Got some leftovers from your big dinner? Keep the party going with these quick and easy recipes that take your holiday leftovers from boring to brilliant.
1. After-Thanksgiving Pizza
Ingredients:
1 (11-oz.) can refrigerated thin pizza crust dough
1/4 cup light pizza sauce
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
2 thinly sliced plum tomatoes
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded low fat cheese
Chopped fresh avocado
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450°. Unroll dough; pat to an even thickness on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
2. Spread light pizza sauce over crust. Top with turkey, tomatoes, and onion. Bake at 450° for 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese melts. Top with avocado.
Just substitute bacon to turkey and you’ll get a healthy after-thanksgiving pizza.
2. Turkey Salad with Cranberry Dressing
Ingredients:
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 30ml olive oil
- 3 x 5mm-thick dinner bread slices
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbs cranberry sauce
- 2 celery stalks, shaved
- 120g mixed baby salad leaves (mesclun)
- 400g cooked, cooled turkey meat, sliced or shredded
- 1/4 cup (35g) slivered almonds, toasted
- 1 avocado, halved, sliced
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 200C. Combine the garlic and 20ml oil in a bowl. Season and brush over the bread slices. Place the bread on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Set aside to cool.
- For the dressing, place the vinegar, cranberry sauce and remaining oil in a bowl. Season and whisk to combine.
- To serve, assemble the remaining ingredients on a platter and break the croutons over the salad. Drizzle with the cranberry dressing to serve.
3. Turkey Tostadas With Spicy Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
- 50gr cranberry sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 cups shredded cooked turkey
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 8 tostada shells (from 4.5-oz box)
Directions:
- In 1-quart saucepan, heat Sauce ingredients to boiling over medium heat. Cook 10 to 15 minutes or until cranberries have popped and sauce has thickened.
- In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add turkey, cumin, oregano and chili powder; stir to mix. Cook 5 to 7 minutes or until turkey is thoroughly heated.
- Heat refried beans as directed on can.
- To assemble tostadas, spread each tostada shell with warm refried beans. Top with turkey, lettuce and sauce.
4. Turkey & Squash Soup
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 2 leeks, trimmed, thoroughly cleaned and chopped (3 1/2 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ lb butternut squash (2 medium), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 lb cooked turkey
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 ½ tsp crushed red pepper
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and pepper; cook, stirring often until the vegetables begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute more.
- Stir in broth, squash, thyme and cumin; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add turkey and cook through another 3 to 4 minutes. Add lime juice and crushed red pepper. Gently warm the soup until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Healthy Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked
- 1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves
- 1 lb. cooked turkey filet finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1 jar (14-1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
- 2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) Neufchatel cheese, cubed
- 1 cup shredded 2% milk mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Heat oven to 375ºF.
- Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt and adding spinach to the boiling water the last minute.
- Cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 2 min. Stir in spaghetti sauce, garlic, and tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 2 min. Stir in Neufchatel.
- Drain pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole or 8-inch square baking dish.
- Bake 20 min.; top with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted.
