The Day After...

Ok, now that the turkey is in the refrigerator, the stuffing is gone and the mashed potatoes just don't quite taste the same reheated, what do you do with the leftovers?

Here are some great suggestions.

1.  Freeze it - Using your turkey to make a turkey and vegetable stew later in the year will be an easy meal when you are tired and dont want to mess with making a big meal, especially when the weather gets really cold.

2.  Turkey Pot Pie - Nothing says comfort food like a homemade pot pie. 

3.  Turkey and noodles  - This is an Ohio staple. 

4.  Turkey BBQ - I know it sounds unusual but give it a shot.  Use a fresh potato bun (hamburger bun) with piping hot turkey and BBQ sauce.  Some potato chips and a pickle and you will be dreaming of summer BBQs in no time at all.  This really goes great with a tall glass of sweet tea!

5.  The Ever Popular Turkey and Cranberry Sandwich - I believe that some people look forward to this sandwich as much as they do to the actual Thanksgiving meal itself.   Be sure to use a nice sourdough bread then add your turkey, some mayo, lettuce, and top it off with some cranberry sauce.

6.  Turkey Salad - A modification of the traditional Chicken Salad. 

7.  Turkey Enchiladas - Add a few green chilies, some onions and a can of tomatoes to your leftover turkey and wrap it in a flour tortilla and top with your favorite enchilada sauce.  A great way to change up on flavors in the colder months too.

8.  Turkey & Rice with Mixed Vegetables - Make some brown rice, add a can of cream of mushroom soup and cup or two of cooked turkey and half of a bag of frozen vegetables.  It's a wonderful comfort food and it goes great with a couple pieces of toast.  Plus, it's a very easy dinner to make when you don't have time to prepare a full on meal.

9.  Broccoli, Turkey, Rice, and Cheese Casserole - Add your cooked rice, cooked curkey, frozen broccoli, a can of cream of mushroom soup and a little shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 45 min.  Very easy and very yummy!

10.  Turkey and Dumplings - Again a standard comfort food.  Use your favorite recipe for chicken and dumplings and swap the chicken for the turkey and you have yourself a great meal that you can eat on for a few days.

 11.  Make a nice big salad and a use your turkey as a topping. Turkey is a lean meat so you will not be hurting your self by using turkey to supliment your salads.

12.  White Chili - White Chili is an often overlooked chili recipe but it's extreamly flavorful and good for you.  There are hundreds of recipes for a white chili on the internet.  Find some that look good to you and just use your turkey in place of chicken or pork in the recipe. 

The point is, get creative.  There is no need to let your holiday bird go to waste.  Turkey is an American staple and it has many, many uses.  The only thing that will limit your use of your leftover turkey is your imagination.

What are your favorite leftover turkey recipes?

Chef Pat @ CFL