Turkey Cream Cheese Cranberry Sandwich

Scott and I went on a date this last weekend and we stopped by a sandwich shop and I tired a turkey cream cheese and cranberry sandwich on honey rye bread. It was SO GOOD! The only ingredient not listed in the name was mayo. For our family picnic today, I tried to recreate that sandwich. While I don't have a homemade or store-bought version of their rye bread (although, it is a lot like the Cheesecake Factory brown bread, IMO, which I can find when I go out of town), I did my best on my favorite wheat bread. It was so good!

Turkey Cream Cheese Cranberry Sandwich

Ingredients:

• bread of choice
• turkey lunch meat
• cream cheese, softened
• cranberry sauce
• mayo

Directions:

1. Spread one slice of bread with a layer of cream cheese and a layer of cranberry sauce. 
2. Spread the other slice of bread with a layer of mayo. 
3. Top your mayo with your favorite turkey lunch meat, and you are good to go! We love Kent's Market sundried tomato turkey deli meat.

Marsha's Notes:

You could add other sandwich toppings to this if you like, but this simple version is simply delightful! It all depends on using bread you like, turkey you like, and a cranberry sauce/jam that is to your liking. If you use all your favorite ingredients, how can you go wrong?!

For a homemade cranberry sauce recipe, here is mine:

https://1brother2sisters.blogspot.com/2023/07/cranberry-sauce.html

Turkey and Ham Tips

This will be our first Thanksgiving doing the entire meal at our house with just us and our kiddos. I wanted to document some of the things I had to look up, and if all goes well, then I'll have this information for future reference. Hope it's helpful!

Turkey Tips from Taste of Home:

Cook Times:

Turkey Weight	Cooking Time	Doneness Temperature
4-6 lb. breast	1 hr 30 mins–2 hrs 15 mins	165°F
6-8 lb. breast	2 hrs 15 mins–3 hrs 15 mins	165°F
8-12 lbs.	2 hrs 45 mins–3 hrs	170-175°F
12-14 lbs.	3 hrs–3 hrs 45 mins	170-175°F
14-18 lbs.	3 hrs 45 mins–4 hrs 15 mins	170-175°F
18-20 lbs.	4 hrs 15 mins–4 hrs 30 mins	170-175°F
20-24 lbs.	4 hrs 30 mins–5 hrs	170-175°F

Note: All times are accurate for a 325°F oven.

The general rule is 15 to 20 minutes per pound of turkey when cooking an unstuffed turkey. Roasting a stuffed turkey is no longer considered food-safe.

1. Defrost. Thawing a turkey can take anywhere from three to five days. So if you’ve bought a frozen turkey, be sure it is placed in the refrigerator with plenty of time to thaw. 
• In 2020, we did a 5-6 lb breast and pulled it from the freeze to the fridge the Monday before Thanksgiving, giving it three days to thaw.
• In 2024 we did a similar thing where I got a 5-6 lb breast on Thursday from the freezer at the store, put it on a plate in the fridge to thaw and cooked it on Monday. It took about two hours to cook at 325 degrees. My time table was this:
• Start preheating the roaster oven to 325 degrees at about 2:30 pm.
• Place the oiled and seasoned turkey into the roaster with the rack at about 2:45 pm.  Insert a thermometer into one of the biggest parts of the meat. Cover with lid. Leave the lid on and don't open while cooking.
• Cook until meat reaches 165 degrees (in this case for 5-6 lbs it was about 2 hours).
• Take lid off and turn the roaster off and let the turkey sit in the roaster for about 20 minutes to let the juices redistribute.
• If you aren't ready to eat for a bit, once the roaster is mostly cool, put the lid back on to keep the turkey warm but no longer cooking it.
2. Preheat the Oven. Set aside 15 to 20 minutes to allow your oven to thoroughly preheat. Since many home ovens heat unevenly, it’s a good idea to let your oven come up to temperature, then wait 5 to 10 more minutes before placing the turkey inside. This allows the heat to evenly disperse in the oven before you open the door. It is also a good idea to rotate your turkey at least every hour to help everything cook evenly.
3. Rest. Finally, allow the turkey to rest for at least 30 minutes before you carve it. Resting lets the meat cool slightly and reabsorb juices that were bubbling to the surface in the hot oven. This reabsorption is what gives you plump, tender meat. If you carve the turkey right away, you lose all that tenderness in a puddle on your cutting board or plate!

How do I get crispy, brown skin on my turkey?

