We all know well that day-old turkey is quite dry. So smothering it in a creamy béchamel sauce for Leftover Turkey Pot Pie is an excellent way to breath new and delicious life into leftover meat! Adapted from my classic Chicken Pot Pie, this also makes use of leftover bread for a cheesy garlic bread topping.

Dull leftovers? Never around here!

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

Got leftover turkey?* Bits of bread lying around? Some scraps of veggies? Milk, butter and flour?

Then you can MAKE THIS Turkey Pot Pie! Because everything else is optional

OK, so a melty cheese topping precariously straddles the border of “optional” in my book, but having said that nobody every complains whenever normal cheese-less garlic bread makes an appearance so I doubt anyone would complain here either….

* Chicken, of course, is a perfectly valid alternative here if that’s what you have.

The idea for a crunchy buttery bread topping rather than puff pastry that Chicken Pot Pie is traditionally made with came about because the year I originally published this recipe I had a load of stale bread lying around and no puff pastry.

And I’m glad I did, because the garlic bread topping totally MAKES it!!!

What goes in Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

Here’s what you need to make this. Take note: Any veg, any melting cheese!

• Cooked turkey or chicken – If you’re wondering what the difference actually is between the two meats (other than the fact that turkey can be 2x, 5x bigger!!) from a taste perspective, the answer is very little. Turkey meat has a slightly deeper flavour, but most people can’t tell the difference. I find chicken meat is slightly more tender, being that’s it’s a smaller bird. But with leftovers and especially redeployed in a way like this, one can barely tell the difference.

  In fact, the meat shown below in the container above is chicken, given that I didn’t make a new turkey recipe this year (due the current pandemic restrictions and environment as I explained in my Thanksgiving post).

• Milk, butter, flour and stock powder – To make the creamy white sauce we use to smother everything in this pie.

• Vegetables – I’ve used carrot, frozen peas and mushrooms because that’s what I had on the day when I first shared this recipe. You can use any vegetables you have that you think will taste nice in a creamy sauce. The spirit of this pie is using up leftovers, remember, so just about anything goes!

• Garlic and onion – Essential flavour base for virtually every savoury dish around these parts!

Cheesy garlic bread topping

While the filling is delicious, I’m not going to lie to you – the topping steals the show. It’s essentially cheesy garlic bread. The top gets beautiful and golden and the underside soaks up the creamy sauce…. UGH! It’s so good!

Here’s what you need:

• Bread – Any bread is fine here. If you have a loaf or rolls, tear it into chunks. If you have pre-sliced bread, layer it overlapping so it covers the whole filling;

• Garlic and butter – Fresh garlic is best, always. Jarred garlic is fine as a substitute, but it’s never the same – it has a sour taste and lacks that true fresh garlic pungency. A garlic press makes short work of mincing garlic (I use Zyliss, as listed in my Essential Kitchenware post!);

• Parmesan – Just a little sprinkle for a boost of extra flavour, like we do for Chicken Parmesan, Baked Ziti. Entirely optional – but if you’ve got it, I recommend it!

• Cheese – Any cheesee you have is fine here – anything that melts! But freshly-shredded is best. I wanted to use up mozzarella cheese slices I had on hand (an error in judgement in purchase) so that’s what you see here, but it’s always better to grate your own. It melts better; pre-sliced gets a bit of a skin on it, and pre-shredded stuff in packets just doesn’t melt as well as freshly shredded.

How to make Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

The making part is a streamlined version of Chicken Pot Pie because we’re using leftover cooked turkey or chicken instead of making it from scratch.

1. Garlic butter – Simply mix melted butter and crushed garlic (use a garlic crusher here to extract best flavour – see the Zyliss I use in my Essential Kitchenware post);

2. Garlic bread topping – Toss chunks of bread with the garlic butter;

3. Cook mushrooms first then remove, so we can get a nice golden brown colour on them = tastier. If you cook them later, they don’t brown up because the pot is too crowded;

4. Flavour base and roux – Sauté garlic and onion in butter, then carrot, to make a flavour base. Then add the flour and stir it in to make a roux (thickener for the bechamel);

5. Make creamy bechamel sauce – Pour half the milk in while stirring constantly. This will help ensure your sauce is lump-free as it will transform into a paste-like mixture that the flour mixes into more easily. Then stir in the rest of the milk and the “paste” will dissolve into the milk … giving us lump-free bechamel sauce! (However, if you do have some flour lumps, just grab a whisk and whisk it back and forth rapidly, it will eventually remove any lumps); and

6. Thicken – Stir leisurely as it comes to heat (so it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pot), and as it gets hot and steamy it will thicken quite quickly. Cook it until the sauce is thick enough so you can draw a clean path through the sauce across the back of a wooden spoon.

