Creamed Turkey With Sweet Potato Biscuits

Updated Nov. 7, 2022

Creamed Turkey With Sweet Potato Biscuits
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(111)
Comments
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Though this saucy, savory creamed turkey is designed for using Thanksgiving leftovers, it can be made any time of year. It’s a dish that fans of biscuits and gravy will appreciate. These biscuits are a good way to use up leftover sweet potato (or you could bake sweet potatoes for this purpose), but the turkey would also be delicious with plain freshly baked fluffy buttermilk biscuits.

Featured in: Thanksgiving Leftovers Go Beyond the Turkey Sandwich

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Creamed Turkey

    • 4ounces sausage meat, preferably breakfast sausage or sweet Italian sausage
    • 2tablespoons butter
    • 1small onion, finely diced
    • 2tablespoons flour
    • 2cups whole milk, more as needed
    • 1cup leftover gravy or ¾ cup chicken broth
    • Salt and pepper
    • Pinch of cayenne
    • 2cups diced cooked turkey meat

    For the Sweet Potato Biscuits

    • 2cups/260 grams all-purpose flour, more as needed
    • 2teaspoons/6 grams baking powder
    • ½teaspoon /1½ grams baking soda
    • 1teaspoon/3 grams kosher salt
    • 6tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
    • ½cup mashed sweet potato
    • ½cup buttermilk
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

742 calories; 34 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 69 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 39 grams protein; 1036 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, cook sausage meat, breaking it into small crumbly pieces as it browns. Pour off any rendered fat. Add butter and diced onion and cook, stirring, until onion is softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle mixture with flour and stir to combine.

  2. Step 2

    Add milk ½ cup at a time, stirring vigilantly as the sauce thickens. Reduce heat if sauce is bubbling too rapidly. Whisk in gravy or broth and season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Fold in turkey meat and heat through. Keep warm.

  3. Step 3

    Make the biscuit dough: Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Add butter and work it into the dry mixture with fingers until mixture resembles wet sand. Beat sweet potato and buttermilk together and stir into flour mixture. Mix briefly just enough to incorporate to make a soft dough.

  4. Step 4

    Transfer dough to a work surface and dust lightly with flour. Knead for 1 minute, then pat or roll dough to a 1½-inch thickness. Use a floured biscuit cutter or water glass to cut 10 to 12 rounds from the dough. (Or simply use a sharp knife to cut dough into 2-inch squares or diamonds.) Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden.

  5. Step 5

    To serve, split a warm biscuit and spoon saucy turkey over it.

Ratings

4 out of 5
111 user ratings
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Comments

This is a fabulous recipe. The biscuits came out with a moist and light texture. I was able to use up some turkey and gravy without feeling like we were eating the same meal.

Only made the biscuits, which are fine, but the flavor of the sweet potato didn't come through at all. Mostly meh.

Using Thanksgiving dinner leftovers, these recipes helped me create a comforting Friday evening meal. Though I believe you could skip the sausage, I included it to follow the gravy recipe as much as possible. We had acorn squash, instead of sweet potatoes, that worked fine in the biscuits. Reheated gravy and biscuits for Saturday lunch extended the holiday treats for a third day.

Super delicious recipe as is and adding peas and parsley help the recipe not be so beige!

I, too, have been making this for a few years since it was published. It's really great and allows you to use the Thanksgiving leftovers in a way that doesn't feel like you're eating Thanksgiving dinner again (or for the 3rd or 4th time). With a side of leftover cranberries it cuts the richness and makes a wonderful meal. Give it a shot!

I’ve been making this recipe since it was first published. It’s phenomenal. As others note, the biscuits do not have a pronounced sweet potato flavor, which is a good thing as they’re the backdrop to a turkey and sausage gravy. The recipe styling is lovely, but that’s what it is - styling. The biscuits are not a hardy sandwich bread, enjoy them next to the gravy.

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