The trick to crisp, golden brown skin starts before the turkey even goes in the oven. Plus, you already have this secret ingredient in your pantry! The day before Thanksgiving, remove the bird from its packaging and take out the giblets. Then, massage kosher salt all over the turkey. Return the bird to the fridge until it’s ready to roast on the big day. This technique not only seasons the meat, it also helps to draw out excess moisture from the skin that, once baked, will be nice and crispy.

Should I baste my turkey?

No—and it all has to do with temperature. Basting requires you to open the oven door, which lets heat out and cools the surface of your bird. Every time you baste, you’re increasing the overall cooking time of your turkey. And more time in the oven leads to dry, tough meat.

View the entire article here: https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/how-long-to-cook-a-turkey/

How long to cook a spiral sliced ham?

A spiral sliced ham cooked about the same way. Bake at 250 degrees for 15 min per pound.

Turkey Soup

I found this recipe years ago and am now copying it here from our family cookbook binder. Enjoy!

Turkey Soup

Ingredients:

• ½ cup diced carrots
• ½ cup diced celery
• ½ cup diced onion
• 1 Tbl. dried parsley
• 2 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
• 2 (14 oz) cans water
• 2 cups cooked shredded turkey
• 8 oz. dried noodles

Directions:

1. Mix all together and boil on stove until noodles are cooked and soup is heated all the way through.  
2. For stronger or weaker soup, adjust the amounts of water vs. chicken broth.

Turkey In An Electric Roaster Oven

When Scott's parent's gave us part of a turkey breast to cook (because their turkeys are always HUGE so you can only cook part of the breast at a time!), I was at a loss as to what to do because I always let more experienced people cook turkey for holiday dinners and other occasions. But I thought it was about time I cooked one myself and it turned out pretty darn good! I even took pictures to send to my family!

Turkey In An Electric Roaster Oven

Ingredients:

• 1 large turkey breast
• cooking oil
• seasoning (salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, season salt, etc.)

Directions:

1. Oil the turkey breast and sprinkle with your desired amount of seasonings. 
2. Place prepared turkey breast on top or wire rack in the roaster oven (with handles up) and cover with lid (do not add any water to the bottom). 
3. Turn on roaster to 325 degrees. Turkey will self-baste if you don't lift the lid, so try not to lift the lid hardly at all during the cooking process. 
4. Final temperature should reach about 180 degrees in the thigh and 165 in the breast. Juices should run clear. 
5. When done, remove from roaster, cover with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes before cutting.

Marsha's Notes:

The general rule is 15 to 20 minutes per pound of turkey when cooking an unstuffed turkey. Roasting a stuffed turkey is no longer considered food-safe.

4-6 lb. breast= 1 hr 30 mins–2 hrs 15 mins= 165°F

• In 2024 I got a 5-6 lb breast on Thursday from the freezer at the store, put it on a plate in the fridge to thaw and cooked it on Monday. It took about two hours to cook at 325 degrees. My time table was this:
• Start preheating the roaster oven to 325 degrees at about 2:30 pm.
• Place the oiled and seasoned turkey into the roaster with the rack at about 2:45 pm.  Insert a thermometer into one of the biggest parts of the meat. Cover with lid. Leave the lid on and don't open while cooking.
• Cook until meat reaches 165 degrees (in this case for 5-6 lbs it was about 2 hours).
• Take lid off and turn the roaster off and let the turkey sit in the roaster for about 20 minutes to let the juices redistribute.
• If you aren't ready to eat for a bit, once the roaster is mostly cool, put the lid back on to keep the turkey warm but no longer cooking it.

Maddox Turkey Steaks

We are lucky enough to live in an area where we can get Maddox turkey steaks out of our freezer section in the grocery store. But preparing them like they do at the restaurant is no easy task. I've tried several ways, but this is currently my favorite! Enjoy!

Marsha's Maddox Turkey Steaks

Ingredients:

• Turkey Steaks, thawed
• Butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Salt
• Oil

Directions:

1. Thaw turkey steaks in fridge overnight. 
2. Melt 2-3 Tbl butter in a pan. 
3. Season the steaks with a touch of salt, pepper, and garlic salt on both sides. 
4. Cook in pan over medium to medium-low heat (to give the center plenty of time to cook) until the internal temperature reaches 150-165 degrees, turning occasionally. Can add extra oil to the pan if there is not enough butter. Steaks are done when center is no longer pink. 
5. Took me about 15-20 min. per batch. I can cook 3 steaks at a time in my largest fry pan. Wipe pan out with paper towel between batches.