On Christmas day, our friend Niki was kind enough to make us a perfect turkey and the most rockin' stuffing. And yes, she is a believer in stuffing as opposed to dressing. It was absolutely fantastic and flavorful, and no one died (so take that Alton Brown.) The bird was so moist and the stuffing was chunky and rough-cut.



Her gravy was also fab. And all we had to do was bring the salad and some asparagus. Oh, and do note the pathetic offering of our Christmas cookies in the background. Luckily for us, she also had pumpkin cheesecake on hand!



In Niki's honor, I also including three ideas I've had in the past for leftover turkey. Sure, make the soup and the tetrazzini and the casserole... those are all great. But if you're looking for something different, and if you STILL have more turkey on hand...

This first one was stolen directly from Trader Joe's. They serve brie, turkey, and apple sandwiches already made. But since I had all that bird left, I made my own with a simple balsamic vinegar and oil dressing. And if you plan really well, you can actually have all this stuff left over (from salads and stuffing and whatnot) and just rearrange it all in sandwich-form.





I'm sure you've thought of this next one. I just rough-cut some turkey, and instead of re-heating, put it cold on a salad with some candied nuts. I made those in a skillet with just a little oil, sugar, and I like a little cayenne pepper in there. I served it with squash soup so it still warms you up.



Chris really liked this last one. I used my food processor, and pulsed the turkey and shredded some red bell peppers, celery, and walnuts. I combined it with lowfat mayo and plenty of curry seasoning and coriander. I think it'd also be good with golden raisins, cilantro and green onions if you have those around. It could also be a hearty dip.


If you can work any of those into the party you throw on New Year's, that's really the hat-trick! Have a good one!