We almost went out for Thanksgiving dinner this year. It was only the two of us—our children and other family members are so far away—and we had guests in the inn for the whole weekend. I thought it would be nice to have no messy kitchen and no leftovers to dispose of—wait a minute—no leftovers? I couldn’t imagine not having leftovers—I think I like them better than the original dinner. So I made a beautiful turkey dinner with all the trimmings and scoured around to find some ideas beyond the turkey sandwich.
This salad is so delicious and fresh and healthy it would make a great day-after-Thanksgiving main dish.
Turkey-Pear Salad (approximately 6 servings)
10-oz mixed salad greens
4 cups cubed cooked turkey
2 medium pears, sliced
1 avocado, cubed
½ cup pomegranate seeds
½ cup diced or sliced red onion
Dressing:
6 Tbsp cider vinegar
¼ cup canola oil
3 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. yellow mustard
½ tsp. salt
Pepper
Toppings:
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup honey-roasted sliced almonds
Whisk dressing ingredients together. Toss greens and all ingredients except toppings in large salad bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad. Sprinkle with toppings. Serve.
Mashed potatoes are one of the hardest leftovers to re-use. Something happens to cooked potatoes if they are not eaten in the first day or two—they take on a strange taste and odor even when they are still wholesome. Here is a great way to use them up.
Shepherd’s Pie (Taste of Home)
1 ½ lbs ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup water
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
3 cups leftover mashed potatoes, warmed
In large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Stir in water and taco seasoning; heat through. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Combine potatoes and remaining cheese; spread over beef. Broil 4-6 inches from the heat for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown.
If you love Mexican food, this next dish will speak to you:
Turkey Enchiladas
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 28-oz can enchilada sauce (I like mild)
5 small Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1 ½ tsp. finely chopped canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups shredded cooked turkey
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
¾ cup sour cream
12 6-inch flour tortillas
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 cup onions and fry until tender, about 5 minutes. Add enchilada sauce, tomatoes and chipotles. Cover; simmer 20 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat. Stir in ½ cup cilantro. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Mix turkey, 1 ½ cups cheese, sour cream, ¼ cup onions and ½ cup cilantro in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat tortillas in microwave oven with a few drops of water (wrap in plastic wrap) until soft and pliable. Spread ½ cup sauce in 9x13 pan. Spoon ¼ cup turkey mixture in center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas. Arrange seam side down in dish. Spoon 2 ½ cups sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with ½ cup cheese. Bake about 30 minutes. Rewarm remaining sauce. Transfer to sauceboat. Serve, passing sauce.
Everyone in our family likes a different kind of cranberries. Zig likes the canned, jellied sauce and others like the homemade whole-berry type. I always have these at Thanksgiving, but I also make my favorite cranberry relish. It makes a lot; it’s delicious in all kinds of molded salads, sandwich spreads and just plain from the refrigerator. It lasts a long time. My friend from the early-morning group at the Y asked me how to make something good from cranberries—here’s my offering:
Cranberry-Orange Relish
Put into food processor, 4 cups of fresh cranberries (may be frozen), and 1 large orange (peel and pulp—the whole thing!) Process until coarsely chopped. Stir in 2 cups sugar. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
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