My Husband Was an Army Cook

That was one too many cooks in my kitchen. Every Thanksgiving as I was placing the turkey, breast side up, into the roaster, he'd say, "We didn't cook turkey that way in the Army."

"Hmmm," I'd murmur.

"Breast side down. That's the way we did it in the Army," he'd continue. "The back's the fatty side. It's self-basting. It cooks faster, too."

'Who's the one who wrote the cookbook,'* I'd think, but say, "Uh huh." And place the roaster with the turkey, breast side up, into the oven. Until that fateful Thanksgiving when it was our sister-in-law Shirley's turn to cook the bird and she decided to listen to the Army cook. Breast side down.

Admittedly, it was one of the most delicious turkeys I had ever eaten. Both breast and dark meat were moist and favorable. And to top it off, it shaved 45 minutes off the roasting time. From that day forward, the Army cook referred to Shirley as "my sainted sister-in-law." From that day forward, I cooked my turkey breast side down.

The following recipe is not from the Army cook. "We didn't cook casseroles in the Army." Too bad. This Turkey Casserole is simply great. My children grew up on it and now make it for their children.

Turkey Casserole

2 cups cooked turkey, chopped (chicken works well, also)
1 cup uncooked macaroni
1 can (10 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
1 can milk
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
½ cup grated cheese

Mix all the ingredients together in a baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Stir well have way through baking.

Serve with cranberry sauce.

*I had written a cookbook a few years earlier.

Sandy Powers is the author of "Organic for Health," Winner in the Health category of the National 2008 Beach Book Festival; Finalist in the Health:General category of the National 2008 USA Best Books Awards; and accepted on file with Oprah. Visit http://www.organicforhealthsite.com

Thanks To : all clad masterchef 2 10 piece cookware set cuisinart chef's classic stainless steel 10 piece