Dozens of ideas to help you get creative with your Thanksgiving leftovers

If you're anything like us, you'll have plenty of turkey left over after your Thanksgiving meal. Too much if you're not sure what to do with it—just enough if you do. To help make sure you fall into the latter camp, we've rounded up our favorites ways to turn extra turkey into simple, delicious soups, salads, sandwiches, and more.

Tips:

Give Away

Guests will appreciate being sent home with a full "turkey bag" of leftovers. Be sure to have plenty of Tupperware containers on hand to facilitate the divvying-up.

Cool Safely

Instead of refrigerating a whole bird, pull the meat off the carcass and cut any large parts into small pieces. This saves space, but more importantly, it allows the turkey to cool more quickly and spend less time in the temperature range (anything above 40°F) in which bacteria can grow. Properly stored cooked turkey keeps for a few days in the fridge.

Wrap Well Before Refrigerating

Cover the turkey tightly so that it stays as moist as possible. Of course, you may still want to moisten the leftover meat with a little chicken broth or turkey stock when reheating.

Waste Not

All you have left is bones? They'll make a delicious turkey stock.

Round Out the Meal

Got other leftovers? Use up mashed potatoes with this tasty Halibut Pot Pie and cranberry sauce in these Quick Cranberry Trifles.

Save for a Snowy Day

Tired of eating turkey? You can freeze the meat for up to two months. It'll make a delicious addition to your favorite soup when the December chill sets in.

Make Salad

• Turkey Chopped Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing
• Turkey Salad with Worcestershire-Chutney Vinaigrette
• Chinese Noodle and Chicken or Turkey Salad
• Curried Turkey and Mango Salad

Serve Soup

• Turkey Chili
• Turkey Sage Chowder
• Lemon Turkey Soup with Fresh Spinach and Farfalle
• Turkey, Tortellini, and Watercress Soup
• Turkey Jook
• Turkey Mulligatawny Soup with Coriander
• Turkey Noodle Soup with Tomatoes

Slap Together Sandwiches and Wraps

• Turkey Burritos with Salsa and Cilantro
• Turkey Wraps with Curry-Chutney Mayonnaise and Peanuts (see recipe below)
  
• Hot Browns
• Turkey Sandwiches with Cranberry Sauce and Blue Cheese Butter
• Turkey Reubens

Think Fiesta

• Chilaquiles with Turkey and Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
• Turkey Nachos
• Turkey Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce
• Turkey Enchiladas Adobo
• Turkey Tortilla Soup

Turkey Wraps with Curry-Chutney Mayonnaise and Peanuts

Bon Appétit  | November 2004

Yield: Makes 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup mango chutney
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (preferably Madras-style)

• 4 9- to 10-inch-diameter spinach flour tortillas or plain flour tortillas
• 2 cups diced cooked turkey meat (about 10 ounces), divided
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 6 tablespoons coarsely chopped lightly salted peanuts, divided
• 1 1/3 cups coleslaw mix (preferably green and red cabbage with carrots) without dressing, divided

Preparations

Mix mayonnaise, chutney, and curry powder in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread 2 tablespoons curry-chutney mayonnaise in 2-inch-wide strip down center of 1 tortilla. Top with 1/2 cup turkey, 1/4 cup cilantro, 1 1/2 tablespoons peanuts, and 1/3 cup coleslaw mix. Fold sides of tortilla over ends of filling, then roll up burrito-style, enclosing filling completely. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut each turkey wrap in half on diagonal.

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