All those leftovers

Written Sunday, November 29th, 2009 by TrishB

Thanksgiving's over but you wouldn't know it from looking in my refrigerator. Its overflowing with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Two turkeys were cooked in my household this year. It was a battle between husband and wife. A turkey cook off so to speak between fried and maple glazed. He stood outside in the cold, fully covered in his protective garb while I stayed in the warmth and watched as he ordered around his father, my brother, our sons and even our neighbor. It took one cook to cook a roasted turkey and 6 to cook a fried. While the fried turkey was moist and tender I think mine won in looks and flavor.   Needless to say we made way too much. So whether or not your turkeys were fried or roasted,  here are a few recipes you can try using your leftovers.

Tortilla Soup

Condiments:

Leftover turkey
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup grated monterey jack.     cheese
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, cut
into 1 inch pieces

For the soup:

1 packet tortilla strips
Vegetable spray
1/2 cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsps ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 28 ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained
7 cups chicken broth

Shred turkey into bite size pieces. In a medium size saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Brown garlic. Add onions, cumin, coriander, and cayenne and stir until soft. Add salt, tomatoes, and one third of the crispy tortilla strips. Add the chicken broth and cook for about 15 minutes more. Let cool, then puree the soup in batches in a blender.

Serve hot with the remaining crispy tortilla strips, the cheese, avocado, and turkey pieces.

Turkey Paninis

1/4 c dijon mustard
1/4 c mayonnaise
8 slices challah bread, about 1 inch thick
6 ounces sliced muenster cheese
12 ounces sliced turkey
Salt and pepper, to taste
2/3 cup cranberry sauce or relish

Mix mustard and mayo together in a small bowl. Spread about 1 tablespoon of mustard mixture on on one side of each piece.

Lay cheese on half of the bread slices, top with turkey, and season with salt and pepper. Spread the cranberry sauce on the remaining 4 slices of bread and close sandwiches, pressing each one together.

Heat panini machine or a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet. Lay  sandwiches in skillet and put a weight or another frying pan to press down. Cook about 3 minutes and turn and cook for additional 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
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Tags: leftovers, Thanksgiving, turkey

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 29th, 2009 at 01:30 pm and is filed under Did you know?, Entertaining, holidays, Quick Meal Tips, Thanksgiving, Uncategorized. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.