$0.25 per serving ~ Leftover Turkey Soup

This is a day and a half process... I did the first step all day Sunday and the rest overnight.

Leftover Turkey Soup ~ $0.25 per serving
Turkey Carcass (free!)
8 cups water
Salt and pepper
4 stalks celery, chopped ($1.00)
1.5 cups carrots, chopped ($1.00)
1 medium onion, chopped ($0.30)
1/2 cup uncooked rice ($0.20)
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
sage
thyme
rosemary
ground cloves

1. Place carcass in crockpot and pour water over it to cover. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low 8-10 hours.
2. Drain broth into bowl. Return broth to crockpot. Pick meat from carcass and add to broth. Add chopped vegetables, rice, and spices (to taste) to broth. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
Makes 10 servings

The Verdict
Just like Grandma makes. Serve with crusty bread to sop up all the broth!

$0.38 per serving ~ Leftover Turkey Chili

Day 1 of interesting ways to cook Thanksgiving leftovers...

Turkey Chili ~ $0.38 per serving
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped ($0.25)
1 large bell pepper, chopped (free, leftover from veggie tray)
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes ($1.00)
4 cups cooked turkey, diced (free)
2 cups chicken broth ($1.00)
1.5 cups whole kernel corn, drained (free from leftovers)
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 bay leaf
coarse salt
shredded cheese (optional)

1. Saute onion, pepper, and bay leaf in olive oil until tender. Add tomatoes, turkey, broth, and corn.
2. Stir in spices and add salt to taste. Cook until flavors are well blended, about 15-20 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Serve topped with shredded cheese if desired.
Makes 6 servings

The Verdict
I've been making this for years. We always love it! You can use 1 can of corn if you don't have any leftover... I served it with dinner rolls we had left over as well. Today I cooked the turkey carcass in water in the crock pot all day as a start to tomorrow's turkey soup. Since we were at my aunt's for the holiday and my sister's for two days after, I don't have as many leftovers as I usually do. No sweet potato muffins this year. Maybe after Christmas!

$0.88 per serving ~ Turkey Burger Pie with Salad and Green Beans

This one was quick and easy.

Turkey Burger Pie ~ $0.63 per serving
1 lb. ground turkey ($1.00)
1 small onion, chopped ($0.25)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ($1.50)
2 eggs ($0.50)
1 cup milk ($0.30)
1/2 cup baking mix ($0.20)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook turkey and onion in skillet over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain and transfer to 9 inch pie plate coated with cooking spray.
2. Sprinkle cheese over meat mixture.
3. In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, and baking mix. Mix well and pour over cheese.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
Makes 6 servings

The Verdict
This was filling and hearty. It wasn't amazing, but it sure went down quickly and there was no complaining! I served it with leftover salad (free) and frozen green beans ($0.25 per serving).

$0.84 per serving ~ Thanksgiving Shepherds Pie

Once a week Jim has band practice. Rehearsal cycles between homes, so every few weeks I'm feeding two extra hungry men. We'll see what they think of this "whats in the cupbboard?" meal...
Thanksgiving Shepherds Pie ~ $0.84 per serving
1 lb. ground turkey ($1.00)
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables ($1.00)
1 can turkey gravy ($0.75)
1/2 cup broth of your choice ($o.75)
salt and pepper
1 box (2 pouches) mashed sweet potatoes, prepared ($1.50, prepared w/milk and butter)
Nutmeg and allspice

1. Prepare mashed potatoes according to directions and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Brown turkey over medium heat and drain.
3. Add vegetables, gravy, and broth. Sit and cook until bubbly.
4. Pour turkey mixture into baking dish. Top with sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with nutmeg and allspice.
5. Bake 45 minutes at 400 degrees.
Makes 6 servings.

The Verdict
I'm posting before the guys get here... but this was very nearly a disaster. The potatoes kind of melted into the rest of the mix, instead of making a crust on top. That said... it was yummy! Jim really liked it. Josh wasn't too enthused. Next time I'll omit the broth and reduce the liquid in the potatoes... it's worth trying again!

$1.14 per serving - Moroccan Turkey and Butternut Squash Stew - Plus a dessert disaster!

I saw a neat recipe in the newspaper, but didn't have all the ingredients. So I improvised with what I had...

Moroccan Turkey and Butternut Squash Stew - $1.14 per serving
1 lb. 97% fat free ground turkey $1.00
(Original recipe called for chicken. You could use any ground or cubed meat for this!)
1 medium onion, chopped $0.35
2 carrots, peeled and chopped $0.50
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
20 oz. broth of your choice $1.75
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes $1.00
1 6 oz. can tomato paste $0.70
1 small butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cubed $1.00
(I'm sure you could substitute other squashes, pumpkin, or even sweet potatoes!)
1/2 cup raisins $0.50
2 tbsp. lemon juice
(Original recipe called for lime juice, I had none.)

1. Brown meat until fully cooked, drain excess fat.
2. Add onion, carrots, garlic, and cook over medium high heat until softened. Stir in cumin, allspice, and red pepper.
3. Add broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, squash, and raisins. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes or until squash is tender.
4. Stir in juice and serve. Makes 6 servings.

The Verdict
This was AMAZING. Without a doubt one of the best meals I've cooked in a long time. I can't rave about this one enough! Jim and Josh both loved it and asked for seconds, and our young neighbor Julie asked for the recipe to bring home to her mom. Wow. Just wow. This one goes into heavy rotation :)

AND NOW ~ Turning Disaster into Delicious!

So I decided to do something special for the family. I had all the ingredients to make the 7 layer brownie bars from Bitsy's Kitchen. Josh had fun layering the chips and nuts, and we couldn't wait for it to come out! But somewhere in there I blew it, and the brownie crust wound up overcooked. The whole thing fell apart and I was so upset! I felt I had wasted money and time... until Jim looked in the freezer.

"Honey, we have ice cream!"

So we each got a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with ooey gooey chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, chopped pecans, and sweetened condensed milk. YUM! :)

It's hard to create a truly unsalvageable disaster out of such delicious ingredients... though I did sacrifice a 13 x 9 baking dish for it!