The Allergy Safe Kitchen: Turkey Slop - I swear, it's better than it sounds.

When I was in high school, there was one meal that was legendary, and we called it "Turkey Slop." This might sound like a questionable moniker, but in reality there's just nothing wrong with a scoop of mashed potatoes, scooped out with an ice cream scoop, and hot gravy...with the Turkey. Right. In it. This is the warm comforting goodness of a Thanksgiving meal at its most efficient.

I have taken this humble meal and elevated it to a Fall family favorite in our home. As soon as the leaves start to turn, and the air gets a little chillier, the kids start begging me to make Turkey Slop. And yes, I do use an ice cream scoop to dish out the mashed potatoes.

*This recipe is peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free (using soy free Earth Balance), fish-free, and shellfish-free. As always, check this ingredient list and your local products to make sure that this recipe is allergy safe for your family and/or friends!

If you already have tried and true recipes for roast turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy, then simply chop up the turkey meat and add it to the gravy. Serve over mashed potatoes! If you don't know how to roast a turkey, or need some assistance in the gravy department, keep reading! If you need a recipe for mashed potatoes, click HERE!

Ingredients for Simple Roast Turkey:

Whole turkey (I like to stay under 12 pounds)
Kosher Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil
1/2 onion
1/2 lemon

Directions for Simple Roast Turkey:
*I make the turkey the day before I want to serve the turkey slop. No need to try to do everything all in one day! Relax, take your time, enjoy the process!

Make note of how many pounds your turkey is before you throw away the packaging.
Remove neck and giblet pack from turkey
Place the turkey, breast side up, in a roasting pan, pat the outside dry with paper towels.
Let the turkey sit (out on the counter) for about an hour (this will dry the skin out a bit, and yield a crispier skin, and bringing the meat closer to room temperature will yield a juicier turkey!)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
Season the cavity with kosher salt and pepper
Stuff cavity with 1/2 an onion and 1/2 a lemon
Rub outside of turkey with olive oil and season liberally with kosher salt and pepper
Roast at 450 for 20 minutes, and then reduce heat to 350 degrees F
Continue roasting 13-15 minutes per pound at 350. *If the outside seems be getting too brown near the end of cooking, cover the breast of the turkey with some foil.
Insert a meat thermometer into the outer thigh, inner thigh, and breast. All places should have a temperature of 165 degrees F or above.
Let the turkey rest before carving!

Ingredients for Simple Turkey Gravy:

*I make the stock early in the day.

Turkey stock (Click HERE for a crock pot stock recipe - substitute the word "turkey" every time you see the word "chicken")

Flour

Fat (dairy-free margarine, canola oil, turkey fat skimmed from the top of the turkey stock, schmaltz, etc.)

Directions for Simple Turkey Gravy:

To make a delicious gravy in a large amount or small amount, you need only memorize a simple formula: 2T fat + 2T flour + 1 cup stock = gravy!

First, know how many cups of stock you have to work with, that will determine how much roux you will need to make.
Heat your stock to a gentle boil and in the meantime....
Make your roux. The roux is the thickening agent, it is the combination of the fat and flour, cooked together. (Cooking the flour in the fat gets rid of that raw flour taste, and allows it to incorporate more smoothly into the stock.)
To make the roux, melt/heat the fat in a saucepan, and whisk in the flour. *Equal parts fat and flour! Cook for a couple minutes.
Whisk the roux slowly into the stock and then bring the whole thing to a simmer. It will start to thicken right away, and you can continue simmering away to continue thickening.
Check your seasoning - gravy requires a decent amount of salt and pepper!
Add in the chopped turkey and serve over a scoop of mashed potatoes!