Turkey Gravy

Turkey Gravy

This recipe is adapted from the Mayo Roasted Turkey. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 2 cups or so

Ingredients
  

  • drippings from 1 mayo roasted turkey
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup turkey broth, see Step 2
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Pour the drippings from the roasting pan into a small pot, simmer for 10-15 minutes, skim off most of the fat, not all of it as that is what adds flavor, and use a slotted spoon to remove any celery, onion, or any large pieces.
  • If you boiled the neck, heart, and gizzard (not the liver), then use 1/4 cup of that broth, and mix with the flour in a small bowl. If you did not boil these, then use water or chicken stock. Whisk this into the drippings until smooth and continue to simmer, low simmer would be best. Stir occasionally and this will thicken, cook to your desired consistency, add salt and pepper to your taste and pour into a serving dish, serve with your roast turkey and mashed potatoes.

Notes

Low cost.
Shortcut: Mayo Roasted Turkey.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Perfect Grits

Perfect Grits

This sounds good as a side with a hearty breakfast. I look forward to making this. I will have to locate white corn meal now.
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Breakfast, Side
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup white corn meal
  • 4 cups milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, optional

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, bring the milk to just boiling, using a whisk, start whisking and slowly but steadily, add the corn meal while whisking until you are sure there is no lumps, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and continue whisking until it starts to thicken, about 5 minutes.
  • Once it starts to thicken, you can cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 5-6 minutes. The texture at 30 minutes should be creamy and the corn grains tender, so do a taste test, if not tender enough, just keep on a low simmer, covered and stir every 5-6 minutes.
  • Once creamy and tender, turn off the heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter and mix in until it is about half melted then mix in 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese (optional) and mix until melted. Take off the burner, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir again and taste for salt adding salt as needed. Pour into a serving bowl, top with a tablespoon of butter. Serve as a side at breakfast.

Notes

Very low cost, I buy yellow corn meal for 100 Baht/500 grams, and I am suspecting white corn meal will be about the same price as yellow corn meal.
You can use yellow corn meal to make Polenta.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Garland Davis, US Navy Cook (Ret).
United States.
Perfect Polenta

Perfect Polenta

This sounds good as a side or to have some sausage or meaty stew put over the top. I look forward to making this. In the United states, polenta would be the cooked corn meal, in Australia (where the corn meal I get is from), polenta is the name of the dish as well as the name for corn meal. So in a store, look for polenta not corn meal.
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine Mixed
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup yellow corn meal
  • 4 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder, OR you can use just water
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, bring the stock or water to just boiling, using a whisk, start whisking and slowly but steadily, add the corn meal while whisking until you are sure there is no lumps, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and continue whisking until it starts to thicken, about 5 minutes.
  • Once it starts to thicken, you can cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 5-6 minutes. The texture at 30 minutes should be creamy and the corn grains tender, so do a taste test, if not tender enough, just keep on a low simmer, covered and stir every 5-6 minutes.
  • Once creamy and tender, turn off the heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter and mix in until it is about half melted then mix in 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and mix until melted. Take off the burner, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir again and taste for salt adding salt as needed. Pour into a serving bowl, top with a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese. Serve as a side or a base for a stew or sausage based dish.

Notes

Very low cost, I buy yellow corn meal for 100 Baht/500 grams.
You can use white corn meal to make Grits.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
From a good friend, make as listed then pour into a baking dish and bake until the polenta is set firm. Once firm, it can be cut into slabs and fried then ladle stew over for a great meal. Glenn Unflat.
Thailand.
Turkey Giblet Gravy

Turkey Giblet Gravy

This sounds like an excellent gravy to go well on mashed potatoes along side of course, a Roast Turkey, recipe is slightly changed. I am making this very soon.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • giblets, these are heart, gizzard, and neck, do not use the liver
  • 4 cups water
  • 6 tablespoons cornstarch, plus 1/2 cup water to make a slurry
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup turkey drippings

