It never fails that every time I roast a turkey, I always have more turkey than we can eat before we get tired of it. I re-use the leftovers just about every way you can think of, but a good portion always ends up in the freezer and never gets used. And that’s why I started making Turkey Croquettes!
While I wasn’t born in New Jersey, we moved here when I was pretty young and at the height of New Jerseys love affair with Diners. I remember reading that pretty much all the diners in the country were made in New Jersey, of course those were the days of the shiny aluminum sided diners with the Formica table tops, and juke box players at every table…….sigh, those were the days. It didn’t matter what you got, the portion was huge and it was homemade and just plain delicious, and you could always find Turkey Croquettes on the menu. Even the shape was different then, more like a cone with a flat top.
So what do you do with leftover Turkey? You make croquettes, and enjoy a taste of the past.
You’ll find different views on how to make croquettes, some folks use mashed potatoes and others use stuffing. I’ve always found that stuffing makes a lighter tastier croquette that doesn’t sink like a lead weight in your stomach. I promise you’ll like my stuffing version better!
- 2 cups finely chopped turkey use food processor
- 2 cups potato bread stuffing or use your favortie brand of stuffing mix
- 1/2 cup finely minced celery
- 1/2 cup finely minced onion
- 1/2 cup finely minced carrots
- 4 oz butter
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 tbsp poultry seasoning or ground sage
- black pepper and sea salt to taste
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 cup flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 oz olive oil
- In your food processor add celery, carrots and onion and pulse till finely minced
- In a saute pan melt butter and add finely minced celery, carrots, and onion. Saute until softened. Allow to cool
- In the food processor add your turkey and pulse until finely chopped. (use a mix of dark and white meat)
- In a large mixing bowl, add stuffing mix, sauteed celery, onions, carrots, and poultry seasoning. Mix well.
- Add chicken stock and two lightly beaten eggs and mix thoroughly.
- Add sea salt and black pepper as needed.
- After mixing all ingredients together fully, refrigerate for 2-3 hours to allow mix to set up .
- After mix has set up form into cone shaped croquettes
- Dust croquettes in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, then into the egg wash (egg and milk) and then into the seasoned bread crumbs. (this is a typical breading station)
- Saute croquettes in olive oil, turning until all sides have been lightly browned.
- Place croquettes you are going to serve into a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until fully heated. (minimum 165 degrees)
- Freeze remainder to use another day!
- Serve Croquettes with sides of your choice and your favorite turkey gravy and enjoy!
*If you have leftover stuffing on hand it's a great way to make this process even faster, just eliminate the stuffing steps.
*You can also use chicken instead of Turkey!
Not only is this a great way to use up leftover turkey, but it’s also a wonderful way to introduce a new generation to the joys of true Diner Food. Enjoy these croquettes with a salad, soup or indulge with a side of mashed potatoes and lots of turkey gravy!
Chef these look incredibly delicious!
I love that you use stuffing, a delicious idea!
These are so great! What a fun way to change things up. The last time I had croquette’s they were eggplant. I think I might try this next!
Diners… Funny hearing about your experience. Mark decided to give me a kitchen remodel for Christmas and we’ve been reviewing design options. There are lots of midcentury modern options out there now that remind me of diners
– Formica, retro bright colored appliances and more. Great items and ideas, just like your turkey croquettes! I’d never have thought about making leftovers into croquettes. But then again I’d never have thought about a modern diner like kitchen either 😉
Those croquettes seem too attractive to have been made from leftovers. Wow! Nice. — And, have you noticed that many ‘diners’ aren’t 24-hour operations any more?
This recipe reminds me so much of my late mom. She used to make croquettes a lot and called them “crocketas” ! I learned early on to make them out of anything that was leftover. But this is something new – turkey! Who knew? Must try it. Thanks for the recipe. Happy New Year, Chef Dennis! All the best for 2013 !!!!
Love diners, diner food, and your interpretation of turkey croquettes!
This is so good. I like this, meat ball with vegetable mixing, should have very good texture. I am thinking to add some cheese into it, so it becomes juicy a bit inside. 🙂
I’m sorry Rosanna, I do not have any other Entrement recipes
It looks so delicious.
Regards
Olguis.
What a brilliant idea to use stuffing! I cooked only a ham for Christmas but the next time I roast a turkey – these croquettes are mine!
