Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Think outside the turkey sandwich
Did your turkey outlast your Thanksgiving lunch? Are you on mashed potato overload? No problem — mix your leftover turkey up with some healthy new tasty recipes! Feel free to add additional vegetables to any recipes and use whatever you have.
Turkey Broccoli Casserole (low carb)
1 pound cooked turkey or chicken
12 ounces broccoli florets fresh or frozen
4 strips bacon sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 cup chicken stock, low salt
1 cup blue cheese crumbles quantity divided
1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish, or 6-8 cup casserole dish with butter or coconut oil. Line a plate with a paper towel.
Spread cooked chicken or turkey evenly in the prepared baking dish.
Fill the lower part of a steamer with 1 1/2 to 2 inches water. Bring to a simmer. Place broccoli in the top part of the steamer. Sprinkle lightly with salt. When water in the lower steamer comes to a simmer, place the top portion of the steamer on top and cover.
Steam broccoli for 7-10 minutes or until crisp tender. Transfer to the prepared baking pan. Stir the turkey/chicken and broccoli gently a few times to mix.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, add bacon. Cook bacon until crisp, then transfer to the paper towel lined plate to drain. Sprinkle cooked bacon over the chicken and broccoli mixture.
In a large mixing bowl, whip cream cheese until smooth using a mixer. Blend in the vinegar, garlic, and onion powder. Gradually add the stock, a tablespoon or two at a time, blending between each addition. Stir in 1/2 cup of the blue cheese crumbles.
Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the turkey, broccoli, and bacon. Sprinkle with the remaining blue cheese. Bake for 30-37 minutes or until cheese has melted and casserole is bubbly in the center.
If the top is not as browned as you would like, place the dish under the broiler for a few minutes. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
Serves 9, each serving contains; Calories 310, Fat 25 g., Carbohydrates 5 g., Fiber 1 g., Protein 16 g.
Crock Pot Lemon Turkey Soup with Orzo
8 cups homemade turkey stock (or homemade chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth)
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Fresh-ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1/2 cup whole wheat orzo
3-4 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken
2-3 large handfuls spinach leaves, chopped
2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Put the homemade turkey stock or homemade chicken stock in the slow cooker and turn it on to heat while you chop the onion, celery, and carrots.
Add the chopped veggies to the slow cooker, as well as the poultry seasoning, dried thyme, and fresh-ground black pepper.
Cook on High for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours. After the stock and veggies has simmered, add the 1/2 cup whole wheat orzo (and turn the slow cooker to HIGH if you have been cooking on low.)
Chop the leftover turkey into pieces slightly larger than the vegetables, and add to the soup.
Cook about 30 minutes, or until the orzo is soft with still a slight bite to it.
When the orzo is nearly done, add the spinach and cook until it’s done. (At first all the spinach floats on top of the soup, but it’s done when it starts to sink down in.) Stir in the lemon juice and cook 5 minutes more. Serve hot. Serves 6-8.
White Turkey Chili and Beans
1 onion, diced into small pieces
2 tsp. olive oil
2-3 tsp. minced garlic
1 can diced green chiles with liquid
1 T dried cilantro
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. Mexican oregano
2 cans pinto beans, rinsed
1 quart (4 cups) homemade turkey stock or homemade chicken stock (or use canned broth)
1 cup water
2 cups diced leftover chicken or turkey
3 T fresh squeezed lime juice
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Grated Monterey Jack cheese or Four Cheese Mexican Blend for serving, optional
Fresh chopped cilantro or sliced green onions for serving, optional
Chop onion into small dice. Heat olive oil in a heavy pan big enough to hold all the chili, add onion and sauté on low heat 3-4 minutes, or until onion is starting to soften.
Add minced garlic and canned green chiles and sauté about 2 minutes more. Then add dried cilantro (if using), ground cumin, and Mexican oregano, and sauté about 2 minutes more.
Add 2 cans drained and rinsed pinto beans. Add turkey or chicken stock and water and let chili simmer on low for about 30 minutes, stirring a few times.
Add diced leftover turkey, and simmer only 5-10 minutes more.
Add fresh lime juice and season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper right before you serve the chili. Serve hot, with grated cheese melted on top and sprinkled with fresh chopped cilantro or green onions if desired. Serves 4-6.
Turkey Burritos (Heart Healthy)
For the Burritos:
4 Low Carb/Low Sodium Wraps
2 cups cooked leftover turkey breast, shredded
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1-4.5 oz. can green chilis
2 cups low sodium taco sauce (recipe below)
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
For the Sauce:
15 oz. can of no salt added tomato sauce
⅓ cup water
½ tsp. chili powder
3 tsp. cumin
3 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. white vinegar
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. sugar
½ tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional for heat
To make the sauce:
Combine all ingredients to sauce consistency. Set aside.
To make the burritos:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Cook rice according to package instructions. Shred your leftover turkey.
Add turkey, rice, drained pinto beans, 1 cup of sauce, and green chiles and combine to make your burrito filling. Lay the tortillas out on a flat surface, fill with 1 cup of the chicken mixture and burrito roll to close, then place in a baking dish.
Repeat until you've made the four burritos. Cover with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes. Yields 4 burritos.
