Turkey: THAWING & BRINING

Thawing & Brining

Thawing

You have 2 choices:

Refrigerator Thawing - Keep the turkey in it’s wrapper (I like to put it in a large roasting etc in case it leaks) and thaw breast side up - it will take 1 day of thawing for every 4 pounds of turkey

Cold Water Thawing - Keep the turkey in it’s wrapper and thaw breast side down, in a bucket, cooler, sink with a stopper with enough cold water to cover the turkey completely. Remember to change the water every 30 minutes - it will take 30 minutes for every 1 pound of turkey

brining

A brined turkey is a juicy, more flavorful turkey. Ideally you want to brine for 24 hours before cooking - but if you don't have that much time try for at least an hour a pound. Here, you have 2 choices:

Wet Brine

1/2 gallon apple juice

1 gallon water

2 tablespoons each dried sage & rosemary

5 cloves garlic, minced

1.5 cups Kosher salt

1.5 cups brown sugar

2 yellow onions, peeled & cut in quarters

• Combine all ingredients in a large pot, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 15-20 minutes partly covered

• Allow brine to cool completely

• Put unwrapped, rinsed turkey (without the bag of giblets etc) into a brining bag (like a huuuuge zip lock) or non-reactive pot and add the cooled brine to cover

• (Or, buy a brining kit and follow directions)

• Seal bag or cover pot and refrigerate up to 24 hours

• Remove from fridge about 2 hours before cooking, rinse, pat dry and roast as usual

Dry Brine (this is preference btw)

Let me just say I’ve done both wet & dry brining, and dry is so much easier with almost no mess and the results are virtually the same.

• Unwrap turkey, remove bag of giblets, neck etc and pat dry

• Season with Kosher salt - using approximately 1 tablespoon of salt for every 4 pounds of turkey - being sure to cover the entire outside and and refrigerate uncovered 24 hours

• Remove from fridge about 2 hours before cooking, do not wipe off salt and roast as normal

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Cornbread Waffles with Bacon

Don't own a waffle iron? Borrow one - you'll be glad you did.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 8.5 oz bix of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup diced, cooked crispy bacon
• 1/3 cup cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup diced green chilies

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat waffle iron
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl - mix well
3. Spray both sides of waffle iron with non-stick spray, add batter and close
4. Cook until done, add butter to the top if you want (and why wouldn’t you) then eat.

Mashed Potatoes - Three Ways

Let me get this out of the way - it's OK to use frozen or packaged or dried mashed potatoes. It is. They are really quite good. Plus, by the time you add a bunch of extra ingredients - even your grandmother couldn't tell they weren't from scratch. This is just a guide - you can add almost anything to mashed potatoes - goat cheese, sour cream, bits of roast beef, rice pudding, quickly sauted vegetables, crunchy rice noodles - by the way I was just kidding about the rice pudding.

Directions

CHIPOTLE MASH:

• 2 cups cooked mashed potatoes
• 1 tablespoon adobe sauce
• Chipotle chiles, from a can
• Monterey jack cheese
• Mix the potatoes and sauce - you're done.
• Garnish with a little cheese while still hot so it starts to melt

HORSERADHISH MASH:

• 2 cups cooked mashed potatoes
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• Mix all ingredients
• Season with salt & pepper

CARMELIZED RED ONION MASH:

• 1 red onion (of course) sliced really thin
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• olive oil
• 2 cups cooked mashed potatoes
• Saute red onion in a little oil until very soft and beginning to brown
• Add brown sugar and mix well
• Serve masked potatoes with a big whack of sauted onions on top and drizzle lightly with olive oil

Stuffing Omelet

Makes 1

You're laughing right? Well I'm serious about how good this is - so don't laugh until you've tried it. This has been a tradition in our house for about 25 years and is ideal for the morning after a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner . The only thing is it requires that you still have some stuffing leftover, so make sure you do.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 slice American cheese (you can use any kind you like, but this kinda makes it)
• 1/3 cup (approx) leftover stuffing, room temp

Directions

1. Beat the eggs well in a bowl
2. Melt butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat, and add eggs.
3. If making a true omelet, allow the bottom of the eggs to set - add stuffing to one half, cover with cheese and flip one side over making a half moon & cook to desired doneness (and fyi desired doneness for me is not too dry)
4. Or, cook as scrambled eggs - adding the stuffing when you would normally add other ingredients and then cook until desired doneness - which is still not too dry
5. Put on a plate and enjoy
6. Wait for next year

Turkey Tacos

Makes 6

I mean really - there are only so many turkey sandwiches or pot pies you can eat with leftover turkey before you want to poke your eyes out. Try these, ok?

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups leftover turkey
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes, warmed
• 6 corn tortillas, warmedsour cream

Directions

1. Cook onion in oil over medium heat until softened
2. Add turkey and cumin and stir well until heated through
3. Add carrots, stir and remove from heat
4. To a heated tortilla add some sour cream, mashed potato and then top with turkey mixture
5. Eat away...

Grilled Turkey & Stuffing Sandwich

Makes 1

Think 'grilled cheese with turkey' but with the addition of stuffing. The amazing, wonderful addition of stuffing.

