Today is Thanksgiving and
I have loads of things to do and people to see (as many of you do also) so this
will be one of those blogs that you will want to use AFTER today for leftovers.
Leftovers… Yes! I LOVE
leftovers! My husband, not so much. (Meh, more for me). It’s just because he
doesn’t appreciate the magic of what you can make with leftovers. There so much
you can do with Thanksgiving leftover turkey, stuffing, potatoes, relish and so
on… If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed after today with those leftovers and
need some room in your refrigerator, then here are some great recipes to get
them used up... including your dead, used up, carcass… er your turkey carcass.
Turkey
Broth
So for those of us who
hosted Thanksgiving, we are left with a bird carcass. This is NOT trash. This
is unrefined gold! This carcass is going to become some amazing Turkey Bone Broth.
If you have never heard about the health benefits of bone broth… oh man…
definitely worth a Google.
1 Turkey Carcass from
roasted bird
2 Onions Quartered
2 Carrots, cut into chunks
3 stalks of Celery cut
into chunks
1 bunch of fresh parsley
4 cloves of garlic smashed
1 tsp of black peppercorns
(you can use ground pepper but I prefer the corns because I can strain them)
2 bay leaves
First off, clean your bird
carcass of any useable meat and set that aside because you will want that for other
recipes. (I try to separate the white meat from the dark meat)
Next, using a sharp
knife make a few cuts to get you started. Then, use your hands to carefully
pull the carcass into 4 or 5 pieces.
Combine the carcass
(yes with the bones), onions, carrots, celery, parsley, garlic, peppercorns and
bay leaves in a large stockpot. Cover with cold water (about 7 quarts).
Bring to a boil, then
reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer about 2 hours, occasionally skimming any
foam or fat from the surface with a large spoon or ladle.
Pour through a large
mesh strainer into a pot; discard the solids. Cool slightly, then refrigerate
in covered containers for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
OR you could pressure can your bone broth like I do and it is good for up to 18 months –
this is liquid gold for recipes, soup bases, sick kidos/family, GI upset, Clear
liquid diet restrictions (like after surgery)! I do not waste this. (If you are new to canning, please refer to my
Canning101 Post for more information)
Turkey
Salad
The portions will depend
on how much turkey you have to work with. Mix all the ingredients, place in
fridge for a couple of hours covered to let the flavors merry and you are done.
This is great on a sandwich with a slice of lettuce, in a wrap, or by itself. I
love this on 12 grain bread, on croissants or in a pita. It is very unlikely
that this will last long in your fridge because it is a quick and easy go to
item that is always a hit. So yummy.
3-4 cups chopped leftover
turkey
½ - 1 Cup Sliced Red
Seedless grapes
½ - 1 Cup diced apple
½ cup Mayo (or for a
lighter version use Greek yogurt)
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup Chopped Celery
1/2 cup chopped scallions,
green onions, red or yellow onion (your choice)
1 Tbsp. Rosemary (I like a
lot and prefer fresh – but not everyone does or use a couple of drops of Rosemary Essential Oil)
1 tsp of fresh dill (if
using dried, use 1 tsp)
1/8 tsp ground black
pepper
Turkey
& Stuffing Casserole
This makes a great hot
casserole that you (or your spouse) can throw in the oven. I recommend using a
tinfoil casserole pan so you can freeze it for a later date. I find this is
perfect on those snowy days where you know it is going to take you an hour to
get home and you call your spouse to say “hey… can you throw that casserole in
the oven?” and then when you get home your house smells amazing and dinner is
waiting… yes… I like those casseroles. This is that casserole.
