The big holiday meals are over, and you’re just as stuffed as your turkey was. In fact, you can barely manage to open your fridge because you can’t bear to eat another bite of bird. If you’ve got the leftover blues, cheer up! Help is on the way. While I might not come over to help you devour a drumstick (although I can be persuaded by pie), I do have a few ways for you to use your leftover roast beast that’ll leave you wanting more. Great-Grandma Kate’s recipes to the rescue. If you’re all out of turkey, chicken can substitute nicely. And if you have no turkey leftovers, these recipes are great on their own with turkey or chicken.
1. Bridies
Ingredients
- 1 pound turkey meat, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 package ready-made pie crust (two crusts), thawed
- 1 egg, beaten well with a teaspoon of warm water
Preparation
Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Grease two baking sheets. Place the turkey, vegetables and butter in a bowl and toss to coat thoroughly. Add the seasonings and toss well. Cut each pie crust in half, creating four half circles. Place a portion of the turkey mixture on one side of each half circle. Lightly wet the edge of the pie crust and fold it over the filling, pinching the edges shut with your thumb and index finger. Brush the tops and sides of each bridie with the egg wash, then use a sharp knife to cut a ventilation slit at the top center of each bridie. Place two on each baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden. Serve hot.
2. Turkey Collops
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1 pound turkey meat, chopped finely
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 ounce toasted oatmeal
- 1 cup stock
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Preparation
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and fry until golden, about eight minutes. Add the chopped turkey meat and fry until golden. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the oatmeal, stirring well to combine. Pour in the stock. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, then adjust seasoning to your taste. Serve with mashed potatoes.
3. Turkey Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds turkey meat, roughly chopped
- 2 cups stock
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 cup mashed potatoes
- 3 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Preparation
Place the turkey meat and the stock in a large stew pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the temperature to a simmer. Cook for five minutes. Add the onion and continue simmering for 10 minutes. In a bowl, combine the mashed potatoes and milk. Add this to the stew pot, stirring continuously to blend well. Once the soup is heated through, add the butter and stir until melted. The soup should be a creamy consistency. If it is too thick, add more stock until it is creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley.
