Pumpernickel Turkey Hero Recipes

Steps:

• For the brine: In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil all ingredients except the turkey. Simmer until sugar and salt are dissolved. Let cool completely. Double a one gallon re-sealable bag and fill with brine. Add turkey, seal bags and place in a shallow pan in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. (Just in case of leaking, check occasionally.) Remove breast from brine and rinse and dry well.
• For the rub: Pulse all the ingredients in a spice grinder or food processor until it becomes a coarse paste. Rub mixture all over turkey breast. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate resting in a bowl for 24 hours.
• To cook: Soak the chips submerged in water for 15 minutes. Place oven rack to position 4 inches below broiler. Preheat broiler on high. Drain chips and place in a 2 pound aluminum loaf pan. Broil the chips for 5 minutes, stir broil another 2 minutes. Remove to lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Place turkey skin side up in a pan fitted with a roasting rack. Place oven rack used to broil the chips in to the center of oven and roast turkey above smoking chips for one hour.
• Increase the heat to 325 degrees F if convection, 350 degrees F if standard oven. Carefully turn over and continue to roast until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, another 1 hour 20 minutes.
• Remove turkey from oven. Cover loosely with foil and cool.
• To make the sandwich: Slice pastrami very thin. Toast bread. Spread mayonnaise on 1 piece, layer pastrami, onions, tomato and lettuce on top. Spread mustard on the other piece of toast. Place on top and cut it in half diagonally. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Steps:

• Saute onions, garlic, and rosemary in 4 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat until golden and soft.
• In a huge bowl (or the nearest thing you've got--I use the turkey roaster), combine bread cubes, eggs, and remaining bacon fat. Then add onion/garlic mixture, the thyme, and pecans.
• Combine the bourbon and chicken stock; starting with 1 quart, add enough stock to produce the consistency YOU recognize as "stuffing."
• When combined, stuff bird or place in separate large baking dish(es).
• Bake at 350 for at least 45 minutes--longer if you prefer a dark crust on your stuffing.
• Serves 12 or more as part of a Thanksgiving feast.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F. On 10 x 15 x 2-inch jellyroll pan, arrange bread cubes. Bake 5 to 10 minutes or until cubes are dry. Reserve 1/2 cup of bread cubes for topping.
• Coat a 8 or 9-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer bread cubes in bottom of dish.
• In medium-size bowl combine smoked turkey, mushrooms, pimiento )if using), onion, chives, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Spread turkey mixture over bread cube layer and top with cheese. Sprinkle reserved bread cubes over cheese.
• In same bowl combine milk and eggs; pour over top of bread layer. Cover dish and refrigerate overnight.
• Take baking dish out of refrigerator and let sit at room temperature fo 30 minutes. Preheat oven temperature to 325F.
• Bake strata 50 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted in center of strata comes out clean. Allow strata to stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the chutney, mayonnaise, peanuts and cayenne; spread evenly over the cut side of bread bottom. Layer with turkey, lettuce, cheese and apple. Replace bread top. Cut into 8 slices.

Steps:

• Peach Mayonnaise -- In a small food processor, mix up the peaches, mayonnaise and cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. Make ahead, cover and place in the refrigerator.
• Sandwich -- I like to spread the first slice of bread with the mayonnaise, followed by the turkey, pear slices, brie cheese, a few onion rings. Top it off the the top slice also spread a thin layer of the mayonnaise on the inside.
• Grill -- Now, butter your top slice and place buttered side down in your pan. I prefer a grill pan, but you can use any non-stick pan. Grill on medium heat.
• I like to use any heavy pan to slightly weigh down the sandwich as it grills. Then, once the first side is golden brown, butter your top bread slice and flip. Just cook another few minutes until the second side is golden brown and the cheese is melted or "gooey." ENJOY!