The Bird Is The Word!
Soup, sandwich and some more. What to do with all those leftovers?

Whether you are cooking for two or twenty, a whole bird or just a breast, you want to have turkey left over. Otherwise, what’s the point?

For many people, it’s not the roasted bird at the big Thanksgiving dinner that holds the appeal. No, they relish the thrill of sneaking into the kitchen late at night, picking off the bones and building a Dagwood-style sandwich.

Now let’s talk turkey tips. Leftover turkey should be carved from the bone before storing. Stuffing should be removed and stored separately. Store both meat and stuffing in shallow, air-tight containers. Keep in the refrigerator three to four days at most. Otherwise, cooked turkey can be frozen within two hours of cooking and thawed to use at another time.

To reheat turkey, make sure the temperature reaches 165-degrees. Turkey gravy should be always brought to a boil when cooking and used within two days.

For those of you who want to experiment beyond the basic turkey sandwich or reheated leftovers, here are some great recipes from the National Turkey Federation. For more ideas, visit www.eatturkey.com.

Herb-Roasted Turkey
with Citrus Glaze

Yield: 20

Prep Time: 4 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients
1 15-Pound WHOLE TURKEY, fresh or frozen (thawed)
3 Large lemons
2 Large limes
1-1/2 Teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 Teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
1/4 Cup dry white wine
1/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1 Bunch each fresh sage, marjoram and thyme, divided
2-3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
 
Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for gravy. Rinse turkey with cold running water and drain well. Blot dry with paper towels.

Peel skin from lemons and limes to make rose garnishes (see step 11 for directions). Reserve in refrigerator.

Squeeze enough juice from the lemons and limes to equal 2 tablespoons each. Cut remaining lemons and limes in half and place in the turkey cavity. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt in the cavity.

In a small bowl, mix the wine, brown sugar and citrus juices; reserve for glaze.

Gently loosen skin from turkey breast without totally detaching the skin and carefully place 1 tablespoon each fresh sage, marjoram and thyme under the skin. Replace skin.

Fold neck skin and fasten to the back with 1 or 2 skewers. Fold the wings under the back of the turkey. Return legs to tucked position.

Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow (about 2-1/2 inches deep) roasting pan. Rub turkey with remaining salt, pepper and 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Insert oven-safe food thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, being careful the pointed end of the thermometer does not touch bone.

Roast the turkey in a preheated 325 degree F oven about 3-3/4 hours. During the last hour of roasting time, baste with pan drippings. During the last 30 minutes, baste with citrus glaze. Loosely cover with lightweight foil to prevent excessive browning. Continue to roast until the thermometer registers 175-180 degrees F in the thigh.

Remove turkey from the oven and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Place on a warm large platter and garnish platter with remaining fresh herbs and lemon and lime roses.

Prepare lemon and lime roses as follows: with a small sharp knife or vegetable peeler, cut a continuous thin 1-inch strip of peel. Avoid cutting into white pith. Roll tightly, skin inside out and secure with toothpicks. Reserve in a bowl filled with ice water until time for service.

Provides 22 servings at 6 ounces per portion.

Thai Grilled Pizza

Yield: 4

Ingredients
1/4 Cup fresh lime juice with pulp
2 Tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons minced green onion
1 Tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 Tablespoon crunchy peanut butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/2 Teaspoon grated lime zest
1/4 Teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 Cloves garlic, minced
2 Cups GRILLED OR COOKED TURKEY, shredded
1 10-ounce tube refrigerated pizza dough
As needed olive oil
1/2 Cup sliced green onion
1 Medium carrot, cut into 2X1/8-inch match sticks
1/4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 Cup grated Mozzarella cheese
 
Prepare grill for indirect-heat cooking.

Combine lime juice, soy sauce, onion, cilantro, peanut butter, oil, brown sugar, gingerroot, lime zest, red pepper flakes and garlic in a large saucepan. Stir in shredded turkey. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Unroll pizza dough and pat into a rectangle, approximately 10 x 13 inches. Cut dough into 4 equal pieces.

Reduce grill heat to low. Brush grill rack with olive oil. Using the indirect grilling method, slide pizza crusts on grill and cook until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes until dough is puffy and lightly browned.

Turn pizza crusts over. Top browned side of pizza crusts with heated turkey mixture. Sprinkle with green onions, carrot sticks and cilantro. Sprinkle pizzas with cheese.

Cover with grill lid or tent with foil. Heat pizzas about 5 minutes or until crusts are cooked on bottom, cheese melts and pizzas are hot.

NOTE: To set up GAS grill for indirect cooking, preheat all burners on high. Turn one burner off; place pizzas over “off” burner. Reset remaining burner(s) to medium. Close lid to cook. To set up CHARCOAL grill for indirect cooking, arrange hot coals around outer edge of grill; place disposable aluminum pan in open space. Place pizzas over open area and close lid to cook.

Turkey Pot Pie

Yield: 5

Ingredients
1 1-pound package frozen vegetables for stew, cooked according to package directions
1 cup frozen peas, cooked according to package directions
2 cups COOKED TURKEY, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 12-oz jar non-fat turkey gravy
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 refrigerated pie crust, room temperature
 
Drain any cooking liquid from stew vegetables and peas.

Add turkey cubes, gravy, herbs, salt and pepper to vegetables in oven-safe 2-quart cooking dish.

Unfold pie crust dough and place on top of dish, trimming edges to approximately 1 inch larger than dish; secure dough edges to dish. Make several 1-inch slits on crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake in preheated 400-degree F oven for 25-30 minutes or until crust is brown and mixture is hot and bubbly.

Using It All Turkey Soup

Yield: 8

Ingredients
1 TURKEY CARCASS, with 2 cups cooked meat remaining on carcass
2 Tablespoons canola oil
3 Cups sweet onions, thinly sliced
1 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 Teaspoon ground sage
1/2 Teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1-1/2 Cups celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Cups carrots, peeled and sliced thin
2 Cups green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
2/3 Cup small shell pasta
 
Remove meat from carcass and chop into bite size pieces. Cover and reserve in refrigerator.

Chop turkey carcass into several large pieces.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté onions until soft and light brown.

Stir in turkey bones, salt, pepper, herbs, and 2 quarts water. Increase heat to high and quickly bring mixture to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Remove and discard carcass pieces.

Stir in vegetables, cover and continue to simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Increase heat to high, bring mixture to a quick boil and stir in shell pasta.

Lower heat to medium and cook 8-12 additional minutes until pasta and vegetables are tender.

Stir in reserved turkey. Heat over low heat for 5-10 minutes or until the temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Serve hot with crusty rolls.

Turkey Reuben Sandwich

Yield: 4

Ingredients
1/4 Cup unsalted butter, softened
8 Slices rye bread
1/2 Cup sweet honey mustard
8 Slices Swiss cheese
1 Pound cooked turkey breast, sliced thin
1/2 Cup sauerkraut, well drained
 
Spread butter on one side of each bread slice. Spread the other side of each slice of bread with sweet honey mustard.

Top four of the bread slices (mustard side up) with 1 slice cheese, 4-ounces sliced turkey and 2 tablespoons well-drained sauerkraut. Place remaining cheese and bread slices atop each sandwich.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Grill sandwiches until browned, then turn and grill until heated through and cheese is melted.

Serve with French fries and pickles.

All recipes & photos courtesy
of The National Turkey Federation