New Ways with Turkey Leftovers

Want some updated ideas for fixing turkey leftovers? Take a peek at these suggestions that are guaranteed to come together quickly and save you time in the kitchen.

Quesadilla
Traditionally thought of as a Mexican inspired dish, the quesadilla lends itself to innovation and easy cooking. They come in all sizes and can be cooked for every meal. There are breakfast quesadilla with scrambled eggs, upscale quesadilla with smoked trout and Brie cheese, and a picky-eater's quesadilla with "cheese only, please." The combination of already cooked turkey and tortilla shells meet to create a fun-filled, quick and easy meal.

Choose your favorite flour tortillas either plain or the newer variety flavored with pesto or sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté sliced onions and peppers in a small amount of olive oil. Set aside. Sauté sliced mushrooms in olive oil. Season with fresh rosemary. Set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Place one tortilla in the pan. Layer Monterey Jack cheese on the tortilla. Place thin slices of cooked turkey on top of the cheese. Generously sprinkle the sautéed vegetables on top of the turkey. Layer with more cheese. Place another tortilla shell on top and press down slightly. Cook for a minute or two. Use a large spatula to turn over the quesadilla. Cook until the cheese melts. Remove to a plate, cut into wedges and serve with your favorite condiments like salsa, sour cream, guacamole, black olives and jalapeno peppers. Don't stop there. Vary the ingredients and create your own favorite quesadilla!

Pasta
Think of your last visit to your favorite Italian restaurant. I'm sure that somewhere on the menu you saw a dish that combined, chicken, pasta and perhaps broccoli or goat cheese. You can create an equally wonderful dish at home by substituting turkey for chicken in any pasta dish.

My all time favorite pasta dish, Penne Pasta with Pink Vodka Sauce, is elegantly updated with thin slices of roasted turkey tossed in at the last minute. Cook Penne pasta according to the directions on the package. The pasta should be finished "al dente," meaning firm and not mushy. Drain sun-dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil. Save the oil in a bowl. Cut the tomatoes into thin strips. Sauté onions in the oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add the sun-dried tomatoes to the pan and stir. Add vodka to the pan and reduce until no liquid remains. Add cream and reduce until the sauce just begins to thicken. Stir in tomato paste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss in the sliced turkey with some canned sweet peas. In a pasta bowl, toss together the Penne and the sauce. Sprinkle the dish with Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil. Add crusty bread and a tossed salad with a light vinaigrette for a true comfort meal.

Take stock of your turkey
Chicken stock is a staple in the well-stocked pantry for use in great sauces, gravy and soup. Turkey stock is equally flavorful. Use the left over carcass of the turkey to start your stock. Place the bones into a large pot. Add celery, carrots, onions and a bay leaf or two. Cover with water and simmer for at least 1 hour and as long as several hours. Drain the liquid and store it in covered containers in the refrigerator or freezer.

For a quick turkey soup, sauté chopped onions in olive oil in the bottom of a large pot. Add diced carrots, celery, and sweet potato. Pour in 4 to 6 cups of turkey stock and simmer until the vegetables are soft. Add chunks of leftover turkey. Season the soup with a bit of curry powder, salt and freshly ground pepper.

More Turkey Talk
Now you see that you are not limited to the traditional after Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches. In fact, leftover turkey will work well as a time saver for quick, easy and FUN midweek meals. You may be surprised to see that your leftovers don't hang around quite as long as in past years, when you create inspired dishes like Caesar Salad with Roasted Turkey Slices or Salad Nicoise with Breast of Turkey in place of tuna. A quick and easy Sweet Potato Turkey Hash utilizes leftover turkey and the extra potatoes that you may not have needed for the holiday dinner!

Feel free to roast a small turkey or turkey breast on the weekend and use the leftovers for a swift start to one or more great meals later in the week. Now this is an idea that doesn't have to wait for Thanksgiving!

More leftover recipes
• Turkey and Spinach Lasagna
• Wild Rice and Turkey Casserole
• BBQ Turkey Sandwiches
• Curried Turkey Pot Pies

Also see:
• More holiday leftover ideas
• New traditions for Thanksgiving
• Holiday centerpiece ideas
• Search our recipe database

Jorj Morgan is the Lifestyle Director of BlueSuitMom.com and the author of At Home In The Kitchen, a cookbook due in March 2001.