Turkey Day Plus One

It was the day after Thanksgiving
and I was looking for something
to make for dinner.

Since we had steak and shrimp
for Turkey Day,
why not have turkey the next day?

Works for me.

The ingredients for a Spicy Rum-Maple Marinated Turkey Tenderloin:

Turkey tenderloin
2 tablespoons spiced rum
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon Tamari sauce (soy sauce can be substituted)
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, grated

Please note that all of these measurements are approximate as I do not measure when I am making a marinade.  I simply add a bit of this and a bit of that and then taste to test. 

Pour the marinade in the bag and seal, removing as much of the air as possible.

I always place the bag in a container in case of leaks.  Allow to marinade for at least a couple of hours.  Before cooking, bring to room temperature.

Sear the turkey tenderloin on all sides in a bit of oil over medium-high heat.  Place the pan in a 350 degree oven until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees.  Depending on the starting temperature of the turkey, this might be 20 to 30 minutes. 

After resting, covered in foil, the temperature will rise to 165.  At this point the turkey will be completely cooked, yet moist and tender.

Now for our second dish: Stuffin' Muffins.

1/4 pound mild or sage breakfast sausage
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
5 cups cubed bread or dried stuffing crumbles*
1/2 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage leaf, crumbled
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash freshly ground black pepper
1 cup turkey stock**

*I opted to use packaged cornbread stuffing crumbles this time.
**More liquid can be added if a moister stuffing is desired.

First I removed the casings from two breakfast sausages*** and broke the meat apart as it cooked.  When no longer pink, remove to paper towels to drain.

***This is probably not 1/4 pound sausage, but it was what I had on hand.

Wipe out the pan and add the butter to the pan.  Melt the butter and add the chopped onion and celery.  Cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the bread with the herbs and seasonings in a large bowl.

Add the cooked vegetables and the sausage.  Stir together.  Pour in the stock and mix well.

Lightly grease twelve standard size muffin cups.  Pack the stuffing into each cup.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes.****

****Do as I say and not as I did.  Since this recipe is designed for regular stuffing (or dressing), I found a stuffing muffin recipe and went by that recipe's time and temperature guidelines instead.  That recipe called for 375 degrees at 25 minutes.  Next time I will lower the temperature to 350.

The stuffin' muffins came out crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

And the turkey tenderloin has been sliced after resting.

This was a very nice post-Turkey Day meal.

The turkey was slightly spicy and very tender and the stuffin' muffins were nice packages of crispy bits juxtaposed with the soft interior.