Turkey Leftovers With a French Twist

There is a fabulous tiny restaurant within walking distance of our house that my husband and I sneak off to when the little boys are asleep, and the older boys are doing homework.

We like to talk to the chef while he pours us a drink, and he tells us about some of the exotic “local” ingredients his suppliers brought to him that day, and what “dish” he is planning to make. Then, he always gives us a taste. He has served us exotic mushrooms, truffle buttered popcorn, and caramelized leek flatbreads while he’s busy cleaning up the kitchen, the regular staff are saying good night, and the restaurant seats are empty.

When I told him that Hellmann’s® had asked me to use mayonnaise in a left-over Turkey recipe that included cranberries, potatoes, and mozzarella cheese, he smiled.

“Ahhhh,” he said, as he reached for an old French cookbook from his collection.

He couldn’t find the original recipe that night, so I am unable to share the original name with you. But he assured me that the combination was tried and true, and one that we would love.

When I settled down to pull out the turkey leftovers to make this French-inspired casserole, I checked the recipe details…making sure to reserve the mayonnaise into two sections–as you need one batch for the cranberries, and the second for the mashed potatoes. Keep all the layers separated and layer the ingredients on, one at a time. While the kids ran in from practices, and snatched cranberries when I wasn’t looking, I had the entire casserole ready to into the oven.

Finally, I pulled it out of the oven, and grabbed the bag of dried cranberries my boys had already grabbed off the counter, had opened, and were eating by the handfuls. I took what was left out of the bag and sprinkled them on top of the bubbly casserole.

My son placed it on the table and, with those glistening cranberries and stuffing, it almost looked like Thanksgiving again. By the end of the meal, when I was “stuffed” I still found myself grabbing another spoonful, just so I could ingrain the recipe into my taste bud-memory forever.

Sweet, creamy, and satisfying.

Too bad turkey leftovers only come once a year.

Hellmann’s® is on a mission to help us rethink leftovers and help us get through the busy holiday season. Mayonnaise, which is so utterly unpretentious, is simply made with good, basic ingredients, like eggs, oil and vinegar, and heart-healthy oils.

Each week, you can visit and vote at Hellmanns.com as Turkey Casserole goes head-to-head with other tasty, juicy turkey recipes. Vote for your favorite and enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win one of four $250 grocery gift cards each week.* (If there are more than 10,000 entries, the prize value doubles to a $500 grocery gift card!)

This weeks’ recipe is Turkey Casserole–although after tasting this, the word “casserole” barely does the name justice. Unless your Momma is French, this is a combination that may be unfamiliar to you. This is comfort food at it’s best: Sweet, creamy, and oh so filling.

Here’s the recipe:

Serves: 6

Prep Time: 15 Minute(s)

Cook Time: 40 Minute(s)

Ingredients: • 4 cups leftover prepared stuffing, divided • 4 cups coarsely chopped leftover cooked turkey (about 1 lb.) • 3/4 cup Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, divided • 1/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce • 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes • 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 6 oz.)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Spray 8-inch baking dish with no-stick cooking spray. Spoon in 2 cups stuffing, then top with turkey.

2. Combine 1/4 cup Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise with cranberry sauce; evenly spread over turkey.

3. Combine remaining 1/2 cup Mayonnaise, potatoes and cheese in large bowl. Evenly spread on turkey, then top with remaining 2 cups stuffing.

4. Bake 40 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with dried cranberries.

Also terrific with Hellmann’s® Light Mayonnaise.

In addition to the contest at Hellmanns.com, BlogHer and Hellmann’s® are teaming up to offer you the chance to win a $100 gift card to cooking.com! For a chance to win, just leave me a comment letting me know your favorite way to use turkey leftovers during the holiday season.

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion, adding @hellmanns to the end of your tweet, and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

For more opportunities to win, visit the Hellmann’s Round-up page on BlogHer.com to read other bloggers’ reviews!

For more information on the recipe contest or Hellmann’s® products and recipes, visit Hellmanns.com

*No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. The Hellmann’s Turkey Challenge is sponsored by Conopco, Inc., d/b/a Unilever. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18 & older. Begins 12:00 a.m. ET on 9/12/11 & ends 11:59 p.m. ET on 12/5/11. For official rules, visit Hellmanns.com.