Sauce done! Now it’s just a matter of adding the turkey and assembling!

1. Make filling – Add turkey, frozen peas (no need to thaw) and mushrooms then toss well;

2. Top with garlic bread – Spread the filling out so it’s flat, then top with the garlic bread chunks;

3. Cheesy goodness – Sprinkle with parmesan then top with the melting cheese. I’ve used mozzarella slices today because I that’s what I had. They were pre-sliced which I don’t like; it doesn’t melt as well as slicing or shredding your own. But hey, never waste perfectly good ingredients!

4. Bake! Bake half the time uncovered to get nice brown spots on the cheese, then the remaining time covered so the cheese doesn’t get any browner but it gives everything a chance to bubble together nicely.

Then pull it out of the oven and dig in!

Mmmmm, that combination of creamy filling and that buttery, cheesy garlic bread topping… it’s to die for!

I really hope you got a turkey big enough this year so you have enough leftovers to make this! My rule of thumb for gauging roast turkey portions is around 250g / 8oz raw turkey per person (shrinks by about 20% once cooked). Multiply that by the number of guests you are catering for.

But … then double it. That way, you will know for sure that you’ll have plenty of turkey leftover to make this Leftover Turkey Pot Pie. – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Garlic Bread Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

Leftover turkey is quite dry, given it's a lean meat. So smothering it in a creamy sauce for a Turkey Pot Pie is the ideal way to repurpose perfectly good leftovers! This is like a cross between Chicken Pot Pie and Cheesy Garlic Bread. While the filling is delicious, that buttery garlicky cheesy topping steals the show. I just love how it gets soaked with the creamy white sauce!!

Use whatever veggies you want. And of course, chicken is a straight up simple substitute for turkey if that's what you have.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Western

Keyword leftover turkey pot pie, leftover turkey recipe, turkey recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 5 -6

Calories 589cal

Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 150g / 5 oz mushrooms , sliced 1/2cm / 1/5" thick
• 50g / 4 tbsp butter
• 1 onion , finely chopped (brown, white, yellow)
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 carrot , peeled, chopped into 1cm/ 1/3" pieces
• 4 tbsp flour (plain/all purpose)
• 2 1/2 cups milk (any fat % fine)
• 4 cups (600g) cooked chopped turkey or chicken
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1 tsp chicken or vegetable stock powder (or 1 cube. I use Vegeta powder)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Garlic Bread Topping

• 50g / 4 tbsp salted butter
• 2 garlic cloves , minced using garlic press
• 5 packed cups bread chunks ~2.5cm/1" cubes (Note 1)
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese , grated (optional)
• 1 cup mozzarella or other melting cheese, shredded or sliced (or enough slices to cover most of top)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types)
• Topping: Stir together melted butter and garlic. Place bread chunks in a bowl, drizzle over butter, toss. Set aside.
• Brown mushrooms: Heat oil in an oven-proof skillet over high heat. (Note 3) Add mushrooms and cook until browned – about 4 minutes. Remove.
• Sauté garlic & onion: Lower heat to medium high. Melt butter in same skillet. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add carrot then cook for 1 minute.
• Add flour, cook for 1 minute. You'll have a pasty mix. Don't worry if it looks dry (depends how sweaty your onions get).
• Make roux: While stirring, add half the milk and mix quickly to dissolve the paste into the liquid (this happens quite quickly). Add remaining liquid and stir. Add stock powder, salt and pepper, stir.
• Thicken sauce: Cook for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring regularly. It should start steaming and bubbling a bit, and the sauce will thicken. Thickness test: coat back of wooden spoon, you should be able to draw a line across it (see video, Note 3)
• Add turkey, peas and mushrooms, and mix into sauce.
• Top with bread, spread to cover surface. Grate over parmesan if using, top with melting cheese.
• Bake: Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until the cheese gets some brown spots. Tent foil over so it doesn't stick to the cheese, then bake for a further 10 minutes.
• Serve: Sprinkle with additional parmesan if desired, then serve!

