By Brenda Starkey
The Chronicle

     CURLEW – A recipe for barbecued turkey brought Heather Beedle, 39, runner-up honors in the French’s Cook-Off in New York City.
     Although she missed the $25,000 grand prize, she walked away with a two-night, expense-paid trip to New York, a Cuisinart appliance, French’s products and a finalist plaque.
     Suellen Calhoun of De Moines, Iowa, took top honors at the first-ever French’s National Cook-Off with her onion polenta with spiced tomato-avocado salad.
     Beedle’s Irrestible BBQ Turkey (To Sigh For) recipe, a family favorite, was one of five finalists chosen from more than 2,500 entries.
     Beedle said the trip was an opportunity for her and her husband of 18 years a honeymoon, something the couple never had.
     Winning the trip was a great prize in itself, she said.
     All entries were required to be original, include at least one French’s product, use no more than eight ingredients and be prepared and ready to serve in an hour or less.
     The recipe:
1/4 cup French's Classic Yellow Mustard
1 can French's French Fried Onions
4 cups leftover turkey, pulled apart (roasted chicken will also do)
1 cup Cattlemen's Award Winning Classic BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 teaspoons Frank's Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
     Cook peppers until tender. Add barbecue sauce, apricot preserves, mustard, brown sugar and cayenne pepper sauce. Simmer five minutes to blend flavors. Add turkey leftovers and cook until heated through. Serve over roll halves and top with French fried onions.
     Variation: Add diced onions along with peppers for extra flavor.