Turkey Divan

What would Thanksgiving be without leftovers?  My family's all-time favorite way to eat leftover turkey is in a casserole we call, Turkey Divan.  Its so easy to make and tastes so good.  I've actually been known to make this dish with sliced deli turkey when I don't feel like roasting a whole bird or breast.

2 cups cooked rice (any kind will do)

1 regular size bag of chopped broccoli (10 ounces frozen) or similarly cooked and prepared fresh broccoli

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional, but yummy)

salt and pepper to taste

Enough leftover turkey to layer in a 13 x 9 casserole

Butter a 13 x 9 casserole.  Spread cooked rice on bottom of dish.  Top with well-drained broccoli.  Next arrange turkey slices or pieces to cover the entire casserole.

Combine soup, mayo and cheese in a separate bowl.  Spread the mixture over the turkey, to cover.  

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until golden brown, and bubbly.  Serve with leftover cranberry sauce or chutney (LINK)

Apple Cider Brined Turkey

I resisted brining a turkey for years, as I just wasn't convinced the brining would make that big a difference.  When I found this recipe in an issue of Mary Jane's Farm (Oct - Nov 2011), it intrigued me enough to give brining a try.  

The resulting turkey was indeed moist and delicious, though I'm still not convinced the brining was responsible.  However, the process was easy enough, and the orange-spiced cider smelled heavenly, so I will try this recipe again.  I couldn't find a brining bag but my 18# bird fit perfectly in two eight gallon trash can liners (I double bagged the turkey so the brine wouldn't leak out).  

I set the entire bundle inside a large dishpan and refrigerated it overnight.  I recommend placing the turkey breast side down overnight, and then flipping it in the morning until ready to stuff.  This way, the breast will be well brined.

This recipe is supposed to cover a 12# turkey.  If your turkey is larger, proportionately increase the liquid, salt and sugar.

Brine:

8 cups spiced apple cider (I used Trader Joe's Spiced Cider) see note below

2/3 cup salt

2/3 cup sugar

note-  if you can't find spiced cider, use regular apple cider, but add the following spices to the saucepan:

1 T whole allspice, crushed

1 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

6 whole cloves 

2 bay leaves

2 oranges, quartered (set aside)

Combine everything but the oranges, in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar.  Remove from heat, and let cool (I added a handful of ice cubes to hasten the process).  

Clean the turkey, inside and out, removing the giblets.  Stuff the orange quarters inside the cavity.  Place the turkey inside the bag/s.  Carefully add the brine.  Tie or twist the bags so the brine does not leak.  Place in a pan, and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Boneless Turkey Breast with Sausage and Dried Fruit Stuffing

This is well worth the effort, for it tastes as good as it looks!

Serves 4 to 10 people, depending upon size of breast.

I'd wanted to prepare this for a holiday dinner for years, but was always worried I'd end up with a kitchen-disaster, and a failed holiday menu.  If you want to experiment once first, I recommend doing so with a small turkey breast.  With some patience, you can easily debone the breast at home, or ask your butcher to do so for you.  Make sure you tell him what you intend to do with the meat, and he'll probably throw in some string!

1 whole, boneless turkey breast, butterflied  (3 to 6 pounds)

Salt and pepper

6 tablespoons butter, softened

Sweet Sausage and Dried Fruit Stuffing (click here for recipe)

You'll also need:

kitchen string

cheesecloth (you can buy it in any kitchen store)

meat thermometer

meat mallet

To prepare meat:

On a very large chopping board, use a knife and your fingers, to remove skin from breast, reserving skin in one large piece.  Remove any meat that is hanging or partially attached to breast.  Turn breast over, so boned-side is up.  For a larger breast (4 - 6  pounds), slice breast down the middle (where breastbone would have been) so you have two equal pieces.  Locate the tenderloin (the thickest part of each breast half).  With a sharp knife, slice down into but NOT through the tenderloin, pushing the meat apart with your fingers so that the entire piece lays flat.

Cover with plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet, until the meat is of uniform thickness (about 3/4 of an inch thick).  Season with salt and pepper. 

I should have left myself a 1 inch border all the way around my breast.  

Stuff turkey:

Spread stuffing (about 3/4 inch thick) over turkey, leaving a 1 inch border.  Starting with one short end, roll into a log, completely enclosing the stuffing.  

I secured these with two pieces of string before I replaced the skin for ease of handling.

Wrap the reserved skin around the rolled breast (if you've cut your breast in two, do the same with the skin), making sure you completely cover the exposed seam.  

For a tighter roll, which I recommend, use cheesecloth over the skin.  My stuffing stayed in place, but the end pieces (first slices) would have been less ragged looking.  The cheesecloth also helps to keep the stuffing in-place.

For a more perfect finished product, tightly roll each breast in cheesecloth, pulling the cloth over the exposed ends, and tucking under, so the stuffing stays put (not pictured here, but recommended).  Secure each roll with kitchen string in at least two places.  Rub with butter (butter over the top of cheesecloth, if using).

Careful not to overcook, as the meat will be dry.  Tent with foil after skin browns nicely.  These were cooked perfectly.

To roast:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a roasting pan and rack, with cooking spray or olive oil.  Place the rolled breast/s in oven, and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of each roll, reads 155 degrees (check after 45 minutes, and short intervals thereafter, until temp is reached).  Allow to rest on the counter for 10 more minutes (meat will continue to cook slightly while resting).

Prepare pan gravy from drippings in skillet.

Remove cheesecloth and string, then cut turkey into 3/4 inch slices.  Serve with gravy.