Turkey Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers

The great thing about turkey is that it can be adapted to any kind of cuisine and there are lots of turkey recipes to use up leftovers after the Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays. Turkey can be a bit bland and dry, so it can be improved with spices and glazes. The important thing to remember is to cook the bird thoroughly, right into the cavity. Allow plenty time but don’t overdo it, those juices are needed for the flavor. Don’t forget to remove the giblets! Those innards don’t have to be thrown away however; they make a delicious stock for the gravy.

Plan ahead and think carefully about the size of bird you’ll need. It has been known for people to order a huge turkey and then find that it won’t fit into the oven! It’s not a good idea to keep re-heating poultry, so try to use up those leftovers in one go if possible.

Turkey needs the flavor bringing out and herbs are ideal for this. Sage, oregano or tarragon is ideal. Some people like to pep it up with some paprika. The stuffing is probably the best thing about turkey recipes and you can experiment and find what combination you prefer. There is the traditional sausage meat with sage and onion or chestnut. Fruit stuffings add a lot of moisture, with pear, cranberries or orange. All these can be mixed with garlic and lemon. Honey glazed turkey is very tasty and the sweetness of the honey combines well with vegetables such as sweet potatoes or parsnip.

You would have to be a mathematical genius to calculate the exact amount of meat needed over a festive holiday. Leftovers are inevitable and they offer tasty meals with a bit of imagination. Turkey recipes for curries can use up leftover vegetables too. Some cumin, chili and coriander will add some zest or you could use a Thai curry paste. Soup is another idea and there is no waste with this method. The carcass can be boiled for the stock. Add some chicken stock cubes and cook up some carrots, peas and barley with the meat.

Burgers are great for breakfast or lunch, made from ground turkey meat with peppers, onions and tomatoes. Add some Tabasco Sauce for a Cajun flavor.You can top them with grated cheese or caramelized onion and serve with pineapple rings or scrambled egg. A more healthy option is turkey salad with mixed green leaves, celery, sun dried tomatoes, chutney and mustard. You could accompany the salad with a homemade pizza with turkey sausage topping. Turkey recipes can use up whatever ingredients you have in the cupboard and you’ll look forward to the next big bird!