Notes

1. Bread – It’s better to use soft breads rather than artisan sourdough-type breads with really thick chewy crusts and a tight crumb. I just used an everyday bread loaf. Rolls, hamburger buns, sandwich bread – anything goes here.

It’s hard to measure the bread required because they all have different densitie. You just need enough to cover the surface of the pie, one layer. If using sliced bread, just cut them into 3cm / 1.5″ squares then layer them overlapping slightly, and drizzled with butter (too hard to toss).

2. Skillet – I use my Lodge 26cm/10.25″ cast iron skillet, it is perfect for this sort of job. See My Essential Kitchenwares for more information.

If you don’t have one in a similar size that’s oven proof, make this in a 2.5L/2.5 quart casserole dish (10 cups).

3. Don’t stress about sauce thickness, it’s easy to adjust. Once you stir the turkey etc in, whatever the consistency of the sauce is, that’s how it will be once out of the oven. It does not thicken much in the oven – cook time is short plus no air vents for evaporation to allow sauce to thicken. If the filling is too runny for your taste, just pop it back on the stove (with turkey etc) and cook until thickened to your taste.

You can also thicken the filling with CHEESE.

4. Storage and reheating – Keeps fine in the fridge for up to 5 days (we re-cooked the turkey remember -clock reset!) Reheat covered in oven (better) or the microwave. 

5. Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 servings. I totally thought it was going to be way worse than this – score!

Nutrition

Serving: 359g | Calories: 589cal | Carbohydrates: 42.6g | Protein: 38.6g | Fat: 29.3g | Saturated Fat: 15.2g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 729mg | Potassium: 559mg | Fiber: 4.3g | Sugar: 9.2g | Vitamin A: 3150IU | Vitamin C: 9.1mg | Calcium: 300mg | Iron: 11.9mg

Originally published November 2016. Updated with new photos and recipe video in November 2020.

Life of Dozer

Nothing has changed in the 4 years since I first shared this recipe – The gleam in those eyes as he dreams of doing a face plant in that pie….. Now (2020):

…. and back then (2016).

The post Garlic Bread Leftover Turkey Pot Pie appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This is a Ham Bone Soup made using the slow cooker which is the most effortless way to cook leftover ham bone. Set, forget, fall apart meat, flavour infused soup!

You’ll love the creamy broth (but no cream!), and how the tender beans absorb the flavour. Leave some of the ham tender and juicy, pan fry some to make it crispy. It’s the best of both worlds!

Leftover Ham Bone Soup!

Ham bones are highly coveted in my circle . Each year, I gather as many as I can and stash them in my deep freezer.

The Christmas just gone, I went one step further and gifted several Glazed Hams under the guise of being a thoughtful friend.

In truth, those gifts came with the condition that I get the ham bone!! 😂 I’m completely shameless.

So hopefully, some of you stashed away your leftover ham bone in the freezer, just waiting for the right time to use it. For those that didn’t, don’t worry – this can be made with a store bought ham bone! 😇 (Here’s a photo comparison of store bought and leftover ham)

Not your usual ham bone soup

You’re probably used to seeing ham bone soups with a clear broth or sometimes, a tomato based broth. I really tried to get excited about those versions (and maybe it’s something that comes with maturity? 🤷🏻‍♀️) but I just wanted something more.

Something different.

This creamy (yet cream-less) Ham Bone Soup with crispy golden ham bits is my idea of different.

The leftover ham bone

Here’s one of the ham bones that boomeranged back to me after gifting it. My friend was kind enough to leave plenty of ham on it. It weighed 1.1 kg / 2.2lb.

But if yours has been picked clean, don’t worry! You’ll still extract plenty of flavour from the bone and non-edible parts of the ham. Just purchase some extra ham meat to toss into the soup – or bulk up on more veggies instead!

