Turkey Stromboli-A Perfect Alternative to Thanksgiving Casserole

For many, the "leftover Thanksgiving Casserole", complete with layers of turkey and gravy, stuffing, potatoes, and green beans is a family tradition. For some, it's even more exciting than turkey dinner itself.

But, at our house, the casserole never seems to go over very well. This year, I'm excited to try out a new recipe that I found in the FamilyFun magazine (Thanks Heidi, for the tip on subscribing to such a great magazine!). It's Turkey Stromboli, or basically your leftover Thanksgiving dinner rolled up in a roll. YUM!

You can go directly to Familyfun.com for the complete recipe with pictures or follow the instructions below:

Ingredients

FOR THE DOUGH
1 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

FOR THE FILLING
3/4 cup cranberry sauce
1 generous cup thinly sliced or shredded cooked turkey
1 cup stuffing
egg wash of 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Instructions
First make the dough. Pour the water into a large bowl and stir in the sugar until it's dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture, stir it briefly, then set it aside until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour, as well as the salt and the oil, and beat the mixture with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and you can form it into a ball of dough that's firm enough to knead.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it until it's smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. If needed, add more flour to keep the dough from sticking to your work surface.

Transfer the dough to a large, oiled bowl and turn it until it's coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 375°. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper and set it aside. Punch down the dough.

On a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a 10- by 14-inch rectangle. Spread the cranberry sauce over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Layer on the turkey and scatter the stuffing on top.

Use a pastry brush to paint one long edge of the dough with the egg wash. Starting at the opposite long edge, roll the dough into a cylinder. Pinch together the seam, then pinch and tuck under each end.

Transfer the stromboli, with the seam down, to the prepared baking sheet. Brush it with egg wash, then bake it until golden brown and crusty, about 30 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

We make pizza stromboli's all the time and my kids LOVE them!! I can only imagine this is going to be a hit. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a quick update: I did make the stromboli and it was a hit!! It was so easy to make and absolutely delicious. Goodbye casserole! Just a note: I went with my no-rise pizza crust recipe I usually use since I didn't have time for the recipe above. It's as follows:

1 Tbs. yeast

1 cup warm water

2 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups flour

Add yeast to water and allow to sit until yeast begins to rise. Add sugar and salt and stir. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough releases from side of bowl. Continue as instructed above to roll out the dough and make the stromboli. No need to let rise. The only difference is that I cook it at 425 for 15-20 minutes. I'm sure either temp will work, but the time will vary.

Also, we went with two separate strombolis...one with stuffing and one without in order to appease the kids. They loved theirs and we loved ours. Hope it works or worked for you!