Turkey

Many of us in the U.S. tend to reserve Turkey for the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. So many of us of a certain age tend to think of a Norman Rockwell-style Thanksgiving, where the main dish is turkey. (Freedom from Want, otherwise known as The Thanksgiving Picture or I'll Be Home for Christmas.)

But realistically, turkey can ben an anytime meal. Check out these six turkey recipes, including Turkey Chili, Colorful Turkey Stuffed Peppers, and Turkey Meatloaf. Enjoy!

SWEET POTATO AND MUSTARD TURKEY BURGERS

This is from Taste for Life, and begins, “These burgers are moist and juicy and have a savory flavor that comes from a secret ingredient: A hefty amount of mustard. Half a cup may seem like a lot of mustard, but it’s what makes these burgers outstanding. Using grated sweet potato instead of traditional flour or breadcrumbs adds extra fiber and nutrients.”

Prep Time: 40 min prep time; Number of Servings: Makes 4 to 6 burgers

Recipe Source: The Living Kitchen by Tamara Green, BA, CNP and Sarah Grossman, BA, CNP ($28, Appetite, 2018)

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 cup grated yellow onion

1 cup grated peeled sweet potato

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup spinach, finely chopped

1/2 cup gluten-free whole-grain mustard

1/2 tsp sea salt

Pinch of black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Use the grating attachment on your food processor and grate onion and sweet potato. You can also do this by hand with a box grater.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until everything is well combined.

Measure 1/4 to 1/2 cup of burger meat and shape into a patty. Place on baking sheet and repeat.

Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top begins to get slightly golden. You can flip burgers halfway through cooking time if you want even caramelization on both sides.

These burgers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days. You can also make a big batch and keep them in the freezer for 3 to 4 months for a quick meal option.

TURKEY MEATLOAF

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking email. Sam wrote, “This is a recipe that helps explain the Twitter-era term ‘humblebrag.’ I made it for the celebrated writer and filmmaker Nora Ephron after a different recipe resulted in a disaster and I had to discard the result with only a few hours before my dinner with -- did I mention? -- Nora Ephron. It derives from a meatball dish once cooked by the chef Mark Ladner at the restaurant Lupa in Manhattan, and published as a recipe in Details magazine in the early years of the century. I scaled it up over the years, increasing some spices here and there, lessening others, until I had what I thought to be a pretty terrific meatloaf. But don't take my word for it. ‘This is remarkable,’ Ms. Ephron told me. I'm bragging about it still.” Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 30 minutes.

This was featured in “Potlucky” and can be viewed online here.

Note: This recipe calls for 1 cup red wine. If, like me, you don’t keep wine or any alcohol around the house, I imagine you could replace this with 1 cup water. Yes, this will affect the taste a little, but it’s do-able.

Ingredients

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup fresh bread crumbs of any provenance

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup whole milk

1 pound ground turkey

1 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casing removed, crumbled

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces bacon, chopped

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, seeds removed

1 cup red wine

1/4 bunch mint

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine 2/3 of the garlic, the rosemary, pepper flakes, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Add the milk and mix. Add the turkey and sausage and mix once more to combine; don’t overmix. Transfer onto a board and shape into a fine meatloaf, about 9 inches long and 4 inches wide.

Place in a baking pan with high sides (a 9 x12 pan with 2-inch sides works well), drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and bake for 25 minutes, turning halfway through to brown evenly. Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 325 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, fry the bacon in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until it starts to curl and its fat is rendered. Add the onions and remaining garlic, cooking until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and wine and bring to a boil.

Pour the sauce over the meatloaf, cover tightly with foil and bake until a meat thermometer inserted at the center reads 150 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes.

Transfer the meatloaf to a platter and let stand, tented with foil, for 10 minutes. Cut into thick slices, spoon tomato sauce over the top and scatter with torn mint leaves.

TURKEY LENTIL SLOPPY JOES WITH QUICK CABBAGE SLAW

This is originally from Oven to Table, by Jan Scott, and reprinted on Taste for Life. Prep Time: 55 minutes; Makes 8 in regular-sized buns, or 16 in mini-slider buns.

You can view this online at https://tasteforlife.com/healthy-recipes/appetizers/turkey-lentil-sloppy-joes-with-quick-cabbage-slaw.

Ingredients

For the Sloppy Joes

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

Kosher salt

2 cloves garlic, grated or pressed

1 lb ground turkey

2 cups cooked green or brown lentils (or 1 19-oz can, rinsed and drained)

3 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp hot sauce

For the Slaw

4 cups chopped red cabbage (about 1 small cabbage)

1 large carrot, peeled

3 green onions, ends trimmed and thinly sliced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tsp liquid honey

1 tsp celery seed

Kosher salt

For Serving

8 whole-wheat dinner rolls or hamburger buns (split in half and toasted)*

Directions

In a large cast iron, stainless steel, or nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, season with a pinch of salt and sauté until onions are soft and translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Crumble ground turkey into skillet and stir to combine, cooking until browned. Add lentils, chili powder, oregano, cumin, pepper, and tomato paste and stir, cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes to infuse turkey and lentils with spices.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Check seasonings and add more salt if needed.

