Turkey Leftovers

Oh My Goodness - did I have leftovers over Thanksgiving! My sister and brother-in-law came for a week and I guess I thought they were bringing a bunch of people with them because we had enough food to “feed an army!” I spent quite a bit of time getting things ready for the freezer..... but the good thing about that is I don’t have to cook for the next few weeks! Not really, but I did have a few leftovers.
Here are some of my favorite ways to use leftover turkey:

Easy No-Stir Risotto

Source: PamperedChef

Enjoy your risotto 3 different ways - original or with add-ins!
Original Risotto:
1 tbsp butter
1 medium onion
place 1 tbsp of the butter in Rockcrock (2.5-qt.) Everyday Pan. Heat over medium heat 3-5 minutes or until melted, stirring to cover surface of Pan. Cut onion into chunks. Using Food Chopper, finely chop onion. Add onion to pan and cook until translucent.
3 garlic cloves
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice - (see cook’s tips)
Add garlic and cook until fragrant then add rice to Pan.
Cook, uncovered, 3-4 minutes or until rice is lightly toasted, stirring frequently with Small Mix ‘N Scraper.
Remove Pan from heat.
2 oz (60 g) fresh Parmesan cheese - (½ cup grated)
Using Microplane Adjustable Fine Grater, grate Parmesan; set aside.
 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp black pepper
Stir stock and pepper into rice. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 15-17 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
1 T. butter
Remove Pan from microwave; stir in Parmesan, remaining 1 tbsp butter and Add-Ins. Cover; let stand 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare Add-Ins (optional)
add-ins:
2 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 jar (3 1/2 oz) sun-dried tomatoes in oil - (about 20 tomato halves), drained, patted dry and snipped with Professional Shears
Caprese add-ins:
4 sticks (1 oz/30 g each) part-skim mozzarella string cheese, snipped into small pieces with Professional Shears
1 container (10-12 oz) grape or cherry tomatoes - (about 2 cups), sliced in half
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves - snipped with Professional Shears
Cook’s Tips:
Arborio rice is Italian short-grain rice that can be found in the rice or ethnic section of most grocery stores. Arborio rice works best in this recipe, but if it’s not available, you can substitute with long-grain white rice.
Vegetable broth can be substituted for the turkey broth.

Turkey Enchiladas

Source: Mary Ann Robinson

1/4 - 1/2 c chopped onion - cooked in a little butter until tender
1 (4 oz) can diced green chili peppers - drained
4 oz cream cheese
1 T. milk
1/4 t. ground cumin
2 1/2 - 3 c. cooked chopped turkey
12 - 6 or 7 inch tortillas - (flour or corn)
1 (10 3/4) oz can cream chicken soup
1 (8 oz) carton sour cream
1 c milk
3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
Cook onion until tender in little butter, add 1 Tbsp of chili peppers (save the rest for the sauce)
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, milk (1 Tbsp) and cumin and mix well. Add turkey and onion mixture.
Put 3 or 4 Tbsp of turkey mixture on one edge of tortilla, roll and place seam side down in greased 13 X 9 pan. Do them all the same.
Sauce: Combine and mix well – soup, sour cream and 1 c. milk and reserved green chili peppers. Pour over enchiladas.
Bake 350° covered with foil for 35 minutes. Uncover – add cheese and put back in oven for 5 more minutes until cheese is melted. You can decorate with chopped olives, green onions or chopped fresh tomatoes.

Turkey Nuggets

3 cups shredded turkey
1 egg
2 tablespoons all- purpose flour 1 ⁄ 4 cup turkey stock or milk
Salt and pepper
1 cup buttermilk or milk
1 egg
2 cups all- purpose flour
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon baking soda
Salt and pepper
1 quart canola or vegetable oil for frying
Chop your shredded turkey until it’s in small pieces. Try to make it an even consistency, but don’t worry about it if there are some bigger pieces. Also, buck the trend and use white and dark meat. It’ll result in a moister nugget.
Combine chopped turkey with egg, flour, and turkey stock or milk to provide some moisture for the filling. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and stir well to combine.
Mix buttermilk (or milk) and egg together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix flour together with paprika, baking soda, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Form balls of turkey filling about two tablespoons in size (a bit smaller than a golf ball). The filling should stick together loosely, but if it doesn’t, add a few tablespoons of flour to your turkey filling until it sticks together and holds a ball shape.
Dip each nugget in flour mixture, then buttermilk, then again in flour, and set aside on a baking dish. Prepare all the nuggets before you start frying.
Heat frying oil to 350°F in a deep pan or skillet and fry nuggets until they are a nice golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Work in batches and don’t crowd the pan.
Remove the nuggets to a plate lined with a paper towel and sprinkle immediately with a pinch of salt.
You can keep the nuggets warm in a 250°F oven on a baking sheet (no paper towel in the oven) while you fry the others.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce - like a honey- mustard sauce that’s two parts Dijon mustard and one part honey. Makes 20 nuggets Print this post