 |
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
| |
| Dealing with Those Turkey Leftovers! |
by Kim TilleyWhat do you do with the rest of the turkey after the big Thanksgiving meal? You're exhausted, your family doesn't want to eat days and days or turkey dishes, and you don't want the food to spoil. There is a way to get the most out of your holiday meal, without torturing your family with endless concoctions just to use up the leftovers. The true secret is to have a plan of attack! Divide and Conquer! First, take as much meat off of the turkey carcass as possible. I've gotten it down to where I can debone a 15-pound turkey in 5-10 minutes. It's easier than chicken because turkeys are so much bigger- you have a better hold on everything! Divide the leftovers into the following: Sliced breast meat: Save large slices for "dinner slices"- all you have to do is reheat and serve with gravy and potatoes ( which also freeze well) for an instant Thanksgiving feast. Frozen, they'll keep just fine until your family gets a hankering for turkey again! Diced smaller chunks of white meat for meals where turkey is the "star" of the meal: stir fries, turkey a la king, turkey salad, etc. Dark meat: chopped for dishes where the meat is not necessarily the focus: casseroles, one dish meals, stews, potpies, soups, curries, etc. Some people love the dark meat, while others have to hide it in order to eat it. We address both here! Bones, skin, gizzards: used for turkey stock and broth drippings- use for making gravies any time you want Freeze!! The most important thing you can do at this point is to freeze everything. You've spent days preparing for the holiday, and have probably been cooking all day. The last thing you want to do is cook any more than you have to. So, freeze it all in Ziploc's, in 2-cup and 5-cup freezer containers, whatever makes you happy. Then, when you feel like whipping up something nice and easy, you have tons of precooked meat ready to go. Go beyond just freezing the meat- you can also wrap up the turkey carcass with foil and throw that in the freezer too, or throw it in a crock pot, cover with water and turn on low. Turn it into soup stock tomorrow and freeze that too. You can also freeze drippings and turn them into gravy later, or just make the gravy and freeze that. Remember, just about anything from the Thanksgiving table freezes well - leftover mashed potatoes, rolls, cranberry sauce, etc. If you have mountains of the stuff, divide into family-sized portions and have a mini-Thanksgiving whenever your heart desires. Don't forget to label your leftovers so you can find them again. Whip it Up! The following recipes are my favorites for using up turkey. We love to eat these dishes, and no one feels that they are suffering through "another leftover meal". Just be creative, and have fun. You'll also find more ideas and recipes for using up turkey in my Turkey Plan Dinner Slices Just slice the leftover turkey breast into serving-sized pieces, lay on a cookie sheet, and freeze. When frozen, put into a Ziploc baggie in meal sized amounts. Freeze leftover gravy and mashed potatoes separately and you have an instant Thanksgiving style dinner without the work! To serve: Thaw in fridge or microwave. Heat over to 350 and put slices in a casserole with lid. Pour gravy over top and reheat for 30 minutes or so. I have even put the mashed potatoes in with the turkey and gravy. Serve with steamed veggies and salad. Yum! Turkey Broth It's so easy! Simply boil the carcass in a pot with lots of water and your favorite seasonings, or throw in the crock pot. Boil for an hour or two or slow cook overnight. Strain the broth, debone any meat that has fallen off of the bones, and freeze. You can also pressure can turkey broth- check the booklet that came with your pressure canner for instructions. Use the broth as a base for soups, gravies, sauces, and in low fat cooking (make sure to skim the fat off of the top after the broth has cooled). Soup Ideas Go wild! Try tortellini soup, tortilla soup, whatever you like! Use your imagination to create fun, interesting soups from your leftovers. Next: The Recipes © Copyright 1999-2000 Frugal-Moms.com Inc. |
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
Let's Get Cooking!
