Foods of the World Forum Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > Other Food-Related Topics > Around the Kitchen Table
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Beyond Turkey Sandwiches
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

This site is completely supported by donations; there are no corporate sponsors. We would be honoured if you would consider a small donation, to be used exclusively for forum expenses.



Thank you, from the Foods of the World Forums!

Beyond Turkey Sandwiches

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
HistoricFoodie View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group


Joined: 21 February 2012
Location: Kentucky
Status: Offline
Points: 4940
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Beyond Turkey Sandwiches
    Posted: 27 November 2015 at 07:14
We spend Thanksgiving at a buddy’s house every year. As usual, he overdid everything. With maybe 20 people---half of them kids---he makes two full trays of everything. Two broccoli casseroles, two hash-brown casseroles, two….well, you get the idea. He even makes two turkeys, just in case.

Ironic thing: Despite this largess, he doesn’t eat leftovers. No way, no how! So there’s a lot of food left over, as you can imagine. So everyone has to take home lots of extras.

While my buddy’s leftovers are excessive, the fact is, after a holiday dedicated to gluttony, most of us do have leftovers. The question is, what to do with them?

While there’s certainly nothing wrong with a turkey sandwich, that can get old after awhile. The trick is to think of the leftovers as ingredients, to be used to create new dishes. Here’s one of my favorites:

TURKEY CROQUETTES
2 tbls oil      
3 tbls butter
4 tbls all purpose flour     
3 cups milk
Salt & white pepper     
Dash ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground sage     
1 ½-2 cups ground cooked turkey
2 eggs     
3 cups almonds, ground fine
Oil for deep frying
     
Heat the oil and butter in a heavy skillet. Whisk in the flour. Let it cook for a minute to burn off raw taste. Gently stir in the milk, a little at a time, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Continue cooking until very thick. Stir in the turkey.

Pour mixture into a shallow pan or bowl. Set in fridge for at least two hours.

Beat the eggs in a shallow dish. Spread the ground almonds in a second shallow dish.

Shape the mixture into croquettes. Roll in the almonds, then in the eggs, then in the almonds again.

Fry the croquettes in hot oil (350F) until crisp and golden brown. Drain on a rack. Serve hot.

While this recipe is a bit complex, there are all sorts of ways to recycle leftovers. Turkey A La King; Turkey Pot Pie; Turkey & Veggie Soup (be sure to save the carcass for stock), etc.

How do you use up your Thanksgiving leftovers?
But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket
Back to Top
Sponsored Links


Back to Top
Effigy View Drop Down
Chef
Chef
Avatar

Joined: 17 June 2013
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 633
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Effigy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 November 2015 at 00:55
Isn't croquette a fancy word for rissole?Evil Smile
And these sound very yummy.

Ground almonds are my new favourite ingredient. I buy 5kg bags of organic ground almonds online from a local (ish) supplier and I find I am using it more and more.

I am going to try these on Boxing Day - its a similar scenario with the left overs.
We don't do Thanksgiving in NZ.

I am also thinking that the roux sauce with bird meat would be a good freezer standby ingredient.

Got me thinking you have Brook Smile
Resident Peasant
Back to Top
HistoricFoodie View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group


Joined: 21 February 2012
Location: Kentucky
Status: Offline
Points: 4940
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 November 2015 at 09:02
I'm not familiar with rissole, Ann. I'll have to look that up.

France, Italy, and Spain all have versions of these, with all three languages using some variation of croquette. The shapes seem to have national identities. In France (and the U.S., for that matter) they favor pyramid shapes. In Spain cylinders are the shape of choice. Italy tends to go with small balls.

The basic approach stays the same. But you can ring changes on them just by using different proteins and flavorings. For instance, the recipe above is one I adapted from a shrimp croquette recipe.

BTW, how'd you do on that last paper?
But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket
Back to Top
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 January 2010
Location: Chinook, MT
Status: Offline
Points: 9356
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 November 2015 at 23:13
For us, it is invariably sandwiches, followed by soup or casserole.

Sandwiches are very basic: slices of turkey on bread or rolls with mayonnaise; usually, a bit of seasoning such as salt and pepper are added.

