Leftover Turkey Ideas

Everyone in the family looks forward to Thanksgiving feast all year long. The moist turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, stuffing, and all of the extras. This year, I've found some tasty ways to put a twist on how you look at those turkey leftovers.

1. Chop turkey and use an omelet filling with cheddar cheese, green onions and tomatoes.

2. Chop turkey and add to chicken broth with thin slices of carrots, celery, and chopped onions for a light soup. You also can add quick-cooking rice toward the end of cooking. Season with your favorite snipped fresh herb.

3. Slice, dice, and add to a chef salad.

4. Heat with cooked rice and canned black beans then use to top off tostada shells, along with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes.

5. Make manicotti: melt cream cheese with chives, onion and some milk to make a sauce, mix in a little Parmesan, and stir about half with chopped turkey and cooked broccoli. Fill cooked manicotti shells, arrange in a baking dish, and spoon the rest of the sauce on top of the shells. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes to heat through.

6. Chop turkey and add to prepared macaroni and cheese with a little pesto for a new twist.

7. Chop turkey or slice and add to pasta salad.

8. Combine chopped turkey with coleslaw mix, ramen noodles, mandarin orange sections, and your favorite vinaigrette for a quick and crunchy Asian turkey salad.

9. Create a turkey Caesar sandwich by layering lettuce, sliced turkey, tomatoes, and avocado slices between horizontally spit pita bread. Drizzle bottled Caesar dressing over filling before putting the sandwich tops in place.

10. Slice and toss with barbecue sauce and use as a topper for a store-bought pizza crust along with some provolone cheese, caramelized onions, and sliced apples.

11.Chop turkey and use as a quesadilla filling along with your favorite cheese, salsa, and chopped cooked vegetables.

12. Make turkey Reuben sandwiches by spreading bread with Thousand Island dressing, then layering on sliced turkey, tomato slices, Swiss cheese, and coleslaw. Top with another slice of bread and grill in a skillet or on a griddle.

13. Chop turkey and combine with mayonnaise and your favorite turkey salad ingredients.

14. Slice and add to a grilled cheese sandwich before grilling.

15. Shred turkey and add to your favorite chili recipe of beans, tomatoes, and onion. Top with cheese.
(American Baby pg.116)

And what about the other leftovers. Here are a few ways to reuse the cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes as well as your other Thanksgiving trimmings.

1. Cranberry Sauce: Melt it over low heat until it becomes cranberry syrup. Pour it over ice cream, tapioca pudding, or custard for dessert.

2. Gravy: Put it in soup. It's a great base for all kinds of combinations.

3. Candies Sweet Potatoes: Use them in sweet potato pie or bread pudding. Give them a Mexican flair by mashing them, adding Monterey Jack cheese and diced jalapeno peppers, and serve with tortillas.

4. Green-bean Casserole: Use it as a filling base for a turkey potpie. Or mix it with enough breadcrumbs to hold it together, form into patties, and saute until crisp. Use the patties as a side for roasted meats or as a base for poached eggs.

With these ideas in your head...you don't have to dread the idea of having all of those leftovers. No more bland turkey sandwiches for the next week. There are enough ideas here for you to have your taste-buds tantalized for days and days after the big holiday feast.