| Recipes
Spice Up Leftover Turkey |
| Holiday cooking for company usually means a 10- to 15-pound
turkey or a whole ham, both of which create a mountain of
leftover meat. Then the panic sets in. What do you do with
8 to 10 pounds of leftover turkey? Turkey sandwiches for lunch
for the next month? My most requested recipe of the season
is my Turkey Tetrazzini, which can be easily made and is a
real crowd pleaser. I even received an e-mail the day after
Thanksgiving from a former Herndon resident who lost her Turkey
Tetrazzini recipe. |
| This recipe can also be frozen for later, last-minute meals.
My family loves this dish, so I plan to cook a large turkey
just so I can make this recipe over the holidays. I am also
a cheapskate at heart—when am I going to feed my family for
meat that only costs 47 cents a pound? My secret is I triple
this recipe, with one pan going into the freezer for an easy
time-bake oven meal on a cold night in January, and one to
be delivered to a family with a new baby. So with one sure-to-please
recipe, I have knocked out most of my leftover turkey meat. |
| Before the family starts whining and complaining about leftovers,
gently remind them that leftovers are very economical and
easy to prepare. Then march to the kitchen and grab the zipper-top
freezer bags, and freeze leftover turkey, ham, beef or pork
in 2-cup portions. That is usually the portion needed for
most recipes. You are now prepared for the quick casserole
and crockpot recipes listed below. |
| With a teenager in the house, we frequently entertain other
teens for dinner, and their favorite recipe is the Crockpot
White Chili. It is a real hit. I have a huge crockpot, so
I frequently double this recipe when I am serving a crowd.
The toppings are what make this recipe, so be sure to have
generous amounts of sour cream, tortilla chips and shredded
cheddar cheese. Another crowd pleaser is shredded turkey warmed
in the slow cooker with generous amounts of barbecue sauce.
Barbecued turkey is a real hit with any age and can be served
over a fresh bun and eaten while watching football games. |
| One easy thing to do with leftover turkey is homemade turkey
pot pie or turkey soup. Purchase your pie crusts, and combine
with pre-cooked potatoes and vegetables, lots of gravy on
the top, then the top crust, and you have an inexpensive meal
ready for the oven. With ham, a family favorite is a layered
ham, cheese and potato casserole, served with hot bread and
salad (recipes below). Over the years, I have come to look
forward to all of the leftovers because I can create so many
different meals from a single meat purchase. |
| |
| Nancy's
Original Creamy Turkey Tetrazzini |
| 3 cups cooked turkey |
| 1/2 lb. cooked spaghetti |
| 1 large can sliced mushrooms |
| 3 Tbsp. butter |
| 2 Tbsp. flour |
| 1 can chicken broth |
| 2 cups heavy cream |
| 1/2 cup sour cream |
| 1/2 cup cooking sherry |
| 1/2 cup gently toasted sliced almonds |
| 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated |
| Combine drained mushrooms and sherry in a saucepan and gently
bring to a boil. Remove from heat, stir and cool. Make a white
sauce with the butter and flour, then stir and add the chicken
broth. Gradually add the heavy cream, and continue to stir
constantly. Then add the sour cream, do not boil. This will
be a thick sauce. Remove from heat. Add mushrooms and sherry.
Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking oil. Layer spaghetti
in the bottom, then the sliced turkey, then the toasted almonds.
