This year I did things right. I actually, for the first time, chose a turkey that meant a fabulous Christmas dinner, one lovely second night dinner and a few leftovers. In the past, I had turkey still hanging around until well into the New Year, both too good to throw out and too turkey to keep eating.
It seems to be the trouble with turkey. It is a bird that definitely has its place. But too much at a time and lookout. People will rebel. Children will disappear when they hear about leftovers "Again?!?" Husbands will suddenly take up making dinner (hmmmm, I may be on to something here.....)
So with my little bundle of turkey leftovers, I have decided to store it away much earlier than in past years.
There are many things that you can do with turkey. It is good curried, stirfried, and of course soup. (There is a nice pot of that sitting in the cold on our deck as we speak). But my favourite thing is turkey shepherd's pie. Simple, hearty, and above all, freezable.
Easy peasey. Take some leftover turkey and cut into bite size pieces. Make sure you don't include any turkey skin in this (while it is divine on the day all hot and crunchy from the oven, it becomes a gelatinous mess once reheated).
Put the turkey cubes into an ovenproof pan. This pan is especially important as this pie's likely use will be on a rushed night when we are just wanting something substantial before we race from the house for some evening event or other.And you definitely want something you can just pop in the oven while getting things organized for your evening.
On top of the turkey cubes, ladle what is leftover from your gravy...hopefully you made enough on the day. Then I combine the mashed potatoes and the veg--any veg at this point but we typically have some brussel sprouts, which I chop, and some mashed carrots/turnips that add a nice bite--and pack that mix on top of the gravy.
Voila. Cheap, easy, hearty and ready in a hurry. And if you time it right, the kids won't stick up their noses and retreat to their rooms in a snit because you are having turkey......AGAIN!?!?! Likely sometime around February......
Happy eating!
