Turkey Ham

Name: Turkey Ham
Ingredients: 600 g turkey meat (from the thigh or drumstick, thigh is preferred); 100 g bacon; 50 g cheese; 50 g frozen vegetable mix (peas, corn, bell pepper); 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp paprika; 0.5 tsp garlic powder; salt, pepper

It snowed here for the third time in a week yesterday — I've never seen snow at the end of April before, and there's just so much of it outside now! The kids in the yard are building snowmen, it's like real winter all over again. My little one and I are both under the weather and stuck at home, and the last thing I want to do is go anywhere — I just want something hearty and delicious. So after a thorough inspection of the freezer, I found a turkey drumstick that inspired me, spotted some cheese and bacon in the fridge, and that's how today's turkey ham recipe came together. It turned out absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

600 g turkey meat (from the thigh or drumstick, thigh is preferred)
100 g bacon
50 g cheese
50 g frozen vegetable mix (peas, corn, bell pepper)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp paprika
0.5 tsp garlic powder
salt, pepper

How to cook turkey ham

Cut the meat into large chunks and run it through a meat grinder using a coarse plate, or pulse it in a food processor — but briefly, so the meat stays in pieces. I used a food processor. The turkey thigh works best for this, but I had a drumstick (950 g total weight), so I had to trim the meat off the bone and remove the tough tendons that run through the drumstick — which is no easy task. So my advice is to go with the thigh.

Add the soy sauce, paprika, and garlic powder, then season with salt and pepper. Feel free to use other spices to your taste — coriander, cumin, nutmeg, etc. Mix well.

Add the bacon and cheese, cut into small cubes, along with the vegetable mix (I used a frozen Mexican blend, picking out the green beans). Mix thoroughly and knead the mixture well to bring it together.

Lay a double sheet of foil on the counter, then place the meat mixture on top in a long log shape.

Roll it up tightly in the foil, twisting the ends like a candy wrapper.

Place in an oven preheated to 180°C and bake for 40–60 minutes. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes. You can serve it hot as a main course alongside vegetables or any side dish you like, or cold as an appetizer — on bread or just on its own. I actually preferred it cold, sliced like deli ham. The meat came out incredibly juicy and flavorful. Turkey ham is a wonderfully satisfying dish that delivers not only great natural flavor but also wholesome, simple ingredients — which is just as important!