Kentucky Hot Brown

Tags

Dinner, food, hot brown, Kentucky, Supper, texas toast, turkey

This recipe is artery clogging, greasy, cheesy, delicious, and Southern. It looks daunting to create but really isn’t that hard. Though it may be a Kentucky recipe, the average Kentuckian does not serve this daily. It is reserved for those special moments like the Derby or a trip to Keeneland (who has a great hot brown I am told).

The Kentucky Hot Brown (from the Brown Hotel, Louisville, KY)

• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 16 oz. heavy cream
• 1/2 Cup pecorino romano cheese, plus enough to garnish
• Salt  and pepper to taste
• 14 oz. sliced roasted turkey breast
• 2 slices of Texas Toast, prepared according to package directions
• 4 slices of crispy bacon
• 2 tomatoes, sliced in half

In a two-quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined and forms a thick paste (roux). Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk heavy cream into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino Romano cheese until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For each Hot Brown, place two slice of toast in a cast iron skillet and cover each piece of bread with 7 ounces of turkey. Take the two halves of the tomato and set them alongside the base of turkey and toast. Pour the Mornay sauce to completely cover the dish. Sprinkle with additional Pecorino Romano cheese. Place entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top (oops! my bacon is hidden by cheese sauce), sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.

Brined, Roasted Turkey

Tags

brine, Dinner, holiday, roasted, Supper, Thanksgiving, turkey

This recipe is the highly rated “Good Eats Roast Turkey” from Alton Brown. Over 3500 people have rated this recipe “five star” on the Food Network website. It was a little extra work but I think it was totally worth it and I plan on making it again the next time. I did not use the “aromatics” listed on the original recipe. My family likes stuffing so that is what I fixed. A word of warning to you guys, this turkey cooks much quicker than you expect. I had a 18 lb turkey and it was done in 3 hours according to my meat thermometer. I left it in another 30 minutes and it was just a tad too dry. I suggest you trust the thermometer. I should have, especially since it looked and smelled done too. Despite that, I still plan to make this turkey again. It is superb.

Brined, Roasted Turkey

• 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey, thawed
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 gallon chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
• 1 gallon heavily iced water

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you’d like to eat, combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine. Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

The finished product:

A Visual Thanksgiving

Tags

celebration, Dinner, event, holiday, holiday season, hosting, Supper, Thanksgiving, turkey

This was my first year to host Thanksgiving dinner. My husband’s three grandparents, my grandmother, an aunt, and my in-laws were our esteemed guests. There were nine of us total. Even though I was super nervous, there were no major hitches. No food poisoning. No burned side dishes. Only two minor hitches- 1) I didn’t have enough potatoes for mashed potatoes and 2) I accidentally used white instead of red sweet potatoes (they still tasted good). I will post the recipes I used later in the week.

The turkey, ham, cranberry dressing, and rolls….

Green beans, gravy, sweet potatoes from Mamaw Rose, and dressing…

Crunchy pea salad, deviled eggs, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and turkey breast….

The Finale- the dessert table featuring pumpkin praline cheesecake, pumpkin pie, butterscotch pie, jam cake and pecan pie…

Turkey Reuben Sandwiches

Tags

Dinner, food, lunch, quick, reuben, sandwich, Supper, turkey

Normally Reubens are made with corned beef but using turkey makes it cheaper and healthier. This is a nice alternative from the grilled cheese or a boring turkey sandwich. If you want a traditional Reuben, just substitute corned beef. I prefer making homemade Thousand Island dressing with this; premade is just not the same…

Turkey Rueben Sandwiches

• 1 cup sauerkraut, drained
• 10 ounces sliced deli turkey meat
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 slices marble rye bread
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 4 tablespoons thousand island salad dressing, or to taste

Warm the sauerkraut and turkey, separately, in a microwave-safe bowls for 30-seconds; set aside. Spread butter generously on one side of each slice of rye bread, then spread the thousand island dressing on the other side. Divide the sauerkraut, turkey, and Swiss cheese on two slice of bread with the butter-side down. Stack the remaining two slices of bread with the butter-side up on top. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Grill until lightly browned and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes on each side.

No Egg Turkey Burgers

Tags

burger, Dinner, eggs, grill, summer, Supper, turkey

I hate thinking “Oh I want to fix____” but then realize I don’t have one of the key ingredients. I am not going to drive 10 minutes to the grocery for some simple ingredient. Today, I wanted turkey burgers but realized I didn’t have eggs. How can you get the turkey to bind together without the egg? I looked around my pantry for some substitute….

Sour Cream? No, it would add a funny twang.

Spaghetti sauce? No, that might make it taste weird. I am going for burger taste, not spaghetti  taste.

Mayo? Hmmmm, yes this should work! Mostly egg based ingredients. Works well in other recipes that need added moisture and binding power without the funny taste.

Today was such a beautiful day I just had to grill out. Turkey is an excellent substitute for ground beef because it is lower in fat. Some people may argue that the taste is not as good as beef. I disagree. It is just different. It’s like comparing streak and chicken. Not even the same. A good turkey burger is just as good as a good beef burger. Just different.

No Egg Turkey Burger

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp prepared horseradish
• Salt and pepper to taste

Fire up your grill to medium heat. I use charcoal because the taste is so much better than gas. Mix together the above ingredients and form into 4 patties.

Grill the patties, flipping once half way through cooking time. When the juices run clear, the burgers are done. Serve on a bun with your favorite toppings!