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The Day After
What To Do With Your Leftover Turkey
By Donna Smith
"Our family leaves very little turkey leftover," says Mary. "The carcass stew is what I look forward to." Take the turkey carcass and boil it until all the remaining meat is off the bones. Add all your leftover vegetables from dinner – toss in a few fresh ones if your family didn't leave too many – and any leftover gravy and stuffing.
"The hardest part about this is getting all the bones out after boiling," Mary says. "For me, I wrap it tightly in cheesecloth and just pick it out before I add anything else. I let it boil an hour or two. Once the cheese cloth has cooled, I pick all the meat off and dump in the soup."
Robin takes a different approach. "My husband removes the rest of the meat from the bone, then puts the bones in a large saucepot, adds water and cooks the rest of the meat off," she says. "Then he makes soup. I take the rest of the turkey, cut it into pieces, stick them in freezer bags in one-cup measurements, then I have chopped turkey for recipes for months to come. It's great!"
Michelle has another answer to leftover turkey. "The fastest way I can get rid of leftover turkey is to turn it into a casserole," she says. "It works well and my family likes it almost as much as having it traditionally for Thanksgiving dinner. It keeps us from repetitiously eating turkey for a week!"
| Turkey and Your Furry Friends Don't Mix "DO NOT feed your dog turkey skin," says Lyndee Henderson, Suite101 editor of Small Dog Breeds."It can kill them because they can't digest it. Also, never feed your dog a turkey leg -- they can choke on the small bones, and larger turkey bones fracture easily. If ingested, bone fragments can puncture the dogs internal organs." If you insist on feeding your dog part of the leftover turkey, Lyndee adds: "If one way to get rid of turkey is to feed it to your furry friend, make certain you inspect the pieces you give your dog for skin and bones. Turkey is a great treat for dogs only if served with care." | Turkey sandwiches are always a hit, but Carrie makes them extra special. "We make turkey dinner sandwiches," she says. "Put turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing between two pieces of bread – you can use Miracle Whip or mayonnaise, too – and enjoy! You can also warm up the turkey and stuffing first. It might sound gross at first, but it is really good! I'm getting some cravings right now!" Teisha created a recipe using her leftover turkey that is a favorite with her kids. "Add cumin and salsa to diced turkey meat," she says. "Heat in skillet, then stuff into half a pita and top with tomato, lettuce and cheese. Turkey tacos – or pitas if you prefer! It's real simple and something different that doesn't taste like left over turkey." |
No matter how many great recipes you can make using leftover turkey, some people get enough turkey at Thanksgiving dinner and want no part of the leftovers!
"My neighbor tells me that this year her family just can't face turkey leftovers," says KD. "She's going to smush all the turkey pieces together into a turkey shape and paper mache over it. Make a centerpiece for next year! And the thing is – I don't doubt my neighbor at all!"
| Day After Turkey Pie | Turkey Casserole |
| Turkey and Wild Rice Soup | Chop Suey |
| Chutney Chicken Salad | Turkey and Spinach Pie |