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Casserole/ Leftovers/ Turkey

Turkey Tetrazzini, Revived

On the menu tonight – Turkey Tetrazzini!

What is Turkey Tetrazzini? You would think with the Italian name, Tetrazzini, it would be Italian. You would be wrong, it is an American dish. While it DOES have pasta and some Parmesan cheese, that’s about as far as it goes in the Italian direction. Tetrazzini is a baked pasta dish browned in the oven with a white cream sauce and usually topped with bread crumbs. It was invented, we think, in San Francisco in the early 1900’s. Others believe it was invented in New York City. You can read all about Tetrazzini here if you want to know more about its origin.

I decided to make it because I was trying to figure out a dish I could make that would help me use up some ground turkey. Usually, you would used a diced chicken or turkey, but I didn’t have that on hand. After a lot of looking around at turkey recipes, I decided to do a Tetrazzini.

I opted to make my own sauce instead of using the canned soup, which I think makes it much more flavorful. Since it includes pasta, a little meat goes a long way. This turned out SO great! It’s so creamy and delicious!

So, if you are feeding a crowd or making a pot luck dish, I hope you will try my version of Turkey Tetrazzini.

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Turkey Tetrazzini

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By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 12
Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 55 minutes

Turkey Tetrazzini

Ingredients

  • 1.5 - 2 lbs ground turkey (could also use about 3 cups leftover turkey or even rotisserie chicken)
  • 12 oz spaghetti or angel hair pasta
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
  • 1/2 stick of butter
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 4 cups turkey broth
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 lb mushrooms (white or cremini) sliced
  • 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, cut into cubes
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, separated - two 1/2 cups
  • 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
  • 1 tsp thyme

Instructions

1

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

2

Bring a pot of water to a boil

3

Cook pasta until al dente (follow pkg directions depends on the pasta you use)

4

Once cooked, drain and set aside (save a cup of the water)

5

In another large pot, pre-heat it over medium-high heat

6

Add the butter and garlic and let cook about a minute

7

Add the mushrooms and ground turkey

8

Season with salt and pepper

9

Once the turkey is mostly cooked, add the white wine

10

Cook until the liquid has reduced by half

11

Sprinkle in the flour and stir. The sauce will start to thicken quickly

12

Add the broth, stir, and continue to cook until the sauce is nice and thick

13

Add the cream cheese and continue to stir

14

Add the peas, Monterey Jack and half of the Parmesan cheeses, continue to stir

15

Add the salt, pepper, and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed

16

Add the cooked spaghetti and stir to combine. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more broth or some of the pasta water

17

Pour the entire mixture into a 13x9 casserole dish and spread it evenly

18

Top with panko and the rest of the Parmesan cheese

19

Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown

20

Once finished, let it rest at least 5 minutes before serving

Notes

You can make several variations on this dish. You could use chicken, tuna, shrimp, and I bet scallops would be really good in this too. If you didn't want any meat or fish, you could use larger pieces of mushroom - like from a Portobello mushroom in addition the cremini.

December 23, 2021 By
Leftovers/ Thanksgiving/ Turkey

Thanksgiving Rolls

Don’t let the name fool you. This isn’t a recipe to make a standard roll, this is a recipe to make a roll that is a complete meal!

While I was making the Turkey Crescent Wreath, I had some leftover crescent rolls as well as filling, but not enough to make another wreath. So, I decided to make individual rolls. Wow! I kind of like these more than the wreath… Can I say that?

They are the PERFECT size for snacking but they still have all the flavors of Thanksgiving. They are SO good!

The next time you need to make an appetizer, I hope you will my Thanksgiving Rolls!

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Thanksgiving Rolls

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By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 12

Thanksgiving Rolls

Ingredients

  • 2 8 oz containers crescent rolls (8 count)
  • 2 cups cooked and chopped turkey
  • 2 cups mashed potatoes
  • 1 cup cranberry sauce or Craisins
  • 8 oz block cheddar or Swiss cheese, grated
  • 1-2 cups mayonnaise
  • 1 egg, scrambled
  • 1 tsp ground sage
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1-2 cups turkey gravy

Instructions

1

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

2

Carefully unroll the crescent rolls and arrange them on a baking sheet. Stretch them out a little bit if it doesn't look like they will hold enough filling

3

In a large bowl, add the turkey, cheese, Craisins, mayonnaise, sage, thyme, salt and pepper, then mix to combine.

4

Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning

5

Spoon about a tablespoon of the mixture at a time on each triangle

6

Spoon about the same amount of mashed potatoes on top of the mixture

7

Be careful not to overfill, you need to leave enough room to be able to fold the "points" over the mixture

8

Continue until you have used up the rolls

9

Brush the egg on the dough and then put in the oven

10

Bake for 25-30 minutes (look for the top to be browned and the dough fully cooked)

11

When finished, let them rest at least 10 minutes before serving

12

Heat up the gravy while the rolls are resting

13

Serve and enjoy!

