Loving Your Leftovers

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Recipes

Turkey Walnut Salad

Prep time: 10 minutes

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

• 4 ounces grilled turkey breast, sliced thin
• 4 cups leafy greens
• ½ cup apple, chopped
• 1 cup grapes, halved
• 2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Creamy Balsamic Dressing

Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons fat-free, plain Greek yogurt

Directions

1. Add all vinaigrette ingredients to a small bowl or cup and blend with an immersion blender using the whip attachment.
2. Toss salad with dressing. Enjoy!

 

Enchilada Casserole

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Makes 8 serving

Serving size: ⅛ of casserole

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 (15.25-ounce) can low-sodium whole corn kernels, drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium black beans, drained
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound chicken (or leftover turkey), cooked and shredded
• 1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce
• 6 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, over medium heat, warm the olive oil. And add the onion and garlic. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the onions are translucent.
3. Stir in the corn, beans, canned tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
4. Add in the shredded chicken or turkey. Remove from heat.
5. In the prepared baking dish, spread ¼ cup of the the enchilada sauce.
6. Place two of the tortillas on the bottom of the pan. Spread half of the turkey mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle ⅓ cup of the cheese over the chicken mixture.
7. Repeat by layering 2 more tortillas, ¼ cup of enchilada sauce, the rest of the turkey mixture. Sprinkle with ⅓ cup of the cheese.
8. Place two more tortillas on top, spread the remaining enchilada sauce, and sprinkle the last of the cheese. Top with the rest of the fresh tomatoes.
9. Bake for 30 minutes, then garnish with the cilantro. Cut into 8 equal portions and serve warm.

 

 

Baconless Turkey Bacon Ranch Sandwich

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 Minutes

Makes 1 servings

Serving size: 1 sandwich

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons light ranch dressing
• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• Smoked paprika
• 2 ounces turkey
• ½ cup spinach

Directions

1. Spread 2 tablespoons of the ranch on the wheat bread, then sprinkle with smoked paprika. (Smoked paprika will give it the taste of bacon).
2. Layer the bread with turkey and spinach. Top with another slice of bread.

 

Turkey Veggie Bake

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Makes 8 servings

Serving size: ⅛ of casserole

Ingredients

• 1 (10.75-ounce) can low-fat, low-sodium cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 2 cups cooked chicken (or leftover turkey), shredded
• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 cups leftover stuffing

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13” baking dish. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together soup and milk until well mixed.
3. Stir in the chicken or turkey, broccoli, and celery. Mix until well-combined.
4. Spread the turkey mixture in the bottom of the baking dish. Top with 2 cups of leftover stuffing.
5. Bake for 25 minutes. Cut into eight equal portions. Serve warm.

 

Stuffing Turkey Tamales

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Makes 10 servings

Serving size: 2 tamales

Ingredients

Tamale dough

• 1⅓ cups masa harina
• 2⅔ cups leftover stuffing (best with cornbread stuffing)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup turkey or chicken stock (divided)
• 1 cup corn oil 

Turkey filling

• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1½ cups leftover turkey, shredded
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Other ingredients

• 20 dried cornhusks, soaked in warm water for an hour

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix masa, stuffing, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and salt. Stir in ½ cup of turkey broth and oil. Slowly add the remaining broth to the masa mixture (reserve ½ cup of the broth for the filling). Mix until the dough is smooth the consistency of peanut butter. Set aside.
2. In a skillet, heat onion, garlic, and olive oil over medium heat. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Remove from heat. Add the turkey, paprika, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and ½ cup turkey broth. Stir together until moistened.
3. Spread 1 tablespoon of dough on each corn husk. Top with 1 tablespoon filling. Roll corn husk up, making sure to tuck one end of the husk up into each tamale like a burrito. Leave the top open. Continue until dough and filling are gone.
4. Place a steamer insert into a saucepan. Fill with water until just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add more water when needed. Place all the tamales upright in the steamer with the open end up. Steam for about 1 hour.
5. Enjoy warm, or allow them to cool completely, then double wrap them in foil to freeze. (Tamales can be easily reheated in the microwave for a few minutes.)

 

Stuffed Peppers

The perfect reinvention of holiday leftovers!

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Makes 6 servings

Serving size: 1 pepper

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 cup fresh spinach, finely chopped
• 1 cup leftover stuffing
• 1 cup leftover turkey, finely chopped
• ¾ cup tomato sauce
• 3 bell peppers, cut in half and deseeded
• ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Coat a large skillet with nonstick spray. Add the garlic and spinach. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
4. Mix in the stuffing, turkey, and tomato sauce. Stir until well-combined. Remove from heat.
5. Place the halved peppers on the baking sheet. Fill each pepper with stuffing mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.
6. Serve warm.

