Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: turkey

Saturday, March 30, 2024

Pesto Turkey Meatball Soup #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon

This recipe is from Martha Stewart but with a few tweaks. I used gluten free panko for the meatballs. My grocery store didn't have fresh basil so unfortunately I had to eliminate it. I also had some spinach I wanted to finish up so I used that instead of escarole. My meatballs were a bit too large to cook off the stove in the hot broth in 8 minutes. I simmered them a bit to be sure they would be done. You don't want to pack the meatballs too tightly, on the other hand, if they aren't packed tightly enough, they will fall apart. Be very gentle when dropping them into the broth. It's best to drop them in one at a time with a large spoon. We enjoyed this with some crusty bread on the side. And although it's "spring" this is perfect to warm you up on those odd chilly days that are no doubt still ahead!

12 ounces ground turkey (I used 1 lb. because that’s what came in the package)

3 tablespoons pesto, plus more for serving

6 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs (gluten free is fine)

1 lightly beaten egg

3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

¾ teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more for serving

1 smashed and peeled garlic clove

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 sprigs fresh basil

1 cup chopped Escarole

In a large bowl, combine turkey, pesto, panko, egg, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix lightly--just until combined.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you continue with recipe.

Heat garlic clove over medium-high heat until fragrant. Add chicken broth and basil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 10 minutes. Remove garlic and basil.

Meanwhile, form turkey mixture into small meatballs. Carefully add to broth, remove pot from heat and let sit for 8 minutes covered or until meatballs are done. If your meatballs are large, you may need to simmer them for a bit first.

Add escarole (or spinach) and serve with extra cheese and pepper and drizzled with pesto.

The Open Book Series

When murder taints writer-in-residence Penelope Parish’s charming British bookshop, she must follow the clues to catch a killer before tempers boil over.

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

Family fireworks lead to murder in the new Cranberry Cove Mystery from USA Today bestselling author Peg Cochran!

The Fourth of July always means endless celebrations in Cranberry Cove, and this year Monica and Greg have the added pleasure of spending it with Monica’s college roommate, Kelly Cargill. When they join Kelly and her family to watch the fireworks, it’s all very exciting—until the elderly matriarch of the family dies on the spot. Then evidence comes to light that she was poisoned, and Monica promises to do what she can to catch the culprit.

Just about everyone in Kelly’s family wanted to get their hands on what was sure to be a sizable inheritance. But Monica also discovers that one of them was trying to hide a messy love affair the older woman had discovered, and that the victim’s caretaker may have wanted revenge for enduring years of mistreatment. And just as more secrets surface and the clues begin to fall into place, Monica realizes that as she’s closing in on the killer, the killer is closing in on her . . .

Includes a mouthwatering cookie recipe!

Cranberry Cove #10 coming Summer 2024!

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

My article on the Enduring Appeal of Cozy Mysteries

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Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Easy "Leftover Turkey" Pot Pie with Cheddar Cheese Crust from @CleoCoyle #Thanksgiving #Leftovers

From Cleo Coyle: Need a recipe idea for your Thanksgiving leftovers? I've got you covered with this simple, one-dish dinner. This Turkey Pot Pie (with cheddar cheese crust) is so good! And it's easy to make, which is why I bake it every year on the weekend after Thanksgiving. As for my writing life...

Marc and I are giving thanks to our readers this week after our editor shared happy news about our latest Coffeehouse Mystery, HONEY ROASTED, which earned out its advance in record time. To learn more and join our online celebration, click here to jump to our Facebook post...

To learn more about our 19th Coffeehouse Mystery,
HONEY ROASTED, click here.

To join our celebration
on Facebook, click here.

Now for today's Thanksgiving Week recipe...

Cleo Coyle writes two
bestselling mystery

series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

A Recipe Note from Cleo

This is a wonderfully tasty way to make use of your leftover Thanksgiving turkey. You only need two to three cups of diced roasted turkey meat. The pie keeps well in the fridge, too, so it tastes just as good reheated the day after you make it.

I keep the PDF of this recipe handy all year because this pot pie recipe will work equally well with roasted chicken. Another reason I keep it handy is because it includes a recipe for making an easy WHITE SAUCE as well as an (optional) CHEESE SAUCE that's delicious drizzled over vegetables, especially broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and asparagus.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. May you eat with plenty of joy!

