Have Yourself a Merry Little...Thanksgiving

The week after Thanksgiving, Kyle and I decided that we should take advantage of the after-Thanksgiving turkey sales at the grocery store.  So, we did. We bought a BIG frozen turkey. It was 50% off. We were pumped!

Since we always celebrate Thanksgiving with our families, we decided we would celebrate our own Thanksgiving & cook our own turkey. (Something we have never done before!)

So here is our feast. 

I forgot to mention that we watched Christmas Vacation while we cooked. Classic!

Yum. Yum!

Everyone knows that after you cook a turkey on Thanksgiving, you have TONS of leftovers. Well, this was the case for us too! Except there were only 2 of us to eat the rest of the turkey, ha.

I like to eat turkey, but when you eat it the same way for 7 meals in a row...I got a little tired of it!

So, I experimented with some recipes and came up with some delicious leftover turkey meals.

(FYI: The first recipe was the husband's absolute favorite. It was a big hit.)

I found it online, here.

Turkey Pot Pie

Ingredients:

Pre-made double pie crust (10 inch)

4 tbsp butter

1 small onion, minced

2 stalks celery, chopped (I used 3)

2 carrots, diced (I used 3)

3 tbsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried oregano

salt & pepper to taste

2 cubes chicken bouillon

3 cups water (I used 2 cups water/1 cup of chicken broth)

3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 1/2 cups cooked turkey, cubed

3 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out bottom pie crust and place in the 10 inch pie pan.  Place bottom pie crust in oven for 5 minutes to "pre-cook"

2. Place 2 tbsp of the butter in a large skillet.  Add the onion, celery, carrots, parsley, oregano, salt & pepper. Cook and stir until the veggies are soft. Stir in the boullon and water.  Bring mixture to a boil.

3. Place potatoes in microwave for 2 minutes to soften.  Then add to the mixture.  Stir in potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm.

4. In medium saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter. Stir in the turkey and flour.  Add the milk, heat through. 

5. Stir the turkey mix into the veggie mix, and cook until thickened.

6. Pour mixture into the "pre-baked" bottom pie shell. Roll out the top crust, and place on top of filling.  Flute edges and make 4 slits in the top to let out steam.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

8. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

**The ingredients make more than enough "filling" for one pie.  I used the extra "filling" to make a mini pie & used crescent rolls to top. Then, I baked it until golden brown & hubby took it for lunch the next day!






The next recipe, I saw on t.v. while I was watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.  I have no idea if it is online-(I'm sure it is somewhere)- but, I just remembered what the chef said on t.v. and attempted it myself! They were also delicious.


Crescent Roll Turkey Squares

Ingredients:
1 roll of crescent rolls
basil pesto
Italian blend/Mozzerella cheese
Turkey strips
Sliced Tomatos


Directions:
1. Spray 13x9 inch pan. Spread crescent rolls out flat. Spread basil pesto sauce on top of crescent rolls.
2.  Shred turkey into small strips. Place on top of basil pesto.  Cover entire pan with turkey.
3. Cover turkey with cheese and lots of it! :)
4.  Slice tomatoes and place on top of cheese. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top of tomatoes.
5. Bake in oven at about 375 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Slice into squares & enjoy!

Yum! I'll definitely be saving these recipes for next year. Hope you enjoyed them!