6 Recipe Ideas for Leftover Turkey

Thanksgiving is over. You're completely stuffed and you've eaten all the turkey sandwiches you can handle. Now what? Here are 6 recipe ideas to use up some of that leftover turkey!

 Cream of Turkey Soup 

Turkey Orzo Soup

Turkey Tarragon Soup

Baked Turkey & Wasabi Mashed Potato Croquettes

Sun Dried Tomato Turkey Salad

Waldorf Chicken Salad 

(you can substitute turkey)

What do you like to make with your leftover turkey? 

Apple Cider Brined Roasted Chicken with Pan Gravy

Last Thanksgiving I made a Lemon & Rosemary Brined Turkey and it was OUT OF THIS WORLD delicious and moist. However, being that I was hosting a party of 14, it was impossible for me to take pictures of said bird. Don't get me wrong, my family loves me and this blog and all, but when it comes to Turkey Day, it's all about the food...no food styling or photos allowed!

Turkey Orzo Soup

I love that the cooler weather is approaching. It means more soup like this Turkey Orzo Soup. I will purposely buy a whole turkey or just the breast and roast it on a Sunday afternoon, knowing that I will almost always have leftovers. The recipe below calls for chicken or vegetable broth; however, I've also used homemade turkey stock made from boiling the carcass with some onions, celery and carrots after all the meat has been carved from the bone. This soup is simple to make and really warms you from the inside out on a cool day.


Turkey Orzo Soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes          Yield: 7 cups
Cook Time: 25 minutes         Serving: 1 cup
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 c. Carrots, small dice
• 1/4 c. Red Onion, small dice
• 2 Stalks Celery, small dice
• 1 tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1 c. Turkey, cooked and chopped
• 4 c. Chicken or Vegetable Broth
• 2 c. Water
• 1/2 c. Orzo

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over low heat; then add in the carrots, onion and celery. Allow the vegetables to sweat and soften for approximately 3-5 minutes. 
2. Add the parsley, turkey, broth, water and orzo. Mix well. 
3. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories 91, Carbs 8.4g, Fat 3.2g, Protein 7.2g, Fiber 1.1g, Sugar 1.5g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Turkey Orzo Soup Shopping List

Turkey "Swedish" Meatballs

First, I'm officially back! I hope you all enjoyed the remainder of your summer and are getting used to the full schedules again. It was a rough couple of weeks around here with a lot of personal issues to attend to, but I did manage to create a nice backlog of recipes to share with all of you in the coming weeks. I also wanted to let you know that the monthly newsletter will be coming out this afternoon and I have signed on with a new company, Mail Chimp, so be on the lookout for that if you're signed up! Also, this Friday Seafood Frenzy Friday link party will be back up and running after a brief hiatus, so pass the word around and share with your friends. I can't wait to see what's in store.

And now for today's new recipe, Turkey "Swedish" Meatballs, that I posted as a teaser on Facebook last week. I didn't want to keep you hanging on for too long with these~Enjoy! 

Cream of Turkey Soup (Reduced Fat)

Since this is the week before Thanksgiving, I've decided to share a new recipe each day to give you some more options for the biggest feast day of the year here in the US.

Today I'm starting with soup. Now technically, this would make the perfect soup to make using leftover turkey the day or so following the holiday, but it would also taste great as a starter as well. It's so easy to make and takes less than an hour to prepare. You can also make this up to 2 days ahead so it will safe you time the day of. I don't like to use a lot of heavy cream in my cooking, but if you prefer a richer tasting soup, by all means substitute heavy cream or half and half for the reduced fat milk. 

Cream of Turkey Soup (Reduced Fat)

1/4 c. Carrots, sliced

2 tbsp. Red Onions, chopped
1 Celery Stalk, chopped
1 tbsp. Butter
2 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
2 c. Turkey, diced
4 c. Fat Free Chicken Broth
2 c. Water
1 c. Milk (I used 2% but you can also use what you prefer)
Cornstarch + Cold Water, equal parts if needed to thicken
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a large pot and add in the carrots, onions and celery. 
2. Allow to soften approximately 3-5 minutes; then stir in the flour. 
3. Add the turkey, chicken broth and water; stir well. 
4. Bring to a boil, then allow to simmer for 30 minutes. 
5. Use your immersion blender* to blend all of the ingredients together until it is smooth. 
6. Heat the milk over medium heat, then add it to the soup. Allow to simmer for another 10 minutes.  
7. If the soup isn't thick enough, combine equal parts cornstarch and cold water; then add it to the mixture and simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 6 cups. 

