That leftover turkey can still be the star in some tasty dishes
After the big holiday meal, turkey can still play starring role in four varied, delicious dishes
My mother always roasted more than one turkey for Thanksgiving. Her reasoning was twofold: You never know who’s going to show up needing a hot meal, and you can never have too much leftover turkey.
She boiled the turkey carcasses to make big pots of broth for turkey caldo loaded with vegetables and half ears of corn. She also made a thicker soup that was basically a swampy version of the Thanksgiving spread: turkey, potatoes, carrots, green beans and even stuffing in a hearty meal in a bowl. And we enjoyed turkey-stuffed tacos, flautas and enchiladas for at least a week.
Like my mom, home cooks revel in uses for every part of Thanksgiving dinner. Have you seen the recipes for leftover green bean casserole soup? Or pot pies made with turkey and green bean casserole? What about turkey Bolognese for pasta, turkey and sweet potato hash; stuffing-stuffed mushroom caps; turkey and asparagus frittata; turkey shepherd’s pie; cranberry sauce muffins; and sweet potato bisque? My favorite Thanksgiving re-use is waffles made from leftover stuffing. I’d almost make a batch of stuffing just to press it in the waffle iron and slather the toasted cakes with butter and syrup.
If you have some leftover roasted turkey after your big holiday meal this week, here are a few easy ideas we tested that make excellent use of too much turkey. Like my mom reasoned, there really is no such thing.