Turkey Cranberry Strudel

Operation use up thanksgiving leftovers, part three. 

Turkey.  What to do, what to do, with those giant chunks of leftover turkey.  The freezer is always an option, true.  Save it for either stock or broth, or even an upcoming soup.   I’ve been seeing a lot of recipes for turkey hash as a creative way to use up the meat after turkey sandwiches lose their appeal.  But as I’m apparently ahead of the hash-trend curve, and having already made up my other go-to leftover user (Turkey a la King), I needed fresh ideas.

Then, like a bright beacon of light, an image came to me…turkey, nuts, cranberries, all encased in a golden shell of….CRESCENT ROLLS!  Yes!  The much esteemed by sissy and me, deliciously kitschy Turkey Cranberry Ring my mom concocted long, long ago, based perhaps on a Papered Chef recipe, was calling to me.  It was then that I knew.  I must make it.  Now. 

It's a fairly simple idea.  Use crescent rolls as pre-made struedel dough, wrapping the rolls around a filling bursting with turkey, nuts, fruit, and a little bit of cheese (because, when does cheese ever hurt?).  You can use whatever is on hand, swapping in what you have and leaving out what you don't.  It's simple to assemble and looks like it took a lot more effort than it really did.  Perfect for a weeknight, or a buffet, or anytime.  

This seriously was an embarrassing combination of leftover bits n pieces we had laying around.  Four old pieces of pre-cut celery that had gone uneaten in the week’s lunches, a hardening handful of dried cranberries left in the bottom of a bag, some aging swiss cheese slices that had outlasted their sliced turkey companions.

But you know what?  You would never know that this delicious combination was anything other than a planned-out dish.  It tastes rich but isn't too unhealthy.  It stretches a lot of odds and ends into several meals worth of food.  Try it with broccoli and cheddar instead of cranberries and almonds.  Or peppers and pepper jack.  Or whatever you have on hand.  Probably due to my inexplicable love for crescent rolls, I bet that whatever you throw down the middle would be good.    

Because I’m cheap, I had saved the lone egg white left over from mixing a yolk into my Shepherd’s Pie potatoes.  That one lone egg white would now be brushed on the top of my log of cranberry goodness, helping it to brown up into a rich, golden, glistening shell.  A shell of love.  The most delicious shell in the world!!!!!!!!!

Really into the hyperbole today, it seems. But describing this odd, lovable recipe calls for a little bit of promotion.  It was a favorite growing up, and it's a favorite still. 

Turkey Cranberry Strudel
I know the instructions for arranging the dough are confusing.  Basically, you want to form a dough base along which to lay the turkey filling, then wrapping the long ends of the triangles up and over the dough.  This explanation is probably not helping to clarify the instructions.  Hey, that's why I take pictures. 


1 tube reduced fat crescent rolls
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked turkey
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries, raisins, or a combination
1/4 cup chopped or shredded swiss cheese (I used reduced fat)
2-3 Tbsp low-fat mayo
1 1/2 Tbsp honey mustard
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 egg white
S&P


Grease a large baking sheet, or use a baking stone (ungreased).  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Open the crescent rolls and separate.  Line up four dough triangles so the short sides run down the mid-line of the pan, edges slightly overlapping, and each triangle facing the same way.  Arrange remaining four dough triangles in a mirror image of the first four triangles, overlapping the short sides slightly.  Use a rolling pin down the mid-line to attach all triangles at their short sides and slightly flatten middle of dough. 


In a medium bowl, mix the chopped turkey, nuts, berries, cheese,onion, parsley and celery. Add the mustard and enough mayo to make the mixture stick together.  Season with S&P.   


Spoon the turkey mixture down the mid-line of the dough, staying 1/2" from the ends.  Wrap the long end of each triangle up and over the dough, slightly overlapping the previous end in a braid-like pattern (note - the ends will not completely enclose the dough).  


Beat the egg white with a teaspoon of water and brush over the top of the strudel. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.