Leftover Magic

  in Blog

After the inevitable turkey sandwich, what else can you do with leftovers? Here are some tasty ideas for using them up, including, a great sandwich!

Turkey Cranberry Panini

Sturdy bread slices
Dijon mustard
sliced leftover turkey
leftover cranberry sauce or relish
cream cheese cheese
havarti or brie cheese
ground pepper

Heat a panini grill.  Spread Dijon mustard over one side of bread slices. Spread with cream cheese and cranberry sauce. Divide the turkey over bread slices. Lay 2 brie or havarti slices over each bread slice and sprinkle with pepper. Top with bread and grill 3-4 minutes until golden.

Turkey & Stuffing Fried Rice

slightly adapted from pccmarkets.com

3 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked turkey
2 cups leftover vegetables, such as green beans, Brussels sprouts, carrots, peas, etc.
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups leftover stuffing
3 tablespoons tamari, or to taste
4 green onions, sliced

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Scramble eggs until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the wok over high heat and add turkey, vegetables and garlic. Stir-fry until heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.
  3. Add remaining oil and rice. Stir-fry, breaking up rice with a spatula, until warm and slightly crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in stuffing and cook, stirring gently, until heated through. Drizzle soy sauce over rice mixture and toss to combine. Stir in reserved eggs and green onions; serve immediately.

Potato Turkey Cakes

3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 cups finely chopped cooked turkey
1 cup mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying

  1. Melt butter in a large cast iron pan over medium heat. Add onion and thyme and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and mix with potatoes, turkey, parsley, flour, and egg. Add salt and pepper.
  2. Form into 1/2 inch thick patties and coat with breadcrumbs. In the same cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat; fry patties, turning once, until crusty and golden, about 6 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve with cranberry sauce.

Turkey Vegetable Soup

1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped 
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 large bay leaf
1 cup green beans, cut into bite size pieces
1 medium russet potato, peeled, diced medium
1 cup kale or collard greens, chopped
6 cups homemade turkey bone broth or chicken broth
1 tablespoon chicken broth concentrate (omit if using chicken broth)
Optional herbs: 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, tarragon, or thyme 
2 – 3 cups chopped cooked turkey 
1 cup cooked rice or barley
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
sea salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in 4-quart saucepan over medium heat; add onion, carrots, celery, and bay leaf. Cook for 5 minutes until vegetables are slightly softened. 

Add the broth, broth concentrate, herbs, green beans, and potato. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the turkey and rice or barley. Continue cooking another 5 – 10 minutes until heated through. Remove bay leaf. Taste and add salt and pepper. Stir in fresh parsley.

Cheesy Mashed Potato Soup

4 slices bacon or Fakin bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
4 tablespoons flour
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups mashed potatoes
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
sea salt and white pepper
Optional: chopped green onion for garnish

  1. In a soup pot, cook bacon until crisp. (Add a little oil to the pan if cooking Fakin Bacon.) Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
  2. Melt butter in pot, add the onion and cook about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over onions and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in the broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 2 minutes. Stir in mashed potatoes, bacon, and cheddar cheese and cook until potatoes are heated and cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with chopped green onions and additional shredded cheese if desired.

Mashed Potato Kale Cakes

2 pounds russet potatoes (about 6), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, or 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
Sea salt and ground pepper
1 leek (white and light-green parts only), halved lengthwise, rinsed well, thinly sliced
1 bunch kale (3/4 pound), stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped
ghee or neutral cooking oil

  1. If cooking potatoes: In a large pot, bring potatoes to a boil in salted water. Reduce heat to a rapid simmer. Add leek and kale and cook until potatoes are tender about 10 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Add salt and pepper.
  2. If using mashed potatoes, braise the kale in about a cup of salted water until cooked, about 15 minutes. Add the leeks and cook another 5 minutes or so until the leek is softened.
  3. Combine the potato mixture or mashed potatoes with the kale and leeks. Taste and add salt as needed. Form mixture into 12 patties.
  4. Add ghee or butter to pan over medium heat. In batches, fry the patties until golden on both sides, about 6 minutes, flipping once.

Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole

4 cups chopped turkey
1 cup gravy
3-4 cups stuffing
3-4 cups mashed potatoes
Optional: 1/2 cup cheese such as cheddar, colby, asiago, etc.

  1. Heat oven to 350°F and grease a casserole dish. Sprinkle the chopped turkey on the bottom of the dish and pour the gravy over the turkey. (or if the gravy is cold, spoon dabs of it among the turkey pieces.
  2. Layer the stuffing over the turkey and press down firmly with your hands.
  3. Spread the potatoes evenly over the stuffing. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.
  4. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 25 minutes until bubbly and browned on top. Serve with cranberry sauce.