the first day together processing our deer...

it has to be done so we did it together.

We are thankful to have deer to put into the freezer.

 

The second day was Thanksgiving day...

We choose to spend it at home.. well more or less..

We usually go to family's home for dinner but it is getting so hard

 to fit every thing in these days.

 So I fixed us a nice pot roast with all the trimmings. Yumm.

Just the two of us. a nice quite meal together... Sigh!

Then we went to see his mother..

 she was in a good mood that day so that was good.

She is really not doing very well.

We also decided to go shopping.. on black Friday ...

which started at 6 pm thanksgiving day.

Neither of us had ever gone shopping on black Friday..

so we thought we should see just what it was about...

We may never do that again.. LOL It was not a horrible experience

but I probably won't feel the need to ever do it again..

We got home late with our loot...

I know it was midnight when I looked at the clock going to bed. 

Then we were up before 5 am Friday to get to tractor supply

The boys needed tractors for Christmas.

and our daughter in law could not get there in time

 so we got them for her..

It is funny because there is nothing that would have gotten me out of bed and

 shopping that early for my own children when they were small.

 But grandkids are different.

I was actually happy to be up early shopping for them..

I am not a morning person and I hate shopping...

Yes it is different for grand children... LOL

 

Saturday we had thanksgiving at our house with our kids..

Our daughter works thanksgiving day and the day after so we

try to get together the week end before or the weekend after.

Friday was spent cooking and cleaning, but hubby helped.

Ok so he mostly just stayed out of my way... but that was very helpful.

I can't say I was well rested after my time off

but I did enjoy it all..

Playing with the boys... just hanging out with my kids..

I hope every one else enjoyed their time

however they choose to spent it.