Leftover Turkey

One reward for spending all day in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day is the many leftover turkey recipes for what's left from Thanksgiving dinner. This year, I spent Thanksgiving at Michael and Marisa's house so I didn't even have to do all the prep work, except for the candied yams and pumpkin pie that I brought for dinner. When I came home, they gave me a ziploc bag full of leftover turkey meat.

Here is one recipe that John and Michael always asked for when they were growing up. It's called Turkey Turnovers. Admittedly, I don't make it much anymore just for me, but if company is coming, this one is a sure winner.

3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup milk
2 cups chopped, cooked turkey
pie pastry for a 2-crust pie

Preheat over to 450 degrees.

Melt butter; add onion and flour and stir until smooth. Add the seasonings. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly, and cook until thickened. Add the turkey; adjust seasonings if needed. Let mixture cool.

Meanwhile, roll out the pastry to one-eighth inch thickness. Cut dough into three inch circles or squares, place a rounded tablespoon of the turkey mixture over one half and fold the other half over the filling, pressing the edges together. Slash the top to allow for escape of steam.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake until attractively browned, or about twenty to thirty minutes. Serve with mushroom sauce (recipe below).

Mushroom Sauce for Turkey Turnovers

1 tablespoon chopped onion
1/4 lb. mushrooms sliced thin
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups canned beef gravy

Saute the onion and mushrooms in the butter for five minutes, stirring. Add the lemon juice and gravy and blend well. Bring to a boil and swerve hot.