Thanksgiving Leftovers

This is the column that followed one for Thanksgiving. I had to rush this one for early deadline so please overlook any glaring errors (little ones too!).

Too many Thanksgiving leftovers? Not a bad dilemma at all!

Mince it, curry it, make a stew

With lots of veggies. Plenty to do.

Sandwiches, omelets, make a pie.

Fry it, freeze it, this is why:

An unlucky turkey had to die.

~ Author Unknown

Among Thanksgiving blessings I can count this year, a major one is not worrying about what to do with a ton of leftovers, especially turkey. Not that this is really a bad thing. Quite the opposite. We should be especially thankful if we are among those fortunate enough to afford a turkey in today’s economy. It’s just tiresome to try to decide how to use/dispose of its remains.

You can add leftover cranberry sauce to different dishes or serve it with other pork or chicken recipes, even freeze it, but turkey is another story. For one thing, you usually have lots more of it than you do of side dishes and it’s often difficult to present it in an appealing way, i.e., disguised so it doesn’t look like turkey.

With Christmas coming up and yet another turkey looming on the horizon, you probably don’t want to freeze that leftover carcass so you want to find a way to dispose of it without feeling guilty. Personally, I hate all that work so much that I’d be tempted to freeze it and recycle it for Yuletide but that idea might be a hard sale and could even result in a small mutiny if your family is heavily tradition-bound. If you do plan to start over with another bird so soon, some of the ideas offered here may come in handy.

If you are fortunate enough not to have Thanksgiving leftovers, or have managed to get rid of what you did have, you may want to save these ideas to use with your Christmas fowl’s remains. Perhaps these suggestions on how to get rid of it that does not involve giving the remains a decent burial, the garbage can or family pets will be helpful to you then if you can’t use them now.

Turkey Gobblers

1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted

1 T. lemon juice

2 T. mayonnaise

2 T. sour cream

1/4 t. hot pepper sauce

12 slices cooked turkey breast meat

12 slices tomato

12 slices American or cheddar cheese

12 strips bacon, halved, cooked, crumbled

6 English muffins, split and toasted

In a small bowl, mash the avocado; add lemon juice, mayonnaise, sour cream and hot pepper sauce.Spread over muffin halves; top with turkey, tomato, cheese and bacon and broil 6 inches from the heat for 3-4 minutes or until cheese begins to melt. Yields 6 servings.

Easy Turkey Salad

6 eggs, boiled and chopped

6 c. chopped cooked turkey meat

1 16-oz. jar sweet pickle relish or chopped sweet pickles

15 oz. mustard-mayonnaise blend

3/4 c. mayonnaise

Sea salt & coarse black pepper to taste (opt.)

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. Chill approximately 3 hours before serving. Seasoning may be adjusted to personal preference.

Different Turkey Salad

3 T. cider vinegar

2 t. Dijon mustard

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. ground black pepper

1/2 t. granulated garlic

3 T. olive oil

4 c. cooked, diced turkey

2 stalks of celery, finely chopped

In a medium bowl, whisk vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic together. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Add diced turkey and celery; toss to mix well. Serve turkey salad on your favorite bread for sandwiches, serve over salad greens, or fill scooped out avocado or tomato halves with it.

Variations: (a) Prepare turkey salad as above. Stir in 1 large navel orange, peeled and coarsely chopped, 2 chopped green onions and 2 t. grated orange peel. Serve salad over greens. (b) Prepare turkey salad as above. Stir in a cup of leftover cranberry sauce or cranberry relish, one cup of toasted and chopped walnuts and one cup of golden raisins. Raisins are optional but add a nice touch to this version.

