| Getting
Rid of Holiday Leftover is Easy |
| Holiday cooking for company usually means an 8- to 10-pound
turkey, or a whole ham, creating a mountain of leftover meat.
|
| What do you do with 5 pounds of leftover turkey? Turkey
sandwiches for lunch for the next month? My phone starts ringing,
and my most requested recipe of the season is my Turkey Tetrazzini,
which can be easily made and is a real crowd pleaser. It can
also be frozen for later, last-minute meals. My family requests
this recipe, so I plan to cook a turkey just so I can make
this recipe over the holidays. |
| Before the family starts whining and complaining about leftovers,
gently remind them that leftovers are very economical, and
easy to prepare. Then march to the kitchen and grab the zipper-top
freezer bags, and freeze leftover turkey, ham, beef or pork
in 2-cup portions. That is usually the portion needed for
most recipes. You are now prepared for quick casserole and
Crock Pot recipes below. |
| With a teenager in the house, we frequently entertain other
teens for dinner, and their favorite recipe is the Crock Pot
White Chili. It is a real hit. I have a huge Crock Pot so
I frequently double this recipe when I am serving a crowd.
The toppings are what make this recipe, so be sure to have
generous amounts of sour cream, tortilla chips and shredded
cheddar cheese. |
| One easy thing to do with leftover turkey is turkey pot
pie, or turkey soup. With ham, a family favorite is a layered
ham, cheese, and potato casserole, served with hot bread and
salad (recipes below). Over the years, I have come to look
forward to all of the leftovers because I can create so many
different meals from a single meat purchase. |
| |
| Teenager
Crock Pot White Chili |
| 2 cups cooked, shredded turkey |
| 3 (15-oz.) cans cannellini beans |
| 1 (15-oz.) can butter beans |
| 1 cup chopped onions |
| 1 large green pepper, chopped |
| 1 small can chopped jalapeno peppers |
| 2 garlic cloves, minced |
| 1 tsp. ground cumin |
| 1/2 tsp. salt |
| 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper |
| 1/2 tsp. dried oregano |
| 3 cans chicken broth |
| Generous amounts of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese
and tortilla chips for toppings. Combine all ingredients except
sour cream, cheddar cheese and tortilla chips in a Crock Pot.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours.
Spoon into bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips, a generous
dollop of sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese. This can
be adjusted to increase the spice by adding more ground cumin,
but use caution, as this can be easily overdone. |
| |
| Pineapple
Turkey |
| 1 (16-oz.) can pineapple chunks, reserve juice |
| 1 cup sugar |
| 2 Tbsp. cornstarch |
| 3/4 cup vinegar |
| 1 Tbsp. soy sauce |
| 1/4 tsp. ginger |
| 1 chicken bouillon cube, crushed |
| 1 large green pepper, chopped |
| 2 cups cooked turkey |
| Chinese noodles |
| Mix cornstarch, vinegar, crushed bouillon cube, ginger,
reserve pineapple juice, sugar and soy sauce in a bowl until
smooth. Mix all remaining ingredients, and pour cornstarch
mixture over top. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with
cooking spray, and pour turkey mixture into dish. Cover with
foil, and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover, and
top with Chinese noodles. Bake for 10 more minutes. Serve
with cooked rice. |
| |
| The
Original Creamy Turkey Tetrazzini |
| 3 cups cooked turkey |
| 1/2 lb. cooked spaghetti |
| 1 large can sliced mushrooms |
| 3 Tbsp. butter |
| 2 Tbsp. flour |
| 1 can chicken broth |
| 2 cups heavy cream |
| 1/2 cup sour cream |
| 1/2 cup cooking sherry |
| 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds |
| 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated |
| Combine drained mushrooms and sherry in a saucepan and gently
bring to a boil. Remove from heat, stir and cool. Make a white
sauce with the butter and flour, then stir and add the chicken
broth. Gradually add the heavy cream, and continue to stir
constantly. Then add the sour cream, do not boil. This will
be a thick sauce, remove from heat. Add mushrooms and sherry.
Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking oil. Layer spaghetti
in the bottom, then the turkey, then the almonds. Pour creamy
mixture over the top, and top this with Parmesan cheese. Cover
with foil, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes in a 350 degree oven,
until bubbly. Serve with hot bread. |
| |
| Hot
Turkey Almond Bake |
| 2 cups cooked turkey |
| 1 cup celery |
| 1 cup cooked white rice |
| 1 cup mayonnaise |
| 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced |
| 1 medium onion, chopped |
| 1 Tbsp. lemon juice |
| 1 tsp. salt |
| Small can sliced water chestnuts, drained |
| 1/2 cup butter |
| 1 cup toasted sliced almonds |
| 1 cup corn flakes |
| Toast almonds on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven until
golden brown. Cool. Mix all ingredients together except butter,
toasted almonds and cornflakes. Put in a 2-quart baking dish,
with high sides. Melt butter and combine with almonds and
cornflakes. Sprinkle this on top of the casserole. Bake for
40 minutes at 350 degrees. (Crushed potato chips can be substituted
for corn flakes.) |
| |
| Frances
Frakes' Ham 'n Broccoli Casserole |
| 2 (10-oz.) pkgs. frozen broccoli |
| 2 to 3 cups cubed ham |
| 1 can cream of mushroom soup |
| 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese |
| 1 egg, beaten |
| 1/4 cup mayonnaise |
| 1 Tbsp. horseradish |
| 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs |
| Prepare broccoli according to package directions. In a 9
x 13 baking dish, put broccoli in the bottom. Cover with ham.
Mix all the other ingredients together and pour over the ham.
Cover with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
|
| |
| Layered
Ham, Cheese and Potato Casserole |
| 4 medium potatoes, peeled, cooked and sliced |
| 2 cups ham, cubes or small chunks |
| 3 cups grated cheddar cheese |
| 1 medium onion, sliced finely |
| 4 Tbsp. butter |
| 4 Tbsp. flour |
| 2 1/4 cups hot milk |
| 1/2 tsp. salt |
| 1/2 tsp. dry mustard |
| Dash of pepper |
| Melt butter, stir in the flour, add hot milk and seasonings
and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Grease a 2-quart
casserole dish with high sides. Place half of the potatoes
in the bottom, then half the ham, then 1/2 of the onion, then
white sauce over this, then cheese. Repeat the layers, and
put more cheese on top is preferred. Bake at 350 degrees for
35 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles. |
