Today is Throw Out Your Leftovers Day, however the National Turkey Federation offers a few innovative ideas of how to turn your Thanksgiving leftover into another tasty meal. Check out the recipes below.
Photo courtesy National Turkey Federation
Leftover Turkey Hash
Yield: 6
Ingredients
2 cups diced potatoes
3 T olive or vegetable oil
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup diced celery
¼ cup chopped bell pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 cups diced cooked turkey
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for sprinkling
3 T heavy cream (optional)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce to serve
Method
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for about eight to 10 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender. Drain and let cool in the colander.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet, over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, bell peppers and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally for eight minutes until the vegetables start to lightly brown. Add turkey, parsley, cream (if using) and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until everything is well blended. Let cook, without stirring for about 4 minutes until the bottom is starting to brown up nicely. Transfer the pan, uncovered, to the oven and bake for seven to nine minutes until the top is crispy. If the top isn’t getting as browned as you like, slide the pan under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp up even more.
- Sprinkle with a bit more chopped parsley, and serve hot from the pan, with a fried egg or two and some hot sauce if you like!
Photo courtesy National Turkey Federation
Leftover Turkey Split Pea Soup
Yield: 6
Ingredients
10 cups chicken or turkey broth
1 ea. turkey carcass or the bones from one whole turkey breast , broken into pieces, any skin included
2 T olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup peeled and chopped carrots
1 T minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups dried split peas
4 cups shredded or chopped cooked turkey (or use chicken)
Grated parmesan to serve (optional)
Method
- Place the pieces of the turkey carcass pieces into a large soup pot and add the broth. Bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain the stock into another pot and discard the bones, skin, and any solid in the strainer.
- In the same pot that you simmered the stock, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften. Add the strained stock back to the pot along with the split peas and simmer for about one to one-and-a-half hours, until the split peas are very tender and starting to fall apart.
- Stir in the chopped or shredded turkey and heat through for about five minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve in bowls, sprinkled with parmesan if desired.
Photo courtesy National Turkey Federation
Leftover Turkey Eggs Benedict
Yield: 2
Ingredients for Stuffing Cakes
1 cup leftover stuffing
1 ea. egg
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
2 T unsalted butter
Method
- In a small bowl, gently combine one cup stuffing with one egg.
- Divide the stuffing mix into four even balls. Coat each with panko on all sides in a small bowl.
- Heat a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Place the stuffing balls and press into the skillet to form cakes. Cook for about two to three minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through.
Ingredients for Poached Eggs
4 ea. cold eggs
2 T vinegar for poaching water
Dash of kosher salt
Method
- Bring water to a simmer in a saucepan, and add 2 T. of distilled vinegar and a dash of kosher salt.
- Crack the eggs into separate ramekins.
- With a slotted spoon, create a vortex (whirlpool) by swirling the simmering water, then gently drop the egg into the vortex.
- Cover the pot and let them poach for two to three minutes (depending on the size of the egg). Remove the eggs from the simmering water with the slotted spoon, and place onto a paper-towel-lined plate.
Ingredients for Assembly
4 ea. stuffing cakes
Leftover cranberry sauce
4 ea. leftover slices of turkey, warmed through
4 ea. poached eggs
Leftover gravy, warmed through
Chopped fresh herbs for garnish, such as sage
Method
Assemble each stuffing cake with a thin layer of cranberry sauce, sliced turkey, poached egg, gravy and herbs on top. Enjoy immediately.
Photo courtesy National Turkey Federation
Turkey Tetrazzini
Yield: 8
Ingredients
½ cup fresh bread crumbs
½ tsp Kosher salt
2 T unsalted butter, melted
½ cup shredded gruyere or Swiss cheese
12 oz dried spaghetti, snapped in half
6 T (¾ stick) unsalted butter, divided
1 ea. medium onion, chopped
8 oz sliced mushrooms, any kind
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp dried sage
1 cup chicken broth, preferably less-sodium
1 cup whole milk
3 T dry sherry (optional)
3 cups cubed cooked turkey
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
½ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for sprinkling
¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish (or another similar shallow 2 ½ quart baking dish) with nonstick spray. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain.
- Meanwhile, in a large, deep saucepan melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes until they are browned and any liquid they have released evaporates. Remove to a plate.
- While the vegetables cook, make the topping: in a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, salt, 2 T melted butter and gruyere or Swiss cheese. Set aside.
