Thanksgiving leftover Turkey Enchiladas

Thanksgiving Turkey Enchiladas


about 2 cups of leftover turkey, pulled & shredded
1 small (4 oz) can green peppers (mild)
1 large (28 oz) can green enchilada sauce
1 tbsp taco seasoning
good handful shredded cheese plus more for topping.
flour tortillas about 6


Shred the leftover turkey using to forks to pull apart, making sure there is no skin or bone. Be sure to use a mix of dark and white meat for the most flavor.

Add green peppers juice and all, about a 1/4 C of the enchilada sauce, the taco seasoning, and cheese and mix together.

pour remaining enchilada sauce into a pie dish, and dip each tortilla in sauce to coat (both sides) fill with turkey mixture and wrap.

Place side by side in 13x9" casserole or baking dish.  Cover with any remaining enchilada sauce and more cheese.

Bake 350 about 30 minutes.  Until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.


Serves 2 to 3   Can double or triple.

Chicken Dumpling Soup

Quick and Easy Chicken dumpling soup.


1 store bought rotisserie chicken - garlic or rosemary is best.   shredded.
1 medium onion - chopped
2-3  carrots, cut into bite size pieces
2-3 stalks celery - use from the heart - chopped (including leafy tops)
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp poultry seasoning
2 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 jar turkey gravy
1 box chicken broth
1-3 bay leaves

1 tube refrigerator biscuits

Shred meat off the chicken into bite sized pieces; set aside.

chop onion, celery, carrots, into uniform bites

In large soup/stock pan, melt the butter, and olive oil.  Saute onions, carrots and celery, and add poultry seasoning mix. Do not brown onions, cook until translucent then add garlic and stir constantly taking care not to burn it.  Add chicken broth, shredded chicken  and turkey gravy and bay leaves. Let boil until carrots are tender.  Take refrigerator biscuits and cut each into quarters, roll into ball and drop into boiling broth.  cover and cook about 10 minutes.

Great comfort food for a cold!

Not so quick method... but worth it if you have the time!

UPDATE: I've played with this recipe many times over the years, I've found, while not the quickest, it is the best to take leg quarters and brown them in the bottom of your soup pan, (in a little olive oil), chunk up some celery, onion and carrots and let it slow boil to simmer for a couple hours.  Remove all, trash the veggies, and shred the chicken off the bones.  I usually have some reserve broth from the chicken enchiladas and use that (defatted), but boxed broth works well too.  The refrigerator biscuits are great, but have made the dumplings with Bisquick (2 cups Bisquick and 2/3 cup milk) and added herbs (2 tbs parley flakes, 1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning, 1 tsp marjoram) and dropped into the broth when it is at a rolling boil, let cook covered about 5 minutes-- these were perfect dumplings.

Gumbo-laya

1/2 cup olive oil
1 C diced ham
1 cup chorizo (or soyrizo or andouille)
1 large onion diced
1 red bell pepper diced
5 garlic cloves minced
1 3 lb chicken cut into bite size pieces
3 cups Valencia rice or 2 Saffron rice foil packs
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup red or marsala wine
2 tsp salt
1 cup frozen green peas
1/4 cu minced parsley leaves

Heat olive oil in a large pan. Saute the ham and chorizo sausage.  Remove from pan and reserve. *Cooks note this will draw the oil from the chorizo and flavor the pan*

Add onions, red pepper, and garlic to pan and saute until wilted but not overcooked.  Take out and set aside.

Add chicken pieces and saute for about 15 minutes until browned and fully cooked. Add veggies back and 2 cups broth.

In large pot combine the rice, wine.  Add salt. Stir Turn up heat and bring to boil and cover.  Add chicken, ham and chorizo. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the rice is cooked and fluffy.  (You may have to add more broth).

** note  you can add sautted shrimp or mussels when combining all ingredients.

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons salt  (not really necessary) 
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)
• 5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

**Note - harvest extra Rosemary and use the stems as the skewers 

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

Baked Vegetarian Chimichangas

This is a "throw together" meal.  Measurements are estimated and eye-balled, it's all pretty much "to taste"

1 bag shredded coleslaw mix (green cabbage, purple cabbage and shredded carrots)
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 can chopped tomato  OR 1 can of Rotelle tomatoes for spice
1 chipotle (chopped) in adobo sauce (add extra sauce --this stuff is HOT be careful)
1 small can chopped green chiles (optional)

Spices:

Salt & Pepper to taste
cumin about a tsp or so
smoked paprika - meh... about a 1/2 tsp
OR
couple tbs taco seasoning

If you wanted to add meat, you could slice up some cooked ham or turkey, or brown some hamburger meat with the taco seasoning.

Combine all together and let sit for a couple minutes to blend flavors.

12 flour tortillas (made without lard)

Spray a 13x9 casserole dish with pam.  Warm tortillas and place filling and wrap. Place seam side down in dish. Spray tops with pam or rub with butter.  Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, then under broiler until golden brown (low about 20 minutes.. high- keep an eye on it, goes fast).

Great with spanish rice as a side dish.

Chinese Pepper Steak/ Basic Stir fry

Ok to triple sauce.

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp Rice vinegar

1/8 tsp garlic salt

1/2 lb bonless sirloin cut in 1/8" strips

2 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 cup water

2 Tbsp oil

1 green pepper

1/4 lbs mushrooms sliced

2 cups hot, cooked rice

In bowl combine brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and garlic salt. Add Meat and turn to coat. Set aside.

In small bowl combine cornstarch and water and mix to blend well.

In large skillet or wok over high heat, heat oil. Add meat and fry stirring quickly until meat is no longer pink. Push meat to sides of skillet, add pepper and mushrooms along with dissolved cornstarch. Cook and stir until heated through and sauce is thickened. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.

Can be done as vegetarian meal. Good veggies are onion, carrot, celery, yellow squash, broccoli, cabbage, napa cabbage.

Apricot Glazed Chicken

4 bone in Chicken Breasts- skin removed

1 can halved apricots with syrup (syrup divided)

1/4 tsp- ish fresh ground Nutmeg

1/4 tsp -ish Garlic power

1/4 tsp- ish Basil- dried

1/8 tsp dry mustard

salt

pepper

2 TBSOil

1/4 C apricot preserves.

Preheat oven to 350F

Pour couple tablespoons vegetable or olive oil into bottom of cast iron skillet. Warm until ripples appear in oil. Meanwhile season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, basil, and light amount of garlic powder. Place breast down and brown, turn after about 5 minutes and put bone side down. (all seasoning is eye balled)

Place apricots and half of syrup in food processor, with nutmeg and mustard, and stream in abt 1 TBS veg oil. Pulse 3 or 4 times, enough to blend, but still have bits of apricot left.

Pour apricot mixture over chicken, place in 350F oven (in the cast iron skillet) for about 30 minutes (depending on how thick the breasts are). Turn half way thru.

Remove from oven, turn back so breast side is up, pour remaining syrup over breasts, back in over for 10 minutes. Check to make sure cooked through.

Microwave apricot preserves about 30 seconds until liquefied, stir well. Spoon over chicken, and back in the oven for 5 minutes.