delicious uses for Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving has come and gone. The hours of food prep are over, and the ensuing gluttony has left you groaning in your easy chair. Resting a little more comfortably is the leftover Thanksgiving turkey, chilling in the fridge awaiting use in another meal.

There are lots of familiar ways to use up the abundance — turkey tetrazzini for Saturday’s dinner, turkey soup on Sunday, turkey sandwiches for school lunches. You can easily up the interesting factor with these nutritious and delicious twists on your old favorites.

Pasta

Try this light, quick and delicious pasta as an alternative to tetrazzini. Sauté broccoli florets or snow peas in oil for a couple of minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside. Next, in the same pan, sauté sliced garlic for a minute followed by sliced onion. Cook for a few minutes, then add chopped cooked turkey and season with salt and pepper. Once the turkey is warmed through, return the cooked veggies to the pan along with some sliced red bell pepper. Toss this mix over the heat for a couple of minutes.

Alternately, add fresh spinach or chopped kale to the pan after the turkey has cooked with the garlic and onions. Continue cooking just until the greens wilt.

Add your turkey and vegetable blend to the freshly-cooked pasta of your choice, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and enjoy a tasty and nutritious leftover turkey and pasta meal.

Lunch

Send your child to school with a nutritious lunch that is delicious and quick to prepare. Tortillas are a great alternative to bread, so make turkey tortilla roll ups for lunch instead of sandwiches. Children will enjoy making these as much as eating them. Tortillas’ mild flavor means that roll ups can be filled with any delicious and nutritious ingredients. Along with the leftover turkey, try combinations of cream cheese spreads, hummus, cut veggies, avocado, olives, shredded cheese, thanksgiving stuffing, cranberry sauce, sliced apples, sliced onions or bacon. Your choices can be enhanced with mayonnaise, honey mustard or your favorite salad dressing. Crunchy romaine lettuce or fresh spinach leaves add color, flavor and texture to this leftover turkey lunch.

Even nut butters can go with turkey. Try a smear of sunflower butter with turkey, romaine leaves, cilantro, sliced mild onion, shredded carrots and Napa cabbage and a drizzle of an Asian-inspired salad dressing.

Soup

Turn your Sunday leftover turkey soup into a delicious southwestern meal served with chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips. A cup or two of cooked brown rice added along with the beans and turkey boosts both the nutritional value and the flavor.

2 tablespoons oil

½ cup chopped onion

4 cloves minced garlic

2 cups coarsely chopped cooked turkey (more, if you would like)

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder or cayenne pepper

1 cup cooked pinto beans

1 cup cooked black beans

1 cup whole kernel corn

4 cups broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Salt and pepper

1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained (optional)

Sauté the chopped onion and garlic in a soup pot, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring the soup to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring often. Adjust the seasonings to your taste. Additional accompaniments can include sliced avocado, fresh lime wedges, chopped onion, salsa or hot sauce.

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