Leftover Turkey Anyone?

Thanksgiving ended and the turkey remained.  In a desperate attempt to use it all up I did two things this week.

1) My favorite part about Thankgiving is the leftover turkey sandwiches. Nothing tastes better than a sandwich with a thin spread of mayo, chunks of white turkey meat, and a little cranberry on top! In an effort to save time with sandwich prep, I made a turkey salad that could easily be spread on a few whole grain crackers.  Here is the recipe:

• 2 cups shredded leftover turkey meat
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1/4 cup of dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon of mustard Creole mustard 
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium bowl, toss turkey, celery, cranberries, mayo, mustard together.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve on whole grain bread or crackers.  

2)  I also try to make a casserole or soup every week.  Some sort of dish that will last us throughout the week.. This week I made Turkey Tetrazzini.  William LOVED it and it was gone quite quickly! I got the recipe from Rachel Ray, but adapted it a little bit.  Here is my version: 

12 ounces of egg noodles 
Salt and pepper 
5 tablespoons butter 
12 ounces of pre-sliced white mushrooms 
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning 
2 cups of leftover turkey meat 
3 tablespoons flour 
2 cups milk 1 cup chicken broth 
1 cup grated parmesan cheese 
1 cup frozen peas and carrots

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cook the pasta according to package directions until just barely al dente; drain.

Add 2 tbsp. butter to the skillet. Add the mushrooms and Italian Seasoning; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms start to soften, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and add the leftover turkey. 

Melt the remaining 3 tbsp. butter in the skillet. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and broth and bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken. Stir in 1/2 cup parmesan and the peas and carrots. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the pasta and turkey-mushroom mixture to the sauce and toss well to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan. Bake until the top is golden-brown and the sauce is bubbling, 12 to 15 minutes (shorten the baking time by at least 5 minutes if youre planning on freezing this for later).

I hope this helps answer the question, "What the heck am I going to do with all of this turkey!?"

Elizabeth Milne, MS, RD, LD