Sue’s Turkey Crepes

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Welcome to November’s Flavor of the Month, Thanksgiving! I will be sharing a variety of recipes, some that can make their way onto your Thanksgiving table and others that will make use of your Thanksgiving leftovers.

Ever since I was a little kid, my mom would make turkey crepes after Thanksgiving.  It was always one of the standards to use up the leftover turkey. I’m not sure where my mom found the recipe, but it was always one of my favorites! There was something comforting in the knowledge that every year the Saturday after Thanksgiving would be turkey crepes. I finally decided it was time to ask my mom to show me how to make them!  It was fun chatting and learning the process.  The crepes have a rich gravy filled with turkey and mushroom, so good!

Let’s do this!

The first order of business is making the crepes themselves which starts with mixing the crepe batter.   I recommend doing this in a blender because it’s easily mixed and also makes pouring the batter in the pan a snap. Put the eggs, milk, flour, salt and butter in a blender and mix until it’s smooth.

The batter should be very thin, only a little thicker than heavy cream. Let that sit in the fridge for about an hour.  I did all of this before my mom came over and then we did the cooking stuff together. It was fun having her show me her recipe and I hope to learn a recipe from my dad next year!

Now you’ll cook the crepes.  If you haven’t had them crepes are thin pancakes, we’re going to fill them with the tasty turkey gravy.  Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat.  I didn’t end up needing any oil in my pan but it’s good to have some vegetable oil on hand just in case.  To make a crepe, pick up your pitcher in one hand and the pan in the other.  Pour in some batter and slowly start rotating the pan around to get the batter to the edges.

You’re looking to make these thin, so if the batter doesn’t easily move you may need to add more milk to think it out. Let it cook on one side until it no longer has the wet sheen.  You should be able to flip it over without it sticking.  If it does stick, you’ll need to start oiling your pan.  Let it cook another one to two minutes on the other side until it’s golden brown.

Put the crepe on a plate and repeat.  You’ll have extra crepes, but it may take a couple of tries to get the hang of it so you’ll have a good amount to pick through. 🙂

Once all the crepes are cooked, you’ll make the filling. Start this by melting the butter in a large saucepan.

While that’s melting, whisk your egg yolks with the heavy cream in a small bowl and set it aside.

Once the butter it melted, you’re going to whisk in the flour.  You’re making a roux, which will be the thickener for your gravy. If you’ve never made homemade gravy, this is always the starting point.  It’s easier than you would think and tastes so good, so you should give it a try this year for your Thanksgiving. A basic gravy is typically just three ingredients: butter, flour and stock.  Pretty easy, right!

Once the flour is completely whisked in and there are no clumps, whisk in the turkey stock.  I made my own which you can do if you’ve got leftover turkey bones. I like to make a big batch and freeze some to use for soups in the winter.  Store-bought stock works great though if you don’t have any made. 

Let the gravy cook for about two minutes or until it’s thickened. I almost didn’t wait long enough, but my mom pointed that the gravy was too thin. 🙂  Now you’ll add the mushrooms.  I used cremini because they have more flavor, but white button mushrooms work too. Cook the gravy with the mushrooms for another minute.

Then take it off the heat.  Now slowly pour a quarter cup into the egg yolks and cream and whisk it with the fork.  You’re tempering the eggs so they don’t scramble in the gravy.

Now pour the whole thing back in with the gravy and put the pan over low heat. Cook another minute.  Adding the egg yolks and cream takes it from gravy to filling by making it really thick and creamy.

Now stir in your turkey meat. At this point taste and decide how much salt to add.

It’s time to assemble!  Once you’ve assembled the crepes, you can bake them off right away or keep  them in the fridge up to a day to bake off later.  When you’re going to bake them off, preheat the oven to 350°.

To assemble our stuffed crepe, take the crepe pancake and lay it down in a nine by thirteen inch pan.  Lift one edge up and fill with the gravy mixture.  Roll it over with the seam side down and repeat with the rest.    If you’ve ever made enchiladas, it’s a similar process. Depending on the size, you’ll get between ten and fourteen filled crepes.

Now top with the shredded Swiss cheese.  The nutty flavor of the Swiss really goes well with the creamy gravy.

If you’re going to bake it off later, cover the dish with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge.  If baking now, cover the dish with foil and bake fifteen to twenty minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Voila, dinner is served!  I really think these crepes are an elegant way to use up that leftover turkey and I hope they become a tradition in your house!

 

What are some of your other favorite ways to use that leftover Thanksgiving turkey?

 

 

 

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