Leftover Turkey Croquettes

I came across a simple recipe for leftover turkey chili that had good reviews, seemed healthy, and made use of ingredients I already had on hand. So that's what we ate last night. But I won't blog about it here since it wasn't exceptionally yummy. It was just fine. Passable. Shredded mild cheddar and a dollop of sour cream improved it but still didn't take it to the level of deliciousness that would make it a keeper. I'll take the remainder of it for lunches this week but I think I'll be alone in chipping away at the leftovers. It probably would have been better cooked with fresh ground turkey, but it still wasn't great enough to keep the recipe to test out my hypothesis.

So instead I'll share a different really great leftover turkey croquette recipe for that I made a few months back with our leftover Thanksgiving turkey. This is all that was left once I was done cooking since my kids ate them quickly fresh out of the pan. I preferred them with cranberry sauce but the rest of the family liked them plain.

Turkey Croquettes
by Martha Stewart

• 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, minced
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh savory or thyme
• 2 cups finely chopped cooked turkey
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups finely ground fresh breadcrumbs
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Cranberry sauce, for serving

 

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, 1 teaspoons salt, and teaspoon pepper. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir in sage and savory or thyme, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in turkey and cream, and cook until liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl, and let cool for 15 minutes.
2. Add potatoes, flour, and egg to turkey, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Drop 2 tablespoons turkey mixture into a shallow bowl of breadcrumbs, turn to coat, and pat into 2-inch disks. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
4. Heat 1/4 inch oil in a skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook croquettes in a single layer until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve immediately with cranberry sauce.