Pour creamy mixture over the top, and top this with Parmesan
cheese. Cover with foil, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes in
a 350 degree oven until bubbly. Serve with hot bread. This
dish also freezes well. |
| |
| Pineapple
Turkey |
| 1 (16-oz.) can pineapple chunks, reserve juice |
| 1 cup sugar |
| 2 Tbsp. cornstarch |
| 3/4 cup vinegar |
| 1 Tbsp. soy sauce |
| 1/4 tsp. ginger |
| 1 chicken bouillon cube, crushed |
| 1 large green pepper, chopped |
| 2 cups cooked turkey |
| Chinese noodles |
| Mix cornstarch, vinegar, crushed bouillon cube, ginger,
reserve pineapple juice, sugar and soy sauce in a bowl until
smooth. Mix all remaining ingredients, and pour cornstarch
mixture over top. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with
cooking spray, and pour turkey mixture into dish. Cover with
foil, and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover, and
top with Chinese noodles. Bake for 10 more minutes. Serve
with cooked rice. |
| |
| Teenager
Crockpot White Chili |
| 2 cups cooked, shredded turkey |
| 3 (15-oz.) cans cannellini beans |
| 1 (15-oz.) can butter beans |
| 1 cup chopped onions |
| 1 large green pepper, chopped |
| 1 small can chopped jalapeno peppers |
| 2 garlic cloves, minced |
| 1 tsp. ground cumin (or more to taste) |
| 1/2 tsp. salt |
| 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper |
| 1/2 tsp. dried oregano |
| 3 cans chicken broth |
| Generous amounts of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese
and tortilla chips for toppings. |
| Combine all ingredients except sour cream, cheddar cheese
and tortilla chips in a crockpot. Cover and cook on low for
8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Spoon into bowls, and top
with crushed tortilla chips, a generous dollop of sour cream,
and shredded cheddar cheese. This can be adjusted to increase
the spice by adding more ground cumin, but use caution, as
this can be easily overdone. |
| |
| Hot Turkey
Almond Bake |
| 2 cups cooked turkey |
| 1 cup celery |
| 1 cup cooked white rice |
| 1 cup mayonnaise |
| 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced |
| 1 medium onion, chopped |
| 1 Tbsp. lemon juice |
| 1 tsp. salt |
| Small can sliced water chestnuts, drained |
| 1/2 cup butter |
| 1 cup toasted sliced almonds |
| 1 cup corn flakes |
| Toast almonds on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven until
golden brown. Cool. Mix all ingredients together except butter,
toasted almonds and cornflakes. Put in a 2-quart baking dish,
with high sides. Melt butter and combine with almonds and
cornflakes. Sprinkle this on top of the casserole. Bake for
40 minutes at 350 degrees. (Crushed potato chips can be substituted
for corn flakes.) |
| |
| Gaynelle's
Baked Turkey Salad |
| 2 cups cooked turkey, sliced into bits |
| 1 cup shell macaroni, cooked |
| 1 cup diced celery |
| 2 Tbsp. minced onion |
| 1/2 cup pecan pieces |
| 2 cups crushed potato chips |
| 1 cup sliced water chestnuts |
| 3 hard-cooked eggs, sliced |
| 1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted |
| 1 Tbsp. lemon juice |
| 3/4 cup mayonnaise |
| 1/2 tsp. pepper |
| 1 tsp. salt |
| Mix all ingredients in a bowl except mayonnaise and soup.
Toss gently. Add mayonnaise and soup, mix everything gently,
and pour into a large greased casserole dish. Bake 30 minutes
at 350 degrees. Serves 6 to 8. Serve warm with a tossed salad
and fresh bread. |
| |
| Mom's
Layered Ham, Cheese and Potato Casserole |
| 4 medium potatoes, peeled, cooked and sliced |
| 2 cups ham, cubes or small chunks |
| 3 cups grated cheddar cheese |
| 1 medium onion, sliced finely |
| 4 Tbsp. butter |
| 4 Tbsp. flour |
| 2 1/4 cups hot milk |
| 1/2 tsp. salt |
| 1/2 tsp. dry mustard |
| Dash of pepper |
| Melt butter, stir in the flour, add hot milk and seasonings
and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Grease a 2-quart
casserole dish with high sides. Place half of the potatoes
in the bottom, then half the ham, then 1/2 of the onion, then
white sauce over this, then cheese. Repeat the layers, and
put more cheese on top is preferred. Bake at 350 degrees for
35 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles. |
