Many people buy an extra-large turkey so they can have an easy weekend of leftovers after all of the hard work of the holiday meal. Turkey is very versatile and is an excellent base for many post-holiday meals.
Practice safe food handling methods to assure your leftover turkey is safe to eat. The turkey should not be out for more than two hours after it has been cooked. For safe storage, remove the stuffing and debone the turkey. Store the turkey in shallow containers in the refrigerator. Shallow containers allow the turkey to cool faster preventing growth of harmful bacteria. Use the turkey and stuffing within 3-4 days. Use leftover gravy within 1-2 days. When you reheat the turkey or stuffing, assure it reaches 165 degrees. Gravy should be brought to a boil before you serve it as a leftover. If you freeze your leftovers, use them within 2-6 months.
Here are a couple of ideas for using your leftover turkey:
Turkey and Potatoes Au Gratin
Serves 4
1 cup cooked turkey
1 pound frozen hash brown potatoes
1 (10 oz.) can cream of broccoli soup
½ cup fat-free sour cream
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine all ingredients leaving ½ cup of cheddar cheese. Pour into an 8x8 pan sprayed with oil. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of cheese. Cover and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes until the cheese on top is browned and bubbly. (Recipe from Purdue Farms Incorporated)
Turkey Chili
Serves 4
2 tsp. cooking oil
¼ cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped celery
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
1 (15 oz.) can white beans
1 (11 oz.) can white corn
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
12 oz. fat-free chicken broth
½ tsp. ground cumin
Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook until onions are clear. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes.
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