Thanksgiving "Turkey" Day Leftover Tips from Whole Foods

Thanksgiving Day 2011 is almost here. For my international audience Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated in the US on the 4th Thursday of November every year. It is a major holiday and many folks return home or join friends and relatives in one place to enjoy a feast of turkey. In my family and me being a former chef ( I think former is incorrect here as once a chef always a chef) I try new ways of cooking the turkey with Indian spices and sometimes we will use a large chicken as we may not have enough people over to warrant a Turkey and we still will have leftovers.

Leftovers from Thanksgiving are always a subject of creativity and innovation and creativity in many households. A search on Google brings op 18 million results for the words 'Thanksgiving leftovers" . I was happy  my mailbox today got a few tips from Whole Foods Market that I included in this post.

Turkey

· Dice leftover turkey (dark meat is particularly firm and flavorful) and toss with mayo, a little mustard, and some chopped apple and celery for a fabulous sandwich filling. Try it on toasted raisin bread!

· For a turkey Cobb salad, spread chopped lettuce over a platter and top with rows of diced turkey breast, crumbled blue cheese, chopped tomato, chopped red onion, and diced avocado; serve with oil and vinegar or your favorite vinaigrette.

· Boil up your favorite pasta shape, then toss with shredded turkey, prepared pesto sauce, lots of freshly grated black pepper and Parmesan.

Mashed Potatoes

· Mix with some cooked chopped cabbage, kale or other hearty winter green for a quick version of colcannon, an Irish staple.

· Combine with a little chopped onion and beaten egg, form into patties and pan-fry for delicious potato cakes. Adding a little cooked grain to the mix will make them even more wonderful — try wild rice or barley.

· Sauté sliced leeks in butter until soft, then puree with chicken stock and mashed potatoes for a delicious winter soup.

Cranberry Sauce

· Mix with plain yogurt for breakfast or a satisfying snack.

· Stir some chopped pecans or walnuts into your sauce and serve as a chutney with crackers and cheeses — particularly delicious with Stilton or farmhouse Cheddar!

· Mix into applesauce and serve hot with pork chops or as a topping for pancakes or waffles.

Stuffing or Dressing

· Reheat in the microwave and top with fried or poached eggs for breakfastóparticularly delicious with sausage or sage stuffing!

· Make "stuffing muffins" by pressing dressing or stuffing into the cups of a butter muffin tin and baking at 350°F until hot and crisp on top; sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs just before serving.

· Mix with nuts or dried fruit and use as a filling for halved, roasted winter squash like acorn or delicata.

In general, refrigerated leftovers should be used within three to four days. Frozen leftovers will have the best quality if used within two to four months.
After the meal or during there is so much to see on TV  Jackie Kass writes in her Examiner article

 Thanksgiving Day usually involves some down time on the couch before or after the big feast. The TV schedule for Thanksgiving Day 2011 is strong and features the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, a slew of football games, including three NFL match-ups and one college game, and a Lady Gaga primetime special. There’s literally something for everyone, including the kiddies 

Do you have some tips about good use of leftover food?