Leftovers

No, this is not a post reheated for your viewing pleasure. Those are on another blog. Instead, we are going to look at some cheap alternatives to turkey hash, turkey sandwiches, turkey gumbo, turkey á la king, turkey soup…

If you engaged in the American tradition of turkey on Thanksgiving, you have more than plenty left over today. The joy of the recipes comes with the smallest price tag. Even from scratch, these recipes are under $10. Where’s your apron?

Orange Glazed Cutlets

Since the alien relatives are all retired to the mother ship, this recipe is for four. Gather your ingredients:

3/4 pound turkey cutlets
1 C orange juice
3 T flour
1 T olive oil
2 T butter
2 T honey
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1/2 T dried basil leaves OR 1 T fresh
1/8 tsp white pepper (optional)

Not this one

If you cannot find turkey cutlets (tenders), you can make them yourself by cutting a turkey tenderloin into 1/2 inch chops and pounding them to 1/4 inch. Fold one in plastic wrap and smash it with a hammer rolling pin, meat mallet or a copy of Mantra for a Muse.

1. On a plate, combine flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the cutlets and shake off excess.
2. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until butter foams.
3. Add cutlets. Turn once. Cook 3-4 minutes per side to ensure meat reaches 160°F.
4. Remove to a clean plate.

Sauce:

1. Add juice, honey, Worcestershire sauce and basil to the skillet.
2. Stir constantly over high heat 4-5 minutes, until reduced and thick.
3. Return cutlets to skillet and cook over medium heat 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure coating with sauce.

Serve piping hot.

Optional: Salt is a matter of taste and really not necessary for this recipe. Pepper is also a matter of taste, but a good addition. Substitute red pepper for better flavor. 1/8 teaspoon of ginger can be substituted for salt and/or pepper.

But this was supposed to be about leftovers, Red!”

And so it was. To adapt this recipe for the big day bird, use 1/3 – 1/2 inch slices of turkey breast straight from the fridge. Increase the heat to medium-high and reduce cooking time to 1-2 minutes per side, just enough to brown the flour.

This recipe is just as good with any number of other cheap sauces.

Remember, cutlets are thin. If you overcook them, they will be dry.

Each serving runs around 275 calories, 11 grams of fat, 21 grams of protein, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, and if you chose salt, about 385 milligrams of sodium.

From scratch, this recipe is around $6. From leftovers, around $1.50.

Turkey Cassoulet

Want to impress everyone with French cuisine? This peasant dish is all aces. As it sounds cassoulet is the French word for casserole. While this recipe calls for turkey, you can substitute chicken when turkey is not handy. Got ingredients?

3 carrots, sliced
2 slices bacon (and you thought it was only Americans!)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
1 lb turkey breast, cooked, chopped
1 can Great Northern beans (15 oz), drained
1 C chicken broth
1 C water
1/2 C whole wheat bread crumbs
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
2 T butter, divided
2 T Parmesan cheese, grated
1 T olive oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp dried marjoram leaves
1/8 tsp pepper

Put it all together.

1. In a large saucepan, crisp bacon. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels.
2. Add olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, onion and garlic. Stir to loosen drippings. Cook crisp-tender.
3. Add broth, carrots, tomato paste, water, thyme, marjoram and pepper.
4. Cover pan. Simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
5. Stir in beans and turkey.
6. Pour into 2 1/2-quart casserole dish.
7. Combine bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon butter and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Mix well.
8. Sprinkle crumb mixture over cassoulet.
9. Bake 30-40 minutes at 375°F, until hot and bubbly.

Options: If you haven’t marjoram on hand, you can substitute basil. Pepper can be doubled according to taste. Tarragon is wonderful in this recipe at 1/2 teaspoon dried or 1 teaspoon fresh, chopped. Substituting half dark meat for this recipe adds a more savory flavor.

Waffle cutting or 1/4 dicing the carrots makes the dish have a bit more personality. Diced carrots cook faster. Tossing in a handful of diced bell pepper to the last few minutes of the onion/garlic cook is a great addition.

This recipe has no salt added because the canned ingredients contain salt. Leftovers will contain some extra salt and other spices as well.

If you are making this one from scratch, buy a turkey breast, cook it and freeze the leftover meat for another recipe.

Each of the four servings in this recipe contain almost 450 calories, 14 grams of fat, 40 grams of protein, 93 milligrams of cholesterol and a touch over 675 milligrams of sodium.

Cost from scratch: Just under $7

Cost from leftovers: Just under $5

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I hope you had a happy turkey day. What is your favorite leftover turkey dish? Are there any requests for cheap eats recipes?

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