Thursday, November 22, 2012

52 Left Over Turkey Recipes



HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

What's better than a Turkey served on Thanksgiving day???  How about the dish you make from the leftovers on Friday, the day after.

Like a light refreshing Salad made with pasta, mandarin oranges and spinach?
Or a quick and easy General Tso's Turkey (Take out at home in minutes)?
or a Sausage and Turkey Gumbo?
or a Spanish Paella?
Or a Beautiful presentation of an Alfredo sauced vegetables and biscuits?
Or a simple Turkey Fajita lettuce wrap?
Or GARLIC GARLIC Chicken and Dumplings (the dumplings are a copy cat recipe for those Garlic Cheese Biscuits from Red Lobster)?
Or an Enchilada Soup Alla Chili's Restaurant
Or a Butternut Squash based Turkey Soup?
Or Several More Chinese Take out recipes?

And that's not even a fifth of what I can show ...


OK, to be honest, these are actually recipes I made for a Rotisserie Chicken.  But really, every one will work terrific with the remains of the big day.  So, Anywhere you see chicken... Just think Turkey and you are all set!



It was a goal and a challenge, to have a use for the chicken Turkey for every playing card in a standard poker deck... Or, for every week in a year.

In fact, if I counted the chicken Turkey stock that I make from the bones and bits of pieces hanging off the carcass, I would guess that half of these posts would and could be soups.  So, let's make a deal, I will add soups, stews, risotto, rice, things like that that can be made from the stock as a sort of appendix.  But with the exception of making a stock as one of the uses, I will not add any soups (unless they actually have the meat from the birds as an ingredient.

So, let's ponder the possibilities...

Here's my first and MOST important..


OK, in no particular order (except for #1)...

#1 A Chicken in Every Pot
Chicken Stock!

I use Chicken Stock in LOTS of dishes.  From Rice and Risotto, Soup and even in a few of my mashed potato recipes.  By using fresh made (but easily frozen) chicken stock made from the bones, I easily add $3-$4 value in that $5 bird!

#2

Made with stuff that is usually in your pantry (and in amounts that can be made from leftovers from another recipe).  These creamy cheesy delights come together in minutes!

#3
Chicken Mole made with Guinness Stout
(Chicken and Waffles)


Moles always sound complicated with their seemingly endless ingredient lists (and they are a little).  But this packs all the flavor punch with a bit smaller list.  And who wouldn't love this Guinness and chocolate treat over fresh made waffles!

#4

Well, not my Mom's, but a great recipe for a flavorful chicken salad.  Cream cheese is the secret to making this a notch above!  Add some pecans for texture and they'll all be thanking Mom!

#5
Ricotta Sauced Pasta and Chicken

It's a pretty simple pasta topped with chicken recipe.  But the Ricotta sauce adds a little extra tang, sweetness and creaminess to make this a special sauce!  There is even a spinach pesto added to really zing it up!
The recipe is a bit of a cheat as I used some grilled chicken breasts in place of rotisserie chicken, but easily adapted to the cheap birds!

#6

Oh Boy... Bar Snacks!  And expensive bar snacks to boot, but costing pennies... My favorite type of recipe.
Fast easy and you make these with just the dribs and drabs cut from the chicken carcass.  Once again stretching that $5 bird into an extra recipe!


 #7
Cajun Chicken Salad with lots of Farmer's Market Goodies

This is my FAVORITE chicken salad recipe.  Tart Apples, Sweet Grapes, Savory Onions and Louisiana Spices... It's the best!

#8

A terrific use of just about any chicken salad recipe.  I like to use cream cheese for these in place of Mayo.
This is especially fun (and fast to make) when you need a snack or an appetizer for a party.  PLUS, there is a link for a very flavorful Cajun/Garlic spiced Aioli.

#9

My favorite salad of all time!  Loaded with colors for presentation, but full of mixtures of texture and tastes... Mandarin oranges, Water Chestnuts, Honey Cashews and a sweet TERIYAKI Dressing!

#10

A HUGE Millage of flavors.
A fast and easy 30 minute 2 pot meal.  Loaded with great flavors and a beautiful presentation.

#11

Oh BOY did this come together easy and fast.  I used refrigerator canned biscuits baked on top of the creamy vegetable laced filling for a "fake" Pot Pie.  The sauce is a thick creamy mushroom and about every vegetable I had in the freezer!  All less than 30 minutes!

