Samantha Cofell, the co-owner of Badger Creek Farm, shows us how easy it is to smoke a turkey using a pellet grill.

Prepping the turkey for smoking:

• Thaw turkey
• Clean and rinse turkey.
• Melt together 2 sticks butter and 3 tablespoons garlic salt. Inject into turkey breast and legs. 
• Stuff inside of turkey with cut up onion, celery and carrots.
• Rub 3 tablespoons mayo on top of turkey breast and legs.  Sprinkle with salt. 

Instructions:

Preheat grill to 500 degrees.
Place thawed turkey in a disposable turkey roasting tin or a pan of your choice.
Put in 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water at the bottom of the pan.
Cook uncovered at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. 
Turn grill down to 350 degrees, cover pan with tin foil. Place back in smoker grill until the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees and the thickest section of the thigh reaches 180 degrees.  Approximately 3 to 4 hours depending on size of turkey and outside temperature. 

Recipes Featured:

Cheesy Velveeta Turkey Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 prepared/cooked turkey-shredded
• 1 Block of Velveeta Cheese
• 2 cans cream of chicken (cream of celery or cream of mushroom can be substituted)

Directions:

Prepare a whole turkey as directed.  Shred the turkey and place in a crockpot.  You can also use leftover turkey and then reduce the other ingredients as appropriate.

Melt a whole block of Velveeta cheese in a separate pan, add the 2 cans of cream of chicken and mix together.  Once melted pour on top of the turkey and stir.  Serve with your choice of buns.

Turkey Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Medium Carrots, shredded
• 1 Medium Onion, diced
• 2 Stalks Celery, diced
• ¼ cup flour
• 4 cups Turkey Broth
• 2 cups shredded Turkey
• 2 cans Wild Rice, drained
• 1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

In a pot, sauté vegetables in butter until tender.  Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes.  Add turkey broth until thickened.  Add wild rice, turkey, cream and spices.  Cook until heated through.

Creamy Cajun Turkey Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of cooked shredded leftover turkey
• 3 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1 pound Penne Pasta
• 1 Yellow Onion, diced
• 1 Bell Pepper, diced
• 3 cloves of Garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons of Cajun Seasoning
• 1 Cup of Chicken Stock
• 1 ½ cups of Heavy Cream
• ½ cup grated parmesan
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• ½ cup Chopped Parsley

Directions:

Fill a large pot with water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.  In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter.  Once melted, add the onions, garlic, peppers and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until soft.  Add the Cajun seasoning and leftover turkey.  Warm through for a few minutes and then add the chicken stock and cream.  Allow to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.  As the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta for about 7 minutes.  Save some of the cooking water and then drain the pasta well.  Once drained, add the pasta to the sauce along with about ¼ cup of the water.  Add in parmesan cheese and parsley.  Cook for a few additional minutes until the sauce thickens and the pasta is al dente.