November 21, 2017
Guys, Thanksgiving hasn’t even arrived & I’m already thinking about leftovers. When it comes to the family style meal- I am first in line for all the classic dishes: Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, & green bean casserole to be exact. But my favorite part of holiday cooking is the leftovers, like my all time favorite classic turkey sandwich on white bread with mayo & mustard.
Turkey sandwiches are 100% comfort food, that remind me of my grandma’s house – so I know most of the time I’m eating for the feeling of nostalgia rather than for the satisfaction. Give me one turkey sandwich & then I’m ready to move on to something a little healthier. Lucky for me there are usually plenty of leftovers to go around- so enter here: Whole30 Turkey Pot Pie soup. It’s clean, its creamy & it’s a great way to utilize all those leftovers.
So now that you know what you are eating after Thanksgiving – lets talk Thanksgiving feast. Do the holidays give you all the fuzzy feels or does anxiety hit while dealing with all the food temptations?
In my past relationship with food, holiday’s were often a source of anxiety; one holiday meal would put me on a week long bender of “bad” decisions. Last year was probably the first Thanksgiving that I wasn’t completely stressed out over what I was going to eat. This was because I was no longer living a restrictive lifestyle so I wasn’t treating our Thanksgiving meal as a cheat day. Did I over eat? Probably. But I enjoyed myself & I did not place any guilt around my food decisions.
The great thing about any meal (holiday or not)- is that it is SO easy to make food conscious decisions that best fit your needs. So if you are out there & have any nerves around food & the holidays, I’m going to offer a few tips I carry with myself as we enter the holiday season:
- Follow the 1 Bite Rule- Take one bite of the treat you think is going to be the most delicious; if it isn’t, stop eating, and find a different option on the dinner table
- Volunteer to bring your favorite dish so you can control the ingredients that go into it!
- Leave the leftovers behind -(with the exception of the turkey needed for this recipe, of course). If dining as a guest, only take enough leftovers to have one small meal. & if cooking at home- share your leftovers with guests! I’m fine taking a piece of Pumpkin pie to go on Thanksgiving, but I don’t need an additional 4 slices to take home with me to tempt me on my countertop.
- Don’t treat Thanksgiving like a cheat day. Go in with and open mind. Refocus your attention from the food to the company & enjoy yourself!
The great part is that the warm fuzzies you get when eating Thanksgiving dinner don’t have to end. Make this dish & you can contiue to feel all the feels of the comfort food, with none of the guilt because it’s 100% real food!
Whether it is with friends or family, I hope everyone has a Happy Thankgiving.
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP Ghee
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 1/2 C. potatoes, diced - separate 1 1/2 cups & set aside
- 3 -5 C. broth (chicken, turkey or veggie)
- 1 C coconut milk
- 2 carrots, peeled & diced
- 2 C turkey, cubed
- 1/2 tbsp sage
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- S & P to taste
- For Paleo, Optional: Simple Mills Artisan Bread Biscuits
- 1 Box Simple MIlls Artisan Bread
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 C. almond milk
Instructions
- First, melt ghee in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions & cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic & cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add 3 cups of diced potatoes & 1 cup of the broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover & let simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
- Next,Transfer the contents of the pot to a blender & combine with 1 C. coconut milk, blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Back In the pot, Add 2 cups broth, with the carrots, turkey & additional 1 1/2 C diced potatoes. Bring broth to a boil, cover & cook for 10 minutes or until veggies are fork tender.
- Next, Transfer the mixture from the blender back to the pot. Add spices (sage, thyme, rosemary & cayenne). Based on desired consistency- add additional broth. Salt & Pepper to taste.
- Optional: Simple MIlls Artisan Bread Biscuits
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Combine all ingredients
- Fill 6 muffin molds with dough
- Bake for 20-25 minutes.
