Tuesday, November 25, 2014

#Thanksgiving Cooking Advice from Captain Kirk and a Great Use for Leftover Turkey via Cleo Coyle



How do you like to use your Thanksgiving leftovers? Here's an idea for you, adapted from a real Fire Captain's firehouse kitchen: Fast Truck Turkey Casserole
But before I share the recipe with you, I have a rather entertaining fire safety warning from another sort of Captain.

Below is actor William Shatner with a new musical version of Eat, Fry, Love, a Turkey Fryer Safety Video he made for State Farm a few years back.


Take it away, Captain!




* * * * * * * * * * * 

Thanks, Bill, we love you!

If you do not see the video embedded
above, click here to watch it on YouTube.

AND...


Click Here for my
Perfect Turkey Gravy post
from last week.


(Marc and I have been
loving all your comments!!)



And now for today's recipe...







"Fast Truck" (Firehouse)
Turkey Casserole


Recipe Note from Captain (no not Kirk!) Colston:


"When I first started as a firefighter," said the good captain, "I still lived at home, like a lot of us firefighters did when we started out, so I could only cook things from a box. This is a real quick meal that we created from leftovers one night when we didn’t have a lot to spend. It’s a fast meal to make, which is nice when you’re busy at the station."


Cleo Coyle has a partner in 
crime-writing—her husband.
Learn about their books
by clicking here or here.

Recipe Note from Cleo:

The recipe that follows is my adaption of the captain's recipe. Why did I have to "adapt" it? Because the captain's original portions were huge! The funny thing is, he claimed his original recipe would "Serve 4." Oh, sure, 4 firefighters maybe. For us mortals, however, the amounts were more like serves 12. I halved it and got a serving of 6, added a bit more detail, including oven temperatures and time, a tweak on the ingredients for better flavor, and quickie directions on cooking chicken breasts, if needed.


Serves 6

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked turkey, chopped (or 2 chicken breasts cooked and chopped)
6 cups leftover stuffing or one 12-ounce box of turkey stuffing 
14-ounce can of chicken broth or 1-3/4 cups of fresh stock
1-2 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 slices cooked ham, quartered (or six slices of round breakfast ham or Canadian bacon)
8 ounces pepper jack cheese (deli slices or block cheese)*

*Note: If you don't care for spicy flavor, substitute any mild cheese that melts easily: e.g., Monterey Jack, Colby-Jack, mozzarella, or a young Provolone or Asiago.

Step 1 - You can use leftover turkey or chicken for this recipe; rotisserie chicken; or roast or grill your chicken breasts fresh. To roast raw chicken breasts, sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning; place them in a greased shallow pan; and cook them for about 45 minutes in an oven preheated to 325 degrees F. Do not overcook or your chicken will be dry. Chop up the cooked chicken and set aside.

Step 2 - Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a shallow 8 x 12-inch glass dish or casserole pan with butter or margarine. In a large bowl, mix together the stuffing and broth. If you roasted chicken specifically for this dish, I suggest adding the pan drippings to the stuffing bowl for even more good flavor. Pour the stuffing into the pan. Using the back of a large spoon, press it into an even layer, and bake until the top is crispy and brown, about 20 minutes.

Step 3 - Spread the cooked chicken evenly on top of the cooked stuffing. Arrange the ham slices on top of the chicken and return it to the hot oven for 10 minutes. Remove the pan once more and cover it evenly with the cheese slices (or shredded block cheese). Bake for 10 more minutes, until cheese is mostly melted. Finish under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly.

This turkey or chicken casserole is delicious served with sweet corn and a salad. May you eat it with joy.


F o o d i e

Photos











Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
May you eat with bountiful joy!



~ Cleo Coyle

New York Times bestselling author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries


Yes, this is me, Cleo (aka Alice). 
Friend me on facebook here.
Follow me on twitter here
Visit my online coffeehouse here.



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37 comments:

  1. Love the Article thanks for the Contest...
    Marilyn Watson ewatvess@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a great week this has been with all the tasty recipes. Will have to try this one. I have made something the original recipe called "Turkey Devonshire" for years: leftover turkey on toast, covered with bacon and a sauce made with milk or cream, turkey gravy and Swiss cheese. Bake until bubbly - it's delicious. This sounds as good. Must be the idea of cheese and turkey.

