Category Archives: turkey

Just loafing.

The inspiration for this recipe was one of Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals, in which she made spaghetti with turkey meatballs in a mushroom gravy, incorporating all the flavors of Thanksgiving turkey and dressing.  Instead of spaghetti and meatballs, I made a version of meatloaf using lean ground turkey breast.  My turkey-junkie husband declared it an absolute success.

RECIPE

Turkey Loaf
Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients:

1½ pounds lean ground turkey breast
2 cups seasoned stuffing mix ground into bread crumbs (yield: approx. 1 cup)
¼ cup egg substitute
¼ cup diced onion
¼ cup diced celery
1 Tbsp. poultry seasoning
1 regular size can condensed cream of chicken soup (reduced sodium and fat, if possible)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine all ingredients except the soup in a large bowl until mixed well.  Mold into an ungreased stainless steel loaf pan (approx. 9” X 4”).  Pour ¾ of the contents of the can of soup over top of loaf (reserve the remaining soup for gravy*).  Cover with aluminum foil, shiny side down, and place on the center shelf of the oven.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.  (Times may vary for glass or stoneware loaf pans)  After removing the turkey loaf from the oven, let it stand for 10 minutes before slicing.  Divide the turkey loaf into six equal portions and slice.

*To make additional gravy, thin reserved ¼ cup of the cream of chicken soup with ½ cup of turkey or chicken stock.  Whisk together in a small pan over low heat.  Season as desired with poultry seasoning or other spices.  Serve on the side with the turkey loaf.

Now you don’t have to wait for the holidays to enjoy the flavors of Thanksgiving turkey. This dish is figure-friendly, too. Enjoy!

Cheri

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Filed under cooking, Healthful Eating, Recipes, turkey, Turkey Recipes

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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Filed under Burritos, casseroles, cooking, Healthful Eating, Recipes, Soups & Stews, turkey, Turkey Recipes