Food styling and photos: Brooke Echols
Nothing says Thanksgiving dinner like a delicious roasted turkey. But after everyone has given thanks, eaten their fill, and you’ve already made plans for turkey sandwiches the next day, what else can you do with those turkey leftovers? Our readers sent us some tasty ideas, from pot pies to salads. Enjoy, and remember how thankful we are to have food on our tables. Please consider helping those less fortunate this holiday season.
Cook of the Month: Nancy Sizemore, Baldwin EMC
Thanksgiving at Nancy Sizemore’s Gulf Shores home usually means a turkey cooked by her husband on the grill, and lots of leftovers. One of her favorite recipes to use up some of that leftover bird is her winning recipe for Turkey Biscuit Stew. “I’m a recipe collector and I found this in some of my mother’s old recipes,” she says. “I added the Cajun seasoning” for a little personal twist. She uses Tony Chachere’s seasoning or one made by Café Acadiana in nearby Silverhill. She also makes it during non-holiday times. The former educational technology sales executive is putting together a friends and family cookbook and has almost 100 recipes collected. We’re betting the Turkey Biscuit Stew will be included.
Turkey Biscuit Stew
- 1/3 cup onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup milk or half and half
- ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning, more if desired
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups cooked turkey
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup small carrot pieces, cooked
- 1 tube buttermilk biscuits
In a cast iron skillet sauté onion and garlic in butter until translucent. Add flour, broth, milk, Cajun seasoning and black pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for 3-5 minutes until gravy starts to form. Add turkey and vegetables. Top with biscuits that have been separated. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until biscuits are golden brown.
Turkey Dijon Pasta
- 2-21/2 cup leftover turkey, chopped
- 2 tablepoons flour
- 2 tablepoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablepoons white wine (Moscato recommended)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
- ½ cup half and half or light cream
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 small red pepper, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 box penne pasta, cooked to directions
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
For sauce: In a small bowl stir together flour, Dijon mustard, white wine, salt and pepper until smooth. Slowly stir in half-and-half or light cream until well mixed. Set aside. Pour cooking oil into a wok or large skillet. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking). Preheat over medium-high heat. Stir-fry garlic in hot oil for 15 seconds. Add sweet pepper and onions; stir-fry for 7-10 minutes until they have browned a bit. Remove vegetables from the wok. Add turkey to the hot wok. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until it’s well heated, then add the chicken broth until it’s bubbling. Slowly pour in cream mixture, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return cooked vegetables to the wok. Add thawed peas. Stir all ingredients together to coat with sauce. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more or until heated. Add cooked pasta and toss gently. Garnish with cherry tomatoes.
Tamara Ross, Joe Wheeler EMC
After the Holidays Salad
- 2 cups turkey, diced
- 1 cup pineapple chunks, well drained
- 1 cup celery, diced
- ½ cup green onion, sliced
- ¼ cup dry roasted peanuts
- 1 cup seedless green grapes
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Toss turkey, pineapple, celery, green onions, peanuts and grapes. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over turkey mixture and mix gently. Chill and serve over bed of lettuce.
Edwina Bell, Clarke-Washington EMC
Turkey Enchilada Casserole
- 3 cups of cooked turkey, shredded
- 11/2 cups sour cream
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup turkey/chicken broth or milk
- 1 small can diced green chilies
- 1 16-ounce jar salsa (red or green), tomato sauce can be substituted for salsa
- 6-8 flour tortillas, cut into pieces
- 16-ounces Colby-jack cheese, shredded
- Cilantro or green onion tops, for garnish
In large bowl, stir together sour cream, soup, broth or milk, green chilies and salsa. Stir well, making sure the sauce is well blended. Place enough of the sauce to lightly cover the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Place half of the cut tortillas over the sauce. Top tortillas with half of the shredded turkey, then top the turkey with half of the shredded cheese. Pour half of the sauce over the cheese and start over with the layers, ending with the remaining cheese. Cook in a preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until cheese is melted and the casserole is hot and bubbly. Let casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro or green onions. Cook’s note: This is a great make ahead dish! You can make this the day before and then cook it right before you serve it. I also freeze this casserole uncooked. Just thaw completely before cooking and bake according to the directions.
Kathy Phillips, Wiregrass EC
From the Buttered Home
Tired of the same old glaze for your holiday turkey or ham? We’ve got you covered. By using some delicious southern fig and strawberry preserves, you can take your glaze game to a whole new level. Add in a little lemon and seasonings and all of those sweet components are balanced out perfectly. You could easily use this glaze with your leftover turkey slices, either on the side or as a dressing for a sandwich! For this recipe and many more, visit TheButteredHome.com.
Strawberry and Fig Preserve Turkey Glaze
- 1/4 cup strawberry preserves
- 1/4 cup fig preserves
- 11/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 or 2 teaspoons ground sage
- 1 or 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
In a small bowl or the bowl of a food processor, add both preserves, lemon juice, zest, sage, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Mix well with an immersion blender or a food processor until smooth and combined.
During the last 30 minutes of cooking time for your turkey, apply half of the glaze to the skin of the bird. Cook according to directions for 15 minutes. Apply remaining half of glaze and return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Allow for rest time, then carve and serve. You can also reserve a small amount of the glaze to use as a sauce and for leftovers.
