For my pot pie, I purchase bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, season with salt and pepper and roast in a 350° oven for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°. I let the breast cool, and shred the meat off the bone with a fork. You can also check the prepared food section of your favorite market either for a rotisserie chicken for this dish or if they sell shredded poultry meat.
 
The recipe starts by briefly cooking sliced carrots and diced potato in boiling water for five minutes and draining. In a large skillet, the butter is melted and the onion sautéed. Flour is added to the pan and cooked for a minute to remove the raw flour taste. Stock is added along with the seasonings and hot sauce and cooked until thickened. The call for white pepper is so that you don’t see pepper specks in your white sauce.
 
The corn bread topping is made in a large bowl sifting the dry ingredients together. I use a 2-cup measuring cup to measure the wet ingredients; an egg, milk and oil and mix. The wet is incorporated into the dry until just combined.
 
Using a 3-quart casserole, layer the meat on the bottom, top with 1/3 of the vegetables and season with salt and white pepper. Continue layering turkey and vegetables. Pour the sauce on top followed by the batter for the corn bread. Place the casserole on a rimmed baking sheet (in case of spillage to keep your oven clean) and bake until cooked through and top is golden.
 
What a hearty meal for a cold winter’s night. The dish is appealing to kids of all ages with vegetables mixed with the sauce and meat. The sauce isn’t too thick or runny and the seasoning is well balanced with the hint of onion.
 
The New York Times does a cookie week column during this time of the year. While they all sound delicious, the one that caught my eye was by Claire Saffitz for Mortadella Cookies. These cookie rounds replicate an actual slice of mortadella, which is an Italian cold cut made of cured pork with pork fat cubes, chopped pistachios and spiced with black pepper and myrtle berries. Its signature look are its fat and pistachio dots in the meat. To replicate the look, Ms. Saffitz used macadamia for the fact and for the pink color, ground freeze-dried strawberries. For the cookies soft texture, she uses almond paste. Other ingredients include all-purpose flour, kosher salt, baking powder, unsalted butter, powdered sugar, almond extract, an egg white and sanding sugar.
 
Ever since I discovered King Arthur Baking’s recipe for DYI  Almond Paste, I’ve been making it ever since. I purchase ground almond flour at Costco ($13.59 for a three-pound bag) and add confectioners’ sugar, an egg white, table salt and almond extract and mix it in my food processor.
 
The recipe begins by minimally chopping the nuts. In the bowl of a food processor, you’ll combine the flour, freeze-dried strawberries, salt and baking powder.  When done, it’s sifted through a fine mesh strainer then set aside in a bowl. In the same bowl, add  butter, almond paste, powdered sugar and almond extract and process until smooth. Next, a tablespoon of lightly whisked egg white is added and the mixture processed again.
 
Ms. Saffitz has you place the dough on a sheet of parchment, kneading to bring it together,  followed by mixing in the nuts. Doing it this way was a bit of a pain. Next time, I’ll knead the dough and nuts together in a bowl.
 
The recipe goes on to have you roll the dough into a log, chill, remove from refrigerator, coat with the balance of the egg white then coat in sanding sugar. I’ve included a video link showing Ms. Saffitz making this cookie. While she advised to use a sharp knife to cut 1/4” thick rounds, another cook suggested  a meat slicing knife, which has a very thin blade. This suggestion allowed me to make nice, thin slices.
 
What a delightful and delicious cookie. The texture of the cookie is slightly crisp on the edges, but tender in the middle, which is from the use of almond paste. The cookie isn’t overly sweet and the sanding sugar adds tiny bit of crunch on the edges. While macadamia nuts are expensive the recipe calls for a mere 2.5 ounces. I priced them at my local food stores (using their store apps), I purchased a small container (.40 ounces) at Delicious Orchards just over $5 ($12.99/lb.). There’s enough in the container to do another batch.
 
