Hello world! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I was with my family in Virginia and ate non-stop Wednesday to Saturday. It was a delicious and relaxing time! I’m incredibly blessed to have so many great people in my life, and everyday is a gift!

Though I made turkey soup last year, I wanted to try making something that was a little different. I came up with this turkey strips sandwich idea with the ingredients I had on hand.

If you’re trying to figure out what to do with your turkey leftovers, here’s a really simple recipe that you can make and freeze for later. It’s basically like chicken strips, except with honey panko, paired with the kick/crunch of a fresh jalapeno and the sweetness of Katsu sauce.

Recipe: Leftover turkey katsu sandwich
Makes about 8 dinner roll sized sandwiches

Ingredients:

About 21 strips of turkey (white meat, sliced into 1″ strips)
1.5 cups of all purpose flour
2 cups of panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
8 dinner rolls
2 jalapenos, sliced thin with guts and seeds removed
3 tablespoons of Katsu sauce
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Procedure:

1. Place flour, panko, egg and turkey pieces on four different bowls.

2. Dip turkey pieces in flour, egg, then in panko, making sure to get everything coated evenly.

3. Coat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan over high heat. Add pieces of turkey (in batches, if you have to) and cook for 2 minutes, until the panko turns yellow instead of pale, then slightly brown. Add more oil as needed. Turn over and cook for another 2 minutes on the other side.

4. Slice dinner roll in half. Spread about 1 teaspoon of sauce on top and bottom of each dinner roll. Place 3 pieces of turkey for sandwich and top with as jalapenos as you’d like.

It’s become tradition for my small group to get together to enjoy a Thanksgiving potluck meal the week prior to the holiday. Two years ago, I made chicken, and just about a year ago, I roasted my very first turkey. Though I was happy with my turkey last year, I wanted to see if there was an even easier method of cooking it. Turns out, there is!

What method are you using for your turkey this year?

Purchasing good quality meat is key if you’re looking for a great tasting turkey. Plan ahead if you’re going to buy a turkey, as it needs enough time to thaw in the fridge (about 5 hours per pound – GO BUY IT NOW). All I did was add some vegetables to the cavity, salt and pepper the entire thing, then throw it in the oven.

This recipe is different from the recipe I used last year for two reasons: I didn’t have to stretch turkey skin to pat butter underneath (still got crispy skin), and I cooked the turkey upside down.

Have you ever tried cooking your turkey breast side down? The idea is that the drippings would actually baste the turkey as it cooks, making it moist instead of drying it out. And I didn’t even have to baste the turkey once! The breast was cooked perfectly moist!

Recipe: Easy Oven Roasted Turkey
Makes 16-17 servings
(Recipe from Simply Recipes)

Cooking Time: About 4.5 to 5 hours

Ingredients:

19 pound natural turkey, thawed in the fridge
1/2 of a sweet onion, quartered
4-5 sticks of celery
1 long carrot, cut into three pieces lengthwise
1 orange, cut in half
2 stalks of fresh rosemary
1/2 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons of salt
1 tablespoon of pepper
Meat thermometer
Twine
Pair of kitchen scissors
Small piece of aluminum foil

Procedure:

1. Bring turkey to room temperature by taking it out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you’re ready to cook.

2. Prepare all the vegetables and place on a plate. (How much room did I think the inside of a turkey was going to have?! I only used about 1/2 of this plate.)

3. In a small bowl, mix salt and pepper together. Set aside.

4. Heat oven to 400 F.

5. Take the turkey out of it’s packaging by using a scissor. Remove giblets and innards from the turkey. (If you have a kosher turkey, remove feathers carefully). Set aside innards for gravy, or discard.

6. Rinse the entire turkey under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.

7. Rub the insides of the cavity by squeezing the juice of an orange. Place other half of orange inside the cavity, along with onion, celery, carrot and rosemary. Place piece of foil so that the vegetables do not fall out.