*If you do not have an immersion blender, pour the mixture into a regular blender and puree until smooth. Just be very careful not to fill it too much to the top as it will be extremely hot and you don't want to pop the lid off of your blender.

*Nutritional Information per Cup(2% milk): Calories 41 , Carbs 3.7g, Fat 1.9g, Protein 1.7g, Fiber .4g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy! 

Thanksgiving Tip
Allow approximately 5 days to defrost a 20lb. frozen turkey in your refrigerator. If you don't have that much time, place the turkey (still in its wrapper) in a sink, cooler or I've even heard of someone putting it in their bathtub (CLEAN and disinfected first of course!). Cover the turkey with cold water and change the water every 30 minutes. It will take approximately 10 hours to defrost a 20 lb. frozen turkey. 




Shared at Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen 11/19/12

Baked Turkey & Wasabi Mashed Potato Croquettes

So what do you do when you make one of those boneless turkey breast roasts then have less people than anticipated to eat it? Well, after cutting some up to put on salads and making sandwiches, I decided to mix them together with my leftover Wasabi mashed potatoes to make these croquettes! I have been dying to make Wasabi mashed potatoes myself since eating them out in the city for my birthday this past February. They're so easy, I don't know why I waited so long! Wasabi is essentially a green horseradish that is common in Japanese cooking. Most grocery stores carry it and can be found near the soy sauce isle. I LOVE it, but use too much and it will definitely clear out your sinus'! These were delicious, filling and a great way to use up leftovers. I also liked that they were baked instead of fried in oil, but if you prefer them that way, by all means, fry away. :)

Baked Turkey & Wasabi Mashed Potato Croquettes
2 c. Cooked Turkey Breast
2 c. Prepared Wasabi Mashed Potatoes, refrigerated at least 12 hours
1 tbsp. Parsley, chopped
1 Scallion, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 c. All-Purpose Flour
2 Eggs, whisked
1 c. Panko Breadcrumbs
Cooking Spray


Add your turkey to a food processor, chopper or blender and pulse until the turkey is minced. Add in the potatoes and pulse until the mixture is well blended, then add to a mixing bowl. Add the parsley, scallion, garlic, and flour and mix well. Add the eggs to one bowl and the breadcrumbs to another bowl. Form eight balls approximately 2" wide, then flatten slightly. Dip each patty first into the eggs, then into the breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat for each patty then spray the top of each one with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Makes 8. 


*Nutritional Information per Croquette: Calories 131 , Carbs 16g, Fat 4g, Protein 7g


Wasabi Mashed Potatoes
4 Russet Potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp. Butter
1 tbsp. Wasabi Paste
3 tbsp. Light Sour Cream
1/4 c. 2% Milk


Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Boil until the potatoes are fork tender, drain and place back in the pot. Add the butter, Wasabi paste, sour cream and milk and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Makes 6-1/2 cup servings. 

*Nutritional Information: Calories130 , Carbs 20g, Fat 5g, Protein 3g

Enjoy!

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into MyFitnessPal and may not be 100% accurate.

Sun Dried Tomato Turkey Salad

I wanted to make a different type of salad using the rest of the turkey I had left. And since it was Sunday and I needed some ideas for lunches the next day, turkey salad it was. There is only one mayo I serve in this house and for us, it's Hellmann's or nothing! I've tried the other brands and they're too "salad dressing" like. I also use the regular brand, not the light. We don't eat a lot of mayonnaise so if I am going to make a salad with one, I'm going to use the real deal.  This salad was delicious with the sun dried tomatoes and rosemary but my hubby still likes the version with the cranberries and walnuts the best. You know what they say "Variety is the spice of life" and he certainly can't complain our meals are boring or monotonous!  :)

Sun Dried Tomato Turkey Salad
2 c. Fresh Turkey Breast, chopped
1/2 c. Celery, washed and chopped
1 tsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
1/4 c. Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. Hellmann's Mayonnaise
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste


Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Serves 4. 