How to make this creamy Ham Bone Soup

This Ham Bone Soup has a few more steps than those “chuck it all in the slow cooker” soups – but the extra steps are worth it:

1. Slow cook dried beans with aromatics and the ham bone – the ham bone flavours the water to create the soup broth, the ham meat becomes “fall apart tender” and the beans cook;

2. Pan fry shredded ham until golden. This little extra step you don’t usually see is 100% worth it because golden crispiness = more flavour and texture!

3. Make soup thickening base in the same pan by mixing milk with cornflour/cornstarch. This step also gets all that flavour from frying the ham bits stuck on the bottom of the skillet into the soup broth = even more flavour.

See? I promised this ham bone soup was a step above the usual! More and more incredible flavour in every step!!

Slow cook ham bone with dried beans

The carrot and celery that was used to flavour the ham broth is pretty soft after 8 hours of slow cooking but in the spirit of this leftover recipe, I like to chop it up and throw it back into the soup.

Make soup thickening base & add vegetables

This is the step where we make a cornflour thickened “sludge” which is used to make the ham bone broth nice and creamy. I also like to get more vegetables into the soup by starting off by sautéing onion, carrots and celery.

And here’s what you end up with:

✅ Rich, creamy broth, fully loaded with incredible depth of flavour – and we’ve used no cream!

✅ Crispy ham bits – the crowning glory

✅ Creamy soft beans that have absorbed incredible flavour while slow cooking

✅ Plenty of vegetables so this is a great well rounded one-bowl meal

Now, I know beans are a starch so adding a side of bread for dunking might be considered carb overkill…. but who ever says no to soup dunkers??

Soup Dunkers

Quick Cheesy Garlic Bread

World’s Easiest Yeast Bread recipe – Artisan, NO KNEAD crusty bread

Sandwich Bread WITHOUT yeast

Better-Than-Dominos Garlic Bread

World’s best No Yeast Bread – Irish Soda Bread

Savoury Cheese Muffins

Breads

The nice thing about this recipe is that you can make it in stages. I made it a few times after Christmas 2018 and kept getting distracted mid-cook by important things like meeting friends at the beach, urgent Yum Cha outings etc.

So other than stopping midway through the slow cooking of the ham bone, you can pretty much stop at any point in this recipe, then take it up again when it suits.

End result was always just as good!! ~ Nagi x

PS The other truly great use of leftover ham bone – Chinese Ham Bone Congee. 3 Ingredient magic!

Slow Cooker Ham Bone Soup
Watch How to Make It

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Slow Cooker Ham Bone Soup with Beans

Recipe video above. This is a Ham Bone Soup made using the slow cooker which is the most effortless way to cook leftover ham bone. Set, forget, fall apart meat, flavour infused soup!

You'll love the creamy broth (but no cream!) and tender beans that absorb the flavour. Leave some of the ham tender and juicy, pan fry some to make it crispy. It's the best of both worlds!

Course Main, Soup

Cuisine Western

Keyword ham and bean soup, ham bone soup

Servings 6

Calories 352cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Homemade Ham Broth:

• 1.2kg / 2.4lb leftover ham bone OR store bought ham hock / meaty bone (Note 1)
• 2 carrots , peeled cut into 3 chunks
• 1 celery stalk , cut into chunks
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 3 sprigs thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1.5 - 2 cups dried white beans , no need to soak (Note 2)
• 2 litres / 2 quarts water (8 cups)

Ham Bone Soup:

• 2 tbsp (30g) butter or oil
• 1 onion , chopped
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 3 celery ribs , chopped
• 2 carrots , chopped
• 2 cups milk , any fat %
• 2 tsp Vegeta or other stock powder (Note 3)
• 60 g / 2 oz baby spinach (Note 4)

Thickening

• 1/2 cup extra milk , any fat %
• 1/3 cup cornflour / cornstarch

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Ham Broth:

• Place the Ham Broth ingredients in the slow cooker. Slow cook for 8 hours on low, or 4 hours on high.
• Remove ham bone. Shred meat and discard bone. Return half the ham to the slow cooker (remainder is pan fried).
• Discard thyme sprig.
• Remove then chop carrot and celery, return to slow cooker.

Crispy Ham:

• Melt 1 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add half the ham and cook until golden and crispy.
• Transfer most to slow cooker - hold back a few for garnish.

