Friday, November 23, 2012

Leftover Turkey Manicotti – “Little Muffs” for the Day After the Day After

Manicotti, which means, “little muffs” in Italian, has to be one of the best ways ever for using up leftover Thanksgiving turkey. 

The moist filling will bring the driest bird back from the dead, and you can literally add anything that can be chopped up.

Leftover green bean casserole? Throw it in. Peas and Onions? You bet’cha. Cranberry Sauce? No, don’t be ridiculous. Anyway, thanks to the absence of cheese, tomato, and pasta on the usual Thanksgiving menu, this concoction will erase any connection with the aforementioned feast.

One portioning note: The recipe below made six crepes, and if you make yours slightly smaller, the filling recipe will make six nicely sized manicotti. 

I went low-carb and used all the filling to make four portions, but you should probably just fill all 6 crepes, or even double the recipe to get 12. I think you’ll want leftovers of the leftovers. So whether you make manicotti with the last of the holiday turkey, or just use the technique to recycle other meaty meals, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 6 crepes:
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp olive oil
olive oil for cooking crepes as needed
*Note: Feel free to adjust the batter's thickness by adding a little flour or water until you get a thin consistency as seen in video. 
 
For the filling:
1 cup chopped turkey or anything
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1/8 tsp red chili flakes
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
For the rest:
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
2 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for top
1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley, garnish