Leftover Turkey Part 2

The turkey is almost gone. Thank goodness. I've about had my fill. But, until I'm there, two more recipes.


Well, one is more of a recipe and one is more of an assembly. In fact, it might not even be post-worthy, but...sucks! You have to see it.

So, if you're anything like me, you eat a lot of sandwiches? I'm a sammy fiend. Tomato, basil, mozzarella paninis, portabella burgers, Ruebens... you name it.

I eat a lot of turkey sammies too. Mostly turkey and avocado. But every once in a while you need to branch out. So, next time you have a little leftover turkey, try this five ingredient open faced sandwich.


What ya need:
Leftover turkey
Shredded mozzarella cheese
1- tbsp Lemon Garlic Sauce You're going to want to get this sauce. It's amazing
Spinach
One slice multi-grain bread


What ya do:
1. Bread. Spinach. Turkey. Mozz.
2. Broil it til it's bubbly and turkey gets a little browned
3. Drizzle with sauce and serve


Voila!


And that's it. Okay, not that exciting? Too bad. Try it anyway!!

Leftover Turkey Part 1

There is so much turkey. Holy Hannah.


And I’m sick. My throat hurts. My head feels cloudy. My body is sore.


First solution? Go to Wegmans and wander around the store aimlessly. Pick out seasonal items such as Sugar Cookie Tea and chocolate candies wrapped in Christmas colors. Okay, this is a quick fix… but it did work.

Kudos to A-Diz for answering my text message: “Pop quiz. I feel lethargic, sick and moody today. Where did I go to make myself feel better?”


She got it!


Second solution? Make soup.

And soup we made! Minestrone to be exact, and though it's good the first night, it's awesome the next day. Thank you Better Homes & Gardens for this one!


What ya need (for 8 entrée servings)
3 14-ounce cans beef broth
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
1 14-1/2-ounce can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 11-1/2-ounce can vegetable juice
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1-1/2 cups loose-pack frozen mixed vegetables (such as Italian blend)
Leftover Turkey (as much as you’d like!)
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, cut into strips
2 cups cooked pasta, such as medium shell macaroni or mostaccioli
Finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)


What ya do:
1. In a 4-quart Dutch oven combine beef broth, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, undrained tomatoes, vegetable juice, tomato paste, sugar, and Italian seasoning. Bring to boiling; add mixed vegetables and turkey. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Stir in spinach and cooked pasta; heat through. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
3. Makes 8 servings (12 cups)


And do you still have leftovers? Well good thing... I've got ya covered!

Thanksgiving Part 2: Everything Else

This weekend was so exhausting! I thought Thanksgiving was for rejuvenation? Oh well, I had a great holiday. I saw so many friends who flew in town from various places from the country and ate like a Queen and wined like a fish and life was sweet.

The whole delicious plate.

I'm sleepy. But I'm also feeling gracious and I want to bless you with a few more old tried and true family recipes. Talking Grandma's type deal, ya dig?

The major chef, Sue.

The bird, browned and stuffed.

Turkey Gravy (kind of like liquid heroin, I'd imagine)
What ya need:
Giblets and neck from turkey
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 onion, sliced
1 large carrot, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
8 cups water
½ cup flour
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp poultry seasoning
¼ tsp pepper


What ya do:
Wash giblets and neck; refrigerate liver. Place gizzard, heart and neck in a sauce pan with vegetables, a bay leaf, 1 tsp of salt and water. Heat to boiling; simmer about 2 hours, adding the liver the last 20 minutes. Strain liquid, discard neck, vegetables and gizzards (EW) so you only have the broth.


When turkey has been removed to a warm platter, pour drippings into a bowl leaving the brown particles in the pan. Let the fat rise to the top of drippings. Skim off fat. Place ½ cup fat in the roasting pan, blend in flour. Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Measure broth, add meat juice if necessary to make 4 cups. Stir broth into flour mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Stir in salt, poultry seasoning and pepper. Heat through. Makes 4 ½ cups.

It's our first holiday with my baby!

Canned crannberries, exciting.

Stuffin' ya'll

Perfect Stuffing
What ya need:
1 pound sage pork sausage (Jimmy Dean)
1 bag (Pepperidge Farm) dehydrated herb bread cubes
½ cup butter
¾ cup finely minced onion
1 ½ cups chopped celery
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp dried sage
Poultry seasoning to taste


What ya do:
1. Plan a cup of stuffing per each pound of ready-to-cook weight. Brown and crumble pork sausage (You need 1/3 lb for each quart of stuffing). Melt butter in heavy skillet. Add onions and cook until yellow, stirring occasionally. Stir in some of the bread cubes.
2. Continue to stir to prevent too much browning. Turn into a deep bowl. Mix remaining ingredients lightly.
3. Cool and place stuffing loosely in turkey
4. Bake that sucker. Enjoy and delight in how fantastic it tastes

Love me some mashed taters, but there isn't really a recipe here

I need to fast; We had Thanksgiving round two tonight.

Delish bottles of wine

Oh yum.

Looking sleepy PRE tryptophan. Sheesh.

Grandma's Recipe

Glorified Cauliflower
What ya need:
1 medium cauliflower (about 2 pounds)
3 cups frozen peas
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp salt
Dash of pepper
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice (used a mix of cheddar and feta, nice bite!)
Hot pepper to taste


What ya do:
1. Heat one inch salter water to boiling. Add cauliflower. Cover and heat to boiling. Cook until tender, whole 20 to 25 minutes. Drain. Set aside. Cook frozen peas. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat butter over low heat until melted. Blend in flour, mustard, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
3. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil about one minute and stir in cheese and hot pepper sauce to taste. Cook and stir until cheese is melted.
4. Plate peas on a large platter; place cauliflower in the middle. Drizzle cheese over vegetables and serve.

The Lovely Tablescape

My roomies... 36 Thanksgivings together

Who let the 12 year old drink?

Happy Thanksgiving and prepare yourself for the rest of the holiday season in The Messie Kitchen!!