Turkey Stock for Great Turkey Gravy

Turkey Stock

Turkey Stock for Great Turkey Gravy

O.K. lets start with my Rant!  Every year all the TV chefs start with all the fancy sides and different ways to cook turkeys trying to make you feel inadequate about your Thanksgiving menu.  They probably get a whole bunch of people trying different and sometimes much harder than it seems recipes to serve .

Rule #1 never try to cook a new item for the first time on Thanksgiving day!  You want to try something new, write the recipe down now and try it out a few times over the next year to see how difficult it is, how much TIME and oven or stove top space it takes, and whether or not your family actually enjoys it.  If it’s a success  than do it NEXT YEAR!

Turkey Stock

I look at a turkey as just a over-sized chicken that just takes a little longer to cook, needs a little bit of basting and perhaps a cover over the breast if it gets too brown, you can add a mirepoix to the bottom of the pan and with a little water,stock or wine baste the turkey and you’ll get a good start for a gravy.  Its just that it usually does not create enough stock for all the gravy you will need.

The answer is to create more stock by using the bag of giblets that comes with the turkey .  The great thing about this is you can make the stock days in advance and refrigerate or freeze until you need to use it.

Ingredients for Turkey Stock

  • Bag of giblets defrosted
  • 2 carrots cleaned and diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 stalks of celery with tops thinly sliced
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 tsps each salt & pepper

Directions for Turkey Stock

Cut the neck into 2 or three pieces and take the giblets and place into a large pan or stock pot with a scant Tbs of butter on medium high heat, and saute until just beginning to lightly brown, add the vegetables and continue to cook until the giblets are nicley brown and the vegetables are wilted.  Add the wine deglaze the pan if necessary and cook until the wine is thick and syrupy.  Now add the water and bring the mixture up to a boil and once boiling reduce heat to a simmer cover with the lid just slightly ajar to allow some reduction of the liquid and simmer for one to two hours and the liquid and reduced by about ¼.

Strain the liquid and remove any excess fat from the top.  

Making the Gravy

On Thanksgiving day bring the stock up to medium heat, now take the juices from the turkey pan, strain and remove most of the fat and add to your prepared stock.  For every cup of stock you have use about 1½ Tbs of fat and flour cooked lightly until completely mixed and the raw flour taste is gone.  This will make a slightly thin gravy if you want a thicker gravy use a ratio of 2 Tbs each to every cup of stock.  I usually go with the 1½ ratio and have some extra butter and flour microwaved and combined on the side if I need to thicken it a bit more..  You can also use heavy cream in place of the butter which will make a great rich gravy that is much lighter in color.  Taste before serving and adjust seasoning if necessary.

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The Official Taste Tester

taste tester

Don’t forget to strain the heart, liver and gizzard and serve as an appetizer to you 4 legged kiddies, then pile on the turkey.

Honey Tomato Baked Chicken

Honey Tomato Baked Chicken

Honey and Tomato Baked Chicken

This Honey and Tomato Baked Chicken is a very simple and a very tasty recipe that will please just about everyone at your table. This recipe will serve 4 persons

Ingredients for Honey and Tomato Baked Chicken
  • 1 boneless skinless chicken breast per person
  • 2 cans Campbell’s Tomato Soup
  • 1 Onion finely diced
  • 1-2 Tbsps Honey
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 2 Tbs butter or cooking spray
Directions for Honey and Tomato Baked Chicken

Preheat oven to 375º

Lightly salt and pepper each breast.  Place into a buttered 9″ x 13″ baking dish.  Very lightly drizzle honey over each breast ( do not over do the honey, as too much will make the dish too sweet).  Sprinkle the onions over all and then cover with the undiluted tomato soup,

Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes and then reduce heat to 350º and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.

Here are a few items to help make this recipe:

The Official Taste Tester

It’s CHICKEN! and there’s nothing more to say about that!  Always 5 paws for clucking good dinners!

