Turkey Pot Pie

At the end of our faux-Thanksgiving dinner party, we had an entire turkey breast left over. All of the turkey tips I read said to have about a pound of turkey per guest and we had 6 guests (our 7th couldn't make it), so I made 2 5-pound turkey breasts. I was really happy to see how much we had leftover though, since it meant I got to make turkey pot pie. I'm not sure where this recipe came from, but it is SO GOOD. Like lick-your-lips-like-crazy good. There are two pieces left in the fridge and they are calling my name . . .

Turkey Pot Pie

2 refrigerated pie crusts, thawed (let them sit on the counter while you are making the filling)

1/3 cup butter or margarine

1/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Pinch of nutmeg

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

2 1/2 cups shredded turkey (or chicken)

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 egg

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour to make a roux. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking frequently. Gradually add in milk and chicken broth, whisking to combine.

Stir in seasonings.

Continue cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened. Stir in chicken and mixed vegetables.

Roll out one crust into a 9-inch glass pie dish. Press into the bottom of the dish. Spoon chicken and vegetable mixture onto the crust.

Top with a second crust, seal and flute the edges. Cut several slits in the top of the crust. Separate the yolk from one egg and discard. Brush the top of the crust with the egg white.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes until the crust is golden brown. During the last 15-20 minutes of cooking cover the edges of the crust with foil to prevent excessive browning.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Herb Roasted Turkey

So this year I still feel like I'm not quite ready to host a huge Thanksgiving dinner at our house, but I really wanted to try some Thanksgiving-style recipes, so Nick and I had a dinner party for some friends instead. It was a LOT of work, but it was a lot of fun and we had a ton of leftovers, which is always a bonus when those leftovers are delicious!

For my first Thanksgiving recipe post, I decided on herb roasted turkey since, let's face it, what's Thanksgiving without turkey?

Herb Roasted Turkey

*From Stacy Snacks

5 pound turkey breast (I made two)

Handful of chopped fresh parsley

Handful of chopped fresh sage

Handful of chopped fresh basil

Handful of chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 onion, finely chopped (we used a whole shallot-better flavor in our opinion)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Kosher salt and pepper

Olive oil

Chicken or vegetable stock

Combine parsley, sage, basil, rosemary, shallot, and garlic together in a bowl. You should have about 1 cup of the mixture. Lay your turkey in a roasted pan and rub the herb mixture under the skin and in the pocket fold of the breast. Rub the remaining mixture on the skin. Season with salt and pepper and rub with olive oil.

Pour about 1 cup of stock around the breast and roast in a 375 degree oven for 1 1/2-2 hours or until a meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees.

Let the meat rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

For gravy: Whisk a tablespoon of flour into the drippings in the roasting pan and simmer on the stove. Continue whisking the gravy until it reaches the desired consistency and pour over the turkey. Enjoy!

Baked Turkey Spaghetti

I hate it when I forget to set out any protein for Nick's lunch/dinner. Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment (we got the go-ahead to start trying for a baby when we get back from Europe in October!) and was just not on top of things. But Nick needed to eat, so out came a tried and true, semi-homemade recipe we use often: turkey spaghetti. This one is nothing special, except that I use a couple of tricks to make the sauce taste a little more homemade. The nice thing is that this can be adjusted to anyone's taste.

Baked Turkey Spaghetti

1 pound penne pasta (or any other kind of pasta)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 pound ground turkey
Garlic
Onion powder
Pinch sugar
Basil
Oregano
Kosher salt
Pepper
Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions in a pot of salted water to just under al dente. Meanwhile, cook the ground turkey in a skillet. Add in garlic, onion powder, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. My rule with ground turkey is to season until you're sure you've over-seasoned. Turkey is very bland and needs that help! While pasta and turkey are cooking, pour sauce in a blender. Add garlic cloves, onion powder, sugar, basil, and oregano and blend until smooth. Add in about 1/2 cup of water to the sauce and blend again. Pour sauce and turkey (drained of fat) into the pan with the pasta. Stir and then transfer to a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Top with parmesan cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook 15 minutes longer. To crisp up the cheese, place under the broiler for a minute or two. Enjoy!