New ideas for turkey leftovers

Not to diminish the deliciousness of a turkey sandwich when using up leftovers from Christmas dinner, but there are literally dozens of other things that can create. And when groceries are so expensive, waste not, want not!

Turkey cranberry salad

Tear big leaf lettuce (Boston, Bibb or Romaine) into bite-size chunks. Coarsely chop an apple and about a cup of leftover turkey. Make a bed of lettuce and sprinkle turkey, apple and walnut pieces. For the dressing, mix a tsp of leftover cranberry sauce with about a ¼ cup of mayo. Add dressing (to taste) to salad.

Turkey pesto Panini

Pesto goes nicely with turkey and offers a nice change of flavour from heavy gravies and sauces. Note- if you don’t have a Panini press, you can just use a regular frying pan and flip it. Spilt ciabatta buns and butter the outside. Layer turkey with a thin layer of pesto and Swiss cheese. Grill until heated through

Stuffed turkey peppers

Half red peppers and remove stem and core. In a bowl, mix a cup shredded turkey, a tsp of salsa and a cup of black beans.  Fill peppers with turkey mixture and top with grated cheese. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and mixture is heated through.

Turkey casserole

Cook four cups of short pasta (rotini, penne, fusilli etc.), drain and set aside. In a bowl, combine two cans of cream of mushroom soup, one cup of milk and a cup of diced veggies. Add a couple of cups of turkey and mix well. Mix in pasta until coated. Place in 9×13 pan. Cover liberally with panko bread crumbs and shredded cheddar. Bake in a 350° oven for 30-40 minutes, or until bubbling.

Turkey frittata

A frittata is basically a baked omelette, and is a great way to use up any leftovers that you’ve got. Chop an onion and a green pepper. Sauté in oven-proof skillet veggies butter with salt and pepper. Add 2 cups of turkey and a clove of garlic. Meanwhile, beat 6 large eggs with a ¼ cup of milk. Add to skillet and cook until eggs set. Put skillet in oven on broil, until eggs set all the way through (probably 5 mins).