Amy's Leftover Turkey Ideas

If you are like me you have a lot of leftover turkey.  I am just posting a couple of recipes for that turkey.
If you have any ideas or recipes you use let us know.

BBQ Turkey

2-3 cups leftover turkey chopped
1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce

Mix turkey and sauce together on medium heat until it begins to bubble. Remove and serve on buns or as a potato topper.

This recipe reminds me of chopped beef in a restaurant. It's good because the turkey is getting used but it gives the turkey a totally different flavor. Feel free to add more sauce if you like your chopped BBQ more messy. Add just a tablespoon at a time until it's the consistency preferred.



Turkey Noodles Soup

2 cups leftover turkey
3-16 oz. cans chicken broth
2 cans of water
8 oz egg noodles
1 to 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1/4 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste

Cook noodles and drain. Mix all ingredients over medium heat until boiling.  Cover and turn to low heat. Allow to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.  

This soup taste best if you can use other leftovers from the holiday meal. If you have any leftover green beans or corn substitute it for some of the frozen vegetables.  

Turkey can be substituted in some chicken recipes. For example I have used leftover turkey in my chicken enchilada recipe and it was great. I hope these recipes has given you some ideas for your kitchen. As always let us know.

Athena's Heaping Advice
I love leftover turkey. After the holidays for something light I like to make a turkey salad instead of a chicken salad. So, easy.  You can mix Miracle Whip, nuts (walnuts or pecan), apples bits, little onion or onion powder, and of course the turkey and you are set.  It looks pretty with the different colors. You could set that out on your table with some sliced Italian bread or crackers for guest to make their own. Having a table with different sandwich options are a great choice this time of year and easy for the host. Give it a try.

Christmas Breakfast Ideas and New Years Reflections

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Hash Brown Casserole

6 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
7 eggs
1/2 cup eggs
3 cups hash browns (thawed if frozen)
1/4 cup green onion
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease a 7x11 pan and set aside.  Whisk eggs in a large bowl and then add the other ingredients. ONLY add 1 cup of the cheese.  Pour ingredients into your dish and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until knife comes out of the center clean. Then add the remaining cheese and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until melted and serve.

 


Hot Chocolate Pancakes

1 large egg
1 cup flour
1t vanilla
3/4 cup milk
2 T oil
3 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
3 T hot chocolate powder mix (a packet usually has 2 tablespoons)

DIRECTIONS: Beat egg and then add all wet ingredients. Mix dry ingredients and then add to wet.
Heat griddle and pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto buttered pan. Flip when small bubbles appear and burst.
 
Athena's Heaping Advise

Casserole: When I'm making anything with eggs and meat, I use the oils from the meat to grease my pan. It has more flavor than other oils that will compliment what you are eating. Butter is okay, I prefer it for more of my baked items.....maybe the pancakes.

Pancakes: Doing it from scratch. Give it a try. You can do it. I will usually have to double this for my family because it is a smaller recipe. If your feeding more than four people double it.  Good luck!


WHY BLACK EYED PEAS ARE SO LUCKY
Everything I came up with pointed to the Civil War. The Union soldiers would go through the farms in the south and take food for their army. They left the black eyed peas because they believed them to be food for animals. This left food for the "lucky" Southern families and the Confederate Army to survive on, and a added story for the rich heritage of yummy southern food.

 
Black-Eyed Pea Salsa Dip

1-15oz can black-eyed peas drained and rinsed
1-15oz can corn drained and rinsed
1/2 onion chopped
2 Roma tomatoes chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1tbs garlic powder or 1 clove garlic minced
1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients. Allow to set in fridge for at least two hours. Serve with tortilla chips.




French Toast Casserole 

-Week old french bread
-5 eggs
-2 1/2 cups milk
-3/4 cups brown sugar
-1 tsp vanilla
-1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

*Topping
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

-Optional
1/4 cup blueberries
and/or
1/4 cup pecans

Arrange bread in 13X9 baking dish. Combine eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg.  Cover and refrigerate over night or 8 hours.  Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine topping and pour over top. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Optional- add blueberries or pecans after 20 minutes and then bake 10 more minutes.





Amy's Tidbits 

I really enjoy making any type of salsa and the black-eyed pea dip has that flavor to it. I think what makes it taste so good is allowing it to set in the fridge and the flavors all coming together. You will be tempted to eat it as soon as your done mixing , but resist and you will be rewarded! Feel free to add a chopped jalapeno if you want to spice it up.

The french toast is a really good Christmas morning breakfast. You can make it the night before and then pop it in the oven in the morning. The key to this recipe is the french bread. French bread is a bit more dry than other breads which makes it resistant to become soggy in this recipe.

As always if you have any questions, comments or recipes you want to share please let us know. We are always excited to hear from you!

Dandy Candy Ideas for Christmas

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Cookie Balls
 1 pkg sandwich cookies
 1 pkg cream cheese
 1 pkg chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS: Crush all the cookies with potato masher. Crush completely until there are no big chunks.  Mix in cream cheese.  Make quarter to half-dollar size balls. Freeze for a minimum of an hour. Lay out wax paper to place finished balls after dipping. Melt chocolate. Dip frozen balls and place on wax paper.




Amy's Tidbit's
I just want to encourage you to try any type of sandwich cookie. Last year I tried candy cane flavored Oreos and it turned out awesome. I've thought about trying peanut butter sandwich cookies this year. Let us know if you try a different flavor.  This is a really easy and delicious treat.


Peanut Brittle
1 cup Spanish peanuts
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda

DIRECTIONS:  In a large skillet mix the sugar, syrup, and water together. Cook at a medium-high heat, stirring regularly.  Heat to 250 to 265 degrees F, or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a ball. If you don't own a candy thermometer, occasionally hold spoon above mixture, allowing it to drip off spoon. When mixture is at hard ball stage, it will 'hair' off the spoon when falling, looking like a clear spider web. Once mixture is at hard ball consistency, add raw peanuts. They will pop a little. When mixture starts to turn a light clear-brown, as if it's starting to burn, remove from stove. Add soda and stir. Mixture will foam up. Spoon out bite-size pieces onto a cookie sheet covered with buttered foil or pour out as one piece and then break into smaller bits.

 

 

 

Athena's Heaping Advice 

When your making this recipe make sure you have all the ingredients measured and ready to use. It will help you not to feel rushed when it is time to add the ingredients so that you don't get that "burned" taste. 

Washing up can be a sticky mess. After making my peanut brittle I put soapy water into the pan, placed it on the stove on medium/medium high, and it came right.