turkey | Rosie's Riveting Recipes

Other Thanksgiving Ideas

We’re living in some interesting times with ridiculously high food prices and supply chain disruptions. Rosie lived through similar times herself. In her day, even with rationing, grocery shelves were empty and many items, such as sugar, were very difficult to come by. So, if you’re having trouble finding the ingredients for the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, or if you simply want to try something new, here are a few suggestions.

Ham

Ham has been a popular Thanksgiving option for as long as I can remember. Some families serve both ham and turkey. I also have friends whose kids who are allergic poultry, so ham is their traditional holiday meal. It goes well with sweet potatoes too, so bring on the candied yams.

Venison

For those families who are into hunting, venison, or even elk, could be served at Thanksgiving. In fact, I recall once reading an article about the first Thanksgiving feast, and they didn’t have turkey and stuffing. Instead they had local cuisine, which included venison. Keep in mind, however, that wild game tends to have a, “gamey,” flavor which many people don’t like, so it might be a good idea to offer ham, or another dish, for those who don’t like venison.

Lobster

The article I read also said lobster was another served at the first Thanksgiving. Makes sense, as we all know New England is famous for its lobster. You know, I could really, seriously, get into this one. I love lobster, so throw in some red potatoes and corn on the cob, and I’ll be a really happy camper. I may have to serve this myself sometime.

Chicken

I’ve never been overly fond of turkey. It tends to be too dry for my taste, and it’s simply not that flavorful. So last year I began new Thanksgiving tradition. I roasted a chicken instead of a turkey, and it was so much better. Juicier, more flavorful, and I can serve with with stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy. There are also fewer leftovers. Roasted chicken works well for small gatherings, and for a bigger gathering you can probably get two chickens in your turkey roaster. Then, the following day, I make white chicken chili with the leftovers.

So, there you have it, and I’m sure you can come up with other favorite dishes yourselves. I know my favorite Thanksgiving memories aren’t about the food itself. They’re about the family, and friends, I shared it with.

Gayle Martin

The Rosie’s Riveting Recipes historic cookbook is available on Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com, and other online booksellers.

Easy Creamy Turkey ala King

a tasty dish for Thanksgiving leftovers

Thanksgiving is over, so what to do with all the leftover turkey? This dish, while not included in the Rosie’s Riveting Recipes historic cookbook, is easy to prepare and delicious. You can also serve it year round using chicken instead of turkey.

Gayle Martin

Easy Creamy Turkey ala King

1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 to 4 tablespoons cornstarch (depending on desired thickness)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 cups cooked turkey, cubed
1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Melt butter at medium low heat in a large saucepan or small stockpot. Stir in cornstarch and blend until smooth. Add chicken broth, milk and seasonings. Increase heat to medium. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in cubed turkey, peas and carrots and mushrooms. Simmer for several minutes, stirring periodically to prevent scorching, until the turkey is heated through. Serve on biscuits, toast, or leftover stuffing.

Note: Leftovers may thicken in the refrigerator. Add small amounts of chicken broth or milk, if needed, while reheating on medium heat. Leftovers can also be frozen. Leftover Thanksgiving vegetables may also be used instead of the peas and carrots.

Imagine the government telling you how much meat or chicken you could buy, or how much sugar or flour you could have. Strange as it may seem, at one time it actually happened. During WWII, the United States government devised a food rationing program to help insure that every family would have enough to eat. Rosie’s Riveting Recipes gives readers a glimpse into life on the WWII home front. A cookbook and a history lesson in one Rosies’s Riveting Recipes includes more than 180 economical, back-to-basics World War II ration recipes and short tales of life on the American home front interspersed throughout.

Rosie’s Riveting Recipes is available on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com.

Turkey and Stuffing Casserole

Post-holiday leftovers are great. Like Rosie, of the Rosie’s Riveting Recipes historic cookbook, we don’t want them going to waste. However leftovers, particularly holiday leftovers, can also take up a lot of space in your refrigerator. So here’s a delicious recipe to combine your holiday leftovers into a single casserole dish, saving space in the fridge.

Gayle Martin

TURKEY AND STUFFING CASSEROLE

• Vegetable Cooking Spray

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup

• 1 1/2 cups milk, chicken broth or water

• 1 package frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot combination, thawed, (or other leftover vegetables)

• 2 cups cubed leftover turkey

• 3 to 4 cups leftover stuffing

• 1/4 cup leftover cranberry sauce (optional)

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 400F and spray nonstick cooking spray into a 12 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish. Set aside.

Stir soup and liquid in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Add vegetables, turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, if desired, and mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into baking dish. Melt butter in the microwave and add the breadcrumbs, stirring until they are moistened. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the turkey mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbling.

Note: If you’re short on stuffing slice bread into small cubes and add to stuffing. If you prefer a creamier casserole, add more broth or milk.

Book Cover for Rosies Riveting Recipes — Cover photo by Rob Resetar

Rosie’s Riveting Recipes is available on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com.