Honey Tomato Baked Chicken

Honey Tomato Baked Chicken

Ingredients

  1. 1 boneless skinless chicken breast per person
  2. 2 cans Campbell's Tomato Soup
  3. 1 Onion finely diced
  4. 1-2 Tbsps Honey
  5. Salt & Pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375º
  2. Lightly salt and pepper each breast.  Place into a 9" x 13" baking dish.  Very lightly drizzle honey over each breast ( do not over do the honey as too much will make the dish too sweet).  Sprinkle the onions over all and then cover with the undiluted tomato soup,
  3. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes and then reduce heat to 350º and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked
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Chicken with Gorgonzola and Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Chicken with Gorgonzola and Sun-dried tomato cream sauce
Chicken with Gorgonzola and Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

The first time I had this recipe was in a restaurant in Asheville, N.C. many years ago and the Scotsman in me said I can make Chicken with gorgonzola and sun-dried tomatoes in cream sauce just as good and cheaper at home.

It’s a delicious and easy to prepare dish for any night or it can be a spectacular entrée for a fancy dinner party.  Served over your favorite tube pasta or bow ties or really any pasta it’s a meal you won’ forget.

You don’t have to use gorgonzola , blue cheese or Stilton can be substituted.

The recipe amounts below can easily serve about 4 persons.

Ingredients for Chicken with Gorgonzola and Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce:
  1. 1 Chicken Breast per person cut into ½” cubes
  2. 4-12 oz Gorgonzola cheese (the more the better)
  3. 1Tbs neutral oil or butter
  4. 1 medium onion finely diced
  5. 2 cloves of garlic finely diced
  6. 1 cup dry white wine
  7. 1 cup chicken stock
  8. 2 cups heavy cream 
  9. salt & pepper to taste
  10. Sun-dried Tomatoes Julienne; amount to your taste
  11. 1-2 tsp dried pepperocini (Optional)
  12. chopped parsley for garnish
  13. cooked tube pasta
Directions for Chicken with Gorgonzola and Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce:

Lightly salt and pepper the chicken breast and cook by any method you find easiest, bake or sauté or grill and cut into cubes when done or cut into cubes and sauté.

Once the chicken is done set aside in a low oven to hold. Begin to cook your pasta.

In a sauté pan  place the oil or butter and begin to cook the onion and garlic.  When they are translucent add the sun-dried tomatoes and the wine and sock to the pan.

Bring up to high heat and reduce the mixture by ¾ .  When reduced add the cream and allow to reduce slightly,  then reduce the heat to medium and add ¾ of the cheese and whisk until the cheese is melted and combines completely.  Add the pepperocini if you are using and taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Add the chicken to the pan and stir to combine and cover all he chicken with sauce.

Drain the pasta and serve the chicken with the sauce over the pasta topping with a bit of crumbled cheese and chopped parsley for garnish.

Here are a few items to help make this recipe:

The Official Taste Tester

It’s Chicken you can’t go wrong! Forget the sauce just put it on the plate still clucking.  A 5 paw effort!

Chicken with Gorgonzola and Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Chicken with Gorgonzola and Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients

  1. 1 Chicken Breast per person cut into ½" cubes
  2. 4-12 oz Gorgonzola cheese
  3. 1Tbs neutral oil or butter
  4. 1 medium onion finely diced
  5. 2 cloves of garlic finely diced
  6. 1 cup dry white wine
  7. 1 cup chicken stock
  8. 2 cups heavy cream 
  9. salt & pepper to taste
  10. Sun-dried Tomatoes Julienne; amount to your taste
  11. 1-2 tsp dried pepperocini (Optional)
  12. chopped parsley for garnish
  13. cooked tube pasta

Instructions

  1. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken breast and cook by any method you find easiest, bake or sauté or grill and cut into cubes when done or cut into cubes and sauté.
  2. Once the chicken is done, begin to cook your pasta.
  3. In a sauté pan  place the oil or butter and begin to cooke the onion and garlic.  When they are translucent add the sun-dried tomatoes and the wine and sock to the pan.
  4. Bring up to high heat and reduce the mixture by ¾ .  When reduced add the cream and allow to reduce slightly,  then reduce the heat to medium and add ¾ of the cheese and whisk until the cheese is melted and combines completely.  Add the pepperocini if you are using and taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
  5. Add the chicken to the pan and stir to combine and cover all he chicken with sauce.
  6. Drain the pasta and serve the chicken with the sauce over the pasta topping with a bit of crumbled cheese and chopped parsley for garnish.
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copyright © rantsravesandrecipes 2018 all rights reserved