Turkey Hash

This recipe is from the Reader's Digest Like Grandma Used to Make Cookbook. It states very matter-of-factly that "Chicken Hash" was Thomas Jefferson's favorite breakfast food, and how this recipe was adapted from the original to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey. I have made this recipe countless times, and have always blindly accepted this to be true. I even took patriotic comfort in this claim. However, is it really his favorite? I decided to investigate. Here is what I have found from Google:

Whitehouse.gov lists pancakes & spoon bread among "TJs" favorites, but does not mention chicken hash. Hmm....

American Library.gov states macaroni and peach flambe' were his favorites and again does not mention chicken hash.

And shockingly I found this website when I googled "Thomas Jefferson favorite hash".....

I still want to believe that this was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson. But could the people at Reader's Digest made a mistake? For all I know this was George Jefferson's favorite! Regardless this is still a very good post-Thanksgiving breakfast. If I wasn't delinquent with this blog entry many of my faithful readers could already have made this dish. My apologies, and I'll try to do better next time. Hopefully you still have some Turkey hiding out in the back of the refrigerator or froze those leftovers. Serve Turkey Hash with a side of scramble eggs. For an extra treat, mix in some cheddar cheese with those eggs.

Ingredients

2 medium-size potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped
1 small green or red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups chopped cooked turkey
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lower-sodium chicken broth

1. In a small saucepan, cover potatoes with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain.
2. In a 10-inch skillet, melt butter over moderate heat. Add the onion and green pepper and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in potatoes, turkey, rosemary, black pepper and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more or until it has the desired consistency.
   

Applesauce Muffins

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
Apple Cider Applesauce (recipe follows)
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 12-cup muffin thin and a 6-cup tin with paper liners. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg together into a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Put 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, the granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs, 1 at a time. On low speed, mix in the applesauce and then the flour mixture. Stir in the nuts.
3. Divide the batter among the muffins cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until a tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely in the tins on a wire rack.
4. Meanwhile, in the clean bowl of the electric mixer, mix the cream cheese with the remaining 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter and 1 cup brown sugar on medium speed until smooth. Spread the cream cheese frosting on the muffins. The muffins can be refrigerated in airtight containers up to 2 days.
   

Apple Cider Applesauce

Ingredients
1 lb juicy apples, such as McIntosh, peeled, cored, and quartered
3/4 cup apple cider
1 Tbs. sugar, plus more if needed
Pinch of salt

1. Bring the apples and cider to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover the pan; reduce heat. Simmer until the apples are very soft, about 12 minutes. Stir in the sugar and salt.
2. Cook (uncovered) over medium-low heat until the apples have broken down and most of the liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.
3. Puree in a food processor or mash with a potato masher until smooth. Add more sugar, if desired. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.

Recipe from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook, The New Classics