While meat mixture is cooking, make slaw. Place cabbage in a medium bowl and, using a vegetable peeler, shave carrot into ribbons. Add carrot and green onions to bowl and toss with clean hands to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice, honey, and celery seed. Pour over cabbage and toss to combine. Finish with a pinch of salt.

Spoon Sloppy Joes onto split and toasted rolls. Top with slaw and serve at once.

Notes

For more of a bite-size snack, turn these into sliders. Just replace the 8 hamburger buns with approximately 16 mini-slider buns.

You can easily double or triple this recipe for a large party. The slaw adds some crunch to this dish. Its simplicity lends itself well to customization, so feel free to play around with vegetables if you like, maybe adding some grated apple or green cabbage to the mix.

COLORFUL TURKEY STUFFED PEPPERS

Yield: 4 servings

Print Friendly: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/bin/print.cgi?ID=1321

View recipe with photo: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1321.shtml

Source: Jennie-O

Ingredients

2 bell peppers, preferably a mix of yellow, green or red

1/2 (16-ounce) package Jennie-O Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1/4 teaspoon salt, if desired

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (14-1/2-ounce) can low-sodium diced tomatoes or seasoned diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 cup cooked white or brown rice

3/4 cup shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese, divided

paprika, if desired

fresh parsley, if desired

Directions

Heat oven to 375F.

Cut bell peppers lengthwise through stems keeping stem halves intact to hold stuffing. Discard seeds and veins.

Cook peppers in boiling salted water 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and immediately place peppers in ice water to stop cooking process. Drain peppers well and place cut side up in 8 x 8-inch baking dish.

Cook ground turkey as specified on the package. Always cook to well-done, 165F as measured by a meat thermometer.

Add onion, garlic, basil, salt, if desired, ground pepper, tomatoes, and rice; continue to cook 5 to 6 minutes or until heated through and most of the juices have reduced.

Remove meat mixture from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese.

Mound heaping 1/2 cup of mixture into each pepper half.

Bake 20 minutes or until filling is hot and peppers are tender.

Remove peppers from oven and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese on top of peppers. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley, if desired.

Always cook to an internal temperature of 165F. Learn how to safely handle turkey.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 160; Protein: 20 g; Fat: 2.5 g; Sodium: 210 mg; Cholesterol: 30 mg; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 14 g

TURKEY CHILI

This is from American Heart Association, and begins, "Warm up on a cool evening with this classic chili dish. Our version is full of fiber, low in sodium, and extraordinarily delicious." Makes 6 servings; serving size: 1 1/3 cups

To view this online, go to https://recipes.heart.org/en/recipes/turkey-chili.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons canola or corn oil

1 medium or large onion, chopped

20 ounces ground skinless turkey breast

2 large garlic cloves, minced

OR

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 15.5-ounce can no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 15.5-ounce can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained

1 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained

1 3/4 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn

1 6-ounce can no-salt-added tomato paste

4 medium green onions (green part only), sliced

Directions

In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook the chopped onion for 3 minutes, or until soft, stirring occasionally.

Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the turkey. Cook for 5 minutes, or until browned, stirring frequently to turn and break up the turkey.

Stir in the garlic, chili powder, pepper, and cumin. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the green onions. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until heated through, stirring frequently. Just before serving, sprinkle with the green onions.

FAJITA TURKEY BURGER

Makes 5 servings

See the recipe with photo here: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1326.shtml

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon paprika

Salt and freshly ground pepper, if desired

1 (16-ounce) package Jennie-O Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast

1/4 cup salsa, drained

3/4 cup cilantro, divided

2 onions, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

Wholly Guacamole classic or spicy dip, if desired

Wholly Guacamole salsa, if desired

5 reduced-calorie hamburger buns, split

1/3 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

In small bowl, combine cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, red pepper flakes, paprika and salt and pepper, if desired.

Mix ground turkey, half of spice mixture, drained salsa, and 1/2 cup cilantro; form into 5 (1/2-inch thick) patties. Lightly spray patties with cooking spray. Place patties in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook 17 to 19 minutes, turning occasionally.

Always cook to well done, 165F as measured by a meat thermometer.

Meanwhile, coat large skillet with cooking spray. Cook onions, bell peppers and remaining spice mixture over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup cilantro.

To assemble burgers, spread guacamole and salsa, if desired, on buns. Place burgers, cheese and vegetable mixture on buns.

Always cook to an internal temperature of 165F.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 260; Protein: 29 g; Fat: 7 g; Sodium: 410 mg; Cholesterol: 60 mg; Saturated Fat: 3.5 g; Dietary Fiber: 4 g; Sugars: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 23 g