Oh my god!!!! I grew up eating Turkey Croquettes (as well as Chicken and Salmon!) in the Philadelphia area. I know what you mean about diners lol! These look amazing!
these look fantastic, I love croquettes and it’s been so very long since I’ve had them, I must try them this year. I have missed your posts so very much, it feels great to jump back in & write and read my favorite bloggers. I am wishing you a very happy and healthy and prosperous new year – sending all my love!
the ingredients say “one cup of flour”, but the instructions say “seasoned flour”.
sorry for the mix up I fixed the recipe, when ever I use a flour to coat any meat product I always add some some salt and pepper to the flour to it, that’s the seasoned flour. Thanks for asking and I hope the croquettes turn out well for you!
This is different than my mothers recipe but looks delicious! The added dressing sounds like a great idea. My mom made them with chopped turkey, celery, onions, spices and mixed into a prepared thick white sauce. Cooled in fridge and rolled in egg wash, crackers, egg wash, crackers then deep fried and served with mashed potatoes and cream peas. Our all time family favourite meal! What great memories.
Thanks for this recipe.My family loved these croquettes.I will definitely be making this again.
you’re very welcome Felica, and I’m happy to hear they turned out well!
I am trying this recipe as i type this…i had leftover stuffing so skipped those steps..so mixed turkey and stuffing and beat the 2 eggs and the stock and it looks very runny..should it look runny? I am worried that it isnt going to set..i actually was afraid to add 2 full cups of stock so did about 1 1/2cups…it is in the fridge now and i hope it will set as it is supposed to.
it should not be runny Mary, if you already had stuffing made you wouldn’t need the stock, that was to make the stuffing
Hi Chef Dennis, made these today with leftover Turkey and stuffing and they were a hit! As a MSJA mom, your peanut butter pie is also on our Thanksgiving table each year for my 2008 alumni. Hope you are warm down south! We had a white Thanksgiving in Flourtown/Erdenheim!
thanks so much for letting me know Cathy, Florida has been a little cool this November but still mostly sunny which is the main reason we moved… gotta love sunshine!
Great recipe – similar to my mother’s recipe! We serve it with a white pea sauce. I passed it on to my sister in Vermont!
I love the idea of a white pea sauce Dorothy! Thanks so much for the feedback!
I was so excited to try this recipe but unfortunately it was a flop. My mistake was not separating the stuffing steps when I already had leftover stuffing to use. I knew when I added the 2 cups of broth that I had made a major mistake.
I am sure this is a wonderful recipe, I just wish the directions were a little more clear in separating the stuffing steps from the rest of the recipe. I will give it another go at some point.
This Jersey Girl loves your recipe. I haven’t had these for almost 10-12yrs. Thank you for sharing your recipe, it was delicious!!
I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed my recipe, my wife loves her turkey croquettes! We grew up in the land of diners in NJ and Pa.
Thank you for reviving memories of my Grandmother and her fabulous cooking. Only her diner was a pub in Cleveland OH
You’re very welcome Debra
I’m going to use this recipe tomorrow, I have left over pork roast. The first and last time I had croquettes was 3 years ago in Pennsylvania ( it was an old diner car) and I instantly fell in love with them. I have tried to make them before with no success. I think I can master it with this recipe. Ty
I made this this AM ,it looks fantastic ,I made the mistake of the broth made an adjustment and add the leftover mashed potatoes and it worked for me also added left over veg .thank you for the insight to these little wonders
happy to hear you enjoyed them!
I used this mix to make sausage rolls, just get a sheet of puff pastry, cut it in two and put a 1″ tube of the mix onto each half and roll into a tube. Use a bit of milk for the overlap and cut into 4 or five pieces, put them seam down on a greased sheet pan, paint with milk and bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes.
Awesome
Thanks for sharing your deliciousness with us!
Perfect! Just how my mom makes them! I never paid attention to how my mom made them when I was young living at home. I kind of just wingged the recipe when I became a mom. I thought they were good as did my kids. At 54, I was making croquettes and my mom (who now lives with me) informed me I was making them wrong all these years. I was not using milk & flour. Makes all the difference. Thanks.
I’m happy to hear you found a recipe that was close to your moms and that you can now enjoy them with your family!