I love leftovers! Ever since childhood, they’ve been a breakfast favorite of mine, sides, salads—anything goes. It’s even better if a roast is included and turkey tops that list. What I don’t love is a dinner plate full of slightly weary, reheated items masquerading as the original presentation. It’s sad, and though perhaps satisfactory, far from satisfying, especially since there are so many ways to serve these foods in different, appetizing ways.

Sides can be added to frittatas, quiches and soups. Au gratins are wonderful scrambled with eggs. Green vegetables, with a few additions, blend into sauces. Even salads can be restored by replacing wilted greens with fresh. There’s no need to serve re-runs.

I plan to deal with these possibilities in another post. This week is all about turkey—Oh and two for stuffing at the end of the article. Each year I’ve written about ways to use leftover turkey and when I reviewed them, preparing for this year’s post, I realized there were a lot of excellent recipes there. So this year, I’m offering a list of the best, and since it takes up several pages, I’m cutting the text short. If you want to delve deeper into the subject, simply go to the blog section of the site and select any November from the drop-down menu on the right margin.

There are 19 recipes below, arranged in a certain order, so don’t just look at one or two and think they’re all to the same taste. Skip around and you’ll probably find one you like or which suits your requirements. The first 7 are Continental cuisine, the next 4, Italian. Then there’s a quick stir-fry, followed by 2 Mexican, 3 salads, 1 hash and a soup which is are stuffing recipes. Here’s to happy dining—POST Turkey Day!!

RECIPES

Turkey a la King Pierre: 

Serves 4
Adapted from the chicken dish as served in the Café Pierre, in the hotel of the same name in New York City.
1 whole side (or half turkey breast) divided as described below-depending on size of bird
(2) 4 oz. cans button mushroom caps – drained
(1/2 ) 8 oz. can whole, pitted, black olives cut lengthwise in half
4 jarred roasted red peppers in slices ½ inch by 1 ½ inch.
1 envelope chicken bouillon granules
(1) 10 ½ oz. can chicken broth
1/4 tsp. curry powder- or to taste
1 cup milk- divided
½ cup light cream
3 Tbs. cornstarch
Measure broth adding water to make 1 ½ cups. Divide breast meat, lengthwise, cutting on an angle with the grain, into 8 large pieces. Add ½ cup milk, bouillon envelope, curry, mushrooms, and olives to the pan. Dissolve the cornstarch in the other ½ cup milk and add to the rest. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, bring the contents just to a boil. Reduce heat and stir until sauce thickens. Add cream and incorporate, then turkey and peppers and heat through, but do not allow to boil. Adjust seasonings. If at any time sauce seems too thick, add a little milk to thin, not water.
NOTE: If using leftover turkey: thaw if frozen. Otherwise follow above directions.

Serving suggestions: Cook 4 frozen patty shells according to directions, and have waiting, with tops or “caps” on the side. Fill shells and garnish with tops. Alternately, serve on toasted slices of artesian bread.

Turkey Curry: 

Serves 4
In the 1960s this was a featured dish at the Strand Restaurant in Atlantic City, N.J. They roasted turkeys especially for it.
4 cups large turkey pieces white meat is best
2 apples peeled, cored and cut in 1 inch cubes
1 stalk celery in thin slices
1 envelope chicken bouillon granules
1 cup apple juice or cider
2 cups milk
½ cup half and half
2-3 tsps. curry powder or to taste
6 Tbs. flour
Place celery and apple juice in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high 1 min.; add apple and cook 1 min. more. Remove fruit and reserve; check juice measure and add more to bring to 1 cup if needed. Place juice and milk and half and half in a pot with flour, curry and bouillon and whisk to dissolve. Put pot on high heat and whisk until liquid is smooth, about 30 sec. Add fruit and celery and stir with a spoon until mixture begins to thicken, about 2 min. Do not allow to boil. Reduce heat to medium, add turkey and continue stirring gently until mixture is thick and meat is heated.  Check seasonings and serve at once.

NOTE: Serve over rice and pass chutney on the side.

Turkey in Orange Sauce –

Serves 4
4 portions of large pieces of frozen turkey thawed
1 medium-small onion diced fine
1 Tbs. oil
1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate*
1 ½ cups white wine*
1 Tbs. soy sauce or to taste
orange marmalade or brown sugar to taste
3 Tbs. match stick pieces of orange rind ½ inch long
Sauté the onion in the oil until soft, about 3 min. Add the juice, wine, soy sauce and orange rind. Stir to mix well and taste to adjust flavors adding marmalade or sugar if needed. This sauce should be tangy. Add the meat to the pan and simmer for about 10 min. to infuse the flavors. Serve hot.
* equal amounts of fresh orange juice can be substituted, but it’s best to dissolve ½ tsp. of cornstarch in the liquid first, and stir until slightly thickened before adjusting seasoning or adding the meat.