    And Captain Kirk is the best!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fast Truck Turkey Casserole looks yummy! Thank you for the recipe and for Captain Kirk. :)

    Please enter me in the contest.

    myrifraf(at)gmail.com

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm going to try that recipe after Thanksgiving with the leftovers :-)
    grammyd01 (at) comcast (dot) net

    ReplyDelete
  5. This looks real good actually. Thanks for the contest and happy Thanksgiving I personally can't wait until the next haunted bookshop mystery
    Kim
    Kjohnson952@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. As they say us in Maine, "Wicked good!"

    Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ham and turkey in the casserole...interesting. thanks for the giveaway.
    dmskrug3 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Looks yummy!! Happy Thanksgiving :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Recipe looks wonderful!

    Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Happy Thanksgiving! And thanks for the good idea for leftovers.

    ElaineE246(at)msn(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Delectable and appetizing. thanks.Happy Thanksgiving. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  12. This would be delightful. How creative and special. Happy Thanksgiving! saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Loved the post! Happy Thanksgiving!


    patucker54 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  14. I have never seen that video, though I knew he had done one. The recipe sounds really good.

    nlb1050(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Recipe looks great, Cleo! Can't wait for turkey leftovers.

    Hugs,

    MJ

    ReplyDelete
  16. Delicious-looking recipe!!! Looking forward to Dec. 2 and the release of your new book. :-) llblalock @ prodigy dot net

    ReplyDelete
  17. Last year my health conscious daughter decided we should substitute mashed cauliflower for the mashed potatoes. What an uproar! Seems everything is negotiable except for the mashed potatoes and gravy.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm always looking for good recipes for leftover turkey since I cook a nice big turkey every year---and there is just my husband and me. This recipe looks like one that both of us will like.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a great bunch of recipes! Thanks for the chance to win

    rjprazak6@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your recipes look great. My husband, the chef, thinks he knows how to make gravy. He doesn't. I'll try showing him your recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  21. So much fun and such delicious recipes! Thanks! rencw@verizon.net

    ReplyDelete
  22. The Fast Truck Turkey Casserole looks good enough to eat right now! I love all the chances to win the giveaways. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oh now Cleo this looks good. I think everyone will want to try this. Plus I mean come on you got Captain Kirk.

    Babsbookbistro@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. We don't ever have enough turkey left to make something like that.

    ReplyDelete
  25. The recipes sound really good. Thanks for the giveaway. sclickner@juno.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thanks for the recipe - sounds delicious. Turkey reubens and turkey cranberry walnut salad are popular at our house.

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Thanks, I'll need this recipe as there will only be 3 of us to eat a 14lb turkey. I love cheese and this sounds good. pp92596 at outlook dot com

    ReplyDelete
  28. We had our dinner on Sunday since my DIL is working. I think my son is making another turkey Thursday, too, for when she gets home. Cajun turkeys! Have you ever tried them? A bit too spicy for my liking but they like them. I am out-voted. We are having cajun turkey enchiladas with the leftovers tonight. Should be interesting.

    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  29. What an interesting dish and it includes three of my must have Thanksgiving foods.

    Benglish@whro.net

    ReplyDelete
  30. This recipe looks delicious and since I am not a person who cares for turkey, that is saying a lot! dbahn@iw.net

    ReplyDelete
  31. Can't wait to read this book...I have all of your series...........Happy Thanksgiving!
    mwutsey@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. Love the books and love the recipes! Happy Thanksgiving! And thank you for the contest!

    ReplyDelete
  33. A new recipe for left over turkey. Can't wait to try it.
    I always like getting a new book to read.
    Thanks.
    BWparent17@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  34. Love this series. Can't wait to read the next edition.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Looks like a yummy recipe. Thanks.

    gibsonbk at hiwaay dot net

    ReplyDelete
  36. Recipe looks good. Thank you.
    Candace7399@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  37. Looks delicious! I'm hungry and could eat it right now.
    catbooks72(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete