Turkey Pot Pie
Turkey Pot Pie
photo by:High Cotton Food Styling & Photography

After the Feast

Thanksgiving demands a big bird on the table. After all, what’s the weekend without turkey sandwiches? That’s why, if you’re like us, you’re compelled to seek out a 20-pound turkey no matter how many people surround your table on the big day.

Everyone eats their fill, and then there are the inevitable leftovers. While turkey’s great when it comes with all the fixings, it turns a little dull on its own. Maybe it’s because we enjoyed it so much the day before; maybe it’s because it dries out a bit overnight in the refrigerator. For whatever reason, we need to perk it up.

So here’s a tasty farewell to dull turkey leftovers. Save the meat and bones on Thanksgiving, then wake up your taste buds with these easy dishes on the long weekend ahead.


Turkey Vegetable Soup

Use a turkey carcass that hasn’t been completely stripped of meat—although too much skin still adhering to it can make the soup oily.

Ingredients
1 leftover turkey carcass, with some meat still on the bones
3 1/2 quarts water
2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and diced
1 medium parsnip, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon salt, or additional to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Place carcass, water and bay leaves in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. If carcass is not fully submerged, break it into pieces. Cover and bring to a simmer over high heat. Skim off foam, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 hour.
2. Transfer bones to a large bowl using a slotted spoon. Discard bay leaves. Add remaining ingredients to broth; simmer, uncovered, about 1 hour or until vegetables are tender.
3. Remove meat from bones. Chop, stir into soup, and simmer 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Taste and add more salt if needed before serving. Serves 6.

Recipe by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, "After the Feast," American Profile, Nov. 19, 2006.

Turkey Pot Pie

With frozen puffed pastry, you can make a fancy turkey casserole in no time, a warm comforting meal after the football games over the weekend.

Ingredients
3 cups milk (whole, low-fat or fat-free)
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
6 cups chopped turkey meat
1 pound frozen mixed vegetables
1 (17-ounce) box frozen puffed pastry, thawed
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F. Place milk in a large saucepan, set over medium heat, and whisk in flour until dissolved. Continue whisking over heat until thick and bubbling.
Whisk in Worcestershire sauce, mustard, thyme, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Stir in turkey and vegetables; pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
Cover top of casserole with 2 sheets of puff pastry placed end-to-end and overlapped slightly in the middle; trim off any excess that hangs over edges. If desired, cut excess dough into patterns or designs with cookie cutters and lay on top of pastry.
Bake about 50 minutes or until top is browned and puffed and filling is bubbling. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

Recipe by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, "After the Feast," American Profile, Nov. 19, 2006.

Turkey Enchiladas

No need to make a complicated enchilada sauce with dried chiles and a dozen spices. With a bottle of purchased salsa and a blender, you can make the sauce in minutes.

Ingredients
3 cups purchased salsa
1/2 cup water
5 tablespoons chili powder
4 cups chopped turkey meat
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Purée salsa, water and chili powder in a large blender or a food processor. Pour 1/2 cup purée into a 13-by-9-inch baking pan; set remainder aside.
2. Combine turkey, 1 cup cheese and cilantro in a large bowl. Lay a flour tortilla on work surface. Place 1 cup turkey mixture in center of tortilla, roll closed and place seam side down in baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
2. Pour reserved sauce over enchiladas in pan. Cover with foil and bake about 45 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Continue baking about 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

Recipe by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, "After the Feast," American Profile, Nov. 19, 2006.

Chipotle Turkey Club Wraps

These spicy wraps will wake up your palate after the big meal. Look for canned chiles in adobo sauce in the Mexican section of most large markets.

Ingredients
8 bacon strips, fried and crumbled
1 large tomato, roughly chopped
1 chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced (see Note)
2 1/2 cups chopped turkey
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 large wrap roll-ups, such as flour tortillas, lavash, na’an, lefse, or other large flat breads
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
Instructions
1. Combine bacon, tomato, chile, turkey and mayonnaise
2. Place a roll-up on work surface; top with 1/4 cup lettuce and a quarter of the turkey mixture. Roll closed and repeat with the remaining roll-ups. Serves 4.

Note: Wash your hands carefully after working with chiles; avoid touching your eyes or lips. For complete protection, wear rubber gloves.

Recipe by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, "After the Feast," American Profile, Nov. 19, 2006.

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