From Thanksgiving leftovers to new creations

The perennial question of what to do with Thanksgiving leftovers has sparked many a home chef’s creativity. The versatility of turkey lends itself to that kind of kitchen experimentation, and many creations end up being family favorites for years. The recipes below offer a small taste of what culinary delights can spring from leftovers.

Leftover Turkey Soup

This leftover turkey soup recipe from the Vikalinka food blog is a delicious and simple way to use up leftover turkey. It is flavored with onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves and parsley. It is also comes together quickly and provides a wholesome and satisfying meal.

The recipe for this homemade turkey soup is based in the traditional chicken noodle soup style, but with a little twist. Instead of traditional egg noodles, it calls for giant couscous, also known as Israeli couscous or pearl couscous.

Giant couscous is a perfect choice, as it has the same taste as pasta. It looks great and is fun to eat. But regular noodles will work as well.

While using homemade stock can be good, there’s no need to with this recipe, especially if time is a concern. Already made stock or a bouillon cube are both fine. Giant couscous only takes 10 minutes to cook just like any pasta, so it can be added to the broth after it just boils. Soup is done as soon as the couscous is soft.

Sprinkling the turkey soup with some freshly chopped parsley or dill before serving is a nice touch.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 onion or 2 shallots

1 carrot, large

2 stalks celery

1 clove garlic

4 sprigs thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme

6 cups turkey or chicken stock

½ cup giant/pearl couscous

2 cups cooked and chopped or shredded turkey

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Saute chopped onion, celery, carrots and a clove of garlic with thyme leaves in oil and butter over low heat for 5 minutes. Add turkey or chicken stock, cooked turkey, bay leaves and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the giant couscous or noodles and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat until the couscous is tender. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

For more information, including cooking tips, see vikalinka.com/leftover-turkey-soup-recipe/

Turkey Lasagna

This white sauce turkey lasagna, from the Natasha’s Kitchen food blog, is a satisfying mix of lasagna noodles, tender turkey, and creamy spinach and ricotta sauces. This is a great and tasty way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Resting Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Servings: 12

INGREDIENTS

Turkey Lasagna

9 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente

4 cups shredded turkey

Spinach Cream Sauce

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups half and half, (or equal parts of heavy cream and milk)

5 oz fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

Ricotta Cheese Sauce

15 oz ricotta

1 large egg

1/4 cup parsley

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

3 cups mozzarella cheese, 12 oz by weight, divided (reserve 1 cup for topping)

DIRECTIONS

1- Cook Noodles and Prep

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente according to package instructions then drain hot water and add cold water to the pot to stop the cooking process and prevent noodles from sticking together. Shred 4 cups of turkey.

2- Make the Spinach Sauce

Place a pot or large saucepan over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and saute onions for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add 4 Tbsp butter and whisk in 1/3 cup flour to make a roux. Continue whisking 3 minutes or until flour mixture is golden.

Add 2 1/2 cups chicken or turkey broth, 1 1/2 cups half and half, 2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Whisk until smooth, then simmer 5 minutes until thickened to a light gravy consistency.

Add minced garlic and chopped spinach, and stir to combine, then remove from heat.

3- Make the Ricotta Cheese Sauce

In a large bowl, whisk together: ricotta, egg, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan, and 1/4 cup parsley.

4- Assemble Lasagna

Add a little cream sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish and add 3 noodles to cover bottom. Add half of the ricotta sauce, and half of the shredded turkey, then ladle one-third of the spinach cream sauce over the turkey.

Add 3 more noodles, then the remaining half of the ricotta cheese sauce and turkey, then ladle another one-third of the spinach cream sauce over the turkey.

Add the last 3 noodles, top with remaining spinach cream sauce, and sprinkle on 1 cup cheese.

5- Cover and Bake

Arrange 10-12 toothpicks over the top before covering to keep the foil from touching the cheese, then cover with a large sheet of foil. Bake on the center rack in a preheated oven at 375˚F for 45 minutes or so, then uncover and broil 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese. Rest at least 10 minutes uncovered before slicing.

Find more great recipes, including cooking tips and instructional videos, at natashaskitchen.com

White Turkey Chili

This white turkey chili makes delicious use of leftover turkey meat. The recipe, from the Taste of Home food blog, is easy to follow and yields a delicious and hearty dish that’s tasty when served fresh out of the pot, but also keeps quite well. The recipe is versatile, too, and can be customized to individual flavor and spiciness preferences.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS

2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

2 cups cubed cooked turkey

1-1/3 cups fat-free milk

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles, drained

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon dried minced onion

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

6 tablespoons fat-free sour cream

DIRECTIONS

In a large saucepan, combine the first 10 ingredients; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Top servings with sour cream.

Find out more, including cooking tips and variations, at www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/white-turkey-chili/