Turkey, Ya'll

Back in November I got a turkey at Kroger for 5 bucks!  It was a Thanksgiving deal.  It changed the way we eat around here.  Because we got such a good deal on it, I was determined to get everything out of it that I could, and I feel like we did.  Even though I can't get a turkey for 5 bucks now, I can usually find a good deal on one, and really, with things being much, much tighter around here lately, I just have to.  The last one I bought was .79/lb.  Kroger always has the best deals.  It was an 18 lb. turkey.  Here's what we did to get the most of our money out of it....

First, we cooked that baby using this recipe:
-Preheat overn to 475
-Melt a stick of butter
-Separate skin from breast and rub the butter on the meat, then add rosemary and thyme between the breast and skin
-Lightly salt and pepper the skin on the outside
-Place turkey in roasting pan with cover
-Bake for 20 minutes at 475, then reduce heat to 250
-Cook turkey at 250 for 20 minutes per pound.

After the turkey is cooked, we have the traditional turkey dinner.  Stuffing, rice, green beans...you know.  I use ALL the drippings from the turkey to make gravy.  It's a lot of gravy, but we use all the gravy in the Cheddary Chicken n' Broccoli recipe below.  I used to buy packets of gravy mix for this recipe, but no more!

Another thing I do is take the carcass of the turkey and use it to make Turkey Stock.  Oh my goodness. I love the smell of the broth simmering on the stove!  I use the broth in some of the recipes below.  It's so much cheaper than having to buy broth at the store, and much healthier.  Unless you're buying organic broth, other "regular" broths have MSG in them.

Then it takes us the rest of the week to eat the rest in different recipes, and it's so much cheaper than buying chicken breasts, which is what most recipes call for.  I have to double everything, and still always have plenty of turkey for these meals:
Farmhouse Chicken

Chicken Pot Pie

Barbecued Chicken Sandwiches

Soft Chicken Tacos - super easy!  Just mix together 1 lb. cut-up chicken (or turkey ;-), 1 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained, 1 c. salsa, 1 T. taco seasoning, then serve on a tortilla. 

Cheddary Chicken n' Broccoli
1 package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shells, baked (we will use 6) - I use my own biscuit recipe for this.  It's HERE.
2 jars chicken gravy - substitue homemade gravy
2 cups cooked chicken, thawed
2 cups frozen broccoli cuts, thawed
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
In a saucepan, combine gravy, lemon juice, broccoli, and chicken. Heat, stirring frequently. Serve in pastry shells with cheese sprinkled on top.

I try to keep things different every week so we won't burn out on the same recipes.  Others I have put in the rotation are Chicken Lasagna, Chicken Alphabet Soup, Southwest Chicken and Chili Stew.  I try to stick to recipes that are heavy in vegetables.  The one exception in the list I've given is the Chicken Lasagna.  It's heavy in creeeeeaaaaammmmm cheeeeeese.  My weakness.