We grew up with a very tight family budget. Leftovers were always eaten up, even if there was only a tablespoon left (well if it didn't get buried in the back of the fridge and go bad). The times this was extra true was at Thanksgiving and Christmas. In my young years this holiday was spent meeting everyone at the farm, so the leftovers, what there were, stayed there. When we moved across the country to California (I was age 11) is when we were the hosts, and the leftovers were ours to use up.
My mother had two standard dishes she made after holidays every year. The first was homemade Turkey Noodle soup. The turkey carcass (bones and skin) was covered with water and simmered for a few hours to make the broth. Onion, carrots, celery, and leftover turkey were added and the seasoning adjusted. At the last minute, broad noodles were thrown in and the soup simmered just until they were done. YUM!
The second dish was super simple, but I haven't heard of any of my friends growing up with it. I don't know if it was from my mum growing up on the farm, or something she invented herself. I absolutely love it, and I love that you can make it your own easily. It just takes leftover turkey, gravy and stuffing. Beyond that it's up to you. I always add sautéed onion and celery, but you could add pretty much anything.
This is a wing-it dish for me, but this year I tried to get some measurements as I put the casserole together as a guideline so I could share it. You can use more or less of any ingredient, and you can add any veggies you want to the bottom layer. I only make this once a year, and as a nod to traditionI make it just the way my mom did.
Enjoy! And if you have any old family recipes like this I would love to hear about them.
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Leftover Turkey, Gravy and Stuffing Casserole
Ingredients -
3 C Leftover turkey, diced
2 C Leftover Gravy (if you don't have enough add some thickened bouillon)
4 C Leftover stuffing
1 Med-Large sweet onion finely diced
3-4 Stalk celery, cut lengthwise and then finely sliced crosswise.
Oil
Other ingredients are up to your imagination
Instructions -
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Set out a 9 x 13 casserole and spray with Pam or grease in some way.
Saute your onion and celery (and any other veggies you want) in a small amount of oil (olive, avocado, vegetable, etc.) until your desired doneness. I have left them a bit crisp and I have cooked them until soft and liked it both way.
If your gravy is cold from the refrigerator, I warm it to at least room temp so it mixes easier. Add the gravy and turkey to the sauteed onion and celery. Gently mix until well combined. Pour into your 9 x 13 casserole and smooth flat with the back of a spoon or a spatula. Crumble the left overstuff on top (you can put just a little or a lot - 4 cups is what I like). Pat gently to flatten a bit, but don't press hard.
Cook in oven for 25 minutes until stuffing is a little browned and the gravy layer is hot. If the top browns too fast, cover with some foil and keep baking until gravy later is bubbly. Serve.
This dish is nice with a great salad. You can add rolls, but with all that stuffing on top I stick with a great salad.
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