just so you can try them! In anticipation of Thanksgiving, I thought it would be helpful to offer some creative ideas for the turkey and the sides that will inevitably find their way into refrigerators across our great nation.
The ubiquitous turkey sandwich is, hands down, the king of Thanksgiving leftovers. Let’s be honest, some folks don’t even wait until the next day, grabbing a roll, and piling some leftover stuffing, a few slices of turkey, mayo, and cranberry sauce, and then, jamming their grills during halftime of that last football game. (The slice of pumpkin pie chaser is absolutely optional. Apparently, turkeys are not the only things that get stuffed on this holiday.)
The first four randomly selected recipes are from my files are followed by a list of not accompanied by actual recipes, but that are pretty familiar or that can be searched online.
Hot Turkey Sandwiches
- 8 large soft rolls
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ½ cup turkey gravy, warmed
- 8 slices cooked turkey
- 8 slices of cheese (cheddar, provolone, or Swiss are great choices)
- ¼ cup cranberry sauce
Open rolls and place the bottom halves on baking sheet – spread mayonnaise on each. Pour gravy on top of each and top with the turkey and cheese. Bake @400 for 10 minutes to melt cheese. Top evenly with the mesclun greens and a spoonful of the cranberry sauce. Spread gravy on the top halves of the rolls and press the sandwich pieces together.
Pot-au-Feu à la Dinde – a simple version of turkey & vegetable stew
- Olive oil
- 1 cup mushrooms, thickly sliced
- ½ cup chopped carrot
- ½ cup chopped leak
- ½ peeled and chopped rutabaga
- ½ cup peeled and chopped turnips
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ cup white wine
- 4 cups turkey or chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked turkey, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Turkey-Ditalini Soup
- Olive oil
- ½ cup chopped carrots
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 7-8 cups turkey or chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta
- 3 cups chopped cooked turkey
- 3 cups coarsely chopped Swiss chard
White Bean and Turkey Chili
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 clove minced garlic
- 1 cup carrot slices
- ¼ thyme
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1-2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 cans white beans (Great Northern or Cannellini or Navy
- 3 cups turkey or chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
White Bean and Turkey Chili served in a hollowed-out cooked butternut squash.Below is a list of other possibilities for leftovers from a Thanksgiving feast for you to enjoy.
- Turkey Soup (use the carcass as the base)
- Turkey Pot Pie
- Turkey Salad (chopped meat with mayo, celery, craisins, salt and pepper)
- Turkey Crêpes
- Turkey Lasagna
- Turkey Panini
- Turkey Tetrazzini
- Turkey Casserole
- Turkey Spring Rolls
- Turkey Curry over Rice
- Turkey Crostini
- Turkey Frittata
- (I’m starting to feel like Forrest Gump’s friend Benjamin Buford Blue, aka “Bubba” citing all the ways he prepared shrimp. I think you get the general idea!)