Ideas for All Your Leftover Turkey and Sides
November 28, 2014
I bet everyone in your house slept in this morning! All that excitement of having family and friends around and too much food. I can honestly say that Thanksgiving leftovers are my favorite (and I’m not a leftover fan). I purposely cook more food than needed just for the leftovers. There are so many things to do with turkey and then add in mashed potatoes and gravy and it is heavenly!
Here are four ideas of what to do with all that food. Do you have any other ideas?
Turkey Tacos
Such an easy meal to make.
- Shred some of the leftover turkey.
- Use corn hard shell tortillas or fry (or bake) soft tortillas until crisp.
- Add cheese, lettuce and any type of salsa.
There’s your meal. Quick and easy! I personally use the soft corn tortillas, put the meat on one side, then put them in a pan with a small amount of oil. Within seconds, as the tortilla gets soft, I fold it over in half. This way it also heats up the meat. For something different, try adding shredded swiss cheese and guacamole.
Turkey Casserole
This works so well when you have a lot of everything left over.
- Layer the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and any vegetable leftovers.
- Pour gravy over the top (or just heat some up and everyone can add their own).
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
A Thanksgiving meal in one spoonful! I use the individual size casserole dish and let everyone make their own (some don’t like mashed potatoes – I know, horrors!)
Turkey Soup
What is better than soup on a cold day? It’s easy to make a broth. Just take some low-sodium chicken broth (secret – I add beef bouillon), throw in the bones with celery, carrots, and onions and let simmer for a couple of hours. Season to taste (you can add any type of salt, pepper, thyme, cumin – choose your favorite, just remember to stir and taste before adding too much). Remove the bones and add chunks of turkey. Add some pasta or rice for a more substantial meal.
Turkey Sandwich
This is a fave at our house. Everyone makes their own and it is fun to see all the different variations. I like a regular turkey sandwich, served on a sub roll, with mayo, mustard, swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato. My husband likes more of a turkey meal for his sandwich. He will add everything, using cranberry sauce instead of mayo and mustard. He puts it all together and then grills it. I have a friend who uses gravy as the condiment and only puts on mashed potatoes and stuffing.
Don’t throw out any leftover food from Thanksgiving. Instead turn it into quick delicious meals. No one will complain that it is leftovers, because each day it will be totally different.
