Eating Down the Fridge: Leftover Turkey Parmesan
I did not make a turkey this Thanksgiving. I let someone else tackle that particular beast. And thus, my dear husband, suffering from leftover deprivation, cooked a whole gigantic turkey on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I am not sure if it can even be called leftover turkey if it never hit the table in the first place, but in any case, come Monday, we had a whole fridge full of the stuff. I am always trying to eat down the fridge, but I was particularly avid this time because there was no room in our itty-bitty freezer for 10 pounds of bird. If you need ideas because you’ve still got turkey sitting around yourself (or if you have the type of husband who makes a second turkey after Thanksgiving) here’s what I’ve been doing:
Round one (Monday):Barbecue Turkey Pizza. The dough was homemade, the sauce was Sweet Baby Ray’s and the cheese was Aldi shredded mozzarella. I promise not to judge you if you use Pillsbury crescent rolls in place of the homemade crust.
Round two (Tuesday): Turkey Tacos. As you know, Tuesday around here is Taco Tuesday, and I would have hated to break with tradition. For the meat, I shredded 2 c. of turkey, then put it in a pot with 1 T. chili powder, 1 T. cumin, 1 T. oregano and 1 t. salt + 1/2 c water. Stir, simmer, enjoy with tortillas, etc.
Round three (Wednesday): Turkey Parmesan. This was the final day of the turkey takeover, not because we actually used it all, but because we just couldn’t take it any more. What a way to end, though.
Leftover Turkey Parmesan
Ingredients:
Cooking oil
6-8 palm-sized pieces of cooked turkey
1 c. flour, combined with 2 t. salt and 2. t pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1/4 red or white wine
1 small can tomato paste
1 t. dried oregano, 1 t. dried basil
1 (14.5) oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 T. basil, fresh or dried
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Pour oil into a medium skillet until it is 1/2 in. deep. Heat until water beads off the top. Dip turkey pieces in beaten egg, then dredge in flour mixture. Drop (carefully) into skillet. Remove when the outside is brown.
To make the sauce: Saute onions and garlic in a medium sauce pan with 1 T. butter or olive oil. Stir in wine; cook for 30 seconds. Add tomato paste, oregano, basil, and tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
Arrange breaded turkey pieces on a cookie sheet. Spoon sauce on top of each piece, then sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is bubbly. Serve over pasta with remaining sauce.