3-4 cups chopped leftover
turkey
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup leftover turkey gravy
(or canned gravy – whatever you have, cream of mushroom works in a pinch)
1 bag frozen mixed
veggies. (If you have leftover green beans or veggies, you can use those and
just mix them in with the frozen veggies)
MIX & place in bottom
of casserole pan
1 apple chopped up
4-6 cups of leftover
stuffing (otherwise, make stuffing per directions on box/bag)
1 tsp sage & parsley
each
1 small to medium onion
chopped
MIX & place over top
of turkey in casserole pan
Optional: my family likes
cheese… A LOT. So this is where I will sprinkle about 2 cups of cheese (usually
cheddar) over the top of the casserole.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes
or until golden brown and a little bubbly.
TO FREEZE: Cover with tinfoil and freeze. Bake 1 hour at
375 if from frozen.
NOTE: You can simplify
this recipe to bare bones. Put any leftover turkey, gravy, veggies and stuffing
in pan in that order. Put in oven at 350 until golden and done. It doesn’t have
to be fancy and it still tastes amazing!
Mash
Potato Cakes:
Have an abundance of
leftover mashed potatoes? I have to thank my brother-in-law for this idea. A
few years back when my teen was MUCH younger my B.I.L. had my kido help him
make a lovely little dinner for us while visiting my sister and their first
born. I do distinctly recall him saying “Now throw the butter in the pan” and
instantly freezing knowing what would happen… yup, my kido THREW the butter
into the hot pan with a Sploosh, Splash and Sizzle… LOL good times. Anyway,
that night inspired this recipe. This makes a great side item for a meal.
1-2 tbsp butter or olive
oil (your preference) to grease pan
2 cups cold mashed
potatoes
1 Large Egg
¼ cup sour cream
Seasoning of your choice.
(Minced garlic, parsley, paprika… fresh or dried, literally anything you like,
I have even done this with ½ packet of dry ranch seasoning and that was tasty
too!)
1 cup shredded cheese of
your choice
MIX WELL
Divide into 4 portions and
form into 4 patties
Place into pan over medium
heat to grill/fry up. Once a nice golden brown layer has formed on the bottom,
flip and do the same on the other side.
Once they are heated through, you are done.
These go great with
meatloaf & green beans!
Turkey
Pot Pie.
My family LOVES my Chicken
Pot Pie and this is a quick and easy version of it.
Package Pillsbury Pie
Crust (2 crust)
2 cups leftover turkey chopped
1 bag frozen mixed veggies
1 Tbsp flour (optional –
this is your thickening agent)
2 cups turkey gravy
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp sage
Pre-Heat oven to 425
degrees. Line 9” glass pie pan with first crust. Trim edges (save the other for
the top of the pie). Mix all of the ingredients well. Pour into crust and
spread evenly. Cover with other pie crust. Tuck under first crust and pinch to
seal. Cut vents in top of crust. (NOTE,
if you want that crust to be that beautiful golden color, beat 1 egg white a
bit, and then brush over the top crust). Place in oven and bake 30-40 minutes
until crust is golden brown.
Cranberry
Carrot Muffins
For whatever reason there
is ALWAYS leftover Cranberry Relish. Personally I love the stuff. And your
muffins will too! The cranberry relish that we usually get for Thanksgiving has
walnuts in it too, so yes… it is one of my go to add in for muffins or coffee
cake when I make them.
2 ½ cups Bisquick
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
2 TBSP veg oil
1 Large egg
½ cup pureed cooked
carrots
½ cup leftover cranberry
relish
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger
Zest of 1 orange OR 5
drops of Wild
Orange Essential Oil
Heat oven to 400
degrees. Grease muffin pan well. Stir all ingredients except cranberry relish
in medium bowl, just until moistened. Fold in relish. Divide batter evenly in 9
muffin cups. Bake 13 to 18 minutes or
until golden brown. Cool slightly and remove from pan to wire rack. Yield: 9
muffins.
Ok side note: I love
Bisquick. This stuff is so versatile. From a
self-sufficiency/homesteading/prepping/off grid view (whatever you want to call
it), this is one of those things that you should have on hand in case you are
in a situation where you can’t get to a store for a bit.