Simkin: The possibilities of leftovers

Thanksgiving leftovers have become almost as much of a holiday tradition as the meal itself…. Thanksgiving leftovers have become almost as much of a holiday tradition as the meal itself. Unfortunately, many people don’t fully utilize their post-Thursday-night fridges.

Anyone can slap a turkey sandwich together, but with a little more creativity, you might be surprised at how many variations on the theme you can come up with. What can you do with that stock of leftovers? For starters, experiment with the following recipes:

Soup: What’s better for a blustery winter day than soup? Swap chicken and noodles for turkey and corn — which is pretty much what it sounds like: add egg noodles and the broth of your choice to leftover corn and turkey — or turkey and tomatoes, carrots, peas and celery.

Salad: For an excellent light lunch, try turkey salad. Chop up your preference of light or dark meat as fine as possible. Add a judicious bit of mayonnaise and your favorite mix-ins — I’m partial to cranberries and walnuts. Eat the salad by itself or in a sandwich.

Casserole: Turkey noodle casserole makes an easy one-dish dinner. The version I enjoy is hardly the product of exact science — you can alter the proportions based on how many people you’re cooking for or simply the size of the dishes available to you. Generally speaking, a medium-sized box of boiled pasta and one beaten egg suffice for the main components. For the Thanksgiving twist, shred turkey pieces and mix them in — you can also add peas or other vegetables. Bake the ingredients for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle in grated cheese if you’re so inclined.

Quesadillas: Turkey quesadillas are another lunch option. Butter or apply cooking spray to a nonstick pan. Arrange your ingredients on one side of a tortilla, then fold it in half. Cook each side until golden brown or until the cheese starts to melt. The protein from the turkey makes the cheesy concoction slightly more nutritious and certainly more filling. You can also add caramelized onions and sliced bell peppers for more of a kick.

Sides: Not looking forward to more slaving away in the kitchen? Cheat on making Christmas dinner or other upcoming big meals by freezing the side dishes that will keep well, like sweet potatoes and vegetables. You could prepare an additional smaller batch later and combine them if you don’t have quite enough left.

Stir-fry: Turkey isn’t a protein option frequently offered at Market Central’s 360 stir-fry grill, but that’s no reason not to try it. The leaner poultry is a health-conscious choice over chicken or beef. Teriyaki, soy sauce or whatever else you prefer to flavor your stir-fry with will likely be a welcome change from the rest of the Thanksgiving menu.

Breakfast: If you thought breakfast was the one meal you couldn’t incorporate turkey into, think again. Turkey omelets anyone?

Potpie: A turkey potpie makes a hardy and surprisingly easy meal for chilly weather. Combine bite-sized turkey chunks with a third of a cup of milk, a can of mixed vegetables (or the same amount of leftover vegetables) and a can of mushroom soup. Pour the mixture into an unbaked pie shell — you can make your own crust if you’re adventurous but we’re going for simplicity here — and top with a second unbaked pie shell. Crimp the edges together with a fork and bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.

Fridge food: For the perfect midnight snack: stumble to the fridge, remove Tupperware lid from your favorite cold side dish and apply spoon. Ta-da! The absolute minimum of preparation is involved in this recipe — OK, it isn’t a recipe by any stretch of the imagination, but delicious nonetheless. It’s the ideal medicine for the bleary-eyed and half-conscious yet hungry individual.

A word of warning: The dinner rolls that were so flaky and delicious are now likely hardened into lumps. There are methods of microwaving stale breads wrapped in damp paper towels in a last ditch attempt to revitalize them, but my preference is to pitch them into the yard for the birds and other woodland creatures.