MIDDLESBORO — The day after Thanksgiving is typically reserved for Christmas shopping in a hostile environment. But if you’d rather not, or if you realize that you have to eat to keep up the energy, then consider the following menu ideas, compliments of tri-state area residents that are veterans to the traditional turkey prep, with a little help from a Southern Celebrity chef.
Pine Mountain State Resort Park Event Planner Wanda Butler sent in an idea from a time when she had leftovers to cook with, “I don’t have many leftovers now, since my extended family has grown so large and scattered into several states,” Butler said. “Thanksgiving is our winter gathering holiday.”
When the Butler clan gathers, they need a big venue, “My mother, Daisy Neal (’Big Mom’ to all the kids), lives at Ferndale and is 86-years-old. She has five children including me, 14 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren (one on the way) and 12 great-great-grandchildren (one on the way). When you add all the in-laws, you have a crowd that doesn’t leave much,” Butler said.
In spite of this, Butler looked up a recipe from when her family had leftovers, an elaborate take on the simple turkey sandwich: Open-faced creamed turkey sandwiches.
Open-faced creamed turkey sandwich
Recipe yields four sandwiches.
-Place enough pulled turkey in a medium sauce pan for four sandwiches, cover with milk (mix chicken or turkey broth with the milk if available).
-Add 1/4 stick butter, then salt and pepper to taste.
-Heat to almost boiling, being careful not to curdle or scorch it.
-While mixture is heating, mix 1/4 cup of cold milk and one heaping tablespoon of corn starch. Just before the turkey mixture comes to a boil, stir in the cold milk and corn starch mixture.
-Remove the mixture from heat as soon as it thickens and ladle over toasted bread. Serve with a scoop of leftover dressing and coleslaw.
Kenny Marcum enjoys the simpler turkey sandwich. “My favorite thing in the world is a leftover turkey sandwich on white bread with heavy pepper, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato,” he said. “It’s the greatest sandwich in the world with leftover mashed potatoes. Julia Child even said that.” Marcum says that he also makes turkey salad, like a traditional chicken salad. When asked what he uses in the salad, he responded, “Depends on what’s in the refrigerator.”
Home Federal Bank’s Casey Thomas said that their family has very few leftovers, which they feed to the family pet. She said, “You know, we are big eaters, but what isn’t eaten is given to Boston, the cat. He growls at the turkey for about ten minutes and then eats it!”
Paula Deen, the Food Network’s Southern star, recommends a turkey pot pie.
Paula Deen’s Turkey Pot Pie
Flour, for dusting
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 (11-ounce) cans condensed Cheddar cheese soup
2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of celery soup
1 large turkey skinned, cooked, boned and cubed
2 medium onions, diced
2 cup cooked butternut squash, diced
2 cup cranberries
Salt and pepper
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
-To make the crust, dust surface with flour. Cut 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry into 1-inch strips, 8 inches long. On a large cookie sheet, weave strips into a lattice large enough to cover each pot pie. Mix egg and milk together and brush onto each lattice square. Bake for 5 minutes. Dough will rise and turn light golden brown. Set aside until ready to assemble pies.
-In a large saucepan, heat the soups. Stir in turkey, onion, squash, cranberries, salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. In an oven-proof dish, fill with mixture and top with the pre-cooked lattice square.
-Bake for 5 minutes until bubbly and puff pastry is deep golden brown.
Brandy Calvert is a Staff Writer for the Daily News. Contact her via e-mail at bmurray@middlesborodailynews.com.
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