How to Get Creative with Leftover Turkey

Roast turkey is great and the leftovers are, too, for the first day, at least. But by day 2 you may find yourself wondering why those darn birds always have to be so big. Try some new recipes and you may just find yourself running out of turkey before you get tired of eating it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Leftover cooked turkey
• Other ingredients as desired

1. Make turkey/guacamole roll-ups. Spread a tortilla with a layer of guacamole, then top with thin sliced turkey and monterey jack (or pepper jack) cheese. Roll it up like a jelly roll, then microwave it just until the cheese starts to melt.

2. Toss sliced turkey in a bowl with crumbled bacon, spinach leaves, and sliced hardboiled eggs. Serve with a vinaigrette or lemon-based dressing and toasted sunflower seeds.

3. Shred turkey on top of a pile of tortilla chips, then top with grated cheese and black beans (drained). Heat until the cheese starts to melt (a microwave is easiest, but you can bake this in the oven if you've used a heatproof serving dish. Take out of the oven and top with sliced green onions, then serve with salsa verde and sour cream if desired.

4. Turn plain old turkey soup into something really unusual (and delicious) by flavoring it with 12 gingersnap cookies which have been softened in 1 c. cold water. Cook until thickened, then stir in 3/4 c. ketchup, 1/2 c. sherry, and one thinly sliced lemon just before serving. Garnish with chopped hardboiled egg.

5. Chop turkey up into bite-sized chunks. Dip the chunks in beaten egg, then roll in dried bread crumbs and deep-fry until golden. Serve with buffalo wing sauce and blue cheese and/or ranch dressing on the side for dipping.

Tips & Warnings

• If you plan to make turkey soup you may save the bones to boil up for stock. If not, remove all leftover turkey from the bones and chop and/or shred it to make for easier storage and meal preparation.
• If you'll be storing leftover turkey soup made according to this recipe, take the lemon slices out first as these can get very bitter if left in liquid overnight or longer.