Three Must-Have's

We cooked about 30 pounds of turkey this year ~ but I'm not sure if I have enough left over.......

We had a pretty big crowd for dinner; so even though I cooked about 30 pounds of turkey, (Mr. C stuffed and wrestled a 22 pound bird on the big day, and I cooked an additional turkey breast (for our gluten-free gal) and 8 extra turkey thighs the day before) ~~  I'm still not sure I have enough leftovers to make it to recipe #3.  I have been known to cook another turkey breast just to have enough "left-overs" to make the full rotation of my favorite left-over recipes.......I'm sharing my top three with you today ~



Post-Thanksgiving Must Have #1 

Black Friday Turkey Salad (Serves 8)

Ingredients:  
1/2 C (or more) mayonnaise
3 T prepared yellow mustard
2 T crumbled cooked bacon (I use Costco's!)
3/4 C shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 C finely chopped pepperoncini
1/8 t crushed red pepper flakes
Salt to taste

Stir together, then add

2 C coarsely chopped leftover turkey

This is good enough you will want to double the recipe!  I like to use Costco's pretzel rolls for little "mini" sandwiches.

Post Thanksgiving Must-Have #2

Southwestern Turkey Soup

Prep Time:  15 minutes
Cook Time:  30 minutes
Servings:  8 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C shredded cooked turkey
4 C vegetable or chicken broth
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green Chile peppers
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T lime juice
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:  
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
Fresh cilantro, chopped
1 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Tortilla chips

Directions:
In a large pot over medium heat, combine all ingredients (except for the toppings!), bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes.

Spoon into serving bowls and top with shredded cheese, avocado, fresh cilantro, and crushed tortilla chips.   

MY NOTE:   I always make my own broth from my turkey carcass for this, but you can buy vegetable or chicken stock.  

Also, you can add whatever else you have on hand.  I usually add a can of black beans and a can of corn, feels a little more Southwest-y to me.   If you have left-over celery and other veggies, toss those in, too.  You can also slice up those left-over olives and use as garnish. 

You might find you want a little more spice; we are pretty fond of "Slap Ya Mama", a mild Cajun seasoning,  at our house. 

We had a really nice crowd for Thanksgiving dinner ~ hopefully I have enough leftover turkey to make it to 

Post Thanksgiving Must-Have #3

 Turkey Tetrazzini


Prep Time:  30 minutes
Cook Time:  25 mintues
Servings:  4 servings

Ingredients:
For the sauce, in a 3 quart saucepan, combine:
1 1/4 C milk or half & half
3/4 C chicken broth
2 T cornstarch
1/2 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder
1/8 t pepper

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add:
1/4 C grated Parmesean cheese
2 T dry white wine
1 4 oz can mushrooms
2 oz chopped pimento
2 C chopped cooked turkey
8 oz cooked spaghetti (I like whole grain spaghetti for this)

Pour it all into a greased casserole dish
Top with Parmesean cheese and 2 T sliced almonds
Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until brown & bubbly.

So there you go, hope you try and enjoy at least one of these!   

And, by the way ~ the cute little pumpkin place-card holders?  Those will make a re-appearance as my "Roasted Pumpkin Soup" this weekend.  (See "Pumpkin Soup in the Pumpkin" for the recipe).  The grandbabies are coming over to decorate our Christmas tree while Great-Grandma is here, this will be dinner that night.  They are so excited to get to "eat" their pumpkin!