There is no denying the magic of an after Thanksgiving sandwich.  I would go as far to say that we are just excited to eat that as the grand feast.  However, if you are like me, after day two and three you are ready to eat something different.  These leftover transform the remaining turkey meat into unique and delicious meals.  You can enjoy something as heartwarming as tortilla soup or a simple turkey salad with dill and cranberries.
Turkey Salad With Dill And Cranberries
Ingredients
- 2 cups of leftover turkey chopped into ½ inch cubes
- 2 small stalks of celery – diced
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup red onion – diced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
- coarsely grated black pepper and salt to taste
- a spash of dry white wine
Directions
Turkey Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2-3 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 4 Tbsp flour
- approx 3 cups turkey, diced or shredded
- 2 cups mixed frozen peas and carrots
- 4 cups milk, slightly warmed in a small pot
- 1can of Pillsbury Grands Biscuits
Directions
Oven at 350 degrees. In a large saute pan, over medium low heat, add the olive oil, butter, onion, garlic and rosemary. Cook until the onions and garlic are softened and the rosemary is fragrant. Stir in the flour to coat and cook for a minute or two. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. Allow to simmer for about 8-10 minutes until slightly thickened. Once the sauce has thickened, add in the turkey, peas and carrots. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Pour the pot pie filling into a pan (note: I should have used something a little smaller since i didn’t have enough biscuits to cover completely). Place the biscuits over top. If you are looking for a thinner crust cut each biscuit in half to make two thinner rounds. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the biscuits are golden.
Sopa De Tortilla
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Onion, peeled and quartered
- 2 cloves of garlic peeled
- 4 stalks of celery
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- 1Â Poblano pepper
- 4Â Carrots
- The peels of two carrots- reserve the carrots for the soup
- 1 whole Turkey breast
- 8 ounces can of organic stewed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- Pinch of cumin
- 1 cup of fried corn tortillas
- 1Â Avocado
Preparation
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil in bottom of large stock pot. Add quartered onion, 2 cloves of garlic and 2 stalks of celery, and turkey breast. Peel two carrots and add the peels to the stock pot along with 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks. Reserve two carrots and 2 celery stalks for later use. Cut the stems off your Cilantro bunch. Reserve the leaves. Add stems to the stock pot, add water to your pot so that it is 3/4 full.
Cover and boil for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours. You should set a timer to check on your stock. Do not add salt before you have reduced your stock. The stock should not reduce to less than one quarter of your pot. Remove turkey from bone. Reserve the meat. Discard the bone. Strain the soup by using a colander over another stock pot. Discard the vegetables, set aside the stock you will use for the soup (1 to 2 cups per guest) and pour the rest into ice cubes for later use.
For the soup, in blender add 1 8oz. can of organic stewed tomatoes and ¼ cup of olive oil, pinch of salt and puree with roasted pepper* and set aside for later use. Add 2 carrots cubed to stock. Add 2 celery stalks chopped to stock. Cover and boil for 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add 1/4cup increments pureed pepper-tomato mixture to your broth. Add 1/3 cup of turkey meat per cup of stock and allow simmering. Taste for salt and finish with a pinch of ground cumin.
Turkey EnchiladasÂ
Ingredients
- 1 pound leftover turkey, both brown & white meat, sliced
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 Celery stick, halved and sliced
- 1 Red Pepper, sliced
- 3 Garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Purée
- 1/2 cup Turkey stock
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon Chilli seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Coco powder
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 5 ounces grated cheese, such as Monterey Jack or cheddar
- 8 Corn Tortillas (If your not making your own the I recommend Old El Paso)
Preparation
Preheat the oven to (180°C) gas mark 4. In a heavy based pan soften the onions and celery in the olive oil. Add the red pepper, garlic, tomatoes, 1 tbsp of tomato purée and the stock, then bring to a simmer. Add the spices and taste for seasoning. Add extra chilli if you’re feeling brave, and to help ward off a winter cold. Simmer to let the flavours develop for about 10 minutes. Next, drain most of the liquid from the pan. Put the thicker of the two sauces (filling sauce) back in the pan and add the turkey and 1/2 of the cheese. Stir in well. Spoon the filling onto the middle of each corn tortilla and wrap, then place them folded side down into a lightly greased baking dish. Stir in 1 tbsp of tomatoes purée to the topping sauce and pour over the dish then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is browning and the sauce is bubbling.
Turkey Pad ThaiÂ
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbs rice vinegar
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar or palm sugar, or less if desired
- 8 ounces Thai rice noodles, ¼” wide
- 8 ounces turkey
- 2 tablespoons dried shrimp (optional)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 pound bean sprouts
- 3 scallions, sliced
- 3/4 cup ground peanuts
- 1 tablespoon roasted red chili peppers
- Lime wedges
Directions
Combine first four ingredients and let sit until sugar dissolves. Soak rice noodles/sticks in warm water until they are soft but don’t disintegrate when pressed, about 40 minutes. Cut turkey into bite size pieces. Rinse dried shrimp (if using) in water and drain. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat, add in crushed garlic. Swirl around for about a minute. Add noodles and mix around for a minute or two. Add the turkey and shrimp then immediately add the liquid. Keep stirring until the liquid has all been absorbed into the noodles, about a 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Push some of the noodles aside to one end of the wok, and break an egg in. Immediately cover with noodles. Do the same at the other end of wok. Let the eggs cook undisturbed until the yolks are opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes. (take a peek if unsure). Slip a slotted spoon under each egg in turn, and bring upward, through the noodles, shaking as you go. The idea is to break up the cooked egg into the rest of the mixture into tiny bits. Mix in sprouts and green onions. Let cook for another 2 minutes. Turn off heat. Add crushed peanuts and enough roasted red chilies to your desired hotness.
Sheri Wetherell is the co-founder and CEO of Foodista.com, community-based recipe, cooking, and food news website. Check them out on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram.Â