Instructions
 

  • Start making the gravy about 1 1/2 to 2 hours before your turkey is done roasting. First thing you need to do is cook the giblets, place the giblets in about 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for about an hour. Then remove the giblets and stain the stock so you have 3 cups (if you do not have 3 cups, add some water to make it 3 cups), add the stock to a saucepan.
  • Chop the heart and gizzard to make about 1/2 cup of chopped giblets, set this aside and give the rest to your dog for a snack.
  • Add 1 cup of drippings to the saucepan and put on medium heat, then whisk the cornstarch and 1/2 cup of water together then whisk that into the saucepan, bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low simmer to thicken, stir in the chopped giblets and season with salt and pepper your liking. Simmer for about 5 minutes or so until the gravy is thickened. Serve.

Notes

Adapted from an internet recipe.
Au Gratin Potatoes I

Au Gratin Potatoes I

Cheese and potatoes, my kind of side dish. This can be costly depending on the cheese you use, but would be a great meal for visiting friends and family. This is an unusual method, but works surprisingly well. This is not your typical potatoes swimming in cheese sauce recipe, the potatoes soak up butter from the bottom of the dish, and some of the cheese sauce on top soaks down into the potatoes. I made this on 31 Aug 2018, excellent potatoes!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/4 kilos potatoes, washed, skin on
  • 1 onion
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded, OR use Swiss cheese
  • salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 200 C (400 F), get out a casserole or baking pan and lightly grease with butter. (I used a smaller amount of potatoes so I used my 5x7 baking dish.)
  • Thinly slice the potatoes into 1/8 inch thick slices, a mandolin would be the best item to use for this, it is faster than using a knife and will provide uniform slices.
  • After the potatoes, slice the onion as thin as possible as well, again, a mandolin works great with the onions, separate the onions into rings as well. (I know, crappy photo.)
  • Once the potatoes and onions sliced, make little stacks, starting with a potato slice, couple of onion ring slices, another potato, and so on until the stack is 2 inches high or so, ending with a potato slice on top. Do this for all the slices.
  • Now take the stacks and place them in the baking dish on one side of the stack. Instead of layering them, the edges of the potatoes will be facing upwards.
  • Before you start making the sauce, have the milk, cheese, and other ingredients ready for use, the sauce comes together quickly.
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan then whisk in the flour and cook this for 2-3 minutes, then whisk in the the mustard, salt and pepper to your liking, and the milk. Whisk continuously until this thickens and is bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheeses until full melted in. (This photo is after I spooned it over the potatoes.)
  • Pour or spoon the cheese sauce over the potatoes, covering the dish evenly. Cover with foil. If the edges of potatoes may touch the foil, lightly grease the foil with butter (not the edges of foil) and then cover with the foil, greased side down.
  • Bake this for 1 hour, then remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through.
  • Serve with a main dish of your choice.

Notes

Only costly items is the cheeses. Using half a block each of Cheddar and Swiss would be 90 Baht each, 180 Baht total. For 8 servings, this is about 70 cents per serving.
Note about the cheeses: Feel free to use just one cheese, or a combination of two cheeses, use your favorite type(s) of cheese to make this dish your own.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
30 Minute Dinner Rolls

30 Minute Dinner Rolls

Dinner rolls sound great, have not had one in ages so I will plan on making these. This is a straight forward recipe and makes a lot, so you may want to scale this back to half the recipe.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 18 rolls

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup water, luke warm
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons yeast, active dry yeast is fine
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon butter, softened
  • 3 to 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/8 cup milk, room temperature

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 205 C and get out a baking sheet.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the water, oil, sugar and yeast. About 10 minutes later the yeast will be bubbling then stir in the beaten egg, butter, and salt.
  • Mix in 1 cup of flour at a time until you have a soft dough that is not sticky, you may not have to use all the flour. Turn this on to your lightly floured work surface and kneed for about 10 minutes.
  • Divide the dough into 18 even sized pieces and form into balls and place on the baking sheet, cover with baking paper and a kitchen towel for 10-30 minutes to let the rolls rise.
  • Just before putting the rolls in the oven, lightly brush with milk, then bake for 10-12 minutes or until just golden brown, serve.