8. Tie the thighs together with twine, and tuck the wings under with second piece of twine.

9. Using your hands, cover the entire turkey with butter. Then sprinkle salt and pepper to the entire outside of the turkey.

10. Place turkey on the roasting pan, breast side down.

11. Cook at 400 F for 1 hour, then reduce to 350 F for the next 2 hours. Then lower the heat to 225 for the next 1 to 1.5 hours.

12. You’ll know it’s done when the meat thermometer reads 165 F for the breast part, and 175 F for the dark meat (in the thigh). You can also pierce the meat and see if the juices run clear.

13. Once it’s done, remove from oven and use foil to cover the entire pan. Make sure the turkey rests for at least 30 minutes before carving.

Half-carved turkey for small group potluck dinner

There are so many things to consider when you are roasting a turkey. I’ll break it down into three parts with helpful links:

1. Types of turkeys. Kosher, organic, processed, self-basting, natural – what are the differences? What does it all mean? Real Simple, Bon Appetite, has all the answers you need (I went with a kosher turkey).

2. Brining. What does brining mean, and why should you consider doing it? Martha Stewart has a good brining recipe. Basically, you are adding moisture to the poultry so that it’s nice and juicy once you’re done cooking.(Brining is the best thing that ever happened to chicken and turkey).

3. Basting. I always assumed you’re supposed to baste the turkey. But be careful, as frequent opening and closing of the oven can release a lot of heat. Suggestion – try basting during the last hour of cooking, every twenty minutes. (Note – I did not baste my turkey because I was preoccupied – but it turned out fine).

A word of warning: When the turkey is inserted at a high temperature into the oven, it will get smoky! So just be aware of it during the first 30 minutes of cooking. My apartment smells like turkey even today! (My sincerest apologies to my roommate and anyone else who has come over since Saturday).

Check out this awesomely comprehensive list by Cheap Healthy Good for more information on all recipes Thanksgiving!

Recipe: Roasted Thanksgiving turkey
Adapted from Alton Brown

Serves about 13-14 people (Calculate 1 pound of turkey per person)

Ingredients:

14-pound kosher turkey (be sure to pluck all feathers)
6 tablespoons of softened unsalted butter
3 tablespoons of canola oil
2 teaspoons of salt
1 apple (any kind, cut into 8 slices)
1 orange (cut into quartes)
1 medium sized onion (cubed)
3 sprigs of fresh herbs (sage or rosemary)
Meat thermometer
Pastry brush
Large piece of tin foil
Twine

Procedure:

1. Make sure your turkey is defrosted.

2. Heat oven to 500 F. Take turkey out of its packaging. Remove all innards and rinse under cold water. (Kosher turkeys will have feathers. Just pluck them out). Pat dry with paper towels.

4. Mix salt and butter together in a bowl.

Photo credit: Sara Chai

5. Using your hands, gently open up the skin of the turkey and cover every part between the skin and the turkey with butter mixture. (Mine already had a huge hole in the skin part). Generously brush the rest of outside skin with canola oil.

6. Microwave apple and onion in a bowl on high for 5 minutes.

7. Cut up a piece of string and tie the turkey legs together. Tuck wings into the body of the turkey.

8. Insert apple, onion, orange and fresh herbs inside the turkey.

9. Place turkey on the lowest part of your oven, in a roasting pan with a rack. Place in the lowest part of the oven, legs first. Roast for 30 minutes. (Warning: it may get smoky due to the extreme heat and butter. But don’t worry – you are going to end up with crispy and golden skin).

10. Prepare a piece of tin foil just big enough to cover the breast of the turkey. Brush with canola oil and set aside.

11. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Add tin foil at this point.

12. 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.

13. Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes loosely covered before carving.

This turkey was juicy, moist, and delicious!

And finally, a word about the roasting pan I just bought-

I got this Bradshaw roasting pan priced at $19.95 with a $10 back rebate from Bed Bath and Beyond. It was a good deal, so I jumped on it.

Upon rinsing out the pan after my roasting adventure, I found marks! It was my one and only time using the pan and there are already some scuff marks. UGH!