This technique works well substituting ½ cup, or to taste, leftover whole cranberry sauce for the frozen orange juice concentrate, mixing it with the wine and omitting the soy sauce and marmalade. The orange rind is optional.

Chicken with Olives:  

Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or equal sized pieces of turkey meat
¼ cup flour
20 green, pimento stuffed olives, cut in half
2 Tbs.  oil
(½) 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic mashed or equal amount jarred
½ cup White wine
3 oz. tomato paste
½ envelope chicken bouillon granules dissolved in –1/4   cup water
2 tsp. olive juice – from the olives
Prepare chicken breasts by pounding thin, and coat in flour. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, and brown chicken on both sides @ 6 min. total.  Remove chicken. Add onion and sauté 2 min. add garlic and sauté 1 min. more. Add rest of ingredients, and stir to combine, making sure tomato paste is incorporated. Return chicken to pan, cover and cook about 10 min.

Remove lid and cook 3 min. more to let sauce thicken, if needed.
NOTE: If using leftover turkey: Replace chicken with equal amount of turkey, thawed if frozen.
Start by using the 2 Tbs. oil to sauté the onion and proceed as directed above adding turkey in place of chicken at the time it’s returned to the pan.

Turkey with Mushrooms in Cream Sauce:

Serves 2
2 cups cooked turkey meat cut in bite-sized pieces
½ medium onion –sliced in half then quartered
4 mushroom caps about 1 ½ inch diameter each-quartered
5 oz. water
3 oz. milk or half and half
½ tsp. chicken bouillon granules
½ tsp. dried sage
1 ½ Tbs. butter-divided
2 Tbs. white wine-optional
2Tbs. flour
1 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup –or more-Panko
Saute vegetables in 1 Tbs. butter until onion is soft, about 3 min. using a slotted spoon, remove to plate with chicken. To the 5 oz. of water add 3 oz. milk or cream, white wine, sage and bouillon to equal 1 cup fluid. Melt reserved butter in the remaining butter in pan; bring to foam, remove from heat and add flour stirring to make a roux or paste.* Quickly add liquid and return to heat stirring constantly as it simmers until thickened, about 3 min. Remove from heat and correct seasonings. Fold in the meat and vegetables then pour into 1 casserole or 2 ramekins. Sprinkle with panko and cheese and bake at 360 deg. 20-25 min. until top is golden and sauce bubbles. Serve hot at once, or prepare ahead and bake before serving.
*For a lower fat rendition, replace the roux with 1 Tbs. cornstarch dissolved in the liquid and proceed to cook as directed above.

Turkey with Sundried Tomatoes and Sour Cream:

Serves 4-Freezes*
1 ½ cups leftover turkey
¼ cup sundried tomatoes in oil – or reconstituted – see below
1 medium onion in large dice
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 cup water
1 envelope chicken bouillon granules
½ cup white wine
2 Tbs. capers
½ cup sour cream
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. oil
¼ cup flour
Salt and pepper
10 oz. sturdy, shaped pasta, rigatoni, penne, or shells 
If tomatoes are dry pack, microwave them in enough water to amply cover, for 1 min. then allow to sit in the microwave, for 5 min. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion. Drain tomatoes, and sliver them. When onions are soft, add garlic, oil and cook for 1 min., add tomatoes, water, bouillon, capers and wine. Simmer for 5 min or until sauce reduces slightly, add meat, heat for 1 min. correct seasoning, stir in sour cream and heat through, about 1 min. then serve over cooked pasta. Do not allow cream to boil or it will separate.
*Freeze before adding sour cream. Thaw and reheat on stove top, stirring. Add sour cream, heat through and serve over pasta.

Turkey Divan:

Serves 4-Freezes*
(1) 10 oz. can condensed Cream of Chicken soup + ½ can = 4-5 oz. milk
(1) 1 lb. bag frozen broccoli florets
1 ½ Tbs. white wine-optional
6-8 large pieces or slices of turkey = 4 chicken breasts
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
(1) 8 oz. Can sliced mushrooms- optional
Thaw broccoli and pat dry. Make a sauce by mixing the soup and milk, with wine, if using, stirring until smooth. Lightly butter a 2 qt. ovenproof casserole and place half the broccoli in it. Cover with the meat and, if using, scatter the mushrooms over. Pour on half the sauce and scatter with half the cheese. Top with the rest of the broccoli, then the rest of the sauce and finally, the remainder of the cheese. Bake at 375 deg. for 40-50 min. until bubbling and slightly golden on top.
*If made with fresh broccoli, cook to crisp tender. Dish can be frozen, thaw and then bake as directed.