Soup Broth:

• In the same skillet, melt remaining butter. Add onion and garlic, cook 1 minute.
• Add celery and carrot, cook for 3 minutes until soft.
  
• Add 2 cups milk, stir.

Soup Thickener:

• Mix cornflour and extra Milk. While stirring, pour into skillet. Mixture will thicken quickly.
• Once very thick and paste-like, scrape into slow cooker.

Finish Soup:

• Add Vegeta into slow cooker. Stir to dissolve paste.
• Add spinach, push down into liquid.
• Slow cook 30 minutes on low or 20 minutes on high until spinach is wilted and broth is heated and slightly thickened.
• Serve garnished with crispy ham and a sprinkle of parsley, if desired!

Notes

1. Leftover Ham Bone - If your ham is looking a bit skimpy, you might want to buy some ham to dice up and throw into the soup. If the bone won't fit into your slow cooker, try break the knuckles with your hands or take it to your friendly butcher to cut in half (or dig out your saw). Can also use store bought ham bone / hock.

2. White beans - More beans = chunkier soup. Great northern, cannellini, navy. No need to soak because we're using the slow cooker.

Canned beans will also work but dried is better because it absorbs more flavour as it cooks and you can control the texture better. Stir drained canned beans into the soup when you add the shredded ham back in. May need extra cornflour to thicken broth (as dried beans soak up more liquid than canned)

3. Vegeta is a type of stock powder sold in supermarkets. Vegetable or chicken stock powders will also work nicely here, or crumble in a bouillon cube.

4. Greens - about 2 to 3 handfuls. Or use chopped normal spinach, silverbeet or kale.

5. General:
- Soup colour will differ depending on your ham bone. More skin (leathery brown stuff) = browner broth (and more flavour) = off white soup. Less skin = whiter soup.
- Soup is not intended to be a really thick soup as I find it makes it too heavy (it's quite rich). But if you want a thicker broth, simply add more cornflour/cornstarch mixed with equal amount of water/milk - add a bit at a time, as soup heats it will thicken.

6. Storage - store in fridge for 3 to 4 days. If you freeze, cornflour will lose it's thickening power so you'll need to add more when reheating to re-thicken soup (see Note 5). Works perfectly, I tried it.

7. Nutrition is a guide only. It's virtually impossible for a non-scientist to calculate the nutrition in the ham bone broth, I've done my best!

Nutrition

Calories: 352cal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 574mg | Potassium: 1139mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 8130IU | Vitamin C: 9.9mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 4.6mg

More bean recipes

No boring beans around here!

Creamy Tomato Bean Soup

Heinz Baked Beans recipe – copycat!

Lentil Soup (seriously amazing!)

Brazilian Coconut Chickpea Curry

Sexy Lentil Salad

Bean and Lentil Recipes

And more creamy cream-less soups

• Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup – bid Heinz goodbye!

• Corn Chowder and Ham and Corn Chowder with Potato

• Broccoli Potato Soup and Broccoli Cheese Soup

• Creamy, Dreamy Cauliflower Soup

• Super Low Cal Creamy Vegetable Soup

• Creamy Vegetable Soup with Noodles

• Creamy Carrot Soup

• Browse all Soups

Life of Dozer

This morning. Life life to the max!!

The post Creamy Ham Bone Soup with Beans appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Here’s an epic way to use your Christmas leftovers – make a toasted bread bowl sandwich! Based on a type of Italian sandwich called Muffulettas, these are currently all the rage in Sydney so you can feel very on trend!

Perfect portable food, this is certainly not your average sandwich. Crispy and buttery on the outside, mine is stuffed with Christmas leftover ham, turkey, spinach, antipasto type things and cheese. But anything goes!

Anything goes in this bread bowl sandwich!

Christmas Leftovers are precious around these parts. It only rolls around once a year, and everyone in our family really makes an effort with their allocated dishes.

So quite often, you’ll find various family members sidling up to the leftover ham or whatever dish took their fancy in particular that year to pack themselves a generous quantity of it before all the remaining leftovers are shared out equally and fairly to everyone.

We’re shameless. 🤷🏻‍♀️

So. When it comes to consuming leftovers in any form other than reheating it as is, it needs to be worthy.

I promise – this bread bowl sandwich is worthy!

