Non-Boring Things To Do With Turkey

"Turkey again?"

I can hear it now. When I was a kid, we didn't *dare* complain about dinner; you either ate what was served or made your own. Given that my parents grew up in the South in the 50s, this is pretty typical. Regardless of what your "complaint policy" is at home, sometimes you get tired of making the same thing and just want to find something different to do with whatever leftovers you have. That, or you want something new to serve to guests. Whichever applies to you, here are a few ideas of what you can do with leftover turkey.

If you want something off-beat to take to your next potluck or just feel like something different, here's an interesting use for leftover turkey and Fritos. 

Southern-Style Turkey Bake-serves 4

-1 lb ground turkey

-1 10-3/4 oz can cream of celery or Southwestern pepper jack soup

-1 medium onion, chopped

-2 cups corn chips, crushed

-2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

-1 cup thawed frozen corn

-1 cup canned diced tomatoes

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 F. In an oven-proof skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add turkey and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Add the soup, corn and tomatoes and boil for 5 minutes.

Take skillet from stovetop and put corn chips and cheese on top of the turkey. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Serve.

Here's a different kind of turkey sandwich.

Mexican Turkey Tortas-serves 4

-12 slices turkey breast (Boar's Head makes a chipotle style, but any will do)

-8 slices Cheddar cheese

-4 baguettes

-1 cup shredded lettuce

-1/2 frozen whole kernel corn, thawed 

-1/2 cup red beans, cooked, drained and rinsed

-4 tbsp guacamole 

-1 tbsp onions, diced

-1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

-4 teaspoon cider vinegar

-1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

-1/8 teaspoon jalapeño pepper sauce (optional)

Combine corn, cumin, beans, onions, cilantro, vinegar and hot sauce Cut the bread in half lengthwise. Spread guacamole on the bottom bun. Put a slice of cheese on the bottom bun and pile on the turkey, 1/4 cup corn mixture and 1/4 lettuce. Add the top bun and serve.