 

Potato Chocolate Cake

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Makes 12 servings

Serving size: 1 slice

Ingredients

• ½ cup canola oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup cold, plain, mashed potatoes
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch nutmeg
• Pinch salt
• ½ cup buttermilk
• Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Use cooking spray to spray a 9-inch, round cake pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk oil, sugar, and eggs. Once well-combined, slowly stir in the mashed potatoes.  
3. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, a little at a time, until well-incorporated. Add the buttermilk.
5. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into 12 slices.

 

Potato Bread

Prep time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Makes 20 servings

Serving size: 1 slice

Ingredients

• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• ¼ cup water
• 4 cups bread flour

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the mashed potatoes, milk, butter, sugar, yeast, and water.
2. Slowly add in ½ cup of flour at a time. Mix until well-combined.
3. On a floured surface, knead the dough for 10 minutes.  
4. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in size.
5. Punch dough down, then form it into a loaf.
6. Place the dough in a greased bread pan, and let it to rise for another 25 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Let the loaf cool before slicing.

 

Gnocchi

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Makes 3 servings

Serving size: ⅓ of the gnocchis

Ingredients

• 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes
• 1 beaten egg
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Knead for about 5 minutes or until it has a dough texture.
2. On a floured surface, divide the dough into three balls. Using your hands, roll out each ball into a long rope.
3. Use the prongs of a fork to make small indentations in the rope. Cut it into ½-inch pieces.
4. Fill a large pot with water. Bring to a boil. Add ⅓ of the gnocchis. They’ll sink to the bottom, then rise to the top. Once they’re floating, cook for 3 minutes. Repeat with the other two batches of gnocchi.
5. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce.

 

Microwavable Cranberry Crumble

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cook time: 3 minutes

Makes 1 serving

Serving size: 1 crumble

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 small Granny Smith apple, diced
• ¼ cup leftover cranberry sauce
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

• 2 tablespoons old fashioned oats
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar or coconut sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil

Directions

1. Place apple and cranberry sauce in the bottom of a small, microwave-safe bowl. Mix.
2. Drizzle with vanilla extract. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, mix oats, sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, and coconut oil. Spread evenly on top of the apple and cranberry sauce.
4. Microwave for about 2 minutes until the apples are warm and bubbling.

 

Cranberry Yogurt Parfait

Prep time: 2 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup fat-free, plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup leftover cranberry sauce
• 2 tablespoons granola
• ½ tablespoon honey

Directions:

1. Place the yogurt in a bowl. Top with cranberry sauce and granola.
2. Drizzle with honey. Enjoy!

 

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Makes 8 servings

Serving size: 2 pancakes

Ingredients

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• ⅔ cups leftover mashed sweet potatoes (You can also use leftover sweet potato casserole—simply remove the marshmallow topping and cut the sugar in half)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 1½ cups 1% milk

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients. Set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the wet ingredients and stir until smooth.
3. Combine the potato mixture with the dry ingredients. Stir together until well blended.
4. Coat a skillet with nonstick spray. Warm on medium-high heat. Drop 2 tablespoon of the pancake mixture in. Cook on one side until bubbles appear (about 3 minutes), then flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes.  

 

Creamy Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Makes 4 servings

Serving size: ½ cup

Ingredients

• 1 red pepper
• 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Cut the red pepper in half, remove seeds, and place cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes.  
2. Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and blend until creamy.
3. Place sauce in a saucepan on medium heat. Warm for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Serve over your favorite pasta or veggie noodles, or enjoy as a soup.

 

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Makes 12 servings

Serving size: 1 burger

Ingredients

• 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups leftover mashed sweet potatoes
• 2 cups brown rice or quinoa, cooked
• ½ cup green onions, finely diced
• 2½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

Optional toppings

• Sliced avocados
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Onion
• Tomatoes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, slightly mash the black beans. Mix in the sweet potatoes, rice, green onions, and spices.
3. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Mold the patties from about a ¼ cup of the mixture. (If you’re unable to mold the mixture into patties because it’s too wet, add more rice.) Gently press the patties down on the baking sheet.
4. Bake burgers for about 17 minutes. Remove and flip. Continue backing for about 18 minutes.
5. Serve on toasted buns with your choice of toppings, or slice and serve on top of a salad.
6. These also freeze well.