The soup pretty much encompasses all of the leftovers, with only onion, carrots and celery added. The carcass is simmered for stock, the green bean casserole adds vegetables and makes it a bit creamy and the gravy adds body and flavour. Even the mashed potatoes and dressing are combined with egg and a little flour to make dumplings or noodles. We rarely have sweet potato or cranberry leftovers, but I have no qualms about adding them, also.

The casserole is pretty straight-forward; just mix stuff together with rice and bake it. One year I made a turkey version of Lovački Djuveč from leftovers, which was quite good!
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
Back to Top
Tom Kurth View Drop Down
Chef's Apprentice
Chef's Apprentice


Joined: 10 May 2015
Location: Alma, MO
Status: Offline
Points: 251
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tom Kurth Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 November 2015 at 06:34
Had a smoked breast half in the freezer that I wanted to use up before the holidays. An internet search suggested waffles made from dressing. Just add enough eggs to make it hold together in balls, spread out in the waffle iron and cook until crispy. We occasionally do turkey or chicken in gravy over regular waffles (just leave out any sugar and up the salt a little) so I decided to go for it using my standard dressing. I understand similar waffle dinners were done as a fund-raiser/community thing back in the 1930's.

My usual dressing is made of white bread rather than corn bread, flavored with sage, thyme and black pepper. Includes carrot, celery and onion. Is moistened with margarine and chicken broth. To a recipe using a 20 oz. loaf of white bread I added three eggs. Thoroughly oiled the waffle iron and baked away. Smelled great while cooking but did not work well with the topping. The topping was kind of a turkey a la king that was somewhat sweet from the added vegies. Should have stuck with simple turkey and gravy. The waffles were kinda heavy and needed support while removing from the iron.

The original source made use of all Thanksgiving leftovers, piling turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce over his waffles. It was that Kenji Lopez guy, whatever his name is--the science foodie guy.
Best,
Tom

Escape to Missouri
Back to Top
Effigy View Drop Down
Chef
Chef
Avatar

Joined: 17 June 2013
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 633
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Effigy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 November 2015 at 23:39
Haha! The first thing I EVER ate on arrival in the USA was a turkey sandwich! It had lashings of potato and gravy. It was certainly not the delicate triangle afternoon tea sandwiches I was expecting.
Certainly memorable though.
Resident Peasant
Back to Top
HistoricFoodie View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group


Joined: 21 February 2012
Location: Kentucky
Status: Offline
Points: 4940
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 December 2015 at 08:01
Sounds like what used to be called a Hot Turkey Sandwich, Ann. Open-faced, usually on cheap white bread, turkey slices (or processed turkey breast), and a scoop of mashed spuds, swimming in a pasty gravy.

Used to be a mainstay of every diner and school lunchroom in the country. And as far from a tea sandwich as it's possible to get.

As I remember, they were ugly to look at, and even uglier to eat. Ugh!

On the other hand, a KY Hot Brown sandwich, also made with turkey slices, is a joy to behold, and a delight to the palate.
But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket
Back to Top
Melissa Mead View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef


Joined: 17 July 2010
Location: Albany, NY, USA
Status: Offline
Points: 1174
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Melissa Mead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 December 2015 at 17:33
I microwaved a couple of wrinkly apples until they were soft, then mixed the pulp with chunks of leftover turkey mixed with leftover melted Brie. Tasted like those Barber creme Brie + apple stuffed chicken breasts.
Back to Top
gracoman View Drop Down
Chef
Chef


Joined: 09 August 2013
Status: Offline
Points: 885
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gracoman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 December 2015 at 20:34
A proper turkey sandwich is a gastronomic delight Thumbs Up

Back to Top
HistoricFoodie View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group


Joined: 21 February 2012
Location: Kentucky
Status: Offline
Points: 4940
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 December 2015 at 07:04
Sounds nice, Melissa. And exactly what I had in mind when starting the thread; ways to repurpose Thanksgiving leftovers into whole new dishes.

I just used up the last of them with a roasted-turkey soup; most of which I canned for winter use.
But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket
Back to Top
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 January 2010
Location: Chinook, MT
Status: Offline
Points: 9356
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 December 2015 at 10:54
Sounds like some delicious ideas are coming forward here, and a really nice turkey sandwich, gMan!

Although, i must admit, I like a good hot turkey sandwich, now and then.... Embarrassed
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.141 seconds.