Using leftover turkey - Please share your ideas and recipes!

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meowey

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
SMF Premier Member
Jul 16, 2006
3,270
63
Northern NY (Adirondacks)
It's the day after Thanksgiving! A lot of us have leftover turkey.

Right now I'm making Smoked Turkey-Noodle soup. I started the stock even before I was done carving the bird. I throw the bones and carcass in the stock pot as I'm carving. The stock cooked over very low heat for 12 hours. Celery, carrots, onions, salt and peppercorns were added to the stock pot. It has been strained and de-fatted. Then the pieces of meat picked from the carcass and diced celery are added, and wide egg noodles are cooking as I write this.

I'm looking for more ideas for the rest of the meat. I will make a sandwich or two, but I'm hoping that someone here has a recipe for an interesting salad or other dish that they would share with all of us!

Hope to hear from lots of you fine folks! Please chime in!

Take care, have fun, and do good!

Regards,

Meowey
 
A good curry is a nice way to use up that turkey.

Also be careful making a stock for so long. Typically poultry bones need @ 8 hours or so for a stock, fish stock is much less and beef is closer to the length of time you did. Over cooking it can cause bitterness or other off flavors. Also remember to never boil a stock but to lightly simmer it.

If you are interested in a curry recipe let me know and I will find it for you once I get home.
 
We've often made turkey tetrazzini... a pasta dish with sort of a cream sauce, mushrooms and green peppers. I don't have the recipe handy, but if you want it I can dig it out. Just let me know.
 
A'la King at my house BIG favorite. Not so much a recipe, as directions, 'cause it depends on what ya got left.

FIRST! Save that turkey frame!

Remove all meat and set aside. Toss frame into a big pot and cover with water. Simmer for an hour to two or so, until frame falls apart.

Strain out broth, and replace back into pot. Dice carrots, celery some onion, and a toss in a handful of peas. I like to add some rosemary or poultry seasoning as well. Simmer until veggies are tender.

Taste for proper poultry flavor. If ya need more add some bullion.

Add reserved meat, chopped up. Simmer another few minuets, then make roux of butter and flour. While simmering add roux a tablespoon at a time 'till ya get a thick gravy consistency.

bake up some biscuits, or serve over toast
 
Thanks for the reminder. The water in the stock pot was barely moving, it was over such low heat. Just had some of the soup, and it was a killer. My only regret at this time is that I didn't have about 2 more smoked turkeys so I could have made and frozen a couple gallons of stock. It came out great.

A curry recipe would be great - thanks!

Richtee and Homebrew - thanks for the ideas!

Take care, have fun, and do good!

Regards,

Meowey
 
Turkey Curry

[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]INGREDIENTS:[/font]
1 medium tart apple, peeled
and cut into pieces
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped celery
1 tablespoon butter or
margarine
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon
granules
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup milk
1 cup cubed cooked turkey
1/4 cup peanuts
Hot cooked rice
Minced fresh parsley

[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]DIRECTIONS:[/font]
1. In a saucepan, saute the apple, onion and celery in butter until crisp-tender. Stir in the flour, curry powder,salt, bouillon and cayenne. Gradually stir in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in turkey and peanuts; cook until turkey is heated through. Serve over rice and garnish with parsley.
I would add a lil more curry powder and maybe raisins instead of the apples. I grabbed this recipe online since I am at work and unable to get to my recipe.
A good Jasmine rice cooked up with some scallions and ginger would be a great accompaniment to this dish. Its making me hungry looking at it.
 
Here is one I was looking for:

Turkey Curry


Donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t substitute low-fat or nonfat yogurt here, or the sauce will be too thin and have an off flavor.

Serves 4
3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 medium onion , sliced thin 1/4 cup raisins 2 tablespoons curry powder
Table salt 4 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons) 4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger 2 cups vegetables , roasted 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas , drained and rinsed 1 cup water 10 ounces shredded cooked turkey (about 2 cups) 1 cup frozen green peas 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just shimmering. Add the onion, raisins, curry powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Stir in the roasted vegetables, chickpeas, and water and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the turkey and peas and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more.

3. Off the heat, stir in the yogurt and cilantro. Season with salt to taste and serve immediately.
 
icon_frown.gif
Waaaaa, Waaaaa, Waaaaa
icon_cry.gif
........no left-overs!!! We ate out.
icon_sad.gif
 
There is no reason you can't cook up a turkey breast with all the sides tonight ;) then you will have the leftovers for the weekend!
 
