Turkey Pesto Panini
(makes 4 sandwiches)
2 cups cooked turkey diced in small pieces
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup basil pesto
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Pinch of salt
Two slices of provolone cheese (for each sandwich)
Bread of choice
Few pieces of arugula (or baby spinach)
Butter
Preheat panini press for 10 minutes or a skillet on the stove top on medium heat. Mix the mayonnaise, pesto, and seasonings together. Stir in the turkey meat until mixture is uniform throughout.
Build your Sandwich:
Cover one slice of bread with the cheese slices, then ½ cup of pesto mixture and a few pieces of arugula. Top with second slice of bread and lightly butter the top. Place in panini press buttered side down. Now lightly butter the top of the sandwich, and close press. Grill until the bread is well toasted and cheese begins to melt out the sides (about 5-7 minutes).
Helpful tip: If making multiple sandwiches for a group, the sandwiches can be assembled several hours ahead of time and stored in a plastic container in the refrigerator. Then butter the outside and grill as needed.
Rice Crispy drumsticks - I used both white and chocolate rice crispies for some variety. First you will want to make rice crispy treats (I prefer using mini marshmallows vs marshmallow fluff) Once they are made let them cool to room temperature in the bowl. While they are cooling, you can melt white chocolate in a small sauce pan - remember the rule for melting chocolate. Warm it slowly! Use a double boiler if you have one. You will dip one end of the pretzel rods into the white chocolate and dry them on waxed paper. As soon as you lay them on the the waxed paper attach 2 mini marshmallows the the dipped end. After this dries and they are attached, dip the pretzel and marshmallows again to coat them in the white chocolate. Once the pretzels and attached marshmallows have dried and the rice crispies are cooled you can form them around the pretzel rod covering the non coated end. I make sure my hands are well buttered or the rice crispies will stick to your fingers. Waxed paper wrapped around the "drumsticks" will help them hold their shape until they are completely cooled and stick together.
Helpful tips for raising your own turkeys
We buy our turkey poults at one day old. If you are looking to raise a few of your own turkeys here are a few things to keep in mind to grow a healthy flock.
We buy our turkey poults at one day old. If you are looking to raise a few of your own turkeys here are a few things to keep in mind to grow a healthy flock.
- You should buy poults from a flock that has been tested free of diseases. Ask if the hatchery or farm has been NPIP tested. This voluntary program helps ensure the flock is free of 2 types of Salmonella infections.
- Keep them babies warm!!! We can't stress this enough, the first week of life they need to be 95 degrees. If they are too cold, they will pile up together and suffocate. If you are using a heat lamp, make sure it is secure. Many house, barn, garage, and shed fires happen every year from heat lamps that are not secured properly. As they grow, you can decrease the heat by 5 degrees each week. Remember to check the temperature at their level.
- Provide 24 hour access to food and water, and have enough space to all eat at once. If there isn't enough space, the less aggressive birds will eat smaller amounts and not grow as well. Only use watering containers they CANNOT get into. Turkey poults don't swim! If they get wet, they will be chilled and may die.
- Not all food is created equal, turkeys need a high protein and energy food with balanced vitamins and minerals. As babies, do not feed them any food other than what is designed for them. No table scraps, no sunflower seeds, no scratch feed. You can supplement their diet when they get older. We use and recommend Blue Seal feeds.
- When is the best time to get your poults? That depends on how big you want them. For Thanksgiving, we raise broad breasted whites for 13-15 weeks. The toms (males) will be 20 +/- pounds and the hens (females) will be around 13-16 pounds. If you want a larger turkey, plan to raise them for 16-18 weeks. A tom that is 22 weeks old, could be 40 pounds dressed at Thanksgiving!!! You had better plan for some left overs. Heritage breeds will take 5-6 months to reach 15 pounds.
- The best dressed award goes to... You! You don't have to process/butcher the birds yourself, but there aren't too many places that offer turkey processing the week of Thanksgiving. We do not process turkeys for other people for biosecurity reasons, and our state licensing doesn't allow us to do that.
- Only allow poults to access the outdoors when they have primary and secondary feathers (usually 3 weeks.) Don't kiss your poults, they can carry bacteria and viruses that don't affect them, but can cause you to get sick. Be sure to wash your hands after handling them and filling their feeders and watering containers.
- You need to provide 1-2 square feet/bird for young poults. As adults, if you choose to raise them in an enclosed building, they need 4-5 square feet per bird.
Roasting Tips
I used to cook my meats until they looked done, and could not understand why they often turned out dry and tough. After using a meat thermometer I realized I was over cooking everything. If you are buying a top quality turkey, you want top quality results! That is why we urge you to use a meat thermometer which will allow you to monitor the internal temperature without having to open the oven door. We find they cook in about 15 minutes per pound to reach the desired temperature of 170 degrees F. If you stuff your bird it will take longer. We also recommend brining before roasting. This will help season the meat. There are many brining recipes you can find online.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Rinse your turkey well with cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub the turkey all over with canola oil, roast in the oven until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. This seals the skin. You will not need to baste the turkey during cooking. Remove from oven and reduce oven temp to 350 degrees. Cover turkey with aluminum foil, insert meat thermometer through the foil to the deepest part of the breast. Roast until Temp reaches 170 degrees. Remove from oven and let rest 15 min. before carving.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Rinse your turkey well with cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub the turkey all over with canola oil, roast in the oven until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. This seals the skin. You will not need to baste the turkey during cooking. Remove from oven and reduce oven temp to 350 degrees. Cover turkey with aluminum foil, insert meat thermometer through the foil to the deepest part of the breast. Roast until Temp reaches 170 degrees. Remove from oven and let rest 15 min. before carving.