Deep Fried Turkey

Peanut Oil

Turkey (Check fryer instructions, most accept no

larger than a 15 lb. bird.)

1 stick butter

½ tsp. garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:  To measure the amount of oil needed to fry the turkey, place turkey in 

fryer and add water to the top of the turkey.  Remove the turkey and the water line 

will indicate how much oil will be needed to fry the turkey.  Having too much oil can 

cause a fire.  The pot should not be more than ¾ full or the oil could overflow when 

the turkey is added.

Preheat the oil in the pot to 400 degrees.

Melt butter with spices.  Cool.  Pat the turkey dry.  Ensure that the turkey is fully 

thawed.  A frozen turkey hitting the hot oil can explode!

Rub butter mixture over turkey.  Pour any remaining butter mixture inside the bird.  

The goal is to coat the turkey in the butter so that when the turkey goes into the oil it 

is an oiled surface meeting an oiled surface.  

Carefully submerge turkey in preheated oil.   Deep fry for 3 minutes per pound and 

cook until turkey floats to the top.  Remove bird from oil.  Let rest 15-20 minutes 

before carving.

Comment:  BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WHEN DEEP FRYING THE TURKEY!  

Do it outdoors on a level and non-flammable surface away from the house.  The oil 

will splatter and can stain concrete surfaces.

Chicken Penne Casserole

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped red pepper

½ cup chopped green pepper

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. parsley flakes

½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 T. oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ cups uncooked penne pasta

14 ½ oz. diced tomatoes, undrained

3 T. tomato paste

¾ cup chicken broth

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup grated Romano or parmesan cheese

Directions:  In a large sauce pan with oil, sauté chicken, onion, peppers and 

seasonings until the chicken is no longer pink.  Add garlic and cook one minute 

longer.  Cook penne pasta according to package directions.  

Meanwhile, mix tomato paste and diced tomatoes.  Add tomato mixture to chicken 

mixture.  Stir in chicken broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 

10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened.  

Drain pasta.  Toss with chicken mixture.  Spoon half the mixture into a greased 2 

quart baking dish.  Sprinkle with half the cheeses.  Repeat layers.  Cover.  Bake at 

350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Uncover; bake 15-20 minutes longer.

Comment:  Also works well with left over chicken or with chicken pulled from roast 

chicken.

Lazarus Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked chicken, cut into 2” pieces (easier, and

more flavorful, to just pull apart a roasted chicken

from the grocery store) 

2 cups coarsely diced celery

1 pint pecans

1 pint Lazarus Chicken Salad Dressing

Dressing:

½ cup flour ½ cup sugar

2 tsp. dry mustard 1 T. salt

1 tsp. paprika 2 cups milk

1 cup hot vinegar + 3 parts mayonnaise

¼ cup beaten egg yolk

Directions:  Make Dressing first.  Thoroughly mix flour, sugar, dry mustard, salt, 

and paprika.  Add to milk and cook in a double boiler until thickens.  Add hot 

vinegar and continue to cook 10 minutes.  Add a little of the hot mixture to the egg 

yolk (to keep it from becoming scrambled eggs when added).   Add eggs to hot 

mixture and cook 10 minutes longer.  Chill.  Before using, blend one-part dressing to 

three parts mayonnaise.

Mix together chicken, celery and pecans (as well as your optional ingredients like 

onions, fruit).  Add Dressing and toss gently.  Better if it can be refrigerated for a 

few hours for flavors to blend.

Comment:  Makes more dressing than needed. The dressing really is the base.  A 

touch of curry powder kicks it up. The salad can be made even better by adding green onion and then cut fruit like apples or grapes or mandarin oranges.

Roast Chicken

5-6 lb. roasting chicken

Kosher salt

Pepper

Large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs

1 lemon, halved

1 head garlic, cut in half

1 apple, cut in slices

2 T. butter, melted

1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced

4 carrots cut into 2” chunks

1 bulb fennel, tops removed, cut in wedges

Olive oil

Directions:  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  

Remove chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out.  Remove any excess fat 

and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry.  Liberally salt and pepper the inside 

of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and 

all the garlic.  If space, some apple slices as well.  Brush the outside of the chicken 

with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper.

Tie the legs of the chicken together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under 

the body of the chicken.  Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan.  Toss 

with salt, pepper and additional thyme sprigs and olive oil.  Spread around bottom of 

the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1½ hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a 

leg and thigh.  Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with 

aluminum foil for about 20 minutes.  Slice the chicken and serve.

Comment:

Chicken Parmesan

2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 T. plus ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

½ tsp. basil

½ tsp. dried oregano

¼ tsp. sugar

Salt & Pepper to taste

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved crosswise

½ cup dry bread crumbs

8 oz. spaghetti

½ cup Mozzarella cheese

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:  In a large saucepan, heat garlic and 2T. oil over medium heat until garlic 

starts to sizzle.  Stir in tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar, pinch of salt, pepper.  Bring 

to a simmer; simmer until sauce thickens a bit and flavors meld, 10-12 minutes.  

Cover and keep warm.

Put chicken pieces between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound until the cutlets are 

about ¼” thick.

Bring 2 quarts of salted water to boil in a large soup kettle.  Preheat boiler.

In a pie pan, beat egg until well blended.  In another pie pan, mix bread crumbs and 

more pepper.  Working one cutlet at a time, dip both sides in egg, then bread crumbs.  

Put cutlets on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet.  (This step helps breading stay 

put.)

Heat remaining oil over medium-high heat in a skillet.  When oil starts to shimmer, 

add cutlets and sauté, cook pasta in boiling water.

Top browned cutlets with portion of cheeses.  Broil cutlets until cheese melts.  Drain 

pasta.  Put a cutlet and a portion of pasta on plate, spoon sauce as desired.  Serve 

with extra Parmesan.

Comment:  Usually up the garlic.  Some people add thyme to taste.