I took a few days off from blogging to spend some time with the family over Thanksgiving weekend and it was my Sean’s birthday this weekend as well, so it got my away from the computer for a few days, which is not always a bad thing. I know many of you are probably beyond the leftovers from Thanksgiving, but this leftover dish I prepared for breakfast on Sean’s birthday can really work any time of the year when you have leftover turkey or really any leftover poultry at all. It is a simple turkey has that you can put together quite easily and make use of some of your leftovers.

Turkey Hash

4 tablespoons butter

3 strips bacon, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1 1/2 – 2 inch cubes (about 4 large potatoes)

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cups cooked turkey, shredded into 1 – 2 inch chunks

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup cream

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2-3 dashes hot sauce

1 tablespoon dry sherry

4 fried eggs (optional)

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and the bacon, and cook until the bacon is brown and crisped, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and the peppers and cook until they are lightly softened, about 12 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, thyme, garlic and the turkey and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Whisk together the chicken stock, cream, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and the sherry in a separate bowl and then pour it evenly over the hash. Mash the mixture together lightly and press it firmly into the skillet. Cook until the hash is well browned on the bottom and the hash holds together in a loose cake, about 25 to 30 minutes. Place a large plate over the skillet and invert the hast onto the plate; set the plate aside.

Melt the remaining butter in the skillet, scraping up any browned bits, and return the hash to the skillet, uncooked-side down. Cook until the has is browned on the bottom and the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes more. Cut the hash into quarters and top each quarter with a fried egg.

You have lots of options with this particular recipe. If you have other vegetables that are leftover that you might like to use in the hash, like squash or Brussels sprouts, by all means throw them in. They will add some nice flavor to the hash. You can always place the skillet in a 350 degree oven after the first initial frying instead of trying to flip it over if you are worried about how that might go. You just want to leave the hash in the oven long enough to crisp up the top and the potatoes get crunchy but tender. We actually didn’t serve this with the eggs since it was Sean’s birthday breakfast; he wanted pancakes instead so we all had hash and pancakes as our meal. I thought it was pretty tasty and the turkey went nicely with everything else and the hot sauce added a nice little kick to the hash. I think you could easily make this with any leftover poultry or meat and it would turn out just as well.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for some more recipes. I have a number of things to share that we have made recently, including a turkey pot pie, some lasagna, fettuccine alfredo and we have lots more still coming up, so check back to see what is next. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!