Turkey N Dressing Croquettes with Crankey sauce!

I am one of those people that grew up eating Chicken and dressing an later on Turkey with dressing, twice a year; only at thanksgiving and Christmas Eve dinner with family.  After I graduated from college and was out on my own, I discovered the wonderful world of Morrisons Cafeterias.  It was food nirvana for a single person that was on the run at work all the time and it was a lot better food than fast food places in the mid seventies.  I discovered that Thursday was turkey and dressing day at Morrison's.  I was able to have my favorite dish every week if I wanted.  

Through the years, I have chosen to make dressing for my family anytime they had a hankering for it.  But there has still never been anything like Momma's dressing at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Her recipe was handed down from her mother Sallie and her grandmother Sallie Pearl Russell.  Lisa and I both can make it but Mom insists that we still don't hold our mouth's right when we make it.  I think she just doesn't want to admit that we both can make it like she does.  

These last few years as Mom as gotten older and weaker, my sister and I and our daughters have taken turns helping her chop and stir and mix and bake that dressing getting those huge pans of dressing ready for consumption at the family gatherings.  She would always make some extra to keep in the freezer for later meals.  I suspect she enjoyed eating it when it wasn't a holiday either.

Being an experimental 'home chef', I like to tweak my recipes and see if there can be a new way to do some of the old recipes.  Today I decided to try and do something a little different with dressing.  One daughter is now vegetarian so I have developed quite a collection of dishes that will fit her menu requirements.

Friday my daughter Erin, the meat eater, asked if I would bake and honey glaze a ham and roast a turkey breast.  They happened to be on sale at the market so I bought one of each and the new cooking adventure began.

I make salmon patties or croquettes a few times a month which got to me to wondering if I could make chicken or turkey and dressing an make it a little less wet and form it into patties like a burger and grill them.  So the Chicken/Turkey and Dressing Croquette was born.  I didn't take step by step photos this time.  I was more concerned if the family would eat these.  I can add those at a later date.


Chicken (or Turkey) and Dressing Croquette

(Step 1)
1 box of Stuffing Mix .
prepare according to package instructions.  instead of water I used chicken broth.
set aside.

(Step 2).
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 lbs. of shredded roasted chicken. (turkey can also be used)
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 TBL olive oil
2 TBL butter

in large non-stick skillet heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 TBL. butter.  add onion and celery with a tsp of sea salt.  saute until tender and translucent.  Add the shredded chicken and 1/2 tsp black pepper and stir well.

(Step 3)
Take the stuffing mixture and add
1/4 cup (1/2 a stick of butter)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp fresh rubbed sage
the Chicken mixture
2 Beaten medium sized eggs

Mix well.  it will be moist but should not be soupy. Take a large scoop and pack it full of the mixture.

Step 4
 place the scoop of mixture in a medium hot skillet or grill pan (350 -400 degrees) with 2 TBL oil.  About 4 minutes per side.

Serve with a slab of roasted chicken on top with gravy or with crankey sauce (recipe below)


CranKey sauce

1 jar jalapeno jelly
1 can whole cranberry sauce
3 tablespoons horseradish sauce

heat all three ingredients until well mixed.  will keep for several weeks in refrigerator. Good on chicken or turkey.

 enjoy.  WE sure did!  My husband and daughter said they would eat this again.  now I will make a vegan version for the other daughter!

Flamingo Foodie has left the kitchen!