Notes

While perfectly delicious on their own, even better with some warm gravy to dip them in. YUM!

December 5, 2021 By
Leftovers/ Thanksgiving/ Turkey

Turkey Crescent Wreath with Gravy

On the menu tonight – Turkey Crescent Wreath!

Thanksgiving has passed and now you have a refrigerator full of leftovers. You can only make so many turkey sandwiches before you are ready for something different. This recipe uses just about all the leftovers for one meal.

I used turkey, mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, and craisins in my recipe, but feel free to add other things like green bean casserole, or any other leftovers. The only thing you may need to buy are the crescent rolls you find in the refrigerated section at the grocery store.

You already did most of the cooking. All you need to do to make this dish is chop the turkey into small pieces and combine it with a few other ingredients in bowl. Then assemble the crescent wreath and bake. 30 minutes later, you have a fresh new meal for the family.

I hope the next time you are looking for an idea to use up Thanksgiving leftovers, you will try my Thanksgiving Crescent Wreath!

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Thanksgiving Crescent Wreath with Gravy

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By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes – Total Time: 45 minutes

Thanksgiving Crescent Wreath with Gravy

Ingredients

  • 2 8 oz containers crescent rolls (8 count)
  • 2 cups cooked and chopped turkey
  • 2 cups mashed potatoes
  • 1 cup cranberry sauce or craisins
  • 8 oz block cheddar or Swiss cheese, grated
  • 1-2 cups mayonnaise
  • 1 egg, scrambled
  • 1 tsp ground sage
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1-2 cups turkey gravy

Instructions

1

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

2

Carefully unroll the crescent rolls and arrange them on a baking sheet in a circle with the "fat" side of the triangle in the center and the points facing outward. You can use a bowl in the center as a guide

3

In a large bowl, add the turkey, cheese, craisins, mayonnaise, sage, thyme, salt and pepper, then mix to combine.

4

Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning

5

Spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time on the "wreath" and continue around the circle

6

Spoon about the same amount of mashed potatoes on top of the mixture

7

Be careful not to overfill the wreath, you need to leave enough room to be able to fold the "points" over the mixture

8

Begin folding the points over the top and use a butter knife or offset spatula to fold the dough under to make the center pretty

9

Continue around the wreath until it is fully formed

10

Brush the egg on the dough and then put in the oven

11

Bake for 25-30 minutes (look for the top to be browned and the dough fully cooked)

12

When finished, let it rest at least 10 minutes before serving

13

Heat up the gravy while the wreath is resting

14

Serve and enjoy!

Notes

The method I used to form the wreath was using individual dough triangles formed into a circle and folding the points over. The dough comes out of the can in rectangles that you pull apart. You could also simply arrange the rectangles into a circle, fold the ends over the filling, and then carefully separate the pieces once the wreath is filled. Using that method, you could put a little more filling in. So, depending how many leftovers you have, you can choose which method you want to arrange the dough.

December 5, 2021 By
Thanksgiving/ Turkey

Roasted Turkey for Two with Gravy

On the menu tonight – Roasted Turkey for Two!

Every now and then you don’t have the entire family over or can’t make it to a big Thanksgiving gathering, but you still want the turkey without cooking an entire bird. This recipe is for you!

Your grocery store likely has turkey parts in addition to the entire bird. The great thing about this is if you like dark meat, just get the dark meat. Want white and dark meat… you get the idea.

One of the tricks to a great turkey dinner is the brine. Brine your turkey at least a day prior to cooking. What’s a brine you ask? A brine is liquid and spices you soak the meat in. There are as many brine recipes as there are opinions, but I keep mine simple. I’m not 100% I can taste all the ingredients I’ve put in brines before, so I just use water, salt, peppercorns, and sugar. Amounts? It depends on how much meat you are brining. As long as you can cover the meat with liquid that is enough.

Since you aren’t cooking at giant bird, it isn’t going to take as long to fully cook. Also, you’ll have more room in the oven for the side dishes. Score!

If you want to cook a smaller Thanksgiving feast, I hope you will try my version of roast turkey!

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Roasted Turkey for Two

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By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 2-4

Roasted Turkey for Two

Ingredients

  • two turkey thighs
  • two turkey legs
  • 2 tsp fresh or dry thyme, divided
  • 1 tsp sage
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 - 1 lemon, sliced (It will depend how much turkey you end up using and how lemony you like it. Start with a half lemon)
  • 4-5 Tbsp butter
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 onion thickly sliced
  • 2 stalks celery cut into thirds, include the greens
  • Gravy:
  • 1 cup Turkey drippings
  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup flour

Instructions

1

A day before cooking, put the meat in a container that will allow you to cover with liquid

2

Add the meat, water, about a quarter cup of salt, a quarter cup of sugar, and about 20 peppercorns to the container

3

The day you are going to cook take the turkey out and pat it dry

4

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

5

In a bowl, add the spices and mix thoroughly

6

In another bowl mix the softened butter with 1tsp thyme

7

Put a pat of butter under the skin of each piece of turkey and mash it around so it isn't one big clump. Continue putting the butter mixture under the skin of each piece until it's gone

8

Season the turkey on all sides with the dry spice mix

9

Put the onion, celery, and lemon in the bottom of the baking dish

10

Put the turkey, skin side down on top of the onion, celery, and lemon

11

Put in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, covered

12

After 30 minutes, flip the turkey so the skin side is up and bake another 30 minutes or until temp has reached 160-165 degrees. We want nice brown skin

13

Once the turkey is finished, it's time to make the gravy.

