November 8, 2001

Prairie Fare: Turkey Time

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

Several years ago I brought my two friends from Poland and Norway home to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving dinner, Scandinavian-American style. In other words, there was plenty of food.

Ellen, my Norwegian friend, loved the turkey. She surprised us by saying that turkey was $10 to $15 a pound in her country at that time, and it was considered a real delicacy. I don’t think we could have afforded $150 for the Thanksgiving turkey. We had lutefisk, lefse, and many other foods that day, but Ellen was much more intent on the turkey.

According to the National Turkey Federation, Americans gobble up about 18 pounds of turkey per person every year. Overall, we eat about 675 million pounds of turkey on Thanksgiving Day. People in the United States eat the most turkey, followed by people in France, Italy and Germany. Minnesota leads the United States in turkey production.

With all this turkey, there’s bound to be some leftovers. Most people look forward to Thanksgiving leftovers as much as the original feast – after they’ve recovered from being stuffed and have had a nap.

It’s tempting to leave the leftovers on the counter for afternoon grazers, but the practice could make you or your guests sick. Nibblers can introduce bacteria from their hands, and, at room temperature, the bacteria can grow to numbers that could cause illness. Keep your Thanksgiving leftovers tasty and safe through careful handling from the grocery store to the table with these tips:

• Thaw frozen turkeys in the refrigerator, allowing about 24 hours of thawing time for every 5 pounds. Frozen turkey can also be thawed under cold water, but the water should be changed every 30 minutes. Allow 30 minutes per pound for cold water thawing.
• Clean and sanitize any surface that came in contact with juices from the thawing turkey. Cross contamination is one of the leading causes of foodborne illness. You can make your own sanitizing solution by mixing a scant teaspoon of unscented chlorine bleach with a quart of water. Clean counters and spray sanitizer on color-fast surfaces and allow to air-dry. Remake the solution daily since it loses its potency.
• If you choose to stuff your bird, mix the ingredients together just before stuffing the bird, allowing about three-fourths cup of stuffing per pound of turkey. Stuff loosely just before you put the turkey in the oven. To be even safer, cook the stuffing in a separate dish.
• Cook the bird in a 325 F oven. Use a food thermometer to measure doneness, because in some studies, pop-up thermometers have been shown to "pop" before the bird reaches a safe internal temperature. Check the thickest parts of the turkey, including the breast and thigh, and cook to an internal temperature of at least 180 F. An unstuffed 12 to 16 pound turkey will take 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours to reach 180 F, while a stuffed turkey of the same weight will take about an hour longer. Cook the stuffing to an internal temperature of at least 165 F.
• After removing the bird from the oven, allow the turkey to stand about 15 minutes for easier carving. Remove the stuffing before serving.
• After serving, remove remaining turkey from the bones and chill the leftovers promptly in shallow pans in the refrigerator.

What do you do with your leftovers? Enjoy them in a variety of ways, because turkey’s mild taste lends itself to a many menu items. Sandwiches, soup, casseroles, salad and stir fry are the most popular follow-up meals. If you tire of turkey, freeze it in meal-size packages and use later in soups, casseroles or other dishes.

Here’s a sassy recipe for your leftover turkey adapted from a recipe on the www.butterball.com  Web site. Serve Turkey Frittatas with fresh fruit, muffins and juice for brunch or dinner.

Turkey Frittata with Salsa

6 eggs
1/3 cup low-fat milk
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups thawed shredded hash brown potatoes
1 cup chopped cooked turkey
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup salsa (mild or medium)

Beat eggs in medium bowl. Blend in milk, mustard, salt and pepper. Set aside. Heat oil over medium heat. Add potatoes and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once. Stir in turkey and onions. Reduce heat to low, cover and heat 3 minutes. Stir again. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture; cover and cook 10 minutes or until eggs are set. Lift edges so uncooked egg flows to bottom of skillet. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and cook until cheese melts. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa. Makes four servings. Each serving contains 350 calories, 19 grams of fat, 22 percent of the daily recommendation for vitamin C, 19 percent of the daily recommendation for vitamin A and 15 percent of the daily recommendation for iron.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu