Category Archives: Burritos

Turkey leftovers? Here are some ideas!

For the holidays, I’m recapping some of our favorite turkey leftover recipes. Merry Christmas!

RECIPE

Turkey Tetrazzini
Serves 4-5

(I use a Kitchen Craft liquid core electric skillet, but this recipe can be baked in a conventional oven. I prefer the electric skillet because the entire dish is prepared in one pot, reducing clean-up time in the kitchen. Also, a quality liquid core electric skillet uses less energy than an oven):

Dry sauté in a non-stick skillet:

1 cup sliced, fresh mushrooms
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

After the mushrooms have browned, add:

1½ cups cooked turkey, cubed
4 oz. uncooked angel hair pasta, spread evenly across vegetables and chicken in skillet (or 1½ quart baking dish)

In a 1 pint measuring pitcher, blend:

1 10 ¾ oz. can Campbell’s® 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
½ cup milk
¼ cup water
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pour soup mixture over turkey and pasta. Be sure all pasta is covered.

If using a liquid core electric skillet, cover and close vent. Set temperature to 200°F and simmer for 30 minutes. Do NOT remove lid to peek. If baking, cover casserole with foil and cook in a pre-heated 375°F oven for 30 minutes.

Garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley and additional parmesan cheese if desired. Serve with a garden salad and whole grain bread. Serves 4.

With the rising cost of canned goods, I’ve started canning my own turkey stock, which is easy using the pressure cooker and pint canning jars.  But whether you make your own stock or buy it, you’ll enjoy making soup from leftover turkey.  Here’s one suggestion, Turkey Noodle Soup:

RECIPE

Turkey Noodle Soup

Makes 4 servings

In a 3 quart pot over medium heat, add

2 teaspoons olive oil

brown for 5 minutes:

1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
4 stalks celery (including the leaves), sliced
1 bell pepper (any color, but I use red), seeded and chopped

Add:

1 quart turkey stock or chicken broth
1 cup water
Seasonings – your choice
1 ½ cups cooked turkey, cubed

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cover. Don’t remove the lid and you’ll be able to cook on the lowest setting.

About 10 minutes before serving, add:<!–[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]–>
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1 cup dry whole wheat noodles, or any whole wheat pasta

Taste test for seasonings. You may want to add salt or pepper. When the noodles are al dente, serve the soup.

The beauty of this recipe is the cooking time is flexible. The soup can simmer for 20 minutes or a couple of hours because the starchy pasta isn’t added until the last 10 minutes. It’s a light, healthy meal for those days following the overindulgence of a holiday meal. Double or triple the recipe and feed a crowd on a cold night.

One more tip: You can adapt this for the slow cooker. Add the pasta in during the last hour and turn to Low.

Here’s a new one (for me) that I modified from a GE recipe.  Theirs is baked in a casserole dish, but I use the electric skillet.

RECIPE

Turkey Cashew Casserole
Serves 6

In a pre-heated electric skillet, melt:

1 Tablespoon butter

Sauté for five minutes:

2 cups chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped

Add:

5 cups cubed cooked turkey

Mix together in a large mixing pitcher or bowl:

1 cup turkey or chicken broth
2 cans reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup
dash of hot sauce

Pour over chicken and cover.  Simmer (220°) for 20-25 minutes (or bake in a casserole dish at 350° for 30 minutes in a traditional oven).

Sprinkle cooked casserole with:

1 cup cashews
10 oz. chow-mein noodles

Serve and enjoy!

I saved my favorite for last, turkey burritos!  This recipe can be adjusted according to how much leftover turkey you have.

RECIPE

Turkey Burritos
Makes 6

Preheat oven to 375°.  In a medium bowl combine:

1 cup shredded cooked turkey
1 can Rotel® tomatoes and green chiles
1 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning (or your choice)

Mix together and divide into six equal portions.  Fill each of the:

6 whole wheat tortillas

with a portion of the mixture.  Wrap tortilla around mixture into a roll.  Place burritos in a 9×13 casserole dish.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and uncover.  After 5 minutes, remove each burrito from the casserole dish and serve.

Happy Holidays and Happy Cooking!

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Jambalaya in a Jiffy

We love Cajun dishes, but I lighten them as much as I can.  Instead of using the traditional Andouille sausage, I use a turkey bratwurst or a light sausage.  By request, here is my recipe for Jambalaya in a Jiffy:

RECIPES

Jambalaya In A Jiffy
Makes 10-12 servings

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ pound sausage (I use bratwurst cut in 1″ chunks)
1 cup uncooked brown rice (White rice will overcook)
1 10-oz can diced tomatoes and green chilies
2 cups broth or stock
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Cajun Seasonings to taste
Hot sauce (optional)
1 Bay leaf
½ pound frozen shrimp, cleaned and cooked

Directions:

Heat the oil in the bottom of a 6 quart (or 6 Liter) pressure cooker over medium high heat.  Sauté rice to brown, then add onion, celery, garlic, and sausage. Stir often until rice is browned, about 2 minutes.  Add all other ingredients except the shrimp.  Stir to mix.

Secure the lid to the pressure cooker and bring to pressure according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Cook under pressure 15 minutes, then remove from heat.  Allow pressure to drop on its own for 10 minutes.

Release pressure according to the manufacturer’s instructions then remove the lid.  Caution: steam will be very hot!  Stir in frozen shrimp then return pan to medium heat.  Cook just until the shrimp are thawed and warmed (about 5 minutes).  Remove bay leaf and serve!

This is a healthful, high-fiber dish you can enjoy hot and again in leftovers, such as jambalaya burritos (below).  Son of a gun gonna have big fun on the bayou!

JAMBARRITOS (jambalaya burritos)
Make 8 (4 servings, 2 per person)

Fusion cuisine combines the taste of Louisiana with Tex-Mex!

Ingredients:

2 cups leftover jambalaya
8 whole wheat tortillas
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese (I use lowfat Monterrey Jack and colby)
1 teaspoon chili seasoning
nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

In a quart bowl, combine the jambalaya, salsa, seasoning, and cheese. Divide into eights and spoon 1/8 into each tortilla.

Roll each tortilla to form a burrito and place on baking sheet.  Spray nonstick cooking spray over tops of burritos.

Bake for 30 minutes (use more time if using a stoneware baking sheet).  Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.


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