Not your usual sandwich!

This is somewhat different to your usual sandwich. I call it a bread bowl because it’s made by hollowing out a bread loaf (use the leftover bread for Meatballs!) then filling it with all manner of things (Christmas leftovers in this case) before popping the lid back on, weighing it down with something heavy (I use a cast iron skillet) then baking it until it’s toasty.

The bread bowl shape isn’t just a “hack”. It allows us to stuff this sandwich with way more things than you can between 2 slices of bread. It holds all that goodness in when we weigh it down while it bakes so all the flavours meld together and it makes the crust super crispy.

And if that wasn’t enough, did I mention that we brush it with garlic butter too?? Inside AND out!

The filling – there are no rules!

Anything goes here. Leftover ham, turkey, pork, roasted veg, cheese, fresh salads. You’re only restricted by your imagination!

I probably wouldn’t use medium rare cooked meats like Prime Rib or Roast Lamb because it seems like a bit of a shame to cook a meat to perfect blushing pink only to cook it through in this Bread Bowl Sandwich.

But other than that, I can’t think of many things that would make our Christmas table that I wouldn’t put inside a Bread Bowl Sandwich. See above the video for an extensive list of ideas!

Terrific portable food

This is the sandwich that I make to share with friends and family on international flights because it travels so well and is made for sharing. It’s one of those foods that’s terrific fresh out of the oven OR the next day because the flavours have had time to meld even more.

Granted, I don’t usually make this with Christmas Ham!! 😂 This special Christmas edition Bread Bowl Sandwich is a once a year thing. And to be honest, the video plus some of the photos had to be shot with deli turkey and ham because I ran out of leftovers from this years’ Glazed Ham and juicy Roast Turkey.

So usually, I make this Bread Bowl Sandwich with deli cold cuts. And actually, this recipe is based on an Italian sandwich called Muffuletta which is made the same way but usually using a round bread loaf and of course, Italian cold cuts and antipasto things.

Muffuletta’s seem to be all the rage at the moment. At least, here in Sydney. So you can feel very “cool” if you make this!! 😂 ~ Nagi x

PS The two photos below are the version made with actual leftovers from this Brown Sugar Glazed Ham, this juicy Roast Turkey and leftover antipasto-y things from this Festive Italian Cheese Log.

BROWSE ALL CHRISTMAS LEFTOVER RECIPE IDEAS!

And more sandwiches and sliders

• Steak Sandwich – super quick

• BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders

• Pastrami Sandwiches – Rye bread piled high with homemade pastrami. EPIC!

• Cubanos – Cuban Pork Sandwich 

• Monte Cristo – ham and cheese French toast sandwich

• Browse all  Sandwiches & Sliders recipes – and Burgers!

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

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Christmas Leftovers Toasted Bread Bowl

Recipe video above. This isn't really a recipe, it's more of an idea you can make your own. A way to completely transform leftovers into an epic sandwich for sharing! Use leftover ham, cooked meats, roasted veg, cheese platter leftovers. Imagine the possibilities!  Great served fresh AND travels well!

Course Main

Keyword Bread Bowl Sandwich, Muffuletta

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4 - 5 people

Calories 574cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 round or oval bread loaf (Note 1)
• 300 g / 10 oz ham, turkey and other cooked meat slices
• 1 cup roughly chopped antipasto things (olives, sun dried tomato, chargrilled peppers, artichokes, feta etc)
• 4 - 6 slices cheese of choice (I used Swiss in the video)
• 3 big handfuls baby spinach (~75g / 2.5oz)

Garlic Butter:

• 50 g / 3 tbsp salted butter , melted
• 1 garlic clove , minced

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
• Mix butter and garlic.
• Cut the top off the bread loaf. Pick out bread from the loaf and the lid, leaving a wall and floor about 1.5cm / 3/5" thick.
• Place bread on a large sheet of foil on a baking tray.
• Dab / brush inside with butter. Layer with: half spinach, turkey, antipasto things, remaining spinach, ham, cheese.
• Tuck flappy bits inside the loaf, top with lid.
• Brush with butter all over. Wrap with foil.
• Weigh down with something flat and heavy - cast iron skillet is ideal.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Remove skillet and foil.
• Bake for a further 10 minutes until golden.
• Cut into thick slices and serve immediately!

