There’s no getting around this you WILL have LEFTOVER turkey and if you don’t you are missing out. Some of the best of the holiday meal happens after the holiday big diner is eaten. I’m talkin’ that half turkey you have left in the fridge.

It never cease to amaze me what my parents did with leftover turkey. Dad would hook up a trukry soup and mom a delicious Primevera. I had an older cousin who lived a few doors on the same street who came by to do a Tukey Salad.

Remembering my childhood leftover turkey days and adding my own personal touch I would like to share a few recipes I know you will enjoy.

This is pretty much what my dad would do with the carcass. I downsized this ’cause our bird was usually twice the size.

Turkey Soup

8-10 Servings Prep: 30 min.

Cook: 2 hours 35 min.

Ingredients

1 leftover turkey carcass (from a 10- to 12-pound turkey)

2 quarts water

1 medium onion, cut into wedges

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

Directions

Place the turkey carcass in a stockpot; add the water, onion, salt

and bay leaves. Slowly bring to a boil over low heat; cover and

simmer for 2 hours.

Remove carcass; cool. Strain broth and skim fat. Discard onion and

bay leaves. Return broth to the pan. Add the carrots, rice, celery

and chopped onion; cover and simmer until rice and vegetables are

tender.

Remove turkey from bones; discard bones and cut turkey into bite-size

pieces. Add turkey and cream soup to broth; heat through.

Yield: 8-10 servings (about 2 quarts).

The meat from the bird mom would dice and do a Primavera that was very good even to a kid who didn’t like vegetables all that much .. My brother.

Turkey Primavera

4 Servings Prep

Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked penne pasta

8 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup diced onion

2/3 cup julienned carrot

3 tablespoons butter

4 large fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup chopped yellow summer squash

1/2 cup chopped zucchini

2 cups shredded cooked turkey

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large

skillet, saute asparagus and carrot in butter for 3 minutes. Add the

mushrooms, yellow squash and zucchini; saute until crisp-tender.

Stir in the turkey, tomato, dressing mix and cream. Bring to a boil;

cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Drain pasta; add to vegetable mixture and toss to combine. Sprinkle

with cheese and toss again.

Yield: 4 servings.

This is something my folks didn’t do with the leftover turkey that I learned and LOVE.

Turkey, Red Pepper and Cheddar Quiche

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 45 Minutes

Ready In: 1 Hour

Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 (9 inch) unbaked frozen deep dish pie

shell, thawed

1 cup diced cooked turkey or chicken

1/3 cup diced roasted red pepper

2 green onions, thinly sliced

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

3 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.Preheat oven to 375F (190 C).

2.Sprinkle cheese in bottom of pie shell. Add turkey, roasted red pepper and green onions; using fork toss gently to combine and spread evenly.

3.In a medium bowl, whisk together cream and flour. Add eggs and salt and whisk until well combined. Slowly pour over cheese mixture, using fork to allow cream mixture to fill pie shell evenly. Bake on bottom rack for about 45 minutes or until top is golden, edges puff and knife inserted in centre comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

My cousin Lewis was always making a salad out of something leftover which gave me this idea for a awesome tasting salad.

Turkey Salad

4 Servings

Ingredients

1 hard-cooked egg

4 cups shredded cooked turkey or chicken

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 Avacado diced

1/2 Japapeno FINE DICED

1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

In a bowl, mash the egg with a fork. Add turkey, mayonnaise, Avacado and relish

Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Stir in pecans just

before serving. Yield: 4 servings