#12

I wanted to dress up breakfast today.
The salty  pre-seasoned rotisserie chicken, combined with the sweetness of maple syrup dress up a Sunday morning breakfast nicely.  Uses the meat from just one chicken thigh and adds a lot to the taste!

#13

This is a BIG SALAD!
Half a head of Romaine Lettuce, topped with Bacon, Peppers, Onions, Egg, of course Chicken, Cheese and even has a recipe for fresh made ZINGY Mustard Vinaigrette dressing!

#14

Is it a salad, Appetizer, Bar Snack or Main Course???
Whichever, it is the best nachos you have ever had!
Loaded with Bacon, Tomatoes and jalapenos, and a spicy cheese sets this apart from the rest!

#15

An expensive gourmet pizza made at home for dimes on the dollar!
The recipe includes my "GO-TO" Pizza Dough recipe!  Once you master that, there is just no stopping you from your own weekly at home pizzeria!

#16

It;s a little time consuming as you make a delicious Spanish Rice (recipe link included), and a tropical Pineapple Pico de Gallo (recipe included  and top everything with a spicy creamy cheese sauce (yeap, that recipe is included too!), But this may actually be my very favorite use for the beloved rotisserie bird!  Worth all of the effort.

#17

Open faced for presentation serving or close it up for a delicious sandwich, this is a very special take on the quicky chicken sandwich.  Included in the post is my recipe for a walnut Sun Dried tomato pesto you can make in advance.

#18

A hearty stew, Cajun roots, memories of New Orleans and just about the tastiest Gumbo you have ever had.  Perfect as the weather turns colder!

#19

A terrific side dish or even a great lunch from leftovers.  Me, I make mine with Long Grain Brown rice, so I avoid the extra step of frying (drys out the rice), but this works great fresh from the sauce pan loaded with extras (and chicken!).

#20

Served over a bed of the almost Fried Rice (see recipe #19), this is a wonderful adaptation of the classic Chinese (but really NYC) dish.  Crispy, seasoned and spicy... All done in about 20 minutes!

#21

Open faced sandwich, but WHAT A SANDWICH!  I made a breakfast dish with French Toast, topped by chicken, fried tomatoes, bacon and an easy to make cheese sauce.  Stick to your ribs breakfast perfect for cold weather.

#22

Now this is a REAL MAN sized quiche, made in a cake form, tall and loaded with flavors.  I finish the breakfast idea (although I usually make these for dinner)  by replacing the usual pastry crust with a fresh made Hash Brown and Onion Crust!

#23

A great freezable dish, make and serve one today, freeze one for a rainy (or snowy) wintry day!  I added a Mashed Potato recipe made with bacon and apples fried in the bacon drippings!  Loaded with vegetables, sitting in their own gravy.  Delicious Casserole.

#24
"Whatever I have in my fridge Sunday morning rotisserie chicken eggs Benedict inspired open faced sandwich with a quicky easy blender Hollandaise sauce recipe".

A long title, and I could have just said, "Rotisserie  Chicken Eggs Benedict", but with the easy fast never fail  Hollandaise Sauce recipe and using garlic toast in place of an English Muffin, I just thought the idea of "whatever I have in the fridege" Eggs Benedict made more sense for a title.

#25

So FILLED with garlic i named it twice... Includes a recipe for copy cat "Red Lobster Cheesy Garlic Rolls" that I use as dumplings, A delicious on it's own garlic chicken vegetable soup made double good with the addition of the garlic cheese dumplings!  My new favorite recipe... maybe of all time!

#26

OK, yesterday i posted MY FAVORITE... Today I am posting my wife's favorite... Thick and creamy and cheesy and LOADED with seasonal root vegetables (and a frozen one)!
Stick to your ribs soup!

#27

Like being hit in the head with an apple, I feel like I discovered gravity with this AMAZING collection of sauted vegetables, spices and flavors add to a Fluffy Chicken Omelette (and come back for tomorrows recipe for Crock pot Chicken Chili that will have those same ingredients... see, PRE-LeftOvers!

#28

It's going to be one of those days... Perfect for that cook as you multi-task with a crock pot... "Cause if it ain't ready by 6 AM, We are not eating tonight".  Delicious blending of vegetables and seasonings!

#29

YES, there is indeed chicken added to the egg goop!  Along with some amazing spices and GARLIC!  These little gems disappear, perfect for a party or pot luck event!

#30

Almost vegetarian, but add some of the delicious pre-cooked, pre-seasoned  Rotisserie Chicken meat and you are set for a simple and spectacular Italian feast! 
And Shhh  -  I have a secret ingredient that makes this unique and extra YUMMY!

