We think it’s safe to say that we all get a hankering for soup can-inspired casseroles around this time of year. There’s a lot out there to pour over, too! One look beyond the soup can label and every blogger and influencer seems to be vying for your attention. Sponsorships are swirling with big brands like Kraft, Campbell’s & French’s jumping up and down, waving to get your engagement like an old friend at the airport.
The truth is, we believe that the best *first* place to look is your grandmother’s (or mother’s) old recipe box. We took a peek and found recipes that inspired us enough to add some flair to and share with you! Of course, they all have a Vie spin, but we wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we simply copied and pasted old recipes–we had to give these vintage favorites a new coiff…so to speak. Check out our favorites for this holiday season and don’t be shy about sharing your own on our instagram @viemealplans #vintagethanksgiving! And bonus: most of them can be made with Turkey Day leftovers!! Recipe: Wild Rice & Turkey Casserole This dish is a favorite of mine because it uses leftover turkey + any other veggies that remain unused in your fridge (think celery, onions, garlic, carrots, even cabbage). You’ll use any leftover gravy as the sauce that binds together the rice and turkey + veggies, and don’t be shy about sprinkling on some parm before this vintage casserole goes in the oven! I think you’ll love the result. The best part is that the only ingredient you may need to purchase for this is wild rice, although any toothsome grain will do! The rest of the ingredients should already be on hand post-Thanksgiving. Plus, this dish promises to come together in 30 minutes or less and can sit in the fridge tightly covered until its ready to go in the oven. Just make sure you spoon it into your prettiest vintage oven-safe casserole dish. Ingredients: 2 cups wild rice (or other toothsome grain like barley, farro, bulgur, or kamut) 2 Tbsp butter 1 onion, chopped 4 stalks celery, chopped into a small dice 3 carrots, chopped into a small dice Any other leftover veggies: cubed potatoes, sliced radishes, turnips, or rutabegas, shredded cabbage (the list goes on) 1 Tbsp fresh poultry herbs (rosemary, thyme, tarragon, oregano), chopped 2 cups leftover gravy 1-2 cups leftover chopped turkey 1 tsp each salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup parmesan cheese Instructions:
- Cook rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop, salting water liberally, until tender.
- While rice is cooking in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and add onion, celery and carrots. Cook for five minutes or until vegetables are softened and translucent, then add all other veggies and cover with a fitted lid. You may need to add a cup of water at this point to help steam tougher vegetables like potatoes and cabbage.
- Once all ingredients are tender, remove from heat, add herbs plus salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine rice with gravy, turkey and cooked vegetables. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Pour all ingredients into an oven-safe casserole dish, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and either cover and refrigerate or bake at 350 F for 30 minutes or until parmesan cheese has melted and formed a browned crust.
- Serve hot or at room temperature and enjoy!
Wild Rice & Turkey Casserole
This dish is a favorite of ours because it uses leftover turkey + any other veggies that remain unused in your fridge (think celery, onions, garlic, carrots, even cabbage). You’ll use any leftover gravy as the sauce that binds together the rice and turkey + veggies, and don’t be shy about sprinkling on some parm before this vintage casserole goes in the oven! We think you’ll love the result.
Ingredients
2 cups wild rice (or other toothsome grain like barley, farro, bulgur, or kamut)
2 Tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped into a small dice
3 carrots, chopped into a small dice
Any other leftover veggies: cubed potatoes, sliced radishes, turnips, or rutabegas, shredded cabbage (the list goes on)
1 Tbsp fresh poultry herbs (rosemary, thyme, tarragon, oregano), chopped
2 cups leftover gravy
1-2 cups leftover chopped turkey
1 tsp each salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Cook rice in 4 cups water or broth a rice cooker or on the stovetop, salting water liberally, until tender.
2. While rice is cooking in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and add onion, celery and carrots. Cook for five minutes or until vegetables are softened and translucent, then add all other veggies and cover with a fitted lid. You may need to add a cup of water at this point to help steam tougher vegetables like potatoes and cabbage.
3. Once all ingredients are tender, remove from heat, add herbs plus salt and pepper.
4. In a large bowl, combine rice with gravy, turkey and cooked vegetables. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
5. Pour all ingredients into an oven-safe casserole dish, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and either cover and refrigerate or bake at 350 F for 30 minutes or until parmesan cheese has melted and formed a browned crust.
6. Serve hot or at room temperature and enjoy!
Shredded Turkey Melts with Tomato & Swiss
Who doesn’t just absolutely love a tuna melt? So retro and so simple yet teeming with flavor and crunch. We dressed this open-faced sandwich up a bit and replaced tuna with leftover shredded turkey. If you happened to smoke your turkey, even better!
This is where you need to be to access the very best Shopping Lists, Menus & Recipes that Vie has to offer for Thanksgiving this year.
Check out our helpful tips for Whole Foods Market, Harris Teeter and Kroger or visit our Thanksgiving 101 page to knock out the whole shebang easily and effortlessly.
Even better, stay tuned for special Thanksgiving Edition Meal Plans written by our Meal Planners that will highlight their favorite Turkey Day meals as well as give you excellent ideas of what to do with all those leftovers. https://www.canva.com/design/DACnUE5y5Q0/viewCheck out our video from last week that gives you step-by-step instructions for Stuffing Prep
Most of all, during this week of giving thanks, all of us at Vie want to thank you (yes, you!) for helping us succeed and grow in ways we could have never imagined a year ago. We are thankful for YOU this holiday season.
Cheers! The Vie Team