Turkey with Walnuts (Tetrazzini): 

Serves 4
4 turkey cutlets cut in 1×2 inch strips @ 1 ½ lb. cooked meat.
1 green bell pepper
2 medium onions in 8ths
4 celery ribs
2 tsp. Soy sauce
(1) 10 oz. can chicken broth – divided ¼ cup reserved (This is the Condensed found with the soups, rather than the 14 oz. broths)
2 Tbs. butter
½ cup cream sherry
2 Tbs. cornstarch
½ cup walnut pieces – toasting optional
Salt and Pepper
Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Brown turkey if using raw, if using leftover, start by adding vegetables and sautéing until soft. Add ¾ cup chicken broth and Soy sauce, cover and simmer 8 min. Add sherry and cook 1 min more, add cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup broth and cook 3 min., stirring constantly, until sauce thickens. Serve over orzo garnished with walnuts.

To toast walnuts- place on foil in 350 degree oven for 5 min.
NOTE: If using leftover turkey: Thaw if frozen. Proceed as above from the point of adding the vegetables. Add the turkey about 1 min. after the cornstarch and stir gently to avoid breaking the pieces, but to insure cooking long enough to heat through.

Ravioli with Lime-Balsamic Dressing:

Serves 4
1 cup minced cooked turkey
1 tsp. orange zest
2 tsp. dried basil
1 egg lightly beaten
½ cup grated parmesan
9 oz. wonton wrappers
2 Tbs. lime juice
2 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. oil
½ tsp. honey
Combine the first 5 ingredients and place 1 heaping Tbs. in the center of half the wrappers. Lightly brush the edges with water and top with a second wrapper, pressing the edges together to seal. Boil raviolis in a large pan of salted water for 5 min. Whisk the remaining ingredients together to make a dressing. Serve the drained ravioli drizzled with dressing and garnished with slices of lime and chopped chives.

Italian Chicken (Turkey) Bundles:

Serves 5—Freezes*-Adapted from The U.S. Personal Chef Ass. collection
1 ½ cups chopped leftover turkey
1 medium-large onion in fine dice
(1) 10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 Tbs. oil
¼ tsp. garlic powder
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
8 oz. Ricotta
¼ tsp. EACH dried oregano and nutmeg
Salt and pepper
2 Tbs. butter-melted
10 egg roll wrappers
(1) 16 oz. jar pasta sauce—Red or White flavors acceptable
Microwave onion in oil on high for 2 min. stir in garlic powder. Combine all the ingredients, except wrappers, sauce and butter in a bowl add salt and pepper. Brush some butter into 10 of the 12 cups in a muffin pan or in 2 pans. Place a wrapper in each buttered cup and divide the filling among them. Fold over tops and brush with the remaining butter. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 20-25 min. until tops are golden. Serve at once, drizzled with the pasta sauce and garnished with the remaining Parmesan.
* To Freeze: Cool bundles and wrap separately in foil; store in a zip lock bag. To Reheat: Unwrap put on a plate and microwave on high 2-4 min. Drizzle with sauce and microwave 1 min. more, Garnish with Parmesan to serve.

Lasagna: 

Serves 8—Freezes*
We’re going to try the easy type made with uncooked noodles. Any brand will work. However, if you have time to boil the noodles, by all means do. They tuck better around the ends of the casserole and give a more finished appearance. Moreover, if you want to make extra to have ahead, Lasagna does freeze beautifully, if done so before it’s baked, but the pasta must be cooked.

