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.

When I was growing up, we had “family night” every Sunday at 5:30pm. It was a joyous weekly event of playing with my cousins, chatting with the adults and having the occasional family brawl over topics on ‘60 Minutes’. Regardless, it was a time that we would all be together without fail sharing food and fun. Every woman in the family (of course none of the men in the McCord clan cooked unless it was something that could be burned on a barbeque grill) had their own special recipes and for one of my aunts, it was shepherd’s pie.
I’ll be honest, I remember the first few times I walked up to the buffet line I would scrape off as much of the mashed potatoes and cheese for myself as possible, leaving the veggies and meat at the bottom for someone else to eat. I wasn’t a picky kid, but I knew what I loved.
Lately, some of my girlfriends have been starting a new tradition of
Wednesday night dinner with some of the neighborhood families. Last week I decided to make shepherd’s pie to see if any of the veggies and meat would make it to the kids’ plates. I was kind of shocked. Of course Kenya ate almost every bite (I’m either blessed or cursed that this child will eat anything), but the other kids seemed to enjoy it too, peas and all.
Shepherd’s pie is such a great family dish because you can puree it up for a baby and the toddlers, big kids and adults can enjoy it in its solid form.
Packed with protein, veggies and carbohydrates, it really is an all-in -one meal. My version of shepherd’s pie is on the healthy side. I love mashed potatoes as much as the next person, but a stick of butter and heavy cream seems a little too rich for my blood for a stay-at -home meal, so I’ve played with it to keep the flavor, but reduce a lot of the fat. So, now everyone in the family can enjoy weelicious recipes, be healthy and leave the table with full bellies!

Shepherd’s Pie (Makes 6-8 Servings)

4 Potatoes, russet or Idaho, peeled and cut into quarters
1/3 Cup Milk
4 Tbsp Butter, divided
1 Lb Ground Meat
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Carrot, diced
1 Small Onion, diced
1 Celery Stalk, diced
2 Tbsp Flour
1 Cup Beef Stock (or 1 bouillon cube dissolved in 1 cup of warm water)
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Cup Peas, defrosted if frozen
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water if you choose, about 1 tbsp. Add the potatoes and reduce heat to a simmer.
3. Cook for 12 minutes or until fork tender.
4. Drain potatoes and mash in a ricer or by hand.
5. Add the milk and 2 tablespoons of the butter and mash until smooth.
6. Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Brown the ground meat for 5-6 minutes and drain off the oil when finished. Place the meat aside.
7. Heat the olive oil in the same saute pan over medium heat and cook the onion, celery and carrot until soft and tender — about 4 minutes. Place the vegetable mixture with the meat.
8. In the same saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the flour, stirring constantly making a roux.
9. When the roux is a golden colored paste, add the beef stock and worcestershire sauce, stir with a whisk to thoroughly combine.
10. Add the meat and vegetable mixture to the sauce and combine.
11. In several individual ramekins or a large casserole dish, place the meat and vegetable mixture.
12. Sprinkle the peas on top.
13. Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the peas.
14. Sprinkle the mashed potatoes with cheese.
15. Bake 30 minutes for the large casserole or 15 minutes for individual ramekins.
16. Let cool for kids. Serve warm for adults.