Turkey & Cranberry Wreath

2 8-oz. pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls

1/2 c. mayonnaise

2 T. honey Dijon mustard

1/2 t. coarsely ground black pepper

2 c. cooked turkey, chopped

1/2 c. celery, sliced

3 T. fresh parsley, snipped

1/2 c. dried cranberries

1 c. (4 oz.) Swiss cheese, shredded

1/4 c. chopped walnuts

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375º F. Unroll crescent dough and separate into 16 triangles. Place wide ends of 8 triangles toward the center, arranging them in a circle on a large baking stone or large baking sheet. The corners of wide ends will touch and points will extend one (1) inch beyond edge of baking stone. Match wide end of each remaining triangle to wide end of each outer triangle and seal seams. Points should overlap in the center but do not seal them together.

Combine mayonnaise, mustard and black pepper in a large bowl. Stir in turkey, celery, parsley and cranberries. Add cheese and mix well. Scoop filling over seams of dough, forming a circle; then sprinkle chopped walnuts over the filling.

Beginning in the center, lift one dough triangle across mixture. Continue alternating outer strips, allowing them to slightly overlap to form wreath shape. Tuck last end under first. Brush beaten egg white over dough. Place in preheated oven and bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 2-3 minutes before slicing. Yield: 10 servings.

Turkey Hot Browns

8 thick white bread slices

1 lb. roasted turkey slices

1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

8 bacon slices, cooked and drained

2 large tomatoes, sliced and halved

Cheese Sauce (recipe follows)

Trim crusts from bread slices, place bread on a baking sheet and broil 3 inches from heat. After one side is browned, turn and toast on other side. Arrange 2 bread slices in each of four lightly greased individual baking dishes or place all 8 slices in a lightly greased 15x10 jellyroll pan.

Top bread with turkey slices and pour hot Cheese Sauce evenly over turkey. Sprinkle with Parmesan and broil 6 inches from heat for four minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Remove from oven, top evenly with bacon and tomato and serve immediately.

Cheese Sauce for Hot Browns

1/2 c. butter

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

3-1/2 c. whole milk

1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Few drops hot sauce to taste (opt.)

Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly for one minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, and cook, whisking constantly for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in cheese, salt, pepper and hot sauce, remove from heat and use in Turkey Hot Browns recipe.

Gobbler Cobbler with Cornbread Crust

1 10-1/2 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 c. milk

1 c. frozen peas, cooked

1 T. chopped pimiento

2 c. cubed, cooked turkey

3/4 c. sifted all-purpose flour

3/4 c. cornmeal

2 t. baking powder

3/4 t. salt

1/4 c. shortening

1 egg, lightly beaten

3/4 c. milk

Combine soup, milk, peas, pimiento, and turkey in a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Transfer to a shallow 2-quart baking dish and set aside. Mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt together. Cut in shortening. Combine egg with milk, mixing thoroughly. Add to dry ingredients and stir together with a fork. Pour over turkey mixture and bake at 425° for 20 to 25 minutes. Serves 4.

Turkey Tidbits

6 c. cooked turkey, cubed

2 c. jellied cranberry sauce

1 c. favorite barbecue sauce

1/4-1/2 t. ground allspice

1 t. grated orange rind

Combine cranberry sauce, barbecue sauce, allspice and orange rind in a large saucepan, over medium heat, and whisk to blend. Stir in cubed turkey and heat through. Place in a chafing dish and serve with toothpicks for easy pickup.
This party food recipe dish is a great way to get rid of leftover turkey and leftover cranberry sauce at the same time.

Turkey Stroganoff

2 c. broccoli (frozen, chopped style)

1 T. butter

1/4 c. onion, chopped finely

3 T. all-purpose flour

1 14-1/2 oz. can chicken broth

2 c. cooked turkey, cubed

1 c. sour cream

1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained

1/2 t. dried rosemary

1/4 t. salt

/4 t. pepper

Hot cooked noodles for 4 servings

Cook broccoli according to package instructions, drain and set aside. Use leftover steamed broccoli if you have it, making sure it is well drained. Melt butter in a 2-qt. microwave safe casserole. Add onion, cover and cook on high until tender.

Add flour and blend well. Whisk in broth and cook on high for 4-6 minutes or until thickened and bubbly, stirring every 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except noodles. Cook on high for 2-3 minutes or until heated through, stirring once. Serve over noodles.