I’m sure the same thing happens to you as it does to me. Every year I’m faced with the dilemma of what to do with all my leftovers. Not that it’s a serious problem and many families would like to have such a problem, but there are times when I’m tired of eating turkey or stuffing or mashed potatoes . I don’t like wasting food and have yet to figure out how to cook for less than ten people. My mamaw had the same problem, she grew up in a boarding house and learned to cook for all the people in that house. I do love having leftovers for one meal or the second helpings of a Thanksgiving dinner. However the next few days I look for things to do with all that’s left. I’m so tired of the old turkey tetrazzini that everyone suggests on the web. So this year I decided to try a couple dishes and I think you’ll love them both. Of course one of them has to be turkey chili. I love this recipe because using leftover turkey in chili helps to hide that pronounced “turkey ” flavor leftover turkey gets at about day two or three. Not only that, turkey holds up really well in a pot of chili, and makes for a wonderful flavor in every bite. The second dish utilizes many parts of the Thanksgiving feast. I’d call this something between a shepherd’s pie and a turkey pot pie. The stuffing is used as the bottom crust. Diced turkey and vegetables accompany a cream sauce for the center and leftover mashed potatoes create the top crust. The only thing you need to do is make a rue add a some chicken or turkey stock and a little milk and you’re good to go.
Getting creative with leftovers isn’t just for the holidays, there are many times when we cook for a lot of people and will invariably have leftovers. If you get a little creative I’m sure you’ll always be able to turn them into another dish. As far as Thanksgiving and Christmas are concerned these two dishes will help you make something a little different and a little fun. The recipes I’m giving can be scaled up if you have more turkey then is called for. The rue you’ll need to experiment with but it will turn out ok as long as you start with equal parts butter and flour. Having extra chicken or vegetable stock on hand isn’t a bad idea either because sometimes the rue needs more liquid than you might have from the pan drippings. With that in mind lets get to work!
- Turkey Shepard’s Pie
- Oven proof pie dish or a baking dish for the amount of leftovers you have. (I used a deep pie dish)
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
- Ingredients:
- Leftover stuffing (enough to layer in the bottom of pie dish)
- 2- 3 cups chopped up leftover turkey
- 2 cups leftover vegetables or frozen mixed vegetables or whatever vegetables you have on hand
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups turkey stock or chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- Leftover mashed potatoes enough to cover the top the pie with
- ————————————————————
- Place a layer of stuffing in the bottom of pie dish about 1/2 inch thick
- In a sauce pan place 3-tablespoons of butter and melt over medium heat
- Add 3- tablespoons of flour and stir constantly until a paste forms (use a whisk if you have one)
- cook until the butter and flour mixture starts to look golden
- Add turkey stock or chicken broth slowly and continue to stir
- Add the milk and continue to stir ( the sauce should be thick enough to cling to the turkey and thin enough to pour)
- If the mixture becomes too thin make some more rue and slowly add it to your gravy
- Allow the gravy to come to a boil and keep stirring until desired consistency is met
- Add the chopped up turkey and vegetables and bring back to a boil, keep stirring for 5 minutes add salt and pepper to taste, I also will toss in a dash of cayenne pepper for a little zing
- Remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes before pouring the mixture into the pie dish
- Place mashed potatoes on top of the pie forming a top crust. I found this to be easier using my hands and making little potato patties that I covered over the entire pie
- Place assembled pie in oven for 20-30 minutes until it starts to bubble around the edges. Lay foil or a cookie sheet underneath to catch the drippings
- Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
I’m certain you’ll really enjoy this recipe and once you get the hang of it you can make it with chicken too. Please let me know if you have any questions or advice on how to make it better.
The turkey chili is also a very tasty dish and one that can be easily made in one pot. For the chili purist this one is going to have tomato puree which doesn’t usually go into “real” chili, but that’s only for the die hard chili heads! The great thing about this dish is that its easy to make , easy to clean up and gets better tasting the next day.
- Turkey Chili
- 2-4 cups chopped up leftover turkey
- 1 twenty eight (28) ounce can of tomato puree
- 1-2 cans kidney or pinto beans
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- leftover corn (Optional)
- 1 jalapeño (Optional) to make it hotter
- —————————————————————————–
- In a large pot add the oil or butter and then add the diced onion and garlic, cook over medium heat until onion is translucent.
- Add the turkey and stir , let cook for about 5 minutes
- Add the can of tomato puree stir and bring to a boil ( if more liquid is needed add water or chicken broth)
- Add the spices and stir to coat the turkey
- Turn down to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes
- Add the can of beans and corn (if you have any) and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes
- Serve with shredded cheese on top
- Some people like to add chopped raw onion or jalapeños as a garnish as well.
- I love eating chili with fresh homemade corn bread, get the recipe here
There you have it, two easy to make recipes for holiday leftovers. I enjoyed both but I’ll have to admit the turkey pot pie was my favorite because it used more of the leftovers from Thanksgiving and I really love stuffing. Every year I wonder why I don’t make stuffing other times of the year. I think I’ll have to do something about that! I hope one of these dishes inspires you to create your own leftover masterpiece, and if you do please send in the recipe so we can all try it. If you have any comments or questions leave them in the box below. Until next time Boone Appétit!