The recipes are the same, only the baking time is increased if the noodles are not precooked. On the other hand, the time difference is nearly erased if you take into account the time needed to boil the pasta. If using uncooked pasta, though, be sure the noodles are covered with the sauce or they will dry and burn. As for the filling, there are so many variations that you can have fun experimenting if you wish. I’ve given two optional additions.
9 Lasagna noodles
These products were affordable and had the same appalachianmagazine.com order generic viagra effects. Condom is the most important things, which you need to carry buy sildenafil uk out its treatment in the perfect way by the help of efficient medicament. That’s why pharmaceutical company has one set of price for drugs in the U.S. and another, cheaper set cialis prescription online of prices for medicines in other countries. Penegra is no substitute to brands that many Americans trust buy cialis pills and took several years in research and development. 2 cups chopped leftover turkey
(1) 2 lb. 3 oz. can whole Italian tomatoes
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic minced
½ cup olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. ground black pepper
Salt to taste
1 pint Ricotta cheese
1 lb. Mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
Cooking spray
OPTIONS
(1) 10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach – thawed and drained
(1) 4oz. can mushroom stems and pieces – drained
Spray a 9”x 13” ovenproof dish or baking pan with cooking spray. Heat oil in a skillet; add onion and garlic, and sauté for 3 min. Add tomatoes and seasonings and continue to cook until tomatoes are broken and sauce is slightly reduced, about 10 min. Remove from heat and spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan, then stir meat into the sauce. Meanwhile mix the ricotta and eggs and spinach, if using, in a bowl. Place 3 noodles over the sauce, pour 1/3 of the meat sauce over them, then dot with ½ the ricotta mix, and scatter half the mushrooms, if using, cover with a layer of the mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Repeat this layer again. Top with noodles, sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. (30 min if using cooked pasta) until browned and bubbling.
*To freeze, cover with foil. If frozen do not thaw. Bake at 350 degrees for 1hr. 15 min.

Leftover Turkey Stir-Fry:

Serves 4-6- This is a meal that can be altered to serve the number of people by adjusting the ingredients, not simply multiplying them; perfect for a fast supper of leftovers.
1 ½ cups cooked turkey
10-14 oz. bag of frozen broccoli florets
10-14 oz. bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables
(1) 8 oz. can mushroom slices-drained
6 baby carrots in quarters OR 2 medium carrots in 2” Julianne
2 stalks celery sliced diagonally AND/OR 8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts-drained
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbs. Soy sauce or to taste
2 Tbs. oil
1/3 cup Teriyaki Sauce OR chicken broth + 1 tsp. cornstarch
Heat oil in a non-stick skillet and dissolve ginger and garlic. Add carrot and celery and stir 3-4 min. until crisp tender, add frozen vegetables and cook, covered 5 min., add mushrooms, water chestnuts and soy sauce, stirring to combine. Finally add Teriyaki Sauce and meat and stir 2-3 min. to heat through. If not using sauce, dissolve cornstarch in broth and add to skillet, Stir until sauce thickens, about 3 min. Then add meat and heat through. Serve over rice—precooked works fine here.

Enchiladas: 

Serves 4— Freezes*
(8) 8 inch flour or corn tortillas
8 oz. Ricotta cheese
(1) 4 oz. can green chilies
½ lb. or 1 cup sliced, cooked turkey leftovers (can be made with fresh ground turkey)
6 scallions chopped
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
½ tsp. red pepper
Cooking spray
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
(1) 20 oz. jar of salsa
If using raw, ground meat, spray a skillet with the cooking spray and sauté the meat over medium heat until no longer pink. If using leftovers, cut them in thin strips about 2 inches x1 inch. In a bowl, stir to combine, Ricotta, scallions, ¾ of the green chilies (Add the rest to the salsa), the green pepper, the red pepper, ½ cup of the Monterey Jack cheese and the meat. Spread half the salsa in the bottom of a 12 x 8 inch ovenproof pan. If using corn tortillas, wrap them in plastic wrap and microwave for 1 min., or until pliable. This step is not necessary with flour ones. Dip the tortillas in the salsa in the pan to soften them to the point that they can be rolled. Spoon the filling down the center of the tortillas in equal amounts, about 3 Tbs. per tortilla and roll it up. Place the rolled tortillas, seam side down, on the salsa in the pan. Pour the rest of the salsa over them, and top with the rest of the Monterey Jack cheese and half the cilantro. Cover and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 20 min. Uncover and bake 10 min more. Serve from the pan, and pass the rest of the fresh cilantro to garnish.

*This can be made ahead and frozen, after the salsa is added, but before the cheese and cilantro. To reheat:- if frozen, bake in 350 degree oven 30 min uncover, add cheese and cilantro, recover and proceed as directed above. If thawed, just proceed as above.

Classic Fajitas: 

Serves 4
2 cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breasts OR 12 oz. cooked turkey or beef for stir fry cut in 2 inch strips
1 red bell pepper julienne
1 green bell pepper julienne
2 medium onions halved and sliced thin
3 Tbs. cooking oil
1tsp coriander
1tsp cumin
Salt and pepper
(8) 8” flour tortillas
(1) 8 oz. jar salsa
(1) 8 oz. container guacamole
1 cup sour cream
(1) 8 oz. pkg. “Mexican 4 Cheese Blend” – or shredded “Monterey Jack”
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions peppers and spices, and if using, chicken. Cook about 8 min., until the chicken is done and its juices run clear, and the vegetables are crisp tender. If using beef, cook vegetables about 4 min and add beef the last 4 or 5 min, so that it browns but stays tender.

