Happy Thanksgiving: Turkey and Dressing Casserole as First Run or Re-Run (Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole)

I drew the short straw this year and ended up working Thanksgiving Eve and the rest of the weekend. But never fear, we can still have our Thanksgiving, both at work and at home.  For work, I volunteered to handle turkey and dressing.  Because I work at a hospital (Respiratory Therapist) it's not quite the same as an office where we can forward the phones to voice mail and everyone sit down to a celebratory dinner together.  We're scattered throughout the building on the general floors, in Pediatrics, the NICU, and the adult units.  So the upshot is we have to eat in shifts. That means a traditionally carved turkey with dressing on the side is not only impossible to cook or warm up at work in a microwave, we need to keep the food at a safe temperature for at least an hour if not a little more so that people can filter down from all parts of the building in between vent assesments and therapies, not to mention any type of patient crises. We all say a quick prayer going into holidays, for ourselves and for patients and their families, that there will be no codes or other crises.  And we were lucky this year. We had a few patients who struggled but we were able to get them help quickly and there were NO code blues! Yay!

The answer to the food dilemma for our work dinner turned out to be turkey and stuffing casserole, the kind we can keep at a good temp in a crockpot throughout the evening after arriving at 6pm until our 1am dinner time.  This casserole is also a great use for leftovers to freeze for a later date or just for the ease of leftovers throughout the holiday weekend.

This recipe was designed to feed a crowd. I split the total between an 8"x8" baking dish for Gene and I on Thanksgiving Day and filled a 5-qt crockpot to feed the 18-20 therapists at work.  The recipe can be easily halved.

As a casserole of leftovers, the prep work would already be done, it's just a matter of boning the turkey into cubes and mixing it with the leftover dressing and gravy for more mosture and then re-heating in baking pan in a 350 degree oven for approximately 40 minutes or until heated through.

Glenna's Turkey and Apple-Pinenut Dressing Casserole

recipe by Glenna Anderson Muse

1 large onion, diced

1/2 head (approx 1 1/2-2 cups) celery with leaves, diced

1 apple, cored and diced with peel

1 cup pinenuts

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup butter or olive oil

2  14 oz pkgs Pepperidge Farms cubed dressing mix, flavor(s) of choice (I used "sage" and "herbed")

8 cups Turkey meat, cubed (I used 2 lbs breast meat and 4 thighs, roasted and boned)

7 cups  drippings from roasted turkey mixed in any amounts with turkey gravy (home-made or canned), vegetable broth, and/or water to make total quantity

2 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced (or 2 tsp dried)

Directions:

1.  Roast turkey parts, with skin and bones, in baking pan at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until meat thermometer registers 180 degrees in both the white and dark meat, testing at the fleshiest center but not touching bone.  Bone and cube when cool.  Save pan drippings.

2.  Saute onion, celery, pinenuts, garlic, and apple in butter or olive oil.

3.  In oversized mixing bowl, combine stuffing mix, sauteed vegetables, and drippings/gravy mix.  Mix to combine.  Turn into large crockpot or 2  9"x 13" baking pans.  Reheat in crockpot for 3-4 hours on low or bake in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until heated through.

Can serve with extra gravy on the side if desired. 

Be aware that the crockpot works great for crowds but it does come out mushier than if baked. The baking is the preferred method but the crockpot works. Tastes great.  Just don't expect the look of a five-star entree. But don't expect it to go unnoticed either.  My crockpot was practically clean by the time I packed it up to bring it home!

I need to get some of these recipes from folks--dinner was great!

At 12noon going clockwise, my Plain Jane but very tasty Turkey and Apple/Pinenut Dressing Casserole, Amanda's fantastic smoky baked beans, Nikki's OMG Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Cheddar and Fried Onions, Estera's Layered Salad with "Oh Yeah!" Homemade Dressing, and Jessica's Sweet and Red Potatoes Roasted with Onions, Thyme, and Sesame Seeds (I think). Awesome. Really different.  

Great party. Great night.  We worked hard but I cannot say enough times how lucky I am to work with such a wonderful bunch of people.  Going back to respiratory school was one of the best things I've ever done in my life and meeting and being friends with these people is a blessing I count every single day.

Comments

[Kenneth]

looks tasty

[Glenna]

Thanks, bro!

[Terri Stone]

This looks wonderful! I have enjoyed coming across your blog!

[Glenna]

Thanks, Terry. I appreciate that!

[Deborah Dowd]

That is a creative way to celebrate at work! Sounds really delicious.

[Glenna]

Thanks Deborah1 They all seemed to enjoy it since the pot was clean. Guess that's the best compliment a cook can receive.