Healthy Leftover Ideas

Not sure what to do with that all that turkey? Try one of these flavourful and healthy leftover ideas.

Part of the fun of holiday dinners is eating up those leftovers, and turkey is a versatile meat to use in a variety of dishes.
If you’re looking for some lighter alternatives to heavy casseroles, try one of these healthy choices.

Sandwiches with pizzazz

Turkey sandwiches are the tried-and-true favourite, but they’re not a balanced meal. Instead of piling on the stuffing and gravy to add flavour, take your cues from the local sandwich shop instead. For a do-it-yourself turkey sub, pita or wrap night, offer a variety of toppings like:

– Cheese: cheddar is always a favourite, but for a bit of a kick try grated parmesan or old cheese instead. Havarti works particularly well with turkey, and there are a variety of flavours available including dill and hot pepper.

– Sliced olives and pickles (especially if you’ve got leftovers from holiday appetizers).

– Roasted red peppers and hot peppers (straight from the jar will work).

– Bacon bits (crumbled and used sparingly).

– Cold vegetables such as peppers, cucumber, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli and shredded lettuce. Sprouts also add some crunch and are packed with vitamins.

Turkey chili

Skip the step of browning and adding ground beef and chop up the turkey you have on hand. The vegetables and beans will add fibre and nutrients for a chunky and quick chili.

Leftover Turkey Chili Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 can (28 oz. size) tomato puree
1 can (15 1/2 oz. size) kidney beans, undrained
2 cups chopped, cooked turkey

Directions:

– Heat oil in skillet over medium heat; add next 6 ingredients and cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomato puree and beans; stir in turkey. Simmer 5 minutes longer.

Turkey Feta Salad

This “throw together” meal also uses up vegetables and nuts from your holiday feasts. The ingredient portions are approximate, but they’re easy to adapt to your preferences and how many you are feeding.

Mixed greens (use leafy dark green vegetables like spinach for added vitamins)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans, cashews, almonds or mixed nuts)
1 coloured pepper, chopped (try yellow or orange for some colour)
1/2 to 3/4 cup cucumber, sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 cups cooked turkey
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Optional: Add in some chopped broccoli (stem and all), asparagus or other vegetables you have on hand. You can also add other dried fruits like raisins and papayas, or fresh fruits like grapes. Using raw, unsalted nuts and seeds is preferable to roasted, and you can toast them yourself in the toaster oven.

Toss ingredients together and serve with a fruit-flavoured salad dressing like raspberry vinaigrette. To use up some leftover cranberry sauce, try the dressing from Ocean Spray’s Turkey Salad with Cranberry Feta Cheese Dressing.

Other tempting options

Looking for some other ideas? Try:

– Tossing some turkey in a stir fry and serve over brown rice or whole wheat or kamut pasta.

– Add turkey cubes and chunky vegetables to homemade tomato sauce.

– Add turkey to cold pasta salad or a couscous (use a ranch or Caesar dressing for a quick fix).