Believe it or not, I still had one last piece of produce from my 2025 Dreyer Farm CSA box, an acorn squash. A quick internet search led me “Taste of Home” website and their “test kitchen approved” recipe by Lindsay Oberhausen for Roasted Herbed Squash with Goat Cheese. I got a two for one with this recipe, as I had some goat cheese in my refrigerator.
 
The recipe calls for two acorn squashes and a butternut squash, olive oil, minced fresh thyme, minced fresh rosemary, kosher salt, coarsely ground black pepper, goat cheese, fresh parsley and slightly warmed maple syrup.
 
Despite not have a second acorn squash or butternut squash, I adjusted the quantities and proceeded. Also, not having my cold frame this winter, I am nursing my thyme and rosemary plants in a southern facing window this winter.
 
The hardest part of this recipe was peeling an acorn squash. The best way I found was to cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and slice into wedges followed by peeling with a peeler and occasionally using a paring knife.
 
The squash is drizzled with olive oil and seasonings and baked on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet until tender. The recipe calls for cooling slightly before adding the goat cheese. The squash is tossed with the cheese, drizzled with maple syrup and garnished with chopped parsley.
 
This was a tasty dish with a nice contrast between the tender squash and mild tang of the goat cheese. The maple syrup added a subtle sweetness. My husband and I enjoyed this preparation; however, I would have preferred it hot versus slightly cooled.​

Turkey Pot Pie with Corn Bread Crust
“Food and Wine Magazine,” date unknown
 
Servings: 8
 
Filling
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced 3/-8” disk thick
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
6 tablespoon unsalted butter
2  medium onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups hot turkey stock, chicken stock or canned broth
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
 4 generous cups cubed cooked, skinned turkey (if you don’t have enough turkey, augment with baked ham)*
1 cup frozen lima beans, thawed*
 
Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white cornmeal*
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
3 tablespoons safflower or corn oil*
 
Preparation

1. Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 425°. In a small saucepan of lightly salted boiling water, cook the carrots over high heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the carrots with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the potato to the same boiling water and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, without browning for 1 minute. Whisk in hot stock. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking, until the sauce is thickened. Season with ½ teaspoon each of the salt and white pepper and add the hot pepper sauce. Simmer over low heat, whisking frequently, for 3 minutes longer.
3. Place a layer of turkey in the bottom of greased 3-quart casserole or baking dish. Top with 1/3 of carrots, potato and lima beans. Season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and white pepper and continue to layer the remaining turkey and vegetables. Pour the sauce over all and set aside while you prepare the batter for the crust.
4. Make the crust: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk and oil until blended. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, do not overmix.
5. Pour the batter evenly over the top of the turkey and vegetables and bake until the crust is golden brown on top and cooked through the center, 35 to 40 minutes.

 
*Donna’s Notes

• I am not sure how old this recipe is, but I’ll say it’s from the late 80’s. These days I roast bone-in chicken breasts, then shred the meat off the bone. If I had leftover turkey, I would shred that.
• I have used white cornmeal.
• My husband dislikes lima beans so I substitute frozen peas.
• Any neutral oil will do in place of safflower or corn oil.

​Mortadella Cookies
Recipe by Claire Saffitz
“These 7 Cookies Will Be the Life of Every Party,”
By Vaughn Vreeland, The New York Times, December 1, 2025
 
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes, plus at least 2-1/2 hours’ freezing and cooling
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, plus at least 2-1/2 hours freezing
 
Yield: 24 cookies
 
Ingredients
½ cup/2½ ounces raw macadamia nuts, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
3 tablespoons raw pistachios, chopped into ⅛-inch pieces
1¼ cups/163 grams all-purpose flour
1½ ounces freeze-dried strawberries (about 2 cups)
½ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) or ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (such as Morton)
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter, chilled, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
4 ounces almond paste, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
⅔ cup/83 grams powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg white, divided
⅓ cup/60 grams sanding sugar
 
