Rave reviews!

Don't worry - I haven't lost my British talent for self-effacement . I'm not anticipating how all of you will feel about this dish, and 'blowing my own trumpet' (sorry Americans: can't use the word 'tooting' in my house - results in incontrollable giggles). I am merely giving an accurate representation of the reaction around our dinner table when its occupants were served up this little beauty:

Yes indeed. In fact, there were rave reviews after one bite, and then some of them actually stopped shoveling mid-meal to repeat their appreciation of the meal on offer. This does not always happen in our house. And to be fair, the occupants of my dinner table are not always the most discerning of foodies (current favorite for youngest son is cheddar cheese bagels spread with about 1" of nutella...or 2" if you don't whisk the jar away quickly enough). But, I have to concur with even the less understandable tastes around the table in this case, as this one will definitely make the menu in our house again.

It's also easy-peasy, coming from one of my favorite easy-peasy books: 9"x13" The Pan That Can. Yes indeed, it can, and it did it again. I did tweak a little, opting to use ground turkey rather than beef, as I just prefer it. I also added some fresh herbs, to give it a pop. I apologize to those reading from the UK, where I don't think you can get crescent dough in tubes (really, the Pillsbury Dough Boy wants to get on that asap). But I think you could take some fresh pizza dough and use that on the top to a similar effect. All you need to complete the meal is a good green salad, and there you go - just sit back and let those sighs of satisfaction and rave reviews from all around just wash over you. You've earned them.

Italian Crescent Casserole
Serves 6

2lbs lean ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 16oz jar (around 2 cups) of marinara sauce
3TBSP chopped fresh basil
3 cups shredded/grated mozzarella cheese
1 8oz tub low fat sour cream
1 8oz package of refrigerated crescent rolls (or fresh (uncooked) pizza dough)
2 TBSP melted butter
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 F (190C).
2. In a large skillet, cook the turkey and onion until the meat is cooked, breaking up the meat as you go. Stir in marinara sauce, bring to a boil and then simmer until slightly thickened. Pour the meat mixture into a 9"x13" pan, and spread over the base of the pan.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the sour cream and the mozzarella cheese. Spoon this evenly over the meat in the pan.
4. Unroll the crescent dough and roll out  into a 9"x13" rectangle, pressing together the perforated lines. Place the dough over the cheese-sour cream layer.
5. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with parmesan.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes (uncovered), until top is a deep golden brown.