Q: Can you make a creamy turkey dinner with mushrooms without using a can of condensed soup?
A: Absolutely.
I haven't bought condensed cream of something soup for about 10 years. I know this because I've been married 11 years, and I know that during that first year of marriage I used this "wonder soup" a lot.
lots and lots. quite often, even.
I stocked up when the cans were on sale, and I gave myself a pat on the back when I saw them all lined up in the cupboard.
There is nothing wrong with using canned condensed soup.
Once in a while.
I don't personally buy or use it anymore because of our gluten allergy, and I although I've learned there are non-glutenized soups now on the market, I still don't buy it because I've gotten used to cooking without.
I'm pretty much the furthest thing from a food snob. I figure whatever gets food on your table at the end of a busy day is good, whether that's Taco Bell, a frozen lasagna, gloppy condensed soup, or 365 (366) days of food from a crockpot. It's your choice.
This recipe was inspired from one of my early condensed soup crockpot meals I made (OFTEN) as a newlywed. This is a good dinner to eat in front of the TV while balancing a paper plate on your lap, sprawled out in an inflatable chair.
I miss our inflatable chairs!
The Ingredients.
serves 4-6
2 pounds turkey breast, cut in chunks
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 onion, thinly sliced
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon dried parsley (unless you have fresh, then use about 1/4 cup at the very end)
1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream
1 cup frozen green beans (I like the long thin ones, not the thick weird ones they give you in the school cafeteria)
The Directions.
Use a 4 quart slow cooker. Put the turkey into the bottom of your cooker, and pour on the beef broth and balsamic vinegar. Add onion, mushrooms, and dried parsley. Stir a bit to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for about 4. If you only have a 6-quart slow cooker, this will cook much faster, unless you increase the quantities. Remember that slow cookers work the best when they're at least 2/3 of the way full.
If you are going to use a 6-quart, check after 4-5 hours on low, or 2-3 on high.
If you'd like the turkey super tender and shreddy, cook for a longer period of time on low.
Stir in the heavy cream and green beans. Cover and cook on high for another 30 minutes, or until beans are thawed and heated through. Serve over cooked pasta.
The Verdict.
My kids wanted me to call this "Winner Winner Turkey Dinner" (they've watched a bit too much of Guy Fieri, lately). I liked the combo of beef broth with the touch of vinegar when paired with the mushrooms. It's tasty, and you don't end up feeling like you ingested a week's worth of sodium.
Adam ate two plates, and took the leftovers to work for the next day's lunch.
I'm going to keep my eyes open for an inflatable arm chair.