Preparation

1. Toss the macadamia nuts and pistachios on a cutting board or work surface to combine, then lift the pieces into a small bowl, leaving behind any very fine bits (reserve bits for stirring into yogurt or oatmeal, or adding to any batter). Set the nut pieces aside.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, freeze-dried strawberries, salt and baking powder. Process until the strawberries are completely ground into the flour and the mixture is a uniform pink color, about 45 seconds. Sift the flour mixture through a fine-mesh strainer onto a piece of parchment paper that’s at least 14 inches long, discarding any bits of strawberry left in the strainer. Set aside the flour mixture.
3. In the food processor bowl (no need to wash), combine the butter, almond paste, powdered sugar and almond extract, and process, pausing once to scrape down the bowl, until the mixture is completely smooth. In a small bowl, beat the egg white with a fork until it’s broken up and just a little bit foamy, then measure out 1 tablespoon and add to the food processor (reserve the remaining egg white for a later step; see Tips). Process until smooth, scrape down the bowl, then add the flour mixture (reserve the parchment paper). Process again until a ball of dough forms around the blade, about 20 seconds, scraping halfway through.
4. Turn the dough out onto the reserved parchment paper and knead briefly to bring it together and eliminate any streaks. Pat down the dough until it’s about ¾-inch thick, then sprinkle the reserved nuts over the top. Knead the dough again until all of the nuts are evenly distributed, then form the dough into a 10-inch-long log oriented lengthwise on the parchment paper. Roll the log over the parchment into a smooth cylinder, then press any larger nut pieces on the surface of the cylinder into the center, pinching the dough around it to seal. (This will make the cookies easier to slice.)
5. Fold the end of the parchment paper farthest from you down and over the log, and place a bench scraper over the parchment, angled slightly downward but nearly parallel to the work surface. Push the scraper along the length of the log to force it into a cylinder shape, packing the cylinder tightly, until you have a log that’s about 12 inches long and a little less than 2 inches in diameter.
6. Roll up the log into the parchment paper, then tightly wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap, leaving some overhang. Grasping the excess parchment paper and plastic wrap on both ends of the log, twist until the dough is tightly compacted into a firm cylinder. Refrigerate until the dough is cold and firm, at least 2 hours. (See Tips.)
7. Sprinkle the sanding sugar across a clean work surface or cutting board. Remove the log of dough from the refrigerator and unwrap. Brush the surface of the log all over with the reserved egg white, then roll the log in the sanding sugar, pressing firmly so the sugar adheres, until it’s completely coated. Place the log on a small cutting board and freeze until very firm but not frozen solid, 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Heat oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
9. Remove the dough from the freezer and use a sharp knife to slice off one end, then slice the log into ¼-inch-thick rounds, placing them on the prepared baking sheet about ½ inch apart (the cookies will spread slightly). As you slice, rotate the log to maintain a round shape. Refrigerate any slices of dough you weren’t able to fit on the baking sheet.
10. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven (center rack) and bake until the cookies are just barely golden brown at the edges, 16 to 19 minutes. Let cool for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack, then bake any remaining cookies as you did the first batch.

Tips

• If you want a deeper pink color in your end result, add a few drops of red gel food coloring in Step 3.
• Dough log can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months (coat in sanding sugar just before slicing). Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator for 24 hours before slicing. Baked cookies will keep in an airtight container for several days (they will soften slightly over time).

Roasted Herbed Squash with Goat Cheese
Recipe by Lindsay Oberhausen
Tested by Taste of Home Test Kitchen
 
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
 
Ingredients
2 medium acorn squash (about 1-1/2 pounds each), peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 large butternut squash (5 to 6 pounds), peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 log (11 ounces) fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon maple syrup, warmed slightly
 
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Toss squashes with oil and seasonings. Transfer to 2 foil-lined 15x10x1-in. baking pans.
2. Roast squash, stirring once, until soft and some pieces are caramelized, 30-35 minutes. Switch position of pans midway through roasting to ensure even doneness. If a darker color is desired, broil 3-4 in. from heat 2-4 minutes.
3. Cool slightly. To serve, add goat cheese to squash; gently toss. Sprinkle with parsley; drizzle with maple syrup.