Notes

1. Bread - any type of bread will work just fine but artisan style breads like sourdough, ciabatta and similar work best because they will hold together better and get a better crust so it's easier to hold and eat.

2. Make ahead - I've made this several times using deli cold cuts to take on flights! It puts aeroplane food to shame Make it the day before, and bake. Wrap it up with foil again while warm, let cool then refrigerate. The flavours meld overnight and makes it even more amazing so you don't miss the melty cheese (promise). Consume at room temp for best experience! 

3. Leftover Bread - Use it to make Italian meatballs! I use fresh chopped bread to make most of my Meatball recipes - it's the secret to extra soft and juicy meatballs!

4. Filling Ideas - see above the video in post for an extensive list of ideas. Think beyond the obvious - this can be made with almost ANY leftovers!

Nutrition

Calories: 574cal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 1401mg | Potassium: 409mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2160IU | Vitamin C: 5.4mg | Calcium: 226mg | Iron: 4.4mg

LIFE OF DOZER

When Dozer (and I) spotted the gingerbread house….

The post Christmas Leftovers Bread Bowl Sandwich (Muffuletta) appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Ham bone + rice + water = Ham Congee, aka Chinese Ham Bone Rice Soup. This is my favourite ham bone recipe – slow cooked until the rice breaks down, the meat is falling off the bone, and the broth is beautifully flavoured. Slow cooker, pressure cooker or stovetop – I use all 3 methods!

While the Western world goes bonkers over the vision of a glistening baked ham ready for carving, the Chinese are rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of the ham bone. Because this recipe is not just something I made up – though I wouldn’t blame you for thinking so.

Chinese Ham Bone Rice Soup is a “thing”. It’s called “Congee” in Chinese, and it’s the source of much discussion over who gets the ham bone from our own Christmas ham – or a pact to use it for a Family Meal – as well as smug announcements when one is able to secure extra leftover ham bones.

I secured two extra ham bones post Christmas 2017. *She says smugly, and proudly*

But in case you aren’t so lucky / as good at wheedling, and for all other times of the year, store bought ham hocks are ideal for this recipe. (It’s actually better because because it isn’t picked clean!)

SO – WHAT IS CONGEE? 

It’s a white Chinese rice soup / porridge that’s made by slow cooking rice in broth until it breaks down and thickens the soup. It’s mostly rice and broth with just little bits of stuff in it – usually fish and chicken – so it’s highly economical.

The consistency varies from a soft, porridge-like consistency which has a lovely creamy mouth feel, to a more runny texture which is more like liquid broth with soft rice bits in it. In case you didn’t read between the lines, I’m not a fan of watery/runny Congee!

In China and Hong Kong, Congee is typically served for breakfast with big, puffy deep fried bread sticks for dunking, but I usually have it for dinner (no puffy fried bread sticks!).

The key to a great Congee is the broth, and hence why the Chinese go mad over leftover ham bones. It makes an incredible broth – no other flavourings needed.

BE WARNED: THIS IS CRAZY EASY!!

Place rice, lots of water, and ham bone in a pot, slow cooker or pressure cooker. Shred ham, return to pot, simmer a bit more.

That’s it. Yes, it really is that easy.

I exaggerate not when I say I think this is the ultimate 3 ingredient meal!

STOVE, SLOW COOKER, PRESSURE COOKER

This is a recipe that can be made on the stove, in the slow cooker or pressure cooker. It’s ideal for all 3, and I use all 3 methods. Pressure cooker means I can have it tonight, slow cooker if I’m out all day or if it’s a giant bone. And in winter on the stove, almost always.

As for garnishes, at the very least, I like to sprinkle with some chopped green onions. Something crunchy like Asian Fried Shallots (pictured) or even Chang’s crunchy fried noodles is terrific. Chinese Congee shops typically serve it with strips of crispy fried wonton skins.

So technically, I use more than 3 ingredients. Don’t crucify me! 😂 – Nagi x

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

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Chinese Ham Bone Rice Soup (Congee)

Recipe video above. The ham version of the traditional Chinese rice soup known as Congee - Rice slow cooked until it breaks down to thicken the broth flavoured with ham bone. Every year, the Chinese fight over leftover Christmas ham bones to make this! But actually, using a store bought ham hock is safer - see note 1. 

