Turkey and Onion Grilled Cheese

Normally, when I think of grilled cheese I think of the plastic wrapped yellow cheese on melted on some bread.....not a big fan.  So I don't really consider myself a grilled cheese lover.  I think I'm in the minority though as I recently saw a grilled cheese fast food type place at a rest stop last month!   My daughter has gymnastics on Wednesday afternoons which also coincides with shower nights so Wednesday dinners have to be easy and fast.  Besides caramelizing the onions, which is a bit time consuming, this recipe is really easy.  My 6 year old daughter can now make pretty good scrambled eggs on her own with adult supervision.  After this dinner, she can add grilled cheese to her repertoire!  She really wanted to help me make dinner so I had her do pretty much everything but cut the onions.  I didn't put onion on the kids' sandwiches and my daughter wanted the yellow American cheese in the plastic wrapper on hers. My hsuband and I had these sandwiches with the onions and all.  All I can say is yum!  But I think anything with caramelized onions gets a yum from me!  I could definitely eat a lot more of these. 

Turkey and Onion Grilled Cheese
recipe from SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl

Yield: 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
2 tbsp butter
4 slices of bread of your choice
3 tbsp or so of butter, melted or softened
4 slices of maple turkey
4 slices of smoked gouda cheese

Directions:
In a medium skillet, add 2 tbsp butter until melted. Then add sliced red onion and saute until softened and golden brown.

Spread the bread slices with 3 tbsp softened butter. In a large skillet on medium-low, add 2 bread slices. . Top one slice of bread with 2 slices gouda. Then add 2 slices of maple turkey, then some sauteed red onions. Top with the other slice of bread. Press down with a spatula or heavy object. Once golden brown and delicious, flip and cook other side. Repeat with 2nd sandwich.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 2 thumbs up!

The Weekend Chef: Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey & Chorizo Breakfast Hash

My husband, the Weekend Chef, originally found and made this dish for our supper club brunch.  He was purposefully looking for a dish that used leftover turkey, since we had so much leftover from my daughter's family birthday party, which was the day before our supper club.  When I think of hash, I think of the canned corned beef stuff that I can't stand.  So I have to admit I was a bit skeptical.  Can I tell you how amazing this dish was?!  Everyone at supper club loved it!  It had a nice, slight heat to it and I thought the brussels sprouts were a really interesting addition.  Well, I loved it so much and we had leftover ingredients (Brussels sprouts, chorizo, etc.)  that I did something so uncharacteristic of me.....I ended up making it again during the week with some scrambled eggs (I don't eat fried, runny yolk eggs!) as a breakfast for dinner dish....yes, I thought it was THAT GOOD!  I just scooped some out for the kids before I added the Sriracha. 

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey & Chorizo Breakfast Hash
recipe slightly adapted from Cooking and Eating From Away in Maine

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 ounces fresh Mexican chorizo
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups Brussels sprouts, raw or cooked, thinly sliced
1 large russet potato, cooked, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
2 cups roasted turkey meat, white and dark meat, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon chili sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sriracha hot sauce (optional)

Directions:1.In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, heat vegetable oil. Add chorizo, and break up with a spoon. Add onion, garlic, Brussels sprouts, and potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions become translucent and potatoes begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add turkey meat, heavy cream, chili sauce, a dash of salt and pepper, and stir until combined.

2.Using a spatula, press mixture into bottom of pan. Let cook without stirring until crust forms, about two minutes. Scrape up hash, mix, and press mixture back into bottom of pan. Repeat every two minutes, until brown crusty bits appear throughout, about ten minutes total.

3. Add a swirl of Sriracha, if desired, and serve.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!
  

Turkey Cordon Bleu Crisp

When I was looking for recipes to use up the leftover turkey, this recipe caught my eye.  One, because it's a take on cordon bleu, which my husband and I both like and two, with the syrup drizzled on top, it was convincing enough to call it Breakfast For Dinner for the kids.  When I went on a search for brioche, two grocery stores later I still didn't have any.  I went back to the first store and ended up buying a Challah loaf that the bakery manager told me was the closest thing that they had, since they don't carry brioche.  Unfortunately, this recipe is super tasty but does take quite some time to make.  The mixed casserole needs to sit in the egg mixture for 20 minutes then the casserole is baked for 40 minutes, 30 of which is uncovered, 10 covered.  The kids loved it though and ate their bowls clean.  My daughter even asked for some for lunch the next day. 

Turkey Cordon Bleu Crisp
recipe slightly adapted from Every Day With Rachael Ray, November 2009

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
4 ounces sliced ham, chopped
7 3/4-inch-thick slices Challah bread (about 7 ounces)
1 1/2 cups chopped turkey
3 ounces sliced Swiss cheese, such as emmantaler, cut into slivers
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
Maple syrup, for serving

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees . In a medium skillet, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ham and cook for 2 minutes more.

2.Quarter 4challah slices and arrange in a buttered 8-inch square baking dish, overlapping slightly. Layer the turkey, cheese and onion-ham mixture on top.

3.Cut the remaining 3 challah slices into 3/4-inch cubes. In a glass bowl, melt the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in the microwave; add the cubed brioche and toss. Arrange evenly on top of the casserole.

4.In the same bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour over the casserole, then let stand for 20 minutes.

5.Bake until set in the center, about 30 minutes; cover with foil for the last 10 minutes to prevent the top from browning too much. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with the syrup.

Family Rating:  2 thumbs up!

Leftover Turkey Casserole

When I think of casseroles this type of recipe usually comes to mind with the condensed cream of mushroom soup and fried onions (the ones that come in the can!).  Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of casseroles.  I like one dish meals where the carb, veg, and protein are all together.  Usually it means quick and easy.  This recipe includes ingredients that both kids like - rice, turkey, and broccoli.  Somehow, my daughter was able to taste/see the mushrooms in the cream of mushroom soup, but luckily she ate it without a problem! I ended up cooking the rice in the rice cooker in the late afternoon before my daughter got off the school bus. When it was time to put the casserole together it was super easy.  I have to admit that I didn't have high expectations for this dish, but it was surprisingly tasty.  I don't think that the kids had ever tasted fried onions before this.  I discovered my son loves them, especially stuck together with the gooey, melted cheese, while my daughter disliked them (there are few foods that they both like....sigh!).

Leftover Turkey Casserole
recipe slightly adapted from Lauren's Latest

Ingredients:
2 cups precooked turkey, cubed
1 box frozen, chopped broccoli, thawed
1 1/2 cups white rice, cooked
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
pepper
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups fried onions

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the cooked rice, broccoli, turkey, soup, and pepper all together. Pour it into a 2 1/2 quart baking dish.

Cover the top of your filling with the cheese and fried onions. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted!

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up!

Turkey Cranchiladas

When my daughter turned 6 a few weeks ago we had a family party.  My husband cooked a nineteen pound turkey which left us with a ton of leftovers.  I'm not a big leftover person.  I can eat leftovers for lunch the next day or for another dinner, but it's usually either or and then that's it. Knowing in advance that we'd end up with a lot of leftovers I searched in advance for recipes to make that used turkey.  Over the next few days I'll be posting these recipes and reviews.  The first recipe I made were these Turkey Cranchiladas.  Enchiladas are something my husband will sometimes order when we go out for Mexican.  I've never really been a fan, or so I thought.  These enchiladas were so tasty and have definitely changed my opinion of them!  They took a little bit of time to prepare and then need to cook for 45 minutes, but they were definitely worth it.  The cranberry sauce adds a bit of sweetness that compliments all the other ingredients, most of which you'd expect to find in a typical enchilada. The kids ate enough to get a treat, so that's a plus in my book!

Turkey Cranchiladas
recipe slightly adapted from Pink Parsley

Ingredients:
nonstick cooking spray
2 1/2 cups shredded turkey
1 (16 oz.) can cranberry sauce
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 1/2 cups shredded Pepperjack cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
3-4 scallions, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
10-12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, 1 cup of the cranberry sauce, the beans, sour cream, 3/4 cup cheese, 1/2 cup of the salsa, green onions, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Spoon about 1/3 cup filling into each tortilla, and roll tightly. Place seam-side down in the baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining cranberry sauce and 1 cup of salsa. Stir to combine and pour over the enchiladas. Cover the dish with foil, and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil, and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Continue to bake, uncovered, an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with additional scallions, and serve.
 
Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.