For those of you on the West Coast, Hellmann's is the same as Best Foods. According to this recent article by the Huffington Post, Best Foods bought Hellmann's in 1932 and didn't want to lose customers by changing brand names. Rather, they kept the independent names and just made both logos look the same. They also have the same advertisements and slogans. The company claims that the two mayonnaise products are identical, and the ingredients lists are exactly the same. A Best Foods representative did state that Best Foods mayonnaise and Hellman's mayonnaise are "the same great product" with ingredients sourced from the same location. 


On another note, I found an article from the Mayo Clinic on some other uses for mayonnaise. Click here to read the full article in more detail! 
1. Polishing ivory piano keys
2. Conditioning dry, brittle hair
3. Exfoliating your skin
4. Cleaning up crayon marks (Gee,  I wish I knew this one a few years ago!)
5. Strengthening fingernails
6. Removing tar, sap and sticker residue
7. Restoring wood furniture
8. Removing rings left on furniture by wet/damp glasses
9. Polishing houseplant leaves


Enjoy!

Turkey Pot Pie

Growing up, pot pie was one of those frozen "staples" we always used to have in the house. It was quick to make on those busy nights when Mom was working late and it was always a hit with my sister and I. It wasn't until I was married that I attempted to make a pot pie on my own. Once I realized how EASY it was, I never went back. It's the perfect use for leftover turkey (or chicken or beef for that matter!). Just cut up your meat and add some veggies (I use frozen if I have them). For this one in particular, I had made one of those Butterball Turkey Breast roasts and after making it, no one was really hungry. So that left me with quite a bit of turkey left. This hit the spot on a cold night after all of our schedules had us in different places. It's the perfect make ahead meal that heats up nicely. 

Turkey Pot Pie
2 c. Turkey Breast, cooked and chopped
1/4 c. Red Onion, chopped
1/2 c. Carrots, cooked and chopped
1/2 c. Corn
1/2 c. Peas
1 tbsp. Fresh Thyme
1 tbsp. Oil (I used Grapeseed)
2 tbsp. Flour
1/4 c. White Wine (I used Chardonnay)
1 1/2 c. Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Package Refrigerated Pie Crust (I used Pillsbury brand but you can make homemade)


Line pie plate with one of the pie crusts. In a large, non stick frying pan, heat the oil and add in the turkey, onion, carrots, corn, peas and thyme. Saute until the onions become translucent then add the flour. Add the wine and chicken broth and mix well forming a creamy filling for the pot pie. Pour into the crust lined pie plate, then top with the remaining pie crust. Fork the edges to help seal the dough. Place on a baking sheet (to avoid any spillage) and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30-35 minutes or until pie crust is golden brown. Serves 4. 


Enjoy and Happy Birthday Dad! 

Turkey Tarragon Soup

We had so many things going on right after Thanksgiving that I froze the turkey carcass to make a soup with later on. I pulled it out this past Sunday to make this soup. I've heard people say that they have never made a soup using the bones but whether it's turkey or chicken, it's so simple you'll never throw out the bones again! All you have to do is add the carcass to a large pot, throw in some vegetables and water and let it simmer away for about 1-2 hours. Remove the bones, add some pasta, rice or grains and soup is served! 

Turkey Tarragon Soup
1 Turkey Carcass
2 tbsp. Canola Oil
6 Stalks Celery, washed and chopped
2 c. Carrots, chopped
1 Small Red Onion, chopped
Water
1 tbsp. Fresh Tarragon, removed from stem and chopped
1 tbsp. Parsley, fresh or dried
2 c. Pasta (I happened to use Barilla's Piccolini Mini Rotelle Zucchini & Spinach)
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste


Heat oil in a large pot and add the celery, carrots and onions. Saute until the onions start to become soft and translucent. Add the turkey carcass then fill the pot with water, making sure you cover all of the bones. Bring to a boil then let simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add tarragon, parsley, salt, pepper and pasta and simmer for another 30 minutes. 


I can't tell you how much this actually made as my family devoured it before I could measure it. If I had to guess, it's probably around 10-12 cups and because the residual meat comes off the bone, I can't determine how much is actually in there to count Points+. But if I had to guess, each cup is probably under 5 points.  :)




Enjoy!