Pilgrim's Pride's Taste of the Holidays

The holiday season is upon us and I want to share a couple great turkey recipes as well as some leftover recipes that are so good, no one will know they're leftovers.

Let's start with this great turkey recipe. Since the traditional roast turkey recipe is pretty easy to find, I want to show you a couple variations that have been very popular around my household. In fact, while preparing this newsletter, I had quite a few requests to make this one again. I think you'll enjoy it as much as my family.

Succulent Roast Turkey

1 (10-12 lb) Pilgrim's Pride Turkey
Brining Solution (see below)
½ stick of butter
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, 3 celery ribs, 1-2 apples (optional)

• Rinse turkey and soak in brining solution for 1-3 days in the refrigerator. Remove and rinse well, pat dry with paper towels.
• Lightly season inside with salt and pepper. Stuff with your favorite dressing or with coarsely chopped apples, onions and celery.
• Baste liberally with melted butter.
• Bake at 325°F until internal temperature reads 175°F. If it is browning too quickly, drape a piece of foil over the turkey and continue to bake. Basting periodically with the drippings is recommended.

3-4 bay leaves, crumbled
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon cracked Mixed Peppercorn
1 teaspoon crushed juniper berries (optional)
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons salt
8 cups room-temperature water

• Place aromatics in a small pot with 1 cup of water; bring to a simmer stirring well. Remove first four ingredients and combine water solution with sugar and salt. Stir to dissolve, add remaining water.
• Place solution in large container or brining bag (sold at Williams Sonoma).
• Add turkey and use a heavy plate or bowl to keep the meat submerged. Cover and store in refrigerator for 1-3 days.

Pilgrim's Island Delight

If you can't get away to the islands for the holidays, bring the islands to you with this exotic turkey basted with Jamaican Jerk seasoning and stuffed with a Hawaiian Macadamia nut and raisin dressing. When my family was wanting something different, I thought of this great variation of the traditional roast turkey.

1 Pilgrim's Pride turkey (10-12 lbs.)
Jerk marinade (See recipe below or may be purchased at specialty stores)
Macadamia Nut Stuffing

• Thaw turkey per instructions.
• Liberally baste turkey with the jerk marinade.
• Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
• Remove from refrigerator and stuff with dressing on both ends if desired.
• Close opening with skewers or sew with thread.
• Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes then lower oven to 325°F.
• Baste several times with marinade during the cooking process.
• Bake until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165°- 170° F.
• Remove and serve.

¾ cup chili paste (available at specialty stores)
5 cloves of garlic
¾ cup chopped chives
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon Jamaican allspice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¾ teaspoon ginger
¼ cup brown sugar
¾ cup malt vinegar
¾ cup soy sauce
1¼ tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon rum

Combine all ingredients in a blender until liquefied. May be prepared ahead and refrigerated.

1 lb. turkey sausage diced
½ stick of butter or ¼ cup olive oil
1 red onion diced
1 whole red bell pepper diced
3 ribs celery finely chopped
1 cup roasted macadamia nuts chopped
1 cup golden raisins
4 cups of cornbread stuffing mix
2 cups herb seasoned stuffing mix
1 cup white wine or chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
¼ cup Italian parsley finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons of coarse ground peppercorn mix

• In a large saucepan add butter or oil and sauté sausage, onions, red pepper, celery and all the dry seasonings until lightly brown.
• Add stuffing mix, parsley, sage and thyme and continue to cook until well blended.
• Add wine or broth and two tablespoons jerk seasoning.
• Remove from heat and stuff turkey.

Turkey Sandwiches with Mesculin Greens and Cranberry Chutney

Now that you have all that turkey, what should you do with all the leftovers? I've prepared three delicious recipes that will stack up against any meal you might plan from scratch.

2 Slices Ezekiel Bread (purchased at health food stores)or bread of choice
Sliced turkey breast
1 tomato (sliced ¼ inch thick)
1 oz blue cheese
Loosely packed mesculin greens
Mayonnaise (may be mixed with orange juice to flavor)
Cranberry Apple Chutney (see below)

• Spread mayonnaise on both slices of bread.
• Take 1 slice and add a ¼ cup of chutney and spread evenly, add turkey slices, top with tomato.
• Crumble blue cheese on top. Add lettuce leaves and cover with the remaining slice of bread, pressing down gently.
• Slice in half if desired and skewer with a decorative toothpick and serve immediately.

(serves 1)

Cranberry Apple Chutney

4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
4 cups peeled, cored and diced apples (about 6)
1 ½ cups sugar

• Cook cranberries and apples in a saucepan over medium-low heat until cranberries burst (4 minutes).
• Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Simmer for 7 minutes until the apples are tender
.
• Cool until room temperature, cover and refrigerate. May be served with Roast Turkey.

Turkey Pot Pie

1 pack Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets
6 oz chopped turkey
2 ½ cups of veloute (see below)
2 cups Green Giant frozen mixed vegetables

• Place 12 oz oven proof bowl over the pastry and cut out 2 circles with ½ inch extra all around.
• Put 3 oz of the diced turkey in an oven proof 12 oz ramekin. Add 1 cup of the mixed vegetables, 1 ¼ cup veloute.
• Mix well. Cover with the Pastry rounds, and if desired, decorate top with extra pastry. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 415°F or until golden brown.

To be used in Pot Pies and Cream of Turkey Soup. This may be refrigerated for several days.

1 stick of butter
¾ cup of all purpose flour
2 cans chicken broth (heated) or 4 cups of turkey broth

Melt butter add flour and stir well. Simmer for a few minutes until lightly brown. Add hot chicken broth stirring constantly. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes stirring often.

(Serves 2)

Cream of Turkey Soup

3 cups of left over turkey meat chopped
1 cup turkey stock (see below)
5 cups of turkey stock
2 cups veloute
1 ½ cups of cream
Chopped parsley
Paprika
¾ cup finely diced turkey

• Blend the first two ingredients in food processor or blender.
• In a large pot add 5 cups of turkey stock, 2 cups of prepared veloute, blended meat mixture.
• Bring to a boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
• Add cream and simmer additional 3 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Place in soup bowls and garnish with diced turkey, paprika and chopped parsley.

Make Turkey Stock using the remaining turkey bones, neck and gizzard. Put these in large pot, add water to cover and 1 onion coarse chopped, 2 ribs celery, 2 carrots. Season with salt and pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and skim off the scum and allow to simmer for 1 ½ hours.

Pilgrim's Pride Available at Albertson's and Kroger

If you live in the Southwest, I have some great news. You can now find Pilgrim's Pride fresh chicken in Kroger and Albertson's. We're excited to add these new stores to the list of quality markets that sell Pilgrim's Pride food products.

Have a favorite recipe?
Send your recipes, questions and suggestions to recipe@pilgrimspride.com and we'll share selected recipes in future newsletters.

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www.pilgrimspride.com
110 S. Texas St.
Pittsburg, TX 75686
1-800-824-1159