Course Soup

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword Ham Bone Rice Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings 5 - 6 people

Calories 338cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2 lb) ham bone / hock (Note 1)
• 1 1/4 cups long grain white rice , uncooked
• 9 cups (2.25 L or 2.25 QT) water

Garnishes / finishes:

• Salt & white pepper
• Finely sliced green onion
• Fried asian shallots / onions or something else crunchy , optional (Note 2)
• Sesame oil , optional

Instructions

• Place bone, rice and water in a large pot, slow cooker or pressure cooker. Cover with lid.
• Cook using preferred method (times below), or until meat on ham is tender enough to shred.
• Remove ham from soup, shred meat. Discard fatty / thick skin and sinew, keep bone. Use scissors if needed to chop meat.
• Stir rice well, then return meat AND bone into soup.
• Cook using preferred method, until rice is broken down and soup has a porridge like consistency - see video. 
• Remove bone. Stir vigorously, then adjust consistency with water if desired. Or simmer uncovered if necessary to thicken. Adjust salt to taste (I usually just need a pinch), add a dash of pepper.
• Serve rice soup garnished with green onions, a sprinkle of Asian Fried Shallots and drizzle of sesame oil.
• Storage tip: Return bone into the soup, it continues to add flavour.

Cook times:

• Stove: Simmer on low for 1 3/4 - 2 hours (no stirring), shred meat, then on low for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then.
• Slow Cooker: Low for 8 hours, shred meat, then low for 1 - 2 hours.
• Pressure Cooker: High for 50 minutes, shred meat, then high for 15 minutes or 20 minutes on sauté function.

Notes

** Scale recipe based on your ham bone weight using the recipe scaler - click on Servings and slide **

1. If you're using a leftover ham bone, you do need to ensure there's plenty of meat left on it. It's not so much about having enough ham bits in the soup, it's about flavouring the broth.

It's safer to make this using a store bought ham bone because it comes with plenty of ham and a thick layer of smoked skin which adds plenty of flavour to the broth.

Note ham hocks are mostly bone and fatty skin which is discarded - about 60 to 70% on average.

2. Congee is traditionally served with strips of crispy fried wonton skin as a garnish. I never bother at home - instead I use store bought Asian fried shallots or onions which not only add the crisp factor, they add flavour and little pops of salt too.

3. General tips:
- Ensure the bone is mostly submerged - if not, it may require turning during cooking because the part submerged in the broth cooks faster. Also, exposed ham = less flavour in rice, so you may need to cook a bit longer post returning shredded meat into rice to infuse more flavour into the broth.

- This recipe yields a congee with a generous amount of ham per serving. Normal shop bought congee is mostly rice and soup with just a tiny bit of stuff (fish or chicken usually). I have a higher ratio of ham to rice to ensure you get good ham flavour in the broth. You could add another 1/4 cup of rice and 1 3/4 cups water, to stretch it out more, but I wouldn't do more than that.

- The broth gets infused with more flavour once the shredded meat and bone is returned to the soup for the 2nd phase of cooking. 

- Careful of over salting, the ham continues to leach salt into the broth when the soup is sitting around.

4. Make ahead - ham has a good shelf life, so I feel comfortable keeping it in the fridge for even 5 days. It will congeal but loosen up when reheated Add a touch of water to loosen. I haven't tried freezing it.

5. Complete the meal by adding vegetables into the soup. eg. add stems of Chinese vegetables chopped into spoonable sizes and cook until tender (or cook separately and divide into bowls, top with soup), then stir the leafy bits in just before serving. You could do the same with spinach too. 

6. Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings - about 2.5 cups per serving. Excludes toppings.

Nutrition Facts

Chinese Ham Bone Rice Soup (Congee)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 338 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 43mg14%

Sodium 855mg37%

Potassium 253mg7%

Carbohydrates 36g12%

Protein 18g36%

Calcium 31mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 338cal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 855mg | Potassium: 253mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

LIFE OF DOZER

When he escaped my clutches….

PS Don’t worry, they’re doggie cupcakes and yes, I promise to do the recipe soon!

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