14

In a sauce pan, heat the butter over medium heat

15

Add the flour slowly to make the roux

16

Slowly add the juices from the dish you cooked the turkey and whisk to avoid any lumps

17

Continue adding the liquid until you have the consistency you want while whisking

18

Once you have the consistency you like, put in a gravy boat and serve

November 27, 2021 By
Side Dishes/ Thanksgiving/ Turkey

Turkey and Mashed Potato Wontons and Gravy Sauce

After a couple of days you get tired of turkey and mashed potato leftovers. What’s a guy to do? I decided to make Wontons! You probably already have everything you need, leftover turkey, some leftover mashed potatoes, some green onion, and some leftover gravy.

I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t made a lot of wontons. Before tonight, I haven’t made one wonton! LOL! But I was determined to make something new with my turkey and mashed potato leftovers. I looked for various recipes and didn’t see anything I liked. So, I made up my own recipe.

I had some wonton recipes and all the leftovers from Thanksgiving, so I made Turkey and Mashed Potato Wontons!

If you want to try something new with your leftovers, make Wontons!

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Turkey and Mashed Potato Wontons and Gravy Sauce

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By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 6 minutes – Total Time: 21 minutes

Turkey and Mashed Potato Wontons and Gravy Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 cups mashed potatoes
  • 1 lb leftover turkey, chopped finely
  • 2-3 tbsp green onion, finely chopped
  • Wonton wrappers
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1-2 quarts peanut oil or any oil for frying

Instructions

1

Preheat oil in a large skillet to 350 degrees

2

Mix the mashed potatoes, chopped turkey, and green onion in a mixing bowl

3

Take about 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of the mashed potato and turkey mixture and put it on the wonton wrapper. You want to be able to fold over the wrapper without the filling spilling out

4

Put a fine layer of the egg on the wonton wrapper to seal it shut

5

Fold over the wrapper, one corner to the other and seal it shut with your fingers

6

Assemble at least three or four wontons before putting in the oil

7

Gently place the assembled wontons in the preheated oil and fry until golden brown

8

About halfway through the cooking process, flip the wontons

9

Once fully cooked, transfer to a platter with a paper towel or cooling rack

10

Continue cooking until the mixture is gone

11

Heat the gravy in a bowl or ramekin for dipping

November 29, 2020 By
Chili/ Turkey

Turkey Chili with Tortilla Strips

On the menu tonight – Turkey Chili!

The temperature dropped in the last couple of days which means one thing in my house – CHILI! I’ve been trying to use up some things in the freezer and fridge lately and chili is the perfect dish to use things up. This version has ground turkey, some onion, garlic, bell peppers, and a pepperoncini pepper (I got one last pepper from my plant this week).

Usually, I’ll let the chili cook a long time but this one was done in about 30 minutes. Of course, the longer you let it simmer the deeper the flavor will get. Even in the relatively short time this cooked, the flavors were great. If you want a little something to warm you up as the temperatures drop, make a batch of this chili!

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Turkey Chili

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By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 30 minutes – Total Time: 45 minutes

Turkey Chili

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1.25 lbs ground turkey
  • 2 bell peppers, diced
  • 1 Vidalia onion, diced
  • 1 Pepperoncini Pepper (can subtsitute any other pepper you like. Go habanero if you want to burn your face off, or jalapeno for a little heat)
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
  • 2 Tbsp grill seasoning, any brand (I used Montreal Chicken Seasoning)
  • 4 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp cumin
  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1-3 Tbsp hot sauce, any brand
  • 1 14oz can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 bottle of beer, any beer you like (I used an IPA)
  • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, any brand (I used up the last of one in my fridge door)
  • Tortilla strips, either home made or pre-packaged type for salads

Instructions

1

Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat

2

Add the ground turkey meat with the chili powder, cumin, grill seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce

3

Brown the meat for about 5 minutes, then add the onions, bell pepper, and garlic

4

Deglaze the pot with the beer, while scraping any bits from the bottom

5

Add the tomato sauce and BBQ sauce and bring to a simmer

6

Let the chili simmer at least 10 minutes

7

Check your seasoning and heat level

8

Serve immediately garnishing with your favorite toppings (see below for suggestions)

Notes

Garnish your chili with your favorite toppings. Some suggestions include: shredded cheddar cheese chopped green onions finely diced vidalia onions tortilla strips sour cream

September 17, 2020 By