Leftover Turkey and Guests for the Weekend

Let's face it.  The holidays are a very sentimental time for many of us.  One of the things I treasure most in my home is my Mom's recipe box and a few of her cookbooks.  My sister, daughter's  and I often make Mom's recipes for our families.  There are hundreds of ways you can make chicken soup, meatloaf or vegetable soup, just to name a few.  But when it comes to comfort food, Mom knows best.   I come from a family of 7, so my Mom had to be a whiz at stretching my Dad's paycheck to feed all of us and many times our friends and significant others.  

Christmas is over and now you have a platter of leftover turkey left in the fridge and a houseful of guests to feed.  Need an easy idea for both?  This is one of my favorite recipes I loved growing up and still enjoy with my own family.  I modified the recipe to allow you to make it in the crockpot so you can sit with your family and friends and relax.  This will give you 12 servings.

You need:  3 - 4 cups cooked turkey you have cubed, 1 (16 1/8) ounce cans cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup, 2 1/2 cups milk, 1 1/2  to 2 1/4 cups frozen peas, 24 ounces sour cream.

In crockpot, mix together all of the ingredients except the sour cream.  Cook on low setting for at least 3 hours.  About 1/2 hour before you serve it, mix in the sour cream and mix well.  Continue to cook until it is warmed and you are ready to serve.  

It is delicious served over toast, warm biscuits or mashed potatoes.  

Thanks Mom !  

Enjoy your family and friends and happy weekend.   

Left Over Turkey?

TURKEY WITH SWEET POTATO DUMPLINGS

Courtesy of Wholefoodsmarket.com, I found this great recipe for using leftover turkey.  Quite a new take on Thanksgiving leftovers!  Hope you all had a very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups raw, cooked or frozen chopped vegetables (you can use green beans, carrots, or peas)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (preferably unbleached)
2 cups low sodium chicken broth or regular chicken broth if you don't have low sodium
3 cups shredded cooked turkey
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes (or a 3/4 lb. sweet potato, cooked and mashed)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

To Make:

Preheat oven to 400.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8 - 10 minutes.  Add vegetables and cook until softened and hot throughout, whether you use raw, cooked or froze.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over vegetables, stir well and cook 2 minutes.  Whisk in broth, bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low.  Simmer until thickened, 2 - 3 minutes.  Stir in turkey.  Salt and pepper and transfer to a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, gently combine 1 1/4 cups flour, sweet potatoes, baking soda, buttermilk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to make a thick batter.  Do not overmix!  Drop batter in large spoonfuls over turkey mixture to form 8 dumplings.  Bake until dumplings are golden brown and cooked through, about 30 minutes.

*  If you didn't cook a whole turkey, use cooked turkey breast.