- Return the skillet to medium heat and melt the remaining 4 T of butter. Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring one to two minutes until the flour is incorporated and turns golden. Stir in the sage, broth and milk and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently for about four minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Add the cooked mushrooms and onions, drained pasta, turkey, ½ cup parsley and parmesan (if your pan is not big enough you can mix it all together in a large mixing bowl). Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly and golden brown. Sprinkle with a bit more parsley and serve.
Photo courtesy National Turkey Federation
Thanksgiving Egg Rolls
Yield: 8
Ingredients
8 ea. large egg roll wrappers
1 cup diced turkey
1 cup mashed potatoes
½ cup stuffing
¾ cup green beans or green bean casserole
1 ea. egg white
Oil, for frying
¾ cup cranberry sauce
1 T spicy brown mustard
1 T brown sugar
Method
- Add about 2 inches of oil to a large cast iron skillet. Heat to 350°F. Place a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
- Place egg roll wrappers on a cutting board or clean counter with a corner pointing at you. Spread each egg roll wrapper with 2 T of mashed potatoes. Leave about an inch without potatoes at the corners. Top each with 1 T of stuffing. Add 2 T of diced turkey. Add three or four green beans.
- Whisk together the egg white with a splash of water. Set aside.
- Fold up the top and bottom corners of the egg roll wrapper. Take one of the sides and tightly roll. Brush remaining corner that hasn't been folded with egg wash and continue rolling until sealed.
- Once oil is hot, add egg rolls to the skillet and fry for about two minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy. Drain on prepared wire rack and serve immediately.
- For the cranberry dipping sauce: heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add cranberry sauce, spicy brown mustard and brown sugar. Whisk together. Simmer for three minutes. This sauce can be served hot or cold.
Photo courtesy National Turkey Federation
Thanksgiving Turkey Frittata
Yield: 8
Ingredients
1 T olive oil
2 cups leftover stuffing
1 cup leftover roasted sweet potatoes
1 cup leftover turkey, cut into bite-size pieces
½ cup diced brie or sharp cheddar cheese
12 ea. large eggs
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp rubbed sage
Method
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Drizzle a 10-inch cast iron skillet with olive oil and brush to coat the bottom and sides. Press the stuffing into the bottom of the cast iron skillet. Top with sweet potatoes, turkey and cheese.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, salt and rubbed sage. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes, until the eggs are set and it is no longer jiggly in the middle. If it starts to brown too much, cover with foil.
Photo courtesy National Turkey Federation
Thanksgiving Leftovers Hot Pockets
Yield: 4
Ingredients
2 ea. pie dough rounds (store bought or homemade)
½ cup leftover mashed potatoes
¼ cup leftover stuffing
¼ cup leftover cranberry sauce
½ cup diced or shredded turkey
1 ea. large egg, whisked
Method
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Roll one pie dough round into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface.
- Trim circle to an 8 x 9 inch rectangle using a pizza cutter or knife. Cut in half vertically. Now cut in half horizontally. You will have 4 - 4 x 4.5-inch pieces.
- Place the dough pieces on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pie dough round.
- Spread 2 T of the mashed potatoes onto each of the four dough pieces on the baking sheet.
- Top each with 1 T of stuffing and cranberry sauce. Evenly divide the turkey among the pie dough.
- Place the remaining pie dough pieces over topped dough and gently stretch so that the edges meet.
- Using a fork, crimp the edges so that they seal.
- Brush with whisked egg.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden and flaky.
Photo courtesy National Turkey Federation
Thanksgiving Tacos
Yield: 2
Ingredients
⅔ cup cooked turkey, shredded
2 cups Mozzarella-Cheddar cheese blend
1 ea. box of stuffing, prepared or 1-2 cups leftover stuffing
Sweet potatoes, leftover or one sweet potato, cubed and roasted
1 ea. can mushroom gravy
1 ea. can cranberry sauce
1 ea. small red onion, chopped
Any additional toppings desired
Method
- Preheat grill to 375 F.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, place 1 cup piles of cheese two inches apart.
- Press the cheese down lightly so it makes one circular layer.
- Top with ⅓ cup shredded cooked turkey and cook until turkey is incorporated into the cheese.
- Remove from heat and let the cheese cool for two to three minutes. Do not let it cool completely!
- Lift the cheese with a spatula and place the cheese turkey-side facing down over the handle of a wooden spoon, cup or other utensil to form the taco shell shape.
- Let the cheese harden for two to three minutes.
- Add the fillings of your choice - more turkey, stuffing and sweet potatoes and top with cranberry sauce and red onion.
