Left Over Turkey

Anytime we have a turkey dinner there are left-overs. It's a given there will be lots of left-overs and always, always a batch of turkey stock. One of the biggest complaints I've heard about turkey left-overs is they are dry. If the turkey was moist to begin with the left-overs will be moist as well however the reheating process can dry out the meat. I like using moist reheating methods for left-over turkey. One of our favourite left-over turkey dishes is creamed turkey casserole.

Creamed Turkey Casserole

A lot of recipes are tweaked or created then handed down from generation to generation. This is a recipe handed down to me from my late mother-in-law. Coming from a large family and raising a large family she was an excellent and frugal cook. What was so impressive was her cooking was never just a recipe; it was I'm making this come and see how I do it. It was very much a hands on learning opportunity! I am extremely lucky that she shared some of her wonderful cooking expertise with me. I will be forever grateful for that.

Creamed turkey casserole is a quick and easy yet frugal meal that we usually make the day after the turkey meal. This is one recipe that I have not really tweaked. It is very much a homey, comfort meal.

Creamed Turkey Casserole
source: Garden Gnomes MIL

2 cans condensed mushroom soup
2 c cubed cooked turkey
2 c cooked rice
1½ c cooked niblet corn
½ small onion
1 c half & half
½ c Asiago cheese

Chop the onion. Mix all ingredients except the cheese in a large mixing bowl. Pour into an oven proof baking dish. Grate cheese. Top with the grated cheese. Bake at 180ºC (350ºF) until warmed though and lightly golden.
Serves 6

Turkey Stock

Every turkey carcass is turned into turkey stock here. Now I have a confession some will find a bit odd. I love the flavour of turkey stock and having a number of jars of turkey stock on hand but I seriously hate the smell of turkey stock cooking! It is one of the very few foods that just don't agree with me while they are cooking. At any rate, I made turkey stock ending up with 16 pints canned and 1½ L for the freezer.

Homemade stock is one of the most frugal products you can make in the kitchen. My turkey stock is never clear and that is because I stuff my turkey so when the bones go into the stock pot there is a small amount of stuffing that stuck to the bones which causing clouding. This is fine with me. I also add the neck bone to the stock pot and cook the giblets separately adding the liquid to the stock. The stock is defatted and strained twice before canning.

As always never put up any food by one method only. In this case most of the stock was canned but some was froze. Using two or more methods of preservation ensures you always have a back-up in the event one method fails. If you do not home can then freezing stock is your alternative. It is not as convenient as opening a jar and using but it still useful and frugal. Just take a container out of the freezer to thaw in the morning.