New
Editor’s note
The following abstract describes a publication that is available as a downloadable PDF and may be purchased as single sheets or in a bundles of 25.
Questions? Contact Jo Britt-Rankin.
Author/Reviewer: Susan Mills-Gray
Easy-to-prepare recipes using ground turkey as the main ingredient are displayed in this four-page flier. Additional cooking and preparation tips, measurement conversions, safety measures and cooking terms are also included.
Topics
- Boxed food
- Food pantry
- SNAP
- Ground turkey
- Recipes
- Healthy eating
- Food preparation
- Cooking tips
Recipes
- Turkey Ginger Rice Lettuce Wraps
- Turkey Cranberry Quesadilla
- Turkey Pumpkin Chili
- Turkey Stroganoff
Pages
- 4
Ground Turkey Tips
- Choose ground turkey with a higher fat content (like 93% lean) for moister results, as leaner versions can easily dry out.
- Ground turkey with a lower percentage of fat costs more per pound but once cooked creates more meat to eat.
- Ground turkey breast is the leanest, while darker meat from thighs and drumsticks has a higher fat percentage closer to beef. Packages labeled “ground turkey” can be a mix of both.
- Look for a “Use or Freeze by” date on packages of fresh turkey as a guide to using while best quality. Frozen turkey may also have a “USE by” date.
- Keep fresh turkey cold in the refrigerator. Check for a date on the package or use within 3 days after purchase. Freeze for longer storage.
3 Ways to Thaw Turkey Safely
- Refrigerator: Safest method. Allow 24 hours per pound for ground turkey. Once thawed, cook within 2 to 3 days. Meat thawed in the refrigerator can be re-frozen without cooking, although there may be some loss of quality.
- Cold water: Safe when water stays ice cold and covers the package completely. Use a waterproof bag to keep water from touching the meat. Allow 1 hour for the first pound plus 30 minutes for each additional pound. Once thawed, cook right away.
- Microwave: Safe if the meat is cooked immediately after thawing. Use the defrost setting. Be sure the meat can rotate freely within the microwave.
Ground turkey can be bland on its own, so don’t be afraid to season it well.
Ground turkey is lean and can dry out quickly if overcooked. To add moisture:
- Add moisture-rich ingredients like diced vegetables (onion, peppers), grated zucchini, or cooked quinoa.
- Adding a bit of olive oil or low-fat mayonnaise.
- When cooking, add 2-4 tablespoons of chicken broth or water to the pan while simmering to ensure juicy ground turkey.
- Avoid overmixing the meat mixture when making burgers, meatballs, or meatloaf, as this can lead to a tough, dry texture.
Cooking ground turkey
- Cook ground turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F to ensure it’s safe to eat. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
- When cooking on the stovetop, it typically takes 5-7 minutes to brown, but continue cooking until no longer pink and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Let cooked ground turkey rest for a few minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute.
Refrigerate cooked turkey within two hours of cooking. Divide into shallow covered dishes so it cools quickly. Use within 4 days or freeze and use within 2 to 3 months.
Turkey Ginger Rice Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ¾ pound lean ground turkey (15% fat)
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 2 medium carrots, shredded
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 clove of garlic, minced or
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 8 large lettuce leaves
Directions
- Clean hands and food preparation surfaces.
- Rinse or scrub fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
- In a small bowl, blend the soy sauce, sugar, oil and hot sauce.
- In a large skillet, sauté turkey, celery and carrot until the turkey begins to brown, 10 minutes. Break turkey into crumbles as it cooks.
- Add ginger and garlic. Cook 2 minutes.
- Stir in soy sauce mixture and water chestnuts. Cook 2 minutes longer.
- Stir in cooked rice. Heat through.
- Serve in lettuce leaves.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Turkey Cranberry Quesadilla
Ingredients
- 1 (8-inch) whole-wheat tortilla
- 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce or dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons cooked turkey, chopped or shredded
- ⅓ cup spinach
Directions
- Clean hands and food preparation surfaces.
- Rinse vegetables under running water.
- Lightly grease and preheat a medium skillet over medium heat (300 F in an electric skillet). Lay a tortilla flat on the skillet.
- Sprinkle cheese evenly over one half of the tortilla. Add cranberry sauce, turkey and spinach. Fold empty half of tortilla over filling.
- Cover and cook on each side for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown and inside is heated through.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound lean ground turkey (15% fat)
- ⅔ cup onion, chopped (about ½ medium onion)
- ½ cup green pepper, chopped (about 1 small pepper)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
- 1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can low-sodium broth
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar (optional)
- 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
Directions
- Clean hands and food preparation surfaces.
- Rinse fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
- In a large saucepan, heat oil on medium heat.
- Add ground turkey, onion, green pepper and garlic.
- Cook and stir, breaking meat apart until it is brown and vegetables are tender.
- Stir in the beans, pumpkin, tomatoes, broth, water, brown sugar and taco seasoning.
- Bring to boil. Reduce heat, then cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Turkey Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cups cooked turkey, ½-inch cubes
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup nonfat or 1% milk
- 1 (10 ¾ ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas
- 2 cups dry macaroni
- 2 teaspoons dill weed
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup corn flakes
- ½ cup light sour cream or low-fat plain yogurt
Directions
- Clean hands and food preparation surfaces.
- Rinse fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat (350 F in an electric skillet) and cook onions until transparent.
- Add garlic and cook briefly, about 30 seconds.
- Add turkey, water, milk, soup and peas. Bring mixture to a boil.
- Add macaroni, dill and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cover pan, reduce heat to low (225 F in an electric skillet) and cook 10 to 15 minutes until pasta is tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- While mixture is cooking, crush corn flakes in small bowl, mix in garlic powder and set aside.
- Just before serving, stir in sour cream and top with corn flake mixture.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.