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 slices turkey
• 2 slices good bread, whole wheat, sourdough or even a mini baguette would be good
• 2 slices Muenster cheese
• about 1/3 cup stuffing, heated
• Mayonnaise
• Fresh ground pepper
• Softened butter

Directions

1. Preheat grill pan or non-stick pan
2. Heat turkey (in a non-stick pan or quickly in a microwave) and put on top of one slice of bread then add the cheese and the warmed stuffing
3. Add a few grinds of pepper
4. Add mayo to 2nd slice of bread and put on top
5. Spread one slice of bread lightly with butter and put butter-side down in the pan
6. Cook until golden brown, add butter to top and flip over
7. Cook until 2nd side is beautiful - eat

Stuffing Quesadilla

Makes one 8 inch quesadilla

Until you try it, you can't make fun of me. Well, you can - but just not about this.

Ingredients

• 2 flour tortillas, about the 8 inch size
• About 3/4 cup leftover stuffing, warmed
• 1/3 cup Monterey Jack cheese
• Sour cream and cranberries for garnish

Directions

1. Place one tortilla in a non-stick pan over medium heat and spread with about half the cheese, let it start to melt a bit
2. Then add the stuffing, the remaining cheese and then top with the 2nd tortilla
3. Squish down with a spatula
4. Once the bottom starts to get a little bit golden, flip and lightly brown the other side
5. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and some cranberry

Baked Stuffing Balls

Makes about a dozen

They're like 'one biters' of crunchy, stuffing perfection. Don't leave out the sour cream & hot sauce...that makes it.

Ingredients

• 1 cup leftover stuffing
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• Hot sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Roll stuffing into twelve one and a half inch round balls
3. Dip into beaten egg, then roll in bread crumbs - make sure the crumbs stick well
4. Put on lightly greased baking sheet and bake about 35 minutes or until golden brown
5. To serve give them a dip in sour cream and then in the hot sauce

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Stuffing Bruschetta

Makes about 16 pieces

Weird...maybe. Good...of course. Will you make it? How am I supposed to know...

Ingredients

• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 long sour dough baguette
• 1.5-2 cups stuffing, warmed
• 3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Cook onions in oil in a large pan until really well softened and just beginning to brown
2. Heat broiler
3. Slice baguette down the middle and brown ever-so-slightly under the broiler
4. Top each half with warmed stuffing, then onions and then a light coating of the cheese
5. Place under broiler until the slices begin to brown and cheese melts
6. Remove and slice each half into 8 serving pieces

Mashed Potato & Stuffing Tacos

Makes 4

The only word for what started out as a simple Mashed Potato Taco is legendary...

And if it's not Thanksgiving, a box of Stove Top works beautifully...no really.

Ingredients

• 4 corn tortillas
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 3/4 cup leftover mashed potatoes
• 1/3 cup leftover stuffing
• Hot sauce, about 4 teaspoons
• 6 pieces of bacon, cooked until crispy and then crumbled
• 4 handfuls of potato chips - preferably the extra crispy kettle kind

Directions

1. Heat the tortillas in a non-stick skillet on both sides until just beginning to get a little color in spots
2. Warm up potatoes & stuffing - small pot on the stove...microwave...in your pocket - it's up to you
3. Spread some sour cream onto each tortilla
4. Add some of the mashed potato then stuffing
5. Drizzle with the hot sauce, add crumbled bacon and then take a handful of the potato chips and crunch them over the top of each taco
6. Fold in half and eat...you can thank me later

Easy Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing

Makes about 4 cups

I start with seasoned corn bread stuffing - and add a couple things. And don't forget to make stuffing omelets with the leftovers.

1 pound spicy Italian sausage

1 cup diced yellow onion

1 cup diced celery

1 tablespoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 cup butter, 2 sticks

One 12 ounce bag cornbread stuffing

1 3/4 cup chicken stock

• Preheat oven to 350

• Put the cornbread into a large bowl

• Cook the sausage in a pan, breaking it up as you go until cooked through, remove to the cornbread bowl

• In the same pan melt the butter, then put in the onion, celery and sage and cook until softened - about 5 minutes, put in with the cornbread & sausage

• Add the broth and mix until well combine

• Then everything goes into a greased casserole dish, cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes, remove foil and continue to cook another 10

Turkey & Stuffing Benedict

Makes 1

I love traditional Eggs Benedict, but this made such a hit in our house it'll now be a regular breakfast item.

Ingredients

• 1/3-1/2 cup stuffing (cooked)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Few slices cooked turkey
• One egg
• Turkey gravy

Directions

1. Shape stuffing into a 1/2 thick patty - about the size and shape of an English muffin - compact it well
2. Melt butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat and cook patty until crispy on both sides - about 2 minutes a side - just be gentle cuz it'll try to break apart on you
3. While it cooks, poach the egg and heat the turkey and gravy
4. Plate with stuffing patty on the bottom, the turkey, the poached egg and finally gravy over the top

Roast Turkey Breast

Serves 4-6

Much less fuss than all the fanfare required for a whole turkey - but still super delicious.

Ingredients

• One fresh turkey breast with bone
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 small carrot, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 small onions, peeled and quartered

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Rub turkey with the butter, inside & out
3. Season well with salt and pepper
4. Put vegetables on the bottom of a roasting pan and set turkey on top
5. Turn heat down to 325 and roast until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reads 160 degrees
6. Transfer turkey to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil for about 20 minutes
7. While turkey rests, make pan gravy
8. Carve the breast and serve with the gravy :)