NOTE: IF using leftover turkey: Proceed as directed above, but add thawed, if frozen, turkey meat at the very end and cook just long enough to heat through.

Meanwhile, cover tortillas with a dish towel, place on a plate and warm in the microwave on high at least 1min—test to make sure they’re warmed through.
Place the toppings – salsa, guacamole, sour cream and cheese on the dining table. Add the warn tortillas, and bring the sizzling meat mixture to the table in the skillet—making sure that it’s on a board or trivet—and let everyone dig in. To eat a fajita—Lay a tortilla flat on your plate, and spoon the meat mixture in a line across the center of the tortilla parallel to you, leaving a 2inch margin on each end. The julienne cuts make this easy. Put on the toppings of your choice—I like them all—and fold those short sides over the filling squaring them off. Then roll the first long side, the one near you, over the filling, then roll the whole thing over on the other side to make a compact  bundle—–and enjoy ! ! !

Turkey, Pear and Pasta Salad:

Serves 6-This recipe builds on the classic pears, blue cheese and walnuts salad combination.
1 lb. fusilli or penne
1 ¼ cup cooked turkey
2 pears-cored and sliced in size to equal the meat pieces
4 scallions – sliced
3 Tbs. chopped toasted walnuts
3 ½ oz. blue cheese*
3 Tbs. sour cream*
3 Tbs. ice water*
Cook the pasta al dente drain and rinse in cold water, drain again and cool. Arrange pasta on plates, top with meat, scallions and pears. Whisk the cheese, cream and ice water until smooth and drizzle over salads, Garnish with nuts.
*This dressing can be replaced with a good bottled blue cheese one.

Salad with Grapes:

Serves 4

2 cups cubed (¾ inch) chicken or turkey

1stalk celery thinly sliced

@ 24 red seedless grapes halved (green are fine but lack the visual contrast)

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

Curry powder to taste

Salt to taste

Stir the mayonnaise, sour cream, curry and salt together. Taste to correct seasonings. Gently stir into the other ingredients to avoid tearing meat. Plate on Romaine leaves, garnish and serve.

Hot Chicken (or Turkey) Salad:

Serves 6–Freezes*

3 cups cubed cooked meat

1 ½ cups thin sliced celery

1 small to medium onion diced

(1) 4oz. can stems and pieces mushrooms

¼ cup toasted almond slivers

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise

Salt to taste

2 Tbs. sharp cheese

3 Tbs. butter- melted

½ cup toasted croutons –  I like rye bread

Mix first 8 ingredients and put in a greased casserole. Toss croutons with butter and top. Sprinkle with cheese and bake in a preheated 450 degree oven until brown–@ 30 mins.

Doubled or tripled, this is an excellent party dish, but it also freezes well, before the toppings are added. So, save time and make extra to have ahead. It’s a five star with my family!

Turkey Hash;

Serves 2
2 cups minced cooked turkey
2 cups stuffing
½ cup minced onion and celery
¼ cup craisins
¼ cup gravy
¼ cup minced cooked sweet potatoes (optional)
2 eggs
Microwave the onions and celery on ½ heat for 1 min. to soften slightly. Mix all ingredients except eggs together and press into 2 oven proof bowls. Indent the centers and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 min. Break eggs into indentations and bake for 10 min. more.

Stuffing Soup:

Serves 6

4 Tbs. Butter or canola oil—or a combination

1 large onion chopped

1 carrot sliced

1 stalk celery sliced

2 tomatoes diced or (1) 14oz can diced tomatoes with juice

1 Tbs. dried parsley-or equal amount fresh

3 to 4 cups diced poultry or pork

48oz. stock=3 cans broth+ 6oz water (gravy may be mixed in to this amount )

2 cups leftover stuffing

1 ½ cups cooked shaped pasta-bows, shells, penne

1 to 1 ½ cups leftover vegetables—peas, beans, corn, sprouts, spinach (optional)

Melt butter in a stock pot over low heat and saute onion, carrot and celery until tender. Stir in tomatoes, meat and parsley. Add stock and stuffing. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 1hr. Add any leftover vegetables and warm through. Place pasta in a deep bowls and ladle soup over.

Nov 20