Left-over Turkey: Recipes

Sorry for the late post, but Thanksgiving isn't over for us yet!  We eat at my parents' house tomorrow, so this is 'technically' early.  :)  


My Mom purposely prepares an abundance of turkey so that we can bring some home with us, which my hubby loves.  He usually makes turkey sandwiches, but I like to mix it up a bit since turkey is not a meat of choice for me.  Thought I'd share with you a few recipes I've collected over the years to make good use of that leftover turkey.  Enjoy!

Turkey Jambalaya

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds turkey
• 1 pound smoked sausage
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

To Prepare:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add all ingredients except the rice.  Cook for 30-45 minutes, until the celery has had time to cook.  

2. Prepare the rice as usual in a separate pot.

3. To serve, pour a serving of the jambalaya mixture over a serving of the rice.  

We like just a little spice, so this recipe does the trick.  If you, like my hubby, like to sweat when you eat Cajun, you will want to add an additional spice of your choice.

Turkey Pot Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 unbaked pie shells 
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup cooked, chopped turkey meat
• 1 can mixed vegetables, drained
• 1 can (left after emptying the cream of mushroom soup) of milk

To Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the mushroom soup and milk. Stir in the remaining ingredients and pour into one pie crust. Top with the other pie crust, and seal the crust edges by crimping with a wet fork.
3. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown

I usually make 2 of these, and freeze one for later.  If you choose to do this, allow one full day for the frozen pie to thaw before following the same directions above.

White Turkey Chili

Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped cooked turkey
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 can diced jalapeno peppers
• 1 can chopped green chile peppers
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 cans chicken broth
• 3 cans white beans
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

To Prepare:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook and stir until tender. 
2. Add the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne.  Continue to cook/stir 3 minutes, or until tender. 
3. Add the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove the mixture from heat. Slowly stir in the cheese until melted. Serve warm.

I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving!