Terrific Turkey Recipes for Leftovers

Is there anything better than a Thanksgiving Feast?

Yes!

Leftovers!

If you are like me, you enjoy your leftovers straight up. Just load up your plate with all the fixin's from the day before, heat it up and gobble it down. But for those of you who tire of the meal and want something a little different...here are some recipes to use up all those delicious leftovers. You can order any of the Wildtree ingredients at http://www.jenwarr.mywildtree.com/.

Turkey Bacon Cheddar Melts 

Serves 4

3 TBSP Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil

1 Onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 TBSP mayo

1 1/2 TBSP Wildtree Whole Grain Thyme Mustard

8 slices of marble rye

4 slices of tomato

1 cup baby spinach

4 slices bacon, cooked and cut in half

4 (1/4 inch) slices of turkey breast

4 slices of cheddar cheese

In a medium skillet heat 1 TBSP of Grapeseed Oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until caramelized, stirring once every few minutes.  Remove pan from heat.  In a small bowl combine the mayo and Thyme Mustard.  Spread about a teaspoon size of the mayo mixture on each slice of bread. 

To assemble sandwiches:  On 4 of the slices of bread lay down a slice of tomato followed by 1/4 cup of baby spinach leaves, two halves of bacon, a slice of turkey, some of the caramelized onions and slice of cheese.  Finish the sandwich with the top slice of bread.  In a large nonstick skillet heat 1 tablespoon of Grapeseed Oil over medium heat.  Add two of the sandwiches and grill until golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes.  Repeat with remaining tablespoon of Grapeseed Oil and last two sandwiches.

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Turkey Florentine

Serves 6

2 TBSP Wildtree Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil

2 (6 ounce) bag baby spinach

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 cups water

2 tsp Wildtree Chicken Bouillon Soup Base

1 cup heavy cream

2 tsp Wildtree Lemon Rosemary Blend

2 cups uncooked pasta

1 pound shredded turkey

8 TBSP shredded parmesan

Heat 1 tablespoon of Garlic Grapeseed Oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add spinach and cook, stirring occasionally until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer spinach to a colander set over a bowl and press with spoon to release excess liquid.  Discard liquid.  Wipe out pan and heat remaining Garlic Grapeseed Oil over medium heat.  Cook onion until soft, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and continue cooking until fragrant, another 30 seconds.  Add the water, Chicken Bouillon, heavy cream and Lemon Rosemary Blend to the skillet, stirring to combine.  Add pasta.  Increase heat to medium high and bring sauce to a boil.  Once boiling, cover and reduce to a simmer.  Cooke until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.  Remove cover, add turkey, and bring sauce back to a boil over medium high heat.  Continue cooking for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce has thickened.  Stir 6 tablespoons of the parmesan cheese, remove from heat.  Preheat broiler.  Transfer the turkey mixture to a 9x9 baking dish.  Scatter spinach over the top and then sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.  Broil until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

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Toni's Thanksgiving Open-faced Panini

Serves 4

2 TBSP Mayonnaise

2 TBSP Wildtree Cranberry Spice Blend

2 slices Provolone cheese

1/2 pound turkey breast, sliced

1 package Wildtree Old World Style Focaccia Bread, prepared according to package directions

2 TBSP Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil

Mix the mayonnaise with the Cranberry Spice Blend and set aside at room temperature. Build a sandwich with the suggested ingredients. Brush the outside of the sandwich with Grapeseed Oil and saute in a pan until golden brown.

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Turkey & Barley Soup

Serves 6

1 tablespoon Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil

½ onion, diced

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

3 cups kale, chopped

1 (15.5 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 pound shredded turkey

8 cups Wildtree Chicken Bouillon Soup Base

1 box Wildtree Hearty Turkey & Barley Stew

In a large sauce pan heat Grapeseed Oil over medium heat. Cook the onions and carrots until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the kale and cook until just wilted. Add the beans and turkey. Increase heat to medium high. Add the Chicken Bouillon, and the box Turkey & Barley Stew (the barley, vegetables, and season packet). Bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the barley is tender; stir occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lunchbox Idea ~ Turkey Caesar Wrap

Turkey Caesar Wrap

Serves 4

1 pkg Wildtree Caesar Dressing mix, prepared

1 pound deli turkey or chicken

1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

1 cup croutons

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 flour tortillas, 8” each

In a medium-size bowl, toss lettuce with Caesar dressing, Parmesan cheese, and croutons till combined. Lay a tortilla on a flat surface. Top tortilla with about ¾ cup of salad mix. Lay 3 slices of turkey/chicken on top of salad. Fold right and left sides of tortilla toward the middle. Then fold bottom of tortilla towards top and over the filling, making sure to keep sides tucked in. Roll up. Cut wrap into two pieces. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Sloppy Joe Stuffed Bell Peppers

Simple, delicious and oh so healthy! Sloppy Joe Stuffed Bell Peppers 1 lb Extra Lean Ground Turkey 3 TBSP Sloppy Joe Blend 1 1/4 cup water 1 can tomato paste Brown the turkey; add water, Sloppy Joe Blend, and tomato paste. Mix together and simmer 10 minutes. Serve on a bun, over pasta or stuffed in a bell pepper. If you stuff in a bell pepper, cut the top off, remove seeds and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Tia Rosa's Enchilada Lasagna

This is an absolute favorite - whether you make traditional enchiladas or as a lasagna!

INGREDIENTS:

1 TBSP Natural Grapeseed Oil

1 pound lean ground beef, turkey or vegetarian crumbles

1 TBSP Adobo Seasoning

1 bottle Tia Rosa’s Red Enchilada Sauce

2 TBSP cilantro, chopped (optional)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

8 6-inch flour tortillas

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease 9x13 baking dish with drizzle of Garlic GSO. Sauté ground meat of choice, Adobo and oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until thoroughly cooked. Transfer to a large bowl add 1/2 cup Enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese and cilantro; toss to combine.

In baking dish layer: Tortillas, enchilada sauce, seasoned protein and cheese. Repeat process and end with a layer of sauce. Cover with tin foil. Bake in 325 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until heated and cheese is bubbly.

Serve enchiladas with sour cream, sliced avocado & tomatoes on the side along with a romaine salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette.

'Natural Flavorings' ~ My Journey to Three Supermarkets!

Have you ever watched the Biggest Loser?
Do you cook with Jennie-O Ground Turkey?
Or any other kind of pre-packaged ground turkey from Trader Joe's, Ralph's, Albertson's, Kroger's, etc?

Then you are most likely eating MSG.

I just spent an entire morning driving from Ralph's to Albertson's to Trader Joe's only to end up back at Whole Foods to purchase ground turkey without any 'Natural Flavorings'. You may ask why I took my son on this wild turkey chase - and I am seriously wondering the same thing myself, except for this... Natural Flavoring = MSG!

There are a few things that I am really devoted to when it comes to food in my house...
No High Fructose Corn Syrup
No MSG
No Nitrates

Dirty Dozen veggies must be organic

The problem is that almost all food from a store contains one of these items, making grocery shopping and label reading a nightmare. I am cooking several meals for a friend that had surgery, hence the turkey quest, and I was blown away that you cannot purchase ANY truly natural ground turkey in most grocery stores. So I am on a mission to share my findings and hopefully help you make the best choice for your family. I LOVE watching The Biggest Loser as it's inspiring, motivating and a truly positive show that helps so many people. I just might have to write a letter though as it saddens me that they are promoting something as being really good for you - that really isn't. Don't get me wrong, Jennie-O ground turkey is a MUCH better choice than the fast food most of the contestants were living on before, I just want food companies to clean their ingredients up of unnecessary items!

Slow Cooker for the Freezer Series ~ Turkey Chili

All the meals listed in this series can be made ahead and put into your freezer for another night or made the same day. It's a great way to make sure your family is eating a healthy & hearty meal during this hectic holiday season!

Turkey Chili

In freezer bag combine:

2 pounds ground turkey (cooked and drained)

6 TBSP Chili Blend

8 oz can tomato sauce

 Instructions:

Defrost. Add contents of bag to crock pot and add 2 cups of water. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve with Wildtree’s Texas Cornbread (2 bags to a box). Cook’s Note: Add a can of beans to crock pot for heartier chili.

A Few Thanksgiving Ideas

Basil Pesto Turkey
Serves 10-12

1/3 cup Basil Pesto
1/3 cup Roasted Garlic GSO
one 12 - 14 pound turkey, fully thawed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine Basil Pesto and Garlic oil. Remove neck and giblets from cavity and pat turkey dry with paper towels. Tie legs with kitchen twine and tuck wings under bird. Rub Basil Pesto paste all over turkey and under skin. Place turkey on a roasting rack and bake, uncovered, until the thickest part of the breast meat registers 160 degrees, about 2 1/2 hours. Let turkey rest before carving.
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Mashed Potato Casserole
Serves 6-8
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 cup of half & half
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large eggs
2 Tablespoons Onion & Chive Blend

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring potatoes (covered with water by an inch) to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Reduce to medium heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Heat half-and-half, broth, butter and Onion & Chive Blend on low heat. Keep warm. Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer on low speed beat potatoes slowly adding half-and-half mixture until smooth and creamy. Scrape bowl and beat in eggs one at a time until well blended. Pour into a 2 quart greased baking dish. Bake until potatoes rise and begin to brown about 35 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes.

Make ahead ~ The baking dish with the potatoes can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, let the casserole sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Increase the baking time by 10 minutes.
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Spinach Artichoke Green Bean Casserole
Serves 8

1 bag Cream of Mushroom Soup Base, prepared as a base according to package directions
1 jar Spinach, Artichoke and Parmesan Spread
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half
1 cup milk
1 1/3 cup french fried onions
 salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine mushroom soup base, spinach artichoke spread, green beans, milk, salt, pepper and 2/3 cup fried onions. Pour into greased baking dish and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly. Sprinkle remaining fried onions on top and bake for another 5 minutes until onions are golden brown and crispy. Let green bean casserole rest for 10 - 15 minutes before serving.

Weekly Meal Plan #1

I often talk about how much I value meal planning. I save money, waste less food, stress less over the old question, "What's for dinner?", and feel like something can be checked off my crazy to-do list! I only plan for 5 dinners, figuring that there will be leftovers for a couple nights or perhaps we will eat out one night. I also take into account if we are all home or if there will be late nights and I need to have the crockpot ready for a night when I will not have any time to cook!. I've decided to post them on my blog to help you out and take the stress out of planning your busy weeknights. These are just suggestions, so feel free to make any changes and please share your thoughts and ideas! If you need the recipes - just let me know!

 

Monday - Short Rib Ragu with Chiocciole and broccoli. (I freeze extras for another week.

 

Tuesday - Chicken & Onion Stew served over Rice. Sauteed Red Chard on the side. (Normally I would freeze these extras too but there never seem to be any!)

 

Wednesday - Enchiladas and a side salad (These can be made ahead and frozen.

 

Thursday - Roasted Chicken Breasts with root vegetables and mashed potatoes.

 

Friday - Turkey Meatballs (with all kinds of veggies hidden inside), red sauce and penne.