Simple Thanksgiving Casserole

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 lb. Ground turkey
• 1 12oz. pkg. Pepperidge Farm Country Style Cubed Stuffing (or any other variety)
• 1 can Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 Soup can full of water
• 2 tbsp. Butter
• 2 1/2 cups Low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup Diced onions
• 1/2 cup Diced celery
• 1/2 cup Diced carrots
• 3/4 cup Dried cranberries roughly chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

I came up with this simple recipe just a few weeks ago when I was trying to come up with dinner and only had a pound of frozen turkey to work with. We’ve all been there. You’re due for a shopping trip, and you’ve stretched the pantry and fridge as far as it can go. I nearly resorted to making grilled cheese sandwiches with swiss cheese when it came to me.

When I think of Turkey, I immediately think of dressing, and I had nearly an entire 12 oz. bag of Pepperidge Farm’s stuffing ( I had already used about a cup of it in a meatloaf I’d made a few nights before). I had a few carrots and stalks of celery left over from making chicken pot pie, and I always have dried cranberries on hand because we eat them in our salads. All of this, along with a can each of cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup on the verge of expiring, screamed savory casserole!

This casserole holds all the essential Thanksgiving favorites in one dish. And, since many of us will be downsizing the guest list this year, or even doing the holiday solo, this could be the solution to a simple, but still very delicious, Thanksgiving dinner.

Here’s how you make it:

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and then brown the ground turkey in a skillet until fully cooked. Be sure to season the turkey with salt and pepper.

While the turkey is browning, add the butter to a separate pot and sauté onions, celery and carrots over medium heat until they start to soften.

Next, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, turn off the heat to the broth and veggie mixture and fold in the entire package of stuffing. In a separate bowl or large pitcher, combine the cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups, along with one soup can full of water. Mix together with a whisk and pour the soup mixture into the stuffing mixture and stir together. It will be wet and soupy, but that’s how it should be.

Also, this is the time to add salt and pepper to the dressing mixture. Be sure to taste it to make sure it’s seasoned to your liking.

Now, it’s time to layer the casserole! You can use spray Pam or grease the dish with butter if you’re worried about it sticking. Start with 1/3 of the stuffing mixture in the bottom of a glass casserole dish. Layer 1/2 of the browned turkey on top of that, and then 1/2 of the chopped cranberries. Now repeat with another 1/3 of the stuffing mixture, and the remaining turkey and cranberries.

Finish with the last portion of the stuffing mixture on top. Use a spoon to smooth out the last layer and pop it in the oven and bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Turn up the heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until casserole is bubbling and starting to brown on top.

And that’s it! Thanksgiving dinner in one dish. This would go perfectly with a baked sweet potato on the side.

If you end up going all out for Thanksgiving dinner this year, the recipe could definitely be adapted to use your leftover turkey (shredded), dressing and cranberry sauce. Although, you probably wouldn’t want to use the jellied cranberry sauce in a can for this recipe.

I hope you will give this recipe a try, and let me know what you think!