4 tasty tricks for holiday turkey leftovers

Dec 25, 2009 1:51 PM

After the last of the china is washed and the linens have been laundered, you have one more chore to deal with: those mounds of leftovers. You don’t want to waste a morsel, but the same old turkey sandwiches or pot of soup seems so ho-hum. Here are some fun, easy suggestions from our ShopSmart staffers on what to do with the remains of your turkey:

Look for recipe ingredient clones. Use recipes with ingredients from your holiday dinner courses. For example, a turkey pot pie will take care of some of the leftover bird and the veggies that were barely touched on your crudité platter. If you still have some gravy, there’s your sauce. Is there an extra crust from your pumpkin pie stored in the freezer? If so, it can be your bottom or topper (or pick up a frozen crust at the supermarket).

Wake up your palate. Bored with the usual holiday flavors? Invigorate your taste buds by adding spices like chili, cumin, or curry paste to leftovers. Try fajitas, turkey-and-cheese quesadillas, turkey chili, a Thai curry, turkey mole, or a southwestern turkey casserole.

Make a sandwich sing. For a twist on the traditional sliced-turkey sandwich, cut the turkey into small chunks, bind them with a little mayo, and add some unusual extras: shredded carrot, a little Dijon mustard, and curry powder; some herbs and some celery slices; hard-boiled eggs and walnut pieces; dried cranberries, almond slices, and mandarin oranges; or chopped olives.

Wait until you have a hankering for turkey again. You don’t have to eat all of your leftover turkey. Cut some of it up into bite-sized pieces, divide it into the amounts you normally use in recipes, and store them in individual freezer bags. Then the next time you want to make turkey tetrazzini, turkey à la king, or turkey stuffed shells, thaw a bag and toss it in with the other ingredients for a quick meal. Turkey will keep in your freezer up to four months if stored properly.

Take a look at our tips on staving off those extra holiday pounds and see our advice on preventing—and treating holiday heartburn.