If your family is like mine, turkey is the main course for Christmas dinner. We typically spend Thanksgiving with the in-laws, so we save the turkey for Christmas. It never fails though. There are always turkey leftovers.
I’ve come up with several turkey leftover recipes to get the most out of the bird. Certainly can’t let it go to waste. Here are a few of my favorites.
Turkey Enchiladas
This recipe works because it’s such a break from the traditional food we’ve been having for the past few meals. I keep mine simple. The sauce consists of sauteed garlic and onions. I then add tomato sauce, diced green chilis and a bit of tomato paste. For spices, I use oregano, ground cumin, chili powder and crushed red pepper for a little heat. Salt, pepper and a squeeze of lime finish it off.
I use flour tortillas with some leftover turkey, diced green onions and cheddar cheese. I pop the filled tortillas covered with the sauce and a little more cheese in a 400-degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. Perfect!
Turkey Soup
Homemade soup is a the epitome of comfort food. Since I have most of the ingredients already, I’ll make a turkey noodle soup, using sauteed onion, celery and carrots. Parsley and thyme add a flavor boost. I use whatever starch is around, such as noodles, rice or barley.
Turkey Chili Verde
This recipe works for the same reason that the enchiladas do. It tastes great and warms you up. For this recipe, I like to use an online recipe like this chicken chili verde recipe from Epicurious.com. What’s nice about a recipe like this is that I can use the whole bird. Some family members won’t eat dark meat. In this recipe, that is forgotten.
The important thing to remember with turkey is to use it or lose it. You must get it into the fridge within two hours and use it within three or four days. After that time, you should pitch it. Have a Merry Christmas everyone and enjoy your turkey!
