Published: April 28, 2008 03:48 pm         

Drucilla's Little Helpers: Chicken cordon bleu stromboli

Some of you may remember when I wrote about the wild turkeys eating my Roma tomatoes last summer out of my garden, and I didn't get to make any salsa. Then you may remember last spring when a turkey nearly flew into my car while I was driving up my driveway. Then the next day my neighbor called and said it got hit by a truck on the highway. Well, I learned some very useful information last week about turkeys that might come in handy.

I was taking some physical therapy in Livingston and just listening to other people talk and the conservation turned to turkeys. I found out where you shoot a turkey (not that I want to shoot a turkey). You shoot him in the head because the feathers are too thick on the breast. If you do shoot him there and it goes through, you could get feathers in the meat. That would tickle you, wouldn't it?

I learned that some people skin them and some people scald them and pick the feathers off (not that I want to do that). We used to do that when I was a child. My mother or dad would wring the chicken's head off and I'm not sure about the turkey. I think they chopped it off. The turkey or chicken would run around like a chicken with its head cut off. (George says I can do that sometimes.)

I also learned that some people roast the turkey breast on the grill and others cut the breast up in pieces and fry it. I was starting to get hungry by then, but not hungry enough to kill a turkey on the way home. Then the conservation turned to such things like groundhog and possum (not killing them but cooking them and eating them). I'm so sorry readers that I didn't have my pencil and paper to write down the recipes for cooking the groundhog and possum. That will not be my recipe this week. It's a chicken recipe (but it could be turkey).

Chicken Cordon Bleu Stromboli

1 can refrigerated crusty French loaf bread (I use the Pillsbury 11 oz.)

1/2 grated parmesan cheese

4 oz. thinly sliced cooked deli ham

6 oz. thinly sliced cooked deli chicken

1 6 oz. jar sliced mushrooms, drained

1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced

4 oz. (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese

6 oz. (1 1/2 cups) shredded Swiss cheese

1/4 cup purchased honey-Dijon salad dressing

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with butter flavored nonstick cooking spray. Unroll dough onto sprayed cookie sheet. Press to form 14x12-inch rectangle. Reserve 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese lengthwise in 4-inch wide strip down center of dough to within 1/4 inch of each end. Top with ham, chicken, mushrooms, bell pepper, cheeses and salad dressing. Bring one long side of dough up and over filling, completely covering filling. Repeat with remaining long side, overlapping dough. Press edge to seal. Fold ends under. With sharp knife, cut 5 slits in top of dough to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle with reserved 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 18 to 24 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Cut into slices.

Until next week, I hope you are enjoying this beautiful weather. If you have questions or recipes to share, just give me a call at (931) 839-2313 or e-mail me at drucilla1@frontiernet.net. I'll try to take my pencil and paper to therapy this week. I might get that possum recipe this week.