Leftover Turkey Recipes

For some reason at Christmas or Thanks Giving we go overboard and buy a turkey that would feed the whole neighbourhood, never mind the family, and we are often left with at least half a turkey when the special dinner is over.

We then spend the whole of the next week trying to get rid of the blasted bird and every meal we have has turkey some where in the ingredients. It doesn't really have to be that way though because if you let your cooked turkey cool to room temperature then put it in the freezer it can last for a long time, just make sure that when you go to use it again that you thaw it out thoroughly and heat it properly when re-cooking it.

Below you will find 3 quick and easy recipes for leftover turkey that will tickle your taste buds and leave you wanting to go out and get another turkey when the leftovers are finished. When you have run out of turkey though you could always replace the main ingredient with chicken.

What you will need:

Approx 400g leftover cooked turkey, chopped: Pasta: 4 rashers of bacon, cooked and chopped: 1 tbsp of cooking oil: 1 finely chopped onion: 2 cloves of garlic, crushed: 1 can of chopped tomatoes: a splash of white wine, optional, 50g of grated cheese: a small pinch of sugar: salt and pepper.

Gently fry the onion and the bacon in the oil for about 5 minutes, add the wine if using and let it simmer for about 2 minutes, add the tomatoes and the sugar, salt and pepper to season and simmer for a further 20 minutes then add the turkey.

Cook the pasta for 3 minutes less than is stated on the pack, drain and mix it with the other ingredients in the pan, place in a baking tray and cover it generously with the grated cheese, place in the oven at 190oc and bake for 25 minutes, until it is bubbling and a golden colour.

What you will need:

3 slices of thick cut bread: 4 slices of leftover turkey: 2 rashers of bacon: 1 tbsp of cranberry sauce: 1 tbsp of mayonnaise: lettuce: 1 sliced tomato: pickle.

Toast the bread and cook the bacon, spread the mayo on 2 slices of toast and place 2 slices of turkey a rasher of bacon, lettuce, tomato and pickle and top with a little cranberry sauce, place one on top of the other with the last piece of toast on top.

What you will need:

400 g of leftover turkey, cubed: 1 sweet potato peeled and cubed: 1 onion finely chopped: 1 aubergine, cubed: 1-2 tbsp Thai green curry paste (depending on how hot you like it):1 can coconut milk: coriander if you have some.

Fry the onion for 2 minutes then add the curry paste and continue to fry for another 2 minutes, add the sweet potato, aubergine and the coconut milk and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes add the turkey to warm through for another 3 minutes then the coriander, if the sauce becomes too thick, thin it down a little with water, serve with rice.