Now that Thanksgiving dinner is over, you probably have a fridge full of turkey and other leftovers. We know that it’s never wise to keep leftover food in the fridge for longer than a week, so what to do with it all? I mean, a turkey sandwich on Monday (or Tuesday) is delish, but really…how many turkey sandwiches can a person eat? And if your kids are like mine, they smell leftovers a mile away and go running in the opposite direction. So what’s a mom to do?
I’ll admit that for a few years I declined to roast a bird simply because I didn’t want to have to face the daunting leftover pile, but my husband really missed the big turkey dinner, so it’s back on these last few years. But I’ve wised up about leftovers, my friends. Here are a few tips for how to make the most of those leftovers, and I’d love to hear what you do with them, so be sure to post your ideas, suggestions, etc. in the comments below.
TURKEY STEW
This is a great way to get the most out of the leftover turkey carcass and the meat scraps that aren’t "sandwich-worthy". Here goes:
- Strip the carcass as clean as possible, place it in a large stock pot, and cover with fresh, cold water.
- Add 2 whole onions (quartered), 2 cloves of garlic (halved), 2 bay leaves (be sure to remove these before serving), 4-6 whole peppercorns, 2 carrots (roughly chopped) and several celery tops (include the leaves).
- Bring to a boil then leave to simmer overnight or for at least 8 hours. When done, allow to cool slightly then pour through a strainer to remove the bones, skin, vegetables, peppercorns, etc. BE SURE YOU HAVE A BOWL OR ANOTHER POT TO CATCH THE BROTH! Yes, I have poured a whole pot of broth down the sink by omitting this key step!
- Return the broth to the stove and bring to a rolling boil. Allow the broth to cool to room temperature then refrigerate several hours (until the fat congeals on top). Skim the fat off the broth and discard.
- The broth, when cooled, will appear gelatinous (if you really want to know why, it’s because of the gelatin in the bone marrow) but it smooths out beautifully when heated. Heat to a simmer then add back in some leftover turkey meat, peeled & chopped carrots, potatoes & celery. Add 1/2 cup barley and simmer until veggies & barley are tender.
- When the stew is ready to serve, drop prepared Bisquick by the spoonful on top of the stew and cover with a lid for 5 minutes or so…instant dumplings!
And here’s a yummy-tasting suggestion from dietitians Lynn Roblin & Bev Callaghan, authors of Suppertime Survival. I’m going to give this one a try for sure!
Baked Turkey Enchiladas
So, other than turkey sandwiches, what do you do with your leftovers? I still haven’t found a good use for leftover mashed potatoes…any good ideas? Pass them along…we’re dying to hear them!