What To Do With That Leftover Turkey (or Tofurkey)

Since everyone is probably sitting around moaning about how much they ate yesterday, I figured today would be the perfect time to share some creative recipes on how to cleverly disguise the turkey leftovers you’ll undoubtedly be eating for days and days. Here are a few of my super-simple- to-make favorites…

Turkey pesto.  In a round casserole dish, alternately layer thinly-sliced pieces of turkey breast slathered with pesto, and a layer of sliced white mushrooms. You can make as many layers as you want -- I usually do three or four layers for two people. Add about 1/4 or 1/3 cup of white wine (this is for moistness, since the alcohol evaporates away), cover the casserole dish, and heat in a 350-degree oven for 30-minutes. Add a side of mashed potatoes or a vegetable and you have a meal.

Turkey curry. Patak’s Tikka Masala is my favorite curry sauce, but there are several varieties in the grocery store. (Spicy-hot Vindaloo is my hubby’s favorite.)  Start out by sautéing garlic and shallots in a skillet in a little oil. Add chunks of dark meat turkey, sliced white or bella mushrooms, and thin slices of red and/or yellow peppers. Add the Patak sauce of your choice, heat for about 12 minutes for the flavors to blend, and serve over white rice. If you microwave a couple of poppodums, you’ll have a trip to India without ever leaving home!

Turkey parmesan. If you’re feeling like an Italian meal, try this one. On a diagonal, thinly slice big pieces of white meat turkey, layer with your favorite Italian red sauce, sprinkle on top with shaved parmesan, and heat on a plate under a broiler until the cheese melts. Served with broccoli and garlic bread, this one is delicioso!

Of course, there are many old comfort-food standards like hot open-faced turkey sandwiches with gravy, and my personal favorite – a stuffing sandwich with mayonnaise!  (When I was growing up, my grandma made the best stuffing in the whole world. I can still taste it if I close my eyes, LOL!)

I go all-out on Thanksgiving, making a big  family meal with turkey, stuffing, gravy, roasted carrots and parsnips, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and Brussels sprouts with bacon. The traditional Thanksgiving day feast is a lot of work, but the best part, in my opinion, is that you get to enjoy the leftovers for days afterward without having to do any more cooking!

How about you? Any favorite T-day recipes to share?
Leigh

7 comments:

Alyssa Kress said...

I'm no cook, so I like seeing how easy some of these are. Thanks for the ideas!

Kathy Bennett said...

These are all great recipes. I didn't cook this year, but will keep these meals in mind for my leftover Christmas turkey!

Lynne Marshall said...

Hi Leigh! I love, love, love open faced turkey sandwishes, and I must say a stuffing sandwish sounds fabulous.

I usually wind up making some sort of vegetable and barley soup with the very last bits of meat from that carcus. :)

This year, not one slice of white meat was left. Wah! Guess i should have gotten a bigger turkey or cut a few of my relatives off? :) Nah. Never!
Thanks for the other suggestions.

Sam Beck said...

Wonderful suggestions. I'm not much of a cook, but I usually manage to throw a slice of swiss on some bread, load on the leftover turkey and, what the hell, a helping of stuffing too. Yummy!

Leigh Court said...

Thanks for your comments, everyone! I actually look forward to tasty turkey leftovers, so I'm not complaining :)

Best,
Leigh

Carol Burnside aka Annie Rayburn said...

This is a lot of yummy goodness. I've got to jot down a couple of these for future use. We went to my sister's for T-Day this year, so didn't come home with leftovers. Thanks!

Carol Burnside aka Annie Rayburn said...

Forgot to mention, we're talking about T-Day favorites on PFHT today - I shared my Sweet Potato Delight recipe in the comments if y'all want it too.
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