Baked Dressing

Jer's Aunt Sue always made this at Thanksgiving every year.  The first time that I made it, I did not dry out the bread first and ended up with a soupy mess.  I still didn't plan ahead this year, but I dried the bread out by baking it in the oven for 5-10 minutes on a baking sheet. 

Baked Dressing

3 eggs - beaten
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup onion - chopped
1/4 cup celery - chopped
dash salt & pepper
2 quart bread cubes - dry

Mix eggs, milk, broth, onion, celery, and salt & pepper. Stir in bread cubes and pour into a lightly greased baking dish. Bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes or until golden brown on top and the center is thoroughly cooked.

Crock Pot Turkey Breast (works for whole chicken as well)

After Thanksgiving I bought a turkey breast on sale, not really ever having made one before.  I hunted for a recipe and decided upon this one from Taste of Home.  I would recommend thawing your turkey properly ahead of time (in refrigerator for 2 days).  Also be sure your crock pot is large enough to fit the turkey.  I, however, did not plan ahead enough.  I had it in the fridge for a day, then put it in the sink covered with water and so I got up in the middle of the night to put it in the crock pot to be sure it would be fully cooked, only to discover the lid would not shut.  I used a makeshift tinfoil and towel lid that actually worked, who knew I was such a quick thinker at 3 in the morning?  This recipe also works great for chicken!

Crock Pot Turkey Breast

1 bone in turkey breast (6-7 LB, thawed)
1 T olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp seasoning salt (use allergen free recipe)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup water

Remove skin from turkey and place in large crock pot.  In a small bowl, mix together the oil and seasonings, rub over turkey. Add water to the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until tender.  Remove 1 hour before serving and debone the turkey, then return to crock pot.

Creamed Turkey

If you make a turkey, what do you do with the leftovers?  Make creamed turkey, of course!  Especially if your mom and dad make it and send you home with some leftovers, even better!  The amounts are pretty flexible, I had enough turkey to fit in a 1.5 quart container.  I also used a food processor to cut up the meat - it takes less time and makes the end result creamier.  I also didn't have celery salt in the house so made do with extra onion salt. This is also great with leftover chicken!

Creamed Turkey

1 LB turkey - cooked & cubed
2 T turkey broth (or chicken broth)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large saucepan and simmer.