I'm a southern gal with a passion for cooking and baking from scratch, the old fashioned way!
These are some tasty burgers that I came up with while attempting to jazz up our normal turkey burger routine. Using an egg white helps to keep the lean turkey meat moist and binds it into a patty that will cook nicely on the grill. The combination of flavors makes this a pretty special – but EASY – turkey burger!
We’re all suffering from a bit of that Thanksgiving hangover this weekend, I think. Are we a few pounds heavier than this time last Sunday? Probably. Are we sleepy from the tryptophan or from sleeping on Aunt Gwendolyn’s couch? Who knows. One thing is for sure – leftovers abound, and we can’t let those go to waste. So here are three great ideas for using up some of your leftover turkey!
Tired of all things Thanksgiving? Craving flavors other than rosemary and sage? Then my Southwestern White Chili is the perfect match for you and your leftover turkey.
Looking for a good way to jazz up those same-old turkey sandwiches? Then boy are you in for a treat when you make Hot Browns with your leftovers. These babies are a Kentucky classic, so comforting and absolutely delicious.
Thanksgiving is over but you’re still trying to embrace that holiday spirit? Then you need to try this Turkey Pot Pie with Cranberry-Thyme Crust. It is all of the best flavors of the season, in a new and tasty form.
Now get to cooking, dear readers, before those leftovers go to waste!!
Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers!! What a wonderful day to be surrounded by family, friends, and FOOD!
Even on those years when my parents don’t host Thanksgiving dinner at their house (our families alternate years), they still roast a whole turkey. Why go to all the trouble? Well, for the leftovers, of course!
I think there are two really unique things that my family does when we roast a turkey. The first is the stuffing. My grandmother, Nanny, makes the stuffing every year. She will tell you that it’s very simple – just some breadcrumbs (made from plain white hamburger buns!), melted butter, chicken broth, and some poultry seasoning. But I’m telling you . . . . it’s simply magical. I can’t even look at recipes for stuffing that include a lot of *stuff* – the simple classic has spoiled me. I don’t want cranberries, mushrooms, lentils, oysters, carrots, celery, onion, raisins, or even cornbread in my stuffing! Give me Nanny’s, or I’ll just pass on this dish altogether!!!
The second unique touch in our family turkey recipe is the sausage. (And NO, the sausage does NOT go in the dressing!) About mid-way through the roasting process, we place traditional link sausages (usually Bob Evans or Jimmy Dean brand) all around the base of the turkey. They roast to perfection, all the while basting the turkey with their wonderfully flavorful juices! Everyone takes a link to have on their plate next to all the delicious veggies.
We have a few other turkey-day tricks up our sleeve in my family, but I have to save some of those for the years to come!
In the meantime, best wishes to all of my dear readers for a wonderful holiday season for you and your precious families!
The four cheeses in my lasagna are not the most traditional cheeses . . . but they sure are tasty! I like to use turkey for the meat in this one – there are so many wonderful flavors going on that most people who taste this dish don’t even notice that it’s not beef! Plus, I think the turkey makes it seem lighter, which is a nice balance to the richness of the cheese.
Yep, when you like food (and cocktails),
then you pretty much make every holiday YOUR holiday.
Here’s the casserole I served to my friends at our casual little get together tonight. I sort of made it up on the fly based on many recipes I had seen floating around.
Seven Layer Mexican Lasagna
8 large flour tortillas
1.25ish lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup enchilada sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 of a green bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a yellow bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fajita seasoning
1 package of frozen corn kernels
2 cups shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, monterey jack, whatever you like)
About 12-15 tortilla chips, crushed
Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Line the bottom with 4 of the tortillas, cutting the edges if necessary.
Next, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, seasoning it with the cumin. Add the enchilada sauce and heat through. Set aside.
In another large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, peppers, red onion, and garlic. Sprinkle with the fajita seasoning. Cook, stirring until fragrant and softened, about 4 minutes. Add the frozen corn and heat through. Remove from heat.
Next spoon the meat mixture over the tortillas in the baking dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Then place the remaining 4 tortillas on top of the cheese. Spoon the corn and veggie mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the veggies. Finally, top with the crushed tortilla chips.
Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with cilantro and serve with guacamole and sour cream toppings.
