Leftovers

I always buy more turkey than my family can possibly eat for Thanksgiving dinner.

You know why, don't you? I want the leftovers.

There are few meals I enjoy more than hot turkey and gravy served on toast. And if there's some leftover cranberry relish and sweet potato casserole, then I'm even happier.

Quite often I cook a turkey breast in my slower cooker*, and during the last few months have discovered two new leftover recipes I want to share. One is a simple turkey salad; the other is a turkey soup filled with vegetables and noodles.

I made the turkey salad in late summer and have fallen in love with it. I started with a recipe from Food Network Magazine and adapted it. I don't have measurements, but the ingredients are simple: chopped roasted turkey or chicken, chopped celery, light mayonnaise, dijon honey mustard, sliced red grapes and toasted, slivered almonds.

I adapt how much I make according to who's eating it. Often, I'll make just enough for my lunch. I love to eat the salad on bagel chips or reduced-fat Wheat Thins. I don't include dijon honey mustard, grapes or almonds in my chicken salad, so this recipe has been a wonderful change for my tastebuds!

Turkey Noodle Soup is also different from other soups I make with lots of egg noodles and a splash of Worchestershire sauce to perk up the taste. My usual after-Thanksgiving soup uses up the vegetables from Thanksgiving dinner, but this recipe includes carrots, onions and celery. It doesn't take long at all to mix up this soup, which my family really enjoyed.

* Cooking a turkey breast in the slow cooker couldn't be easier. Rinse the thawed breast with water (I hold mine over the trash can so I don't have to clean the sink after rinsing) and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker; I always use a slow cooker bag to line the crock. Put about a teaspoon or two of butter on top and close. Do not add liquid to the slow cooker; it's not necessary. Plenty of broth will accumulate in the bottom of the crock. Cook on low for about 8 hours.

You do have to use a smaller turkey breast if you cook in the slow cooker. If it's a little too large for your cooker when frozen, it will usually be a bit smaller once it's thawed.


Turkey Noodle Soup

• Cooking spray
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup chopped celery
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 14 oz. cans reduced-fat, reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups uncooked egg noodles (I use No Yolks)
• 1 bay leaf
• Splash Worchestershire sauce
• 2 cups shredded turkey

Heat large saucepan or soup pot and coat with cooking spray. Add carrots, onion and garlic and saute about 5 minutes until onion slightly browned. Add celery and pepper; saute 3 more minutes.
Add chicken broth, egg noodles and Worchestershire sauce and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add in turkey and cook another 3 minutes. Discard bay leaf before serving.

Adapted from Cooking Light



Tasty Turkey Salad

• Roasted turkey, chopped
• Celery, chopped
• Reduced fat mayonnaise
• Dijon honey mustard
• Sliced grapes
• Slivered almonds, toasted

Combine turkey, celery, mayonnaise and mustard until desired consistency. Gently fold in grapes and top with almonds.
I do not have specific measurements for this. I just mix in ingredients until it looks and tastes like I want it to.