Turkey Pot Pie and Turkey/Dressing Scrapple

Turkey Pot Pie

After the men got the Christmas tree put together I let them know that the turkey pot pie was ready to eat. Wow! I guess they were really hungry because it looks like they're on their way to polishing it off. True confession: I use the Pillsbury ready-made pie crusts because I think they are wonderful and far, far better than I could ever make. I even use the recipe inside the box for turkey pot pie. yummmm! (That's my son digging in!)

After coming in from the ranch where my husband hunted and we enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with friends/fellow hunters out there, I hit it hard with the washing and making a few creations with all the leftovers.

Scrapple

Have you ever heard of scrapple? Well, I know you Easterners have, but I'm referring to turkey scrapple that is just part of our after-Thanksgiving menu. This was a concoction made by my father's mother, Ruby Opal Heath Boykin, absolutely one of THE best Texas cooks I've ever known. Mother "B" is what we called her in our adult years, "Bum "B"', in our younger years. This is how you make Scrapple - Mother "B"'s style:

• Pick the leftover turkey meat from the bones and cut into smaller than bite-size pieces and place in a Dutch oven
  
• Add leftover dressing (I wouldn't add the nuts, if there are any in the dressing) and add about an equal amount to the turkey
• Pour some leftover gravy so that it sort of becomes a dry mush (Isn't this sounding delicious?)
• Cook a big pot of grits and add it to the turkey mixture. I keep enough out to pour about 1/4" in the bottom of a "Pam'd" loaf pan. The point is to make the grits your binder. If there is too much dressing then the mixture will crumble after chilling.
• Pour the turkey, dressing, gravy, grits mixture into the loaf pan(s)
• Cover with foil and chill overnight or all day.
• When chilled, turn out onto a cutting board and cut into thick slices (an inch or a little more).
• Dredge in flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper, dip in beaten egg, dredge in flour again.
• Fry in oil in a frying pan until crisp. (I love using a cast iron skillet for this)
  
• Serve for breakfast or a quick lunch.
  

I know that this probably looks like just a homemade, thought-up recipe... and it probably is because I have never found anyone who has a recipe that even slightly resembles this. But I promise you... it is fantastic with fried eggs, fried bacon, fried sausage, biscuits, toast, butter, homemade plum preserves (my grandmother's of course with two pits left in to make it tart!) or honey, milk, coffee, juice. For sure I know what we're eating for breakfast tomorrow!!