Bring On The Leftovers

One of my favorite days of the whole year is Thanksgiving morning.  I can't explain it.  There's just something very special and satisfying for me about waking up early to put the menu I've spent days planning in to motion. I haven't had to many years making a homemade Thanksgiving dinner for a family and to be honest I've never prepared it in the truly traditional way. I've fried my turkey, I've roasted just a breast, I have made a turducken and I've purchased a boneless turkey breast that was stuffed with herbs, cranberries and sage infused dark meat in the middle. I have been very lucky to grow up in a home that takes very special care with the preparation of the turkey. My Mom and Dad have always been very smart about what to do with the leftovers and to make sure that non of the turkey goes to waste. This year I made turkey and brie wrapped in puff pastry along with sage stuffing, green beans almondine, gingered carrots and a mixed fruit salad of pomegranate seeds, mango, peach, apple and raspberries. I've got a lot to work with. With such an abundance of food, you've got to think out of the box, but still hold on to those traditional all time favorite left over recipes. I hope you can find some here.

Terrific Turkey Salad (perfect with chicken too)

Ingredients 

Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
5 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad
2 cups skinless white turkey cubes
3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
2 cups red seedless grapes
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1/4 cup dried craisins

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad. This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Slice celery, chopped pecans, halved grapes, craisins and turkey in mixing bowl. Fold gently to combine and add dressing. 

Turkey Tetrazini  serves 6-8

                       
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
12 ounces spaghetti
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups chicken stock

3/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 Tablespoon freshly chopped thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 1/2 cups 1/2-inch diced roast turkey
10 ounces frozen peas
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs or panko
1/2 cup  Parmesan cheese

 Cook your spaghetti noodles with 2 tsp. of salt until al dente or take off 1-2 minutes of the suggested cook time. You can also use any shape of noodle you want. This time I had spaghetti noodles, but I would traditionally use wide egg noodles and large shells. Strain your pasta in a colander and place your noodles in to your buttered crock pot or in to a buttered casserole dish. 

In a separate skillet over medium heat. Melt your butter and whisk in your flour until the mixture bubbles up. Don't let it burn. Add your stock and cream and mix together with the roux and add your spices. Let it simmer for a minute or two and then add your cubed turkey and thawed peas.  Pour mixture over your noodles. If you pour this mixture in to your crock pot, don't add the panko crumbs.

Mix your panko bread crumbs with 1 tsp. olive oil or melted butter and your parmesan cheese. and sprinkle over the top of your mixture. Bake in the oven covered with tinfoil at 350 for 10 minutes and then an additional 10 minutes uncovered to brown the top. It's ready when bubbles for on the edges.

If you have left over carrots from your Thanksgiving meal add those as well. I have also sauteed mushrooms, added fresh spinach leaves and cut up a roasted red pepper as well. The possibilities are endless. 

2 Recipes

Sweet Potato with maple & pecans

& Mashed Potato Cakes with Leeks & cream

This is a great recipe to do with your children, they love to mold and shape the cakes up. My little one likes to shape the potato cakes with cookie cutters. I make him stand back while I'm frying them, but he loves to oooh and ahh and feel as if he's created something special. 

 

 We usually have left over mashed potatoes and sweet potato pie. We think that even if we make extra that it will just barely be enough on the big day. I usually end up with 2-4 cups extra mashed potatoes and 2 cups of souffle or sweet potato pie, which is perfect for these potato cakes.


Sweet Potato     makes 8-10 small cakes
1 1/2 c. mashed sweet potato
1/2 tsp. cinnamon sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1tsp. flour
2 T. canola oil +1 small pat of butter for frying
Topping: 1 T. maple syrup and toasted pecan and powdered sugar
Mix all your ingredients together and form into 1 1/2 inch round patties. Heat your canola oil and butter in your non stick skillet over medium. Fry your cakes until they are golden.

Mashed Potato

3 c. prepared mashed potatoes                                    

1 leek cut and washed                                               

( sauté leeks in 1 T. butter +1 tsp. water)

1 garlic clove minced

1 T. parsley fresh or 1/2 tsp. dried parsley

2/3 c. flour, for dredging

1 1/2 tsp. sea salt + black pepper to taste

3 T. canola oil + 1 pat of butter for frying

1/2 c. sour cream

1 T. milk

1 small bunch of chives chopped

Cut and slice leeks and rinse in water until all the dirt is gone. Sauté leeks in butter and water until tender, add minced garlic at the end, but do not burn it. Add mashed potatoes in a large bowl and combine leeks and garlic, salt and pepper,  and fresh parsley. Mix until just combined, you don't want to over work the potato or it will become sticky or gluey. Form the cakes in to 1 1/2 inch rounds and dredge in flour patting off the excess. Heat your remaining oil and butter in the pan and fry the potato cakes until they are golden brown on both sides. 

Combine the sour cream, milk and chives together and serve over top the hot potato cakes.

Turkey ala King serves 4

Such a huge go to. I can't think of one year that I haven't used leftovers to make Turkey ala King. I remember fondly as a child helping my Mom make this recipe. It's no culinary feat, it's not made with exotic or expensive items, but it tastes great. We would put the Christmas tree up and be busy the whole weekend visiting with family and friends and turkey ala king was just how we did it. I don't remember having it any other time in the year, but maybe that's just because it was special at that time and I got to help make it. 

2 c. cubed leftover roasted turkey

1 c. rice 

1/2 c. water

2 c. chicken or turkey broth

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 c. frozen peas

1 heaping spoon of pimentos

1/2 c. carrots (prefer left over tid bits from Thanksgiving)

1 T. parsley minced (you could also use chives)

1 T. lemon juice

1/2 c. milk

salt and pepper to taste

Puff Pastry Sheet cut in to 4 squares

Make your rice with 1/2 c. water and 1 1/2 c. chicken or turkey broth until fork tender. 

In a medium stock pot, combine turkey, soup, milk, remaining stock, parsley, pimentos,  peas and carrots, salt and pepper and cook until it bubbles. If it seems to thick, add some water to thin it out. Place your puff pastry squares on a sprayed baking sheet and bake at 400 until puffed and golden. Once the pastry is done, remove and place on your plate. Pour lemon juice in to turkey mixture. Place your rice on top of pastry and then spoon over the turkey and sauce.