(NAPSA)—Theholidays are a time for family and friends to come together to celebrate the season and all the great tasting dishes it has to offer. For Becki Dilley, working woman and mother of “America’s favorite sextuplets,” holiday celebrations require a few extra helping hands. “When preparing to feed a family of eight, plus visiting relatives and WyEp & friends, I love having a few m helpers in the kitchen,” says - Dilley. “My children really enjoy cooking, Lee K so I assign Baers cach of them a specific recipe to prepare.” Staples on the Dilleys’ holiday menu include a very large turkey, a whole ham and a multitude of side dishes including favorites like stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beansand, of course, lots of gravy. “Gravy is always the first thing to disappear from our table,” Dilley said. “To make sure there’s enough for everyone, I mix a packet or two of pre-blended gravy mix, like McCormick’ Turkey Gravy, into my pan drippings with water.” Even big families like the Dilleys look forward to leftovers. Here are some of their favorite ways of enjoying them. * Open-Faced Hot Turkey Sandwich—To makethis quintessential turkey leftover, simply prepare two packets of turkey gravy mix in a skillet. Add sliced turkey and simmer until warm. Place turkey on sliced bread and top with more gravy. Dilley likes to create a “toppings bar,” with stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole and other side dishes so that each of her children can customize the sandwich. “For Adrian, it’s all about the stuffing,” says Dilley. “Quinn is a big fan of mashed potatoes and Claire always reaches for the green beans.” * Timesaving Turkey Pot Pie—A crust made from refrigerated biscuits makes this delicious pot pie a snap to prepare. Combine two packets turkey gravy mix with 1% cups water and 1 cup milk in a skillet, and heat to a boil, stirring frequently. Add 2 cups turkey (cubed) and 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables and return to a boil. Let simmer 5 minutes, then spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Top with biscuits, and bake 15 minutes or until biscuits are browned. “This is a dish I can serve yearround,” says Dilley. “It also tastes great using chicken.” Easy Turkey and Rice tablespoons butter stalks celery, sliced small onion, chopped cups cubed, cooked turkey % cups water % 2 packages McCormick Turkey Gravy Mix cup milk cups cookedrice Directions: 1. Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add celery and onion and cook 5 minutesor until tender, stirring occasionally. Add turkey. 2. Blend water, gravy mix and milk. Pour over turkey mixture. Stir; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes. Serve overrice. For more helpful tips and recipes to make your holiday meals more flavorful, visit www.mecormick.com or call 1-800- MEAL-TIP(1-800-632-5847).