~ Cleo

To download this recipe in a PDF

document that you can print,

save, or share, click here.

Click here for Cleo's free
downloadable PDF.

🍂 Cleo Coyle's
Easy Turkey Pot Pie
with Cheddar Cheese Crust

Servings: 6 slices (fills one 9-inch pie pan)

For Easy White Sauce
1 cup cold whole milk (with a splash more, if needed to smooth lumps)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt (or table salt)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Wondra Flour (see product picture below)

For Pie Filling
2 to 3 cups cooked turkey cut up into bite size pieces (leftovers will do nicely)
2 to 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables (do not thaw!)

For Crust
1 package pre-made pie crusts (room temperature; I use Pillsbury)
2 cups mild cheddar cheese shredded

Directions

Step 1 – Make an easy white sauce: Wondra flour is the key. It’s a super-fine flour that dissolves quickly into liquids, allowing you to thicken sauces and gravies. (See my note at the end of this recipe for turning this white sauce into an easy cheese sauce.) FOR THE WHITE SAUCE: Into a saucepan, add your whole milk, butter, salt, and pepper. Warm the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the butter melts. When the butter is melted, get out your whisk! Sprinkle the Wondra flour over the milk mixture and whisk continually until the sauce comes to a boil. Continue to boil and whisk for one full minute. During the cooking, whisk vigorously to smooth any lumps out of the sauce and (if needed) splash in a little more milk, which will help the smoothing process. (Yields 1 cup of white sauce.)

Step 2 – Add frozen veggies and cooked turkey: Once your white sauce is finished, turn off the heat. Dump the frozen* mixed vegetables into the pan with the white sauce & stir to coat. Add the turkey and stir again, until the veggies and turkey are well mixed in with the white sauce. Set aside. *NOTE: You are not cooking or thawing the frozen veggies. The vegetables will thaw during the baking process, which will give them the perfect texture by the time the pie is fully baked.

Step 3 – Cheese-ify your pie dough (optional): This is a "quick and easy" recipe, which is why I'm using pre-made pie crusts. One package of "Pillsbury Pie Crusts" is all you'll need since it contains 2 unbaked pie shells, enough for 1 turkey pot pie. The pre-made crusts come rolled up inside the box. Allow both dough rolls to come to room temperature (about 15 minutes out of fridge or 10 seconds in the microwave). Gently unroll the crusts on a flat surface and sprinkle each crust with 1 cup of the shredded cheddar. Lightly press the cheese into the softened dough. If the dough is too hard, it's still too cold from coming out of the fridge. Let it sit for another few minutes until soft. (If you aren't a big fan of cheddar cheese, try Swiss, gruyere, or another favorite.) Fusing it with the dough may seem odd, but it's a shortcut that really works, and a better way to use the cheese than just dumping it into the filling where it can overpower your other flavors. This way, the cheese crosses your taste buds during your chewing of the flaky, buttery crust. It's a more delicious eating experience.

Step 4 – Fill your pie: To prevent sticking, spray a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray or lightly grease with butter or margarine. Line the pan with one of the pre-made pie crusts (cheese side up). Fill with your veggie-turkey-white-sauce mixture. Cover with the second pie shell (cheese side down, i.e. facing the filling). Now seal the edges and make a few thin slits with a knife on the top of the shell to let steam escape. To prevent the edges of your pie from browning too much or burning, loosely curl strips of aluminum foil around the crust edges or use a pie shield. (I also like to lightly brush the top of the crust with chilled heavy cream to enhance browning.)

Step 5 – Bake at 425° Fahrenheit for 30 to 35 minutes, until crust is golden. Then reduce the heat to 375° F. Remove the foil strips or pie shield from the crust edges and return the pie to the oven for 10 minutes of final baking.

COOL for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting to allow the pie to set.

CLEO NOTE (Cheese Sauce variation): If you've never used Wondra Flour, look for its blue cardboard canister in the same grocery store aisle that shelves all-purpose flour. It's a handy little helper for thickening gravies and making quick sauces. You can make an easy cheese sauce for vegetables by adding 1/2 cup of your favorite cheese to the white sauce recipe above. Add the cheese at the end of the cooking process and stir until the cheese is melted. Then whisk gently for smoothness.