Thanksgiving Left Overs

Here are some more dinner ideas for Thanksgiving Left Overs!

Wow, look at how versatile turkey is. Makes you wonder why we limit this low fat meat to only two days a year. Just stop seeing turkey as the 20 lbs monstrosity that takes half a day in the oven to cook. Nothing but turkey sandwiches for a week afterwords, not any more!

Remember:

Cut

Portion

Seal

Freeze

Now you will have a relatively low cost meat on hand to fill in for a nearly unlimited array of tasty dishes. You can slice some, cut some into bite sizes, or even to grind part of it up!

Want a quick impressive luncheon? Mix turkey pieces into any salad! (Ooo, especially a Waldorf Salad!)

Just about any recipe that calls for chicken can become more impressive made with turkey instead.

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Don't have much time? Try this quickie!

Turkey and Broccoli Stir-fry

Ingredients
½ lbs left over turkey in bite sized pieces
3 green onions, thinly sliced on an angle
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon peanut butter
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
About 1/3 cup water
4 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
1 head broccoli, trimmed into medium florets ¾ to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, optional
Sliced carrots also optional

Directions 

 

In a medium bowl, mix soy sauce, 1 tbs oil, peanut butter, sugar, ginger, and 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch until well incorporated. Using a whisk will speed this along. Add the turkey, green onions and minced garlic. Let sit to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Mix 1 tbs cornstarch with 1/3 cup water. Sit aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat with remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil.

Add the broccoli with 2 tbs of water, and stir-fry for about 2½ minutes. You want the broccoli to be still bright green but crisp. Transfer to a plate.
 

 

Let the skillet reheat with 2 more tablespoons oil. Using a slotted spoon drain the turkey out of the marinade and add to skillet. (also chili flakes if using.) Stir-fry until the turkey gets a little brown, about 2 minutes. Pour in the marinade. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil to thicken.

Return the broccoli to the pan and toss to heat through. Add more water if you need to thin the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if you like.

Mound the stir-fry on a serving platter and garnish with sesame seeds; serve with plain white rice.

Notes: If you wish: cut up and add the broccoli stems to the mix before cooking. This will add texture and also to bulk up the dish, why waste them?
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Now often with the extra pressure of shopping, decorating, holiday visits, etc. Meal times can be so much easier if you plan on smaller, quicker meals. Dishes that at other times of the year would only be considered as luncheon fair. For example, some night whip up this easy to fix omelet.

No Turkey Left Behind Omelet
Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup thawed potato hash browns
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper
6 large eggs
½ lbs or 1 cup of turkey bits
3 ounces White Cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions

Preheat a large skillet or electric griddle, over medium high heat. Squeeze out any liquid from the grated potatoes. There will be plenty believe slave on this one.

Melt the butter on the griddle. Scatter an even layer of the potatoes over the griddle or skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Using a spatula, flip the potatoes over occasionally until the potatoes are crispy and golden, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk up the eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Pour the eggs over the potatoes. Cook for about 1 minute. Sprinkle the turkey and cheese over the egg potato mixture and continue to cook for another minute. Using the spatula, fold the omelet into thirds. Continue to cook for about 30 seconds on both sides. Remove from the griddle. Slice the omelet in half and place on serving plates. Garnish with chives.
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Remember that white cheese sauce we made for the Turkey Primavera? Lets try it again for this brunch favorite.

Louisville Hot Browns

Ingredients
8 strips bacon
2 tbs Wondra flour

½ tsp salt

2 tbs butter or margarine

1 cup milk

 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 slices thick white sandwich bread, toasted, crusts removed
½ lbs leftover roast turkey
1 ripe tomato, sliced
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, then drain on paper towels. 

Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce:

Stir the milk into the flour until well mixed. Heat with the butter while stirring constantly. When it starts to boil, continue for 1 minute.

Then remove from heat and mix in the cheese.

For each Hot Brown, place 2 bread slices side by side in a small broiler-proof dish. Divide the turkey over the slices of bread and place 1 or 2 tomato slices alongside. Pour ½ cup cheese sauce over each serving. Sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese if you have any.

Broil until the sauce is bubbly and speckled brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the broiler, cross 2 strips of bacon on top and sprinkle with parsley and more Parmesan if desired.

Serve immediately.

Again this is a very quick meal. If your Master likes this with a bit more spice, just mix some sliced jalapenos into the turkey bites. Be sure to include the seeds for a still hotter dish.

 

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Now how about a nice hearty casserole for a one dish meal? Slave calls this:

Pilgrim Pie

Please note that the real Pilgrims would not and could not have fixed this. They did not have the flour nor cheese etc. This was just an easy to remember name to remind you of a basic Shepherds Pie.

Ingredients:

1 cup turkey bites

2 cup mix of any left over dressing and mashed potatoes

½ pkg of mixed vegetables (cooked)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 pkg croissant rolls

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 350 and spray a 9 x 12 baking dish.

If you have any dressing and or mash potatoes left over mix together 2 cups of these and spread on bottom of pan. If no left overs, make some mashed potatoes and let that be the first layer.

For mashed potatoes if needed:

4 red potatoes peeled & diced
¼ cup half-and-half
2 ounces unsalted butter
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk

Directions:

Peel and dice the potatoes. Cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, uncover, lower the temp so that you just maintain the simmer. cook 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat the butter and ½ & ½ in microwave till melted about 25 sec.

Drain the potatoes and mash, add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper as you mash until you get the right texture then stir in the yolk until it is well mixed in.

If you don't have the vegetables already cooked, you can toss them into the boiling water after removing the potatoes with a slotted spoon. They only take about 4 minutes. Season as you wish.

If you already have first layer done, just pop the veggies in the microwave.

Be sure to drain well.

Spread this across the top of the potatoes. Then measure out the turkey evenly over that. Sprinkle with cheese to completely cover everything.

On wax paper, unroll the sheet of croissant rolls. Carefully use this as a top crust over the pan. It is better if it does NOT seal the top completely.

Bake following the directions on the package of rolls.

Preheat to 375, bake for about 10 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown.

Don't worry about the perforations in the dough, if asked: just say it is so steam will escape! This also works well for a top crust on chicken pot pie, which is also easy to make with turkey!

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Now you have seven easy to make dishes to best use that left over turkey. Slave has tried to keep the tastes varied to avoid the “Bird Burn-out”. However if you have frozen some of the left overs, this can easily be avoided over the next month.

Just remember: your most important plans for this and any time of the year is to make warm happy memories. Keep singing in the kitchen. Tell your mixtures how beautiful they look as they cook. Most of all enjoy!

Today the news is so very full of hatred, anger and destruction, it is incumbent on all of us slaves or others that nurture, make our dining table a place of comfort and happiness.

slave gets so much enjoyment just out of serving my Master Indy.

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon

Makes a great gift!