Making the Most of Holiday Leftovers
As any cook knows, holiday meals can wear you out, especially if you have a big family to feed. Between figuring all of the things that need to be done and making the meal preparation, it can be exhausting. So sometimes it’s best to keep it simple, and make a dish that everyone will love, especially the cook.
The people in my family are big fans of turkey leftovers, so I decided to make a different kind of meal as a treat for them. I nickname it my Day-after-casa-roll just fun! It doesn’t really have to be made with leftovers, but it works quite well either way. Over the years I’ve found that when it comes to family meals, a little creativity sure goes along way.
Since I don’t always have time to cook a whole turkey, nor to watch it in the oven for 4 hours, I cheat and buy the already cooked turkey breasts to start the dish. They are a little more expensive than doing it yourself, but I think the time saved is well worth the money. And the fact that the turkey is cooked but cold makes this dish easier to make in the long run. I pull all the turkey off the bone and shred it with a fork. A 3-4 pound turkey breast will easily feed 5 people.
Next I’ll make some stuffing, usually cornbread. I either use the bagged or instant boxed kind, because it’s so simple and quick to make for this recipe. I usually use 2 boxes and double the required ingredients. After it’s cooked, I fluff it up and set it aside to cool. Once it’s cooled, I layer it on the bottom of a greased, glass casserole dish. Then I take the turkey and layer it over the top of the stuffing, spreading it out as evenly as possible.
The next layer is gravy. I’ll use jarred or canned gravy since it’s so easy and just pour it over the stuffing and turkey. Set the casserole dish in a pre-heated 350-degree oven and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it to make sure the gravy doesn’t bubble over. Now the way I make this dish also requires some biscuits or buns to serve with it. So I’ll place those in the oven at this point and pull them out when they’re a nice golden brown. Once they’ve cooled off, I’ll spread jellied cranberries on one side of each biscuit and mayonnaise on the other.
By now the casserole is finished, so I take a spatula and use the edge to slice the casserole into small individual portions. These portions on placed onto the biscuits and served to my hungry family. I usually start with 2 biscuits for each person, but you can fully expect requests for more! This casserole sandwich has become on of my family’s favorite meals, whether it’s the first day or really a leftover meal!
This meal can be adapted to any family’s taste – even vegetarians! Now I mix it up sometimes by adding carrots or peas to add some new flavor and for nutrition. My sister makes it with mashed potatoes and sometimes yams too, for a different yummy taste. There’s lots of creative ways you can cook up a fun casserole your family is sure to enjoy – it’s limited only by your imagination!
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