Wife usually makes Turkey pot pie after Thanksgiving. Pretty easy to do, pie shell in bottom of casserole dish, can of cream of mushroom, can of cream of celery, veggies of your choice canned/frozen/fresh, mix in some turkey of course and put shell on top, bake til crust is golden brown. Beats the crap outta Banquet and stouffers
 
Currently simmering 2 carcasses (1 smoked & 1 roasted), onions, garlic, celery, bell pepper and bay leaf to make stock for Turkey Gumbo. This is a local tradition after Thanksgiving and the yesterday's cold weather makes it even better. 1st time with a smoked Turkey and the stock only smells fantastic!

Recipe is the same as the usual chicken/sausage gumbo, just with leftover turkey pieces and the flavorful stock. No andouille handy, so I'm using some smoked deer sausage from a co-worker.

Going relax and watch LSU (hopefully) beat Arkansas!!
 
I was cruising epicurious.com and saw this, sounds great!

chilaquiles with turkey and roasted tomatillo salsa



Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr.
Makes 6 servings.

pf_ingredients_lbl.gif
For tortilla strips
3 cups vegetable oil
2 (8-oz) packages corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips For chilaquiles:
1 large onion, chopped
1 (14 1/2-oz) can chicken broth
1 1/4 lb shredded cooked turkey meat (4 cups)
Roasted tomatillo salsa
6 oz Monterey Jack, shredded (1‚ cups)
1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
3 oz queso fresco or feta, crumbled

pf_preparation_lbl.gif
Fry tortilla strips:
Heat oil in a 3 1/2-quart flameproof nonreactive shallow casserole or deep skillet to 375°F. Fry tortillas in batches, turning occasionally, until golden, about 1 minute, and transfer to paper towels to drain (return oil to 375°F between batches). Carefully pour off all but 1 tablespoon hot oil into a large metal bowl to cool before discarding. Make chilaquiles:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook onion in oil in casserole over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened. Add broth and turkey and simmer, uncovered, stirring, until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups salsa and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and toss with Monterey Jack and tortilla strips. Bake chilaquiles, uncovered, in middle of oven until bubbling, about 15 minutes. Whisk together crème fraîche and milk. Serve chilaquiles topped with crème fraîche, cilantro, and cheese. Cooks' note:
• We used a 12- by 2-inch round enameled cast-iron casserole to assemble and bake our chilaquiles. The wide shallow casserole gave us just enough room for frying and mixing. It also allowed for a nice balance of crisp tortillas on top and softer ones on the bottom.

Here is a link to the epicurious site for a bunch of leftover recipes

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesgu...leftoverturkey
 
For me a hot turkey sandwich sliced in half with a pile of mashed potatoes in between and smothered in gravy, then I take a nap.....
 
Tortilla roll up wraps with fresh cheese, tomatoes and lettuce.
Lightly toasted wheat bread or rolls, open faced, slice turkey, smothered with gravy.
A nice salad with slice turkey pieces.
White bean chili w/turkey
Soups or stews.
 
Meowy -

You mentioned salads ... Smoked's Wife Ruth posted a really nice pasta salad awhile back that's really good with chicken or turkey

Ruthâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s pasta salad
1 pound bag Mini Shells Pasta, uncooked
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 packages Italian dressing mix
2 cans sliced pitted ripe black olives
2 bunches green onions, sliced Half of each: red, orange & yellow bell pepper, diced
¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions: Cook mini shell pasta according to package directions; drain. First: In a small bowl, blend mayonnaise, sour cream & Italian dressing mix; then place in fridge to cool. Then in a large bowl, combine macaroni, olives, green onions, all three bell peppers & shredded parmesan cheese. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the large bowl once cooled; toss gently. Cover; chill thoroughly. Stir gently before serving.

I like to add a splash or two of Jeff's BBQ sauce in this makes it kind of southwestern tasting.
 
My favorites are turkey stew or soup with dumpling or turkey cacciatore or Cajun Anglehair Pasta with Turkey.

Your covered the soup stew is similar just thickerer

For stew I use and and lots of big diced veggies and meat and instant mash potatoes instead or flour or corn starch to thicken. What the heck there's taters in there and I like the taters taste better than corn starch. Then float some dumplins on top.

There's two kinds of Dumpling's -The first I call Italian dumplings because Mama made them and she was Italian - they are light and fluffy and float on the top of the stew. The other I call Amish Dumpling's because the first time I ate them was in PA in an Amish village, they more like chunks of thick heavy pasta.

