Good evening all and welcome to our weekly table! For many this weekend after Thanksgiving in the US is a time for shopping and putting up the holiday decorations so the leftovers from the big meal are perfect for quick dinners. While variations on the perfect turkey sandwich abound there are always other ways to incorporate the leftovers into meals. As a matter of fact the very first post I ever wrote for this group officially was all about using Thanksgiving leftovers!
What's For Dinner: Thanksgiving Leftovers Edition
We did a turkey breast this year so we don’t have the whole bird to work with but the bones are still saved in a ziploc bag in the freezer for making stock which I like to do in a slow cooker.
Turkey Stock
turkey carcass & leftover parts such as wings
1 whole onion quartered (don't worry about peeling it but do trim off roots and dirt)
3-4 garlic cloves smashed w/the flat of your knife
a couple of carrots
a couple stalks of celery
salt & pepper (I throw a palmful of whole peppercorns in there)
a couple of bay leaves
Toss all ingredients into a large stock pot or slow cooker. Chop up the celery and carrots as needed to fit. Liberally season w/salt & pepper then add water to completely cover the carcass.
For stovetop:
Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 6-8 hrs or until the broth is golden brown to your liking.
For the slow cooker/crockpot:
Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hrs.
You will want to then prepare a large bowl in an ice bath and place a strainer over it in your sink. Carefully strain your stock into this setup and set aside the solids to cool. The stock can then be refrigerated so the fat solidifies at the top to be discarded. Once the solids are cool enough to handle you can pick through the bones to extract any good bits of meat. Discard the rest.
I like to freeze the finished stock in ice cube trays then pop the cubes into freezer bags or containers.
Leftover turkey? Soup, stew, or a pot pie filling! Or mix shredded turkey meat with some cheese and chiles and make enchiladas!
This is a quick and easy salad:
Quick Chinese Turkey Salad
1/4 cup of rice vinegar
1tbsp sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp veg. oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 14-16 oz package of mixed salad greens washed & drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1 lb cooked turkey shredded
1 cup dry chow mein noodles
Combine vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, veg. oil and sesame oils in a large bowl, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add salad mix & cilantro/parsley and toss to coat. Add turkey & dry chow mein noodles & toss. Serve immediately.
From kikkomanusa.com
I tried this recipe last year and ended up with way too much leftover. But if you want to feed a crowd or stock the freezer it was tasty!
Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe - Pioneer Woman
One I did not get around to trying last year:
Slow-Cooker Leftover Turkey and Andouille Gumbo Recipe
Leftover mashed potatoes are good for topping a shepherd’s pie. This year I made these decadent scalloped potatoes that have become a favorite for holidays:
But mostly I enjoy a good turkey sandwich on some good bread with a bit of mustard and a lot of mayo;)
A fondly remembered DKos member from WFD as well as his own postings is Translator and he commented on that first diary of mine thusly:
My very favorite leftover
dish is what my dad always called a Coronado Sandwich. Take leftover sliced turkey (I like a mix of dark and white meat), leftover sliced ham (the former Mrs. Translator prefers bacon, but I like ham), and leftover homebaked rolls.
Slice the rolls and put mayonnaise on each side. If you like mustard, put a little of that on as well. Horseradish is also good, but be sure to put it under the meat as it rapidly becomes flavorless when heated very much.
Now add as much Monterrey Jack cheese as you like to both halves of the sandwich and put them under the broiler until the cheese is well browned and bubbly. Enjoy with leftover cranberry sauce!
Another commenter suggested fondue:
it's when you make a cheese fondue
and dip your leftover turkey in it! yum!
If you missed it there was a fun post on the Front Page on Thursday where folks were sharing lots of good recipes too:
What’s for Dinner? is a Saturday evening get-together where friends share recipes, talk about good food and help others answer culinary questions.
We welcome you to our virtual table every Saturday evening 4:30 PT/7:30 ET. If you would like to write a post for an upcoming date just send a message to ninkasi23!
I would love to hear what leftovers you are enjoying, or creating at your table tonight!