The recipe that I have for you today is definitely a fancy main course that takes leftovers and transforms them into the ultimate weekend dinner indulgence with my dinner crepes.
Imagine a delicate textured pancake wrapped around browned chopped onions and fresh mushrooms in a creamy cheese sauce along with leftover chicken, turkey or ham. Top those filled crepes with more cheese sauce before taking out of your oven and what you get is out of this world delicious meal enjoyment.
Though my dinner crepes take a bit of extra effort and time, they are well worth the trouble. All I ask is for you to try them once and taste them for yourself. Trust me, no one will ever know they are eating leftovers once you serve this. This will be our little secret!
Dinner Crepes Nuts Style!
Crepes:
2-1/4 cups sifted flour
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
3 cups of milk
3 eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil or a melted margarine (not spread)
Filling:
4 tablespoons of margarine (not spread) or canola oil
2 medium onions, chopped
6 tablespoons of flour
3 cups of milk
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of bottled hot red pepper sauce
1 cup of shredded cheese (Swiss, American or Brick)
2 cups of fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 cups of leftover chicken (ham, turkey, beef)
3 tablespoons margarine (not spread) or canola oil
To Prepare the Crepe Batter:
Mix flour, salt, and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl.
Stir in the milk, eggs, and melted margarine or oil.
Beat with an electric mixer or by hand with a whisk until smooth.
For each crepe, lightly brush an eight-inch skillet with that melted margarine or oil; heat over medium heat until bubbly before pouring 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet. Tilt the skillet until the batter covers the bottom.
Cook the crepe until the top is somewhat dry, then turn over and cook the bottom until lightly brown.
If you plan to do these crepe ahead of time, place waxed paper between each one. You can keep them for two days in your refrigerator and no longer than three months in your freezer.
To Prepare the Filling:
Saute onions in the four tablespoons of margarine until tender but not brown.
Mix in the tablespoons of flour and cook about one minute, stirring constantly.
Then gradually add the milk and cook until the mixture thickens.
Remove from the heat and add the salt, red pepper sauce and cheese. (You can add any spices and herbs to change along with the meats you use, if desired. However, I don't feel it is necessary for this recipe.)
Reserve 1/2 cup of this sauce for the topping.
Fry the mushrooms in the three remaining tablespoons of margarine or oil until lightly browned. Add this to the cheese sauce as well as the leftover chicken or the meat you want to clean out of your refrigerator.
To Assemble The Crepes:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Place 1/4 cup of filling into each crepe.
Roll the crepe around the filling and place in a greased, shallow baking dish.
Bake the crepes, covered with aluminum foil, for thirty minutes. Then uncover and place the remaining cheese sauce over the crepes and place under the broiler for three minutes until lightly browned.
This serves six.
ENJOY!