Notes

Minimal cost.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
Biscuits

Biscuits

These sound good, can be served with butter, honey, jam, or gravy (which would be my preference). These are easy with no kneading. On my to cook list so I can try these out. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter, cold, shredded
  • 1 cup buttermilk, OR use the shortcut, OR regular milk
  • butter, couple of tablespoons, melted, to brush the tops

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 220 C, get out a baking sheet.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar, cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Gradually stir in the buttermilk until a soft dough forms and pulls away from the side of the bowl.
  • Turn out dough onto a floured surface and pat or roll dough out to 1 inch thick, then cut biscuits with a large cutter or juice glass dipped in flour. Repeat until all dough is used. Brush off the excess flour, and place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet. Do not twist the cutter or glass, that will seal the edges and prevent rising.
  • Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter, bake for 13-15 minutes until the edges begin to brown.

Notes

Shortcut: Buttermilk.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Fried Corn

Fried Corn

This is Southern staple for a side dish, and is tasty.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup butter, (1/2 stick or 1/4 block)
  • 1 tablespoon bacon fat
  • 500 grams frozen corn, (1 lb)
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Use a cast iron pan or non-stick skillet. Melt the butter and bacon fat. Add the corn, do not thaw, just add it frozen straight from the freezer. Fry over medium heat until the corn begins to brown. Stir frequently. Takes about 20-30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to your liking.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

A 500 gram bag of frozen corn at Tesco will run about 79 Baht, Makro would be cheaper. For 6 servings, this is about 38 cents per serving, more servings would be less cost per serving.
Variant: 1. Add a diced red or green bell pepper.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Easy Broccoli Gratin

Easy Broccoli Gratin

Sounds like a tasty side for any meal. One my to cook list.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces, plus the stems
  • 1/3 cup mayo
  • 2 teaspoons mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 500 grams Swiss cheese, shredded

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
  • Steam the broccoli for only a few minutes, make sure there's still a little crunch to it. Place in the baking dish.
  • In a separate bowl, mix the mayo and mustard, then add the cheese and mix. spoon this mixture onto the broccoli and make sure it is evenly spread around. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve with your favorite main dish.

Notes

The cheese would cost about 180 Baht per 250 gram block, so 2 blocks, this would be about $1.33 per serving for 8 servings but you can probably push this to 10 as it is a side dish. Not a bad cost for a great side for a once in a while meal with friends and family.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Mashed Potato Pancakes

Mashed Potato Pancakes

Sounds great! Use this as a side to chicken or pork, or as a main for breakfast topped with a couple of eggs and some sausage on the side. This makes a lot as written, so cut this recipe in half or when making the first time. On my to cook list for sure. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Dish, Side
Cuisine American
Servings 15 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 kilos potatoes, washed and cut into large pieces, peel if you desire
  • 1 large onion
  • 3 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 2 1/2 cups Bisquick Mix, OR make from a shortcut
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • olive oil, for frying

Instructions
 

  • Boil the potatoes in a large pot until soft, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and put back in the pot. With a cheese grater, grate in the onion into the pot. Add the beaten eggs, Bisquick, salt and pepper. Mix and mash thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly incorporated and you have a batter the same consistency as mashed potatoes.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Form pancakes from the potato dough, about the size of your palm. Cook in the oiled skillet, about 3-4 minutes each side. Serve topped with sour cream as a side dish with chicken or pork, or as a main with a couple of eggs, and bacon or sausage on the side.

Notes

Low cost dish. Make the Bisquick yourself for greater savings.
Shortcut: Bisquick Mix.
Adapted from an internet recipe.