OK, fine, so I made a 16 pound turkey last week and I still have tons of meat leftover. The sandwich thing is getting old in my house, so what can you do with all that extra bird that will excite your family?
A Brazilian friend of ours has made a similar dish to this for years and it’s SO delicious. I gave it a few weelicious tweaks, substituted turkey for chicken and presto, yummy Brazilian turkey polenta casserole.
This one dish meal is also perfect because is freezes beautifully, so you can make a small casserole for tonight and freeze another one for later. The carbohydrate (polenta), the vegetables and the protein (turkey) make this a well-rounded one-pot meal for dinner. And you deserve easy after days and days of cooking for Thanksgiving!
*If you can’t find quick-cook polenta, you can also make this recipe with fine cornmeal. Just note that the cooking time will increase to 30 minutes.

Brazilian Turkey Polenta (Makes 6-8 Servings)

1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1/2 Onion, chopped
1 Garlic, chopped
1 Cup Okra, frozen or fresh
1 1/2 Cup Turkey, cooked and chopped
1 Tbsp Cilantro
1/4 Chicken Stock
4 Cups Water
1 Cup Quick-Cook Polenta (also known as fine cornmeal)
1 Tsp plus 1/4 Tsp Salt

1. Heat the butter and oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the bell pepper and onion for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
2. Add the okra, turkey, cilantro and chicken stock. Cook until all the ingredients are heated through.
3. Bring water and 1 teaspoon of the salt to a boil. Add the polenta in a slow stream and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook the polenta for 6-8 minutes or according to the package directions.
4. In a deep casserole dish, place a layer of polenta and smooth the top.
5. Place a layer of turkey mixture to cover polenta.
6. Make another layer of polenta and then top with the remaining turkey mixture.
7. Serve immediately or refrigerate and reheat in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until heated through.

As a kid growing up in the south, cornbread in any form — be it sticks, muffins, whatever — was a staple. My grandmother used to take her old seasoned cast iron corn pone mold (a southern style cornbread) and grease it with fat drippings she kept in a jar above the stove. Then she would fill it with sweet corn batter which came out crisp, tender and delicious. I just can’t imagine how many calories there were!
Sadly (or should I say “fortunately” — sorry grandma!), we don’t keep a jar of drippings in our kitchen, but the taste of these muffins run a very close second, are healthy and they only take minutes to prepare. I especially like this recipe because they have a crunchy top, a tender middle and they’re perfectly sweet from the agave instead of a cup of sugar like my grandmother’s recipe calls for.
I made 2 dozen of these thinking I would have plenty for days. Nice try, they were gone within 48 hours. My husband would eat like five in one sitting. Oh well, better double the recipe next time.

Lil’ Corn Muffins (Makes 24 Muffins)

1 3/4 Cup Cornmeal
3/4 Cup Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Agave
1 1/2 Cup Buttermilk
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix the first 5 dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Whisk the remaining wet ingredients in a separate bowl until
thoroughly combined.
4. Pour the cornmeal mixture into the wet ingredients and thoroughly
combine with a whisk.
5. Pour into 24 greased mini muffin cups.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when
inserted inside.
7. Cool and serve.