The Family Homestead Archives #4 - What to do with Leftoverr Turkey

Do you have leftover turkey meat to use up and need some ideas?  We usually eat Thanksgiving dinner the day after but by the 3^rd day we are ready for something different.  I find just about any recipe that uses cooked chicken works quite well with cooked turkey.  The recipes below are actually chicken recipes but you can just sub turkey in place of the chicken:

 Turkey Enchiladas

Fill corn or whole wheat tortillas with chopped up turkey and cheese. Roll them up and place in a 9x13 pan (or 9x9 or 11x15 pan, depending on how many people you are feeding). Pour your favorite enchilada sauce (canned or homemade) over all, top with more cheese and bake at 350 until all is hot and bubbly and cheese has melted.

Sweet and Sour Chicken (Turkey)

Crystal Miller

2 cups cut up chicken pieces, cooked

1 T olive oil

1 cup celery, chopped

½ cup green pepper, chopped

1 small to medium sweet onion, sliced thinly

1 20 oz. can pineapple, drain and save juice

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup honey

2 T soy sauce

2 T cornstarch

In a large frying pan heat oil and add celery, green pepper and onion.  Cook until veggies are tender and onion is transparent.  Add chicken meat to this and heat up on low. 

Take drained pineapple juice and add water if necessary to make one cup.  In a small bowl mix pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, soy sauce and cornstarch. 

Add the pineapple juice mixture to the veggies and chicken and heat and stir on medium high until the sauce is thickened.  Add the pineapple. 

Serve this over brown rice.  

Chicken Lasagna
Crystal Miller

7 to 9 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or equivalent breast pieces), cooked and cubed (use cut up turkey in place of the chicken - 3 to 4 cups)
1 16oz package frozen broccoli (or 4 cups chopped, fresh broccoli pieces), cooked
3 large eggs
1 T Dijon style mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
½ of a large onion, chopped
½ c chopped mushrooms
olive oil
2 c mozzarella cheese, or less (also optional)
8 to 10 whole wheat or spinach lasagna noodles, cooked

Chicken Lasagna Sauce (recipe follows) (Hint: This sauce can be prepared while you are cooking your chicken, broccoli and noodles in preparation for this recipe)

In a large bowl combine cooked and cubed chicken, cooked broccoli, eggs, mustard, salt and pepper. In a frying pan sauté onions and mushrooms in a small amount of olive oil. Add sautéed onions and mushrooms to the chicken mixture.

Set this aside and prepare sauce.

In a 9x13 pan put a layer of lasagna noodles to cover the bottom of the pan. Put half of the chicken mixture on top of the noodles. Spoon half the sauce over the chicken and then half the cheese. Repeat layers and cover loosely with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until everything is hot and bubbly. You can remove the foil during the last 10 minutes, if desired.

Serve this with French bread and a nice big green salad!! 

Chicken Lasagna Sauce
½ c butter (1 cube or stick)
½ cup ww flour
4 cups milk
2 chicken boullion cubes
1 t (heaping) chopped garlic
½ t onion powder
½ t dried parsley
½ t salt
½ t seasoning salt
½ t pepper

In a sauce pan over medium high heat, melt butter. Add flour. Stir and cook until smooth and thick. Reduce heat to medium and add milk all at once and stir with wire whisk combine well. Add spices and continue cooking and stirring until mixture thickens up and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside to use in Chicken Lasagna.  

Black Bean Chicken (turkey) Chili
3 cups dry black beans
12 cups water
1 T salt
1 large onion, chopped
1 ½ lbs boneless chicken (can be thighs or breast), cut into bite size pieces (use 2 to 3 cups cut up turkey)
1 T minced garlic
Olive oil
1 cup frozen corn
1 can Rotel type tomatoes (spicy tomatoes)
2 T chili powder
1 T hot sauce, opt

Put beans, water and salt into a large soup pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until beans are tender and cooked. After beans have cooked, drain off about 2 or 3 cups of the liquid and reserve for later.

In a large frying pan cook onion, chicken and garlic in olive oil until the chicken is completely cooked and the onion is soft. Add this to the beans.

Add frozen corn, tomatoes, chili powder and hot sauce (if using) to the bean/chicken mixture. Add some of the reserved bean juice if needed to reach your desired consistency.

Serve this meal with tortillas, salsa and big green salad.

NOTE: this meal would also make a great crockpot meal using cooked beans.. just make ahead and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours

Crystals Chicken Pot Pie

Crystal Miller

~NOTE: This is a large recipe (8 to 10 servings) and can be cut in half for feeding smaller groups

Double recipe of your favorite pie crust

4 cups cooked and chopped chicken (sub turkey)

1 cup sliced and cooked carrots

3 cooked and diced potatoes

2 cups cooked and chopped broccoli (I have substituted canned green beans or peas)

4 to 6 cups of seasoned white sauce (I make a standard white sauce and season it with 1 tablespoon chicken broth powder)

Roll out about ¾ of the pie crust and line an 11x15 inch pan.  Mix chicken and all veggies together and put into the pie crust.  Pour enough gravy to cover vegetable and chicken plus enough to make it look almost too soupy, the potatoes will absorb some of the sauce as it cooks. Roll out remaining dough and place over the top.  Crimp edges and make several slits in the top.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and gravy is bubbly.  

Ranch House Chicken Casserole

4 to 5 cups cooked, cubed chicken (sub turkey)

2 cups cheddar cheese

12 corn tortillas

2 T olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

5 large mushrooms, chopped

Sauce

6 T butter

6 T whole wheat flour

1 cup water

2 ¼ cups milk

2 chicken bullion cubes

½ t seasoning salt

½ t pepper

In a frying pan heat olive oil and cook onions and mushrooms until soft.  Add cooked chicken and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium high heat melt butter.  Add ww flour and stir with whisk until any lumps are broken up and the mixture is smooth.  Add water, milk and bullion cubes.  Turn up heat a little and whisk and stir until the sauce is thick and bubbly. Remove from heat.

To assemble casserole, layer half of the chicken on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Cover with half the cheese, half the tortillas, and half the sauce.  Repeat for second layer only ending with cheese on top. 

Bake at 350 for one hour. 

Serve with a large green salad.  

Chicken Tetrazzini For the Freezer
Crystal Miller


16 oz. whole wheat spaghetti noodles
6 cups diced, cooked chicken (sub turkey)
1 cube (8 T) butter
½ large onion, chopped
¾ cup whole wheat flour
3 T. chicken broth powder
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 t. salt
1 t. soy sauce
4 cups milk
2 cups water

Put diced cooked chicken in a large mixing bowl. Cook noodles and drain and add to chicken. Make a sauce by melting butter in a cooking pot. Add onion and cook until soft. Stir in flour until blended and add milk, water and seasonings. Cook until thickened. Add this sauce to the chicken and spaghetti noodles in the bowl. Add cheese and stir to combine. Divide mixture between 2 9x13 pans. Wrap in foil, label and freeze.

To Serve: Thaw in refrigerator. When thawed bake uncovered at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. If desired you can sprinkle extra cheese on top in the last few minutes of baking.

And finally the last thing I do with my turkey is make Turkey Noodle Soup.  I put the turkey carcass (after I have picked off just about all the meat) into a large stock pot and cover with water.  I add a chopped onion for flavor and some salt.  Bring to a boil and let it cook for a couple of hours.  Strain out the turkey bones and remove any meat that is left.  Pour turkey broth back into stock pot and add the meat bits.  Bring to a boil and add noodles.  Taste and season with a little salt and pepper and/or a little chicken broth powder if needed.  Serve with some homemade dinner rolls and a salad.