Take this holiday weekend as an opportunity to make a delicious and succulent turkey dinner. Plan for leftovers and use our easy tips for extra meals that are quick and tasty.
If the thought of leftover turkey brings to mind endless turkey sandwiches it’s time to get inspired! From lettuce wraps to assertive pasta dishes, discover the true versatility of this valuable leftover protein and include it in all your favourite poultry recipes. And remember, if the sheer amount of turkey leftover from your big meal is overwhelming, turkey can easily be shredded or diced and then frozen in resealable bags for up to 6 months.
And don’t forget; skinless turkey breast is now a zero Points food, whereas dark meat is 2 SmartPoints per 3 oz (without skin).
Lean leftover turkey wraps
Leftover turkey makes a tasty and convenient filling for lettuce wraps. Fill sturdy iceberg lettuce leaves with shredded turkey breast, carrots, daikon radish, thinly sliced sweet peppers, cilantro, scallions, and coarsely chopped roasted peanuts. Planning on lettuce wraps for a workday lunch? Pack the ingredients separately and assemble at the office to prevent soggy lettuce leaves.
Make a Mediterranean-inspired turkey salad
Make a chopped Greek salad that will have the sunny Mediterranean feeling that much closer using leftover turkey breast and a selection of your favourite veggies. Begin with cubed turkey breast, adding cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, romaine lettuce, sliced red onions, and small amount of crumbled feta cheese. For a salad dressing with plenty of tangy flavour whisk together nonfat plain yogurt, red wine vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil, dried oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the dressing over the salad ingredients and enjoy as is or stuffed into a pita wrap.
Go Moroccan with your turkey soup
Endlessly soothing and adaptable, turkey soup is classic comfort food at its finest. Get creative with your leftovers and make a Moroccan-inspired turkey soup next time you have an abundance of turkey in your fridge; sauté onions with cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and Ras el Hanout (a traditional Moroccan spice blend). Swap out traditional turnip for butternut squash, and add a can of diced tomatoes, a can of chickpeas, finely chopped dried apricots, fresh cilantro, and parsley.
Add turkey to make your next hash
Turkey and sweet potato hash is a delicious yet effortless brunch dish that will have you making up reasons to keep leftover turkey in the fridge at all times. Begin by sautéing finely diced unpeeled sweet potatoes and red onion in a small amount of olive oil until the sweet potatoes begin to soften and the onions are translucent. Stir in a pinch of Aleppo pepper or chili powder and generous amount of shredded leftover turkey breast, adding several handfuls of spinach to the hash just before serving with poached eggs or scrambled tofu.
Use Brussels sprouts and turkey for a robust pasta dish
Brussels sprouts and leftover turkey make a fantastically savoury topping for whole wheat pasta. Toss halved Brussels sprouts in a tablespoon of olive oil with a few minced cloves of garlic, and a pinch of dried red chili peppers. Mix in the roasted Brussels sprouts with leftover shredded turkey breast, whole wheat pasta, chopped parsley and a healthy sprinkling of real parmesan cheese and freshly cracked pepper before serving.
Try a sophisticated turkey salad in your sandwich
Make a fun and fancy version of an open-faced turkey salad sandwich using leftover cubed turkey breast, halved red grapes, a few chopped walnuts, diced apple and crumbled blue cheese. Bind the ingredients together using a half-and-half mixture of nonfat plain yogurt and mayonnaise. Pile the turkey salad onto your favourite whole wheat or rye bread, topping with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.