Healthy food from week 34 with leftover idea

Healthy meal of the week: Turkey meal in clay pot

Healthy leftover idea: Turkey Thanksgiving Treats

In preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday, here’s a fantastic meal that uses the handy crock pot, also known as a slow cooker, that makes it a breeze to whip up a delicious turkey. To top it all, below is a fabulous homemade cranberry sauce recipe with a twist (courtesy of my dad) that can become your favorite dish for the upcoming holiday season. Don’t be surprised if your family and friends start begging you for this cranberry sauce recipe.

Plus, there’s an easy leftover idea to make, appropriately titled Turkey Thanksgiving Delights that you can use if you come across some food afterward. This is a great way to have all the flavor of Thanksgiving in the palm of your hands when you have to go to work the next day!

Healthy Meal of Week 34

Necessary equipment

– Crock Pot (slow cooker)

– 2 pots for stove

– wooden spoon

– bulb baster (optional)

Preparation time

– 10 minutes

Time to cook

– 3.5 hours (for 3 pound turkey)

Ingredients

(4-6 servings)

– 3 pounds turkey (bone-in)

– 1 onion

– 1 can of chicken broth

– 1 cup of 12 oz. bag of blueberries

– 1/4 cup white sugar

– 1/4 cup brown sugar

– 2 cloves of garlic

– 1/4 cup Triple Sec (liquor)

– 1 apple

– 1 orange

– olive oil

– Instant Pot Mashed (made according to the instructions on the box)

– seasonings: garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper

For leftover turkey Thanksgiving treats

– Lettuce

– Multi-grain sandwich treats (100 calories each)

Addresses

Here’s an easy way to make a delicious turkey in your slow cooker. This sample meal used a 3-pound bone-in turkey breast that fits perfectly in our 3-quart crock pot. If you plan to use this recipe for your Thanksgiving meal where you may be serving more than 10 people, increase the ingredients and time accordingly. In other words, this 3-pound turkey took 3.5 hours to cook in the crock pot, a 6-pound turkey should take around 7 hours, etc. The time may be shorter if you use the highest setting the entire time and / or depending on how well done you prefer your turkey meat.

1. Open the turkey package and trim off any excess / skin that is hanging off. Leave the skin in place that is still attached to the turkey. With clean hands, lightly coat the entire turkey with a little olive oil. Next, rub seasoned salt, garlic powder, pepper, and 1/4 cup brown sugar on both sides of the turkey.

2. Coat the inside of your slow cooker with olive oil. Cut the onion into thick slices to layer in the bottom of the crock pot. It should have a good platform on which the turkey can rest. You may have to cut one or two onion slices in half to get them to fit well. Pour in the can of chicken broth, add 1/2 cup of hot water, then place the turkey on top of the onion chunks. Place two garlic cloves on top of the turkey and cover with the lid. Turn the slow cooker on HIGH and set the timer for one hour.

3. When the timer rings, change the setting to LOW and reset the kitchen timer (or the timer on your phone) to 2.5 hours. You can also use a baster to carefully squeeze a little broth all over the turkey. Do this periodically if you want to help prevent the turkey from getting too dry, just be careful not to over-squeeze so you don’t remove all those good spices from the meat.

Four. When you’re ready to make the fabulous cranberry sauce, in a pot over high heat, add 1 cup of water along with 1/4 cup of white sugar and bring to a boil. When it boils add 12 oz. bag of blueberries and return to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add a handful of chopped oranges and apple slices (both peeled) along with 1/4 cup Triple Sec. Stir occasionally for a total cook time of about 15 minutes. You will see the blueberries slowly turn from round berries to a doughy paste, which is a sign that they are almost done. You may need to shred the leftovers if you want.

5. Finally, the last and simplest part of the meal is the mashed potatoes. If you bought an instant style or microwave brand, just follow the directions on the container so you have them ready almost as soon as the turkey is finished. Remember, these usually take only about 5 minutes to prepare, so you may want to save them for after the turkey has been sliced ​​and diced.

6. When the turkey is done, carefully remove the cooking portion from the crock pot and drain with a strainer or ladle, whichever is easiest and most convenient (and safest) for you. Let the meat cool slightly before using a knife and fork to slice turkey for yourself and your family.

7. When everything is ready, serve a suitable portion for all and enjoy your tasty Thanksgiving meal.

Healthy Leftover Idea: Turkey Delights for Thanksgiving

Here’s a really easy way to have a Thanksgiving meal in a little treat. The only extras you’ll need to buy are your preferred type of lettuce (if you like) and healthy low-calorie bread like these Sandwich Thins used in this example, which weigh just 100 calories for two slices. If your market doesn’t offer this brand, something comparable will suffice.

To make these tasty Thanksgiving treats, all you need to do is open the slices and place a couple of clean, washed lettuce chunks on one side, then spread a layer of cranberry sauce on the other slice. On top of the cranberry sauce, top with sliced ​​turkey chunks, making sure there are no bones in it. Finally top with a tablespoon or two of mashed potatoes and then top with the other slice of bread that has the lettuce on it. Presto, a Thanksgiving turkey delight that’s ready to enjoy right away or wrapped in a piece of aluminum foil to take to work the next day.

* Note: If you don’t enjoy a cold sandwich, you can always microwave it on high for 20-30 seconds.