Italian Dumplings
2 cups white flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons shortening or butter
3/4 cup milk

Sift flour, salt and baking powder together. Rub in shortening with pastry cutter, knife or finger tips. Add milk a little at a time to make a soft dough.

Dropped one tablespoon at a time on the top of the stews. The stew or soup must be boiling with the dumplings spooned on top and covered tightly then left undisturbed for 7 minutes. Remove lid and cook uncovered for 5 minutes.


Amish Dumplings
Mix these into a bowl.
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

Add 2 tablespoons butter and blend with fingers until evenly distributed.
Add 1/3 cup milk. Mix well with a spoon or your hands.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll until 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 1 inch strips, then bite sized pieces about 1/2 by 1 inch, with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.

Throw them one at a time into the soup or stew.
They'll float after awhile and you can stir them around to blend them in. There done when they are firm but not gummy. Kind of like a thick pasta.

---------------------------------------------------------------


I posted the Chicken Cacciatore last week but for those who missed it I'll post it again.


Smoked Chicken Cacciatore

Take smoked poultry, remove skin and cut it off the bone and slice in strips.

Add a few teaspoons of EVOO in saucepan, heat it up and throw in chicken.

Sprinkle on your favorite spices - my are salt, pepper, basil, garlic, onion, Italian seasoning, Oregano and of course Cajun spice.

Heat it up and brown it some.

Next add stuff for sauce.

1 quart stewed tomatoes diced up,
1 pint tomato sauce
a handful of sliced mushrooms,
1 small thinly sliced onion separated,
1/2 diced red and green sweet pepper,
3 bay leaves
about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of the following to taste:
basil
garlic powder or finely dice garlic
onion powder or finely diced onion
Italian seasoning
Oregano
Cajun Spice.

Stir, wait about 5 minutes and taste and maybe add more if you want.

Cook it up for at least 20 minutes (all day is better)

Stir it up every now and then and taste it. When it taste right - grate some cheese into the pot. I like Romano and Parmesan and always have then in the house. Just shave off a hunk of each and throw in the grater and go for it. Or you can use the canned stuff if you got it.


Cajun Angle Hair Pasta

Same as above except, boil a pot of angel hair pasta, strain out water, stir in about 1/2 teasppon EVOO so it doesn't stick. Do not rinse with water! Place pasta in large bowl and pour sauce and meat from above over pasta and mix. Sprikle Canjun spice over mixture to taste - it should have a bite to it! Good stuff! Got that one from the Spaghetti Factory.
 
Never thought of making soup! I might have to do that after Christmas.

I just love cold turkey sandwich's! Mayo and white bread. Been eating them the day after thanksgiving since I was knee high to a grasshopper.

I had 6 of them today!
 
My turkey chipotle chili recipe substituting ground turkey with diced smoked wouldn't be too much of a stretch ...

Turkey Chipotle Chili with Pepper Jack Cheese Corn Cake Toppers ( revised)
Ingredients for chili

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, corn oil or vegetable oil
2 pounds ground turkey breast ( or try leftover turkey)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 rounded tablespoon chili powder, a palm full
2 chipotles in adobo, chopped, found on Spanish/Mexican foods aisle or, 1/2 cup hot chipotle salsa may be substituted ( I used most of a small can)
Salt
1 cup Mexican beer ( 1 bottle any brand)
2 cups chicken stock (10 oz. can)
1 (28-ounce) can chopped stewed tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans, drained ( black or pinto is better) 1 green or red pepper ½ lb. Fresh mushrooms
Ingredients for toppers

1 (8 1/2-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy Mix) prepared to directions on box for corn cakes
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese, 8 ounces
2 tablespoons butter
Chili method

Heat deep skillet or wide pot over medium high heat. If using leftover meat, saute onions etc. first then add meat with stock etc. Add oil and turkey. Crumble meat as it cooks, 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, chili powder, and chipotle. Cook another 5 minutes. Season with salt. Add beer and cook another minute, stirring to loosen any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, tomatoes, and beans and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Topper method

Heat a nonstick griddle pan over medium high heat. Mix batter and cheese together. Rub grill with butter, nesting the butter in a paper towel to hold on to it. Ladle the batter to make 3-inch cheese and corn cakes. Cook 3 minutes on each side, until golden. Transfer them to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Serve bowls of chili with cheese-corn toppers -- like a spicy, corn topped chili pot pie.
 
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