#31

A new ingredient from the Rotisserie Bird makes this THE BEST recipe for a white milk gravy I have ever tasted... simply amazing deep rich taste send simple fried potatoes over the top!

#32

 Fall is in the air!  Here's a wonderful silky smooth pureed Butternut Squash soup, LOADED with Sweet Potatoes, Kale and Chicken.  Seasoned and served hot for those shockingly cold snaps coming!

#33

Well, not really a chicken wing... But I use the dark meat from the rotisserie bird, and my favorite sauces when I make chicken wings... Served open face for an appetizer or makes a terrific sandwich!

#34

This was so easy and fast I even added a Fast and easy Blue Cheese Tomato Soup.  But made as a lower calorie lettuce wrap or  a low calorie Whole Wheat Tortilla Wrap, these are a winner for one of those days you want to cut back.

#35

A WONDERFUL appetizer, made easy, fast and very inexpensive.  Unique oriental taste.  Or think of it as an unusual pizza!

#36

Cooks all day, ready when you walk in the door, turns onto a pulled chicken dish, filled with vegetables and the Asian flavors of a home made Teriyaki Soup.
PLUS, a Breakfast Idea...  Waffles and teriyaki Chicken.  you will LOVE This!

#37

INSANELY GOOD... Pound for pound, dollar for dollar this one pot meal, easy to make and FAST to make from ingredients already in most cooks' pantries, this dish is as good as it gets for a week night meal.

#38

I made these for breakfast, but they would make an incredible appetizer.  Mini muffin, single bite serving and simply delicious with a buttermilk popover batter and savory chicken and blue cheese... INCREDIBLE!

#39

A MILLION dollar recipe with a two MILLION dollar presentation.  LOTS of vegetables soaked in a creamy rich Alfredo sauce with a BEAUTIFUL presentation of flaky buttermilk biscuits!

#40

This ain't your standard take out, but it all comes together in about 15 minutes.  The  DELICIOUS  layers of flavors come through in a spectacular way as the sweet pineapple combines with the sour Rice Vinegar all made in just ONE PAN!  A Favorite

#41

A DELICIOUS recipe inspired from The Chew TV show, thanks to Carla Hall.  I made a few changes just to make it more pantry friendly (cheap), but love the extra citrus flavor to a deconstructed Pot pie meal!

#42

It started as a copy cat recipe for the Chili's Restaurant classic, evolved into... Well, better is in the taste buds of the beholder, but I LOVED this.  Real taste of a Tex Mex Enchilada in a soup... Stew!

#43

Makes a terrific lunch.  Made almost completely with left overs, this is WONDERFUL!  Every time I make a savory bread pudding I wonder why I don;t make more.  And with the addition of the Red Lobster biscuits... WONDERFUL!

#44

Nothing like a big hearty bowl of stick to your ribs cheesy  CHOWDER on a cold Fall day!  Creamy , cheesy, filled with vegetables and meat, hints of heat and warming to the core!

#45

Has nothing to do with the cooking school. Not even French and really not a classic at all (invented in 1967). But with just a bit of leftovers it makes a delicious snack and a great use of a Rotisserie Chicken!!!

#46

Sigh... Such an ugly dish.  Brown food with a brown sauce.
BUT home made Chinese Fast Food is so much better than the take out dish.  LOADED with nuts and everything comes together in less time than it takes to make  the rice!  Ugly BUT delicious!

#47

Two recipes in this post and this is my FAVORITE of the Chinese copy cat take out restaurant dishes.  The HOT pineapple is what makes this dish amazing.  Love the colors and it does not get any easier than this!

#48

A few exotic yet easy to find  ingredients makes this soup not only accessible but  WONDERFULLY delicious.  Hints of Asian cuisine with sweet and mildly spicy flavors.  Loaded with vegetables and chicken.  LOVE IT!

#49

Start thinking now about the morning after Thanksgiving (or Christmas) as this is about the most PERFECT morning after meal you can imagine!  Savory and made naturally sweet with APPLES in the hash!

#50

Well sure I could just call this Chicken with Feta Creamed Spinach, but really that doesn't do this dish justice. OK, stay with me... For a second, let your imagination run wild... Return to those maddeningly stressful first few months of married life when your spouse would make a last minute phone call letting you know that your new Mother-in-Law was coming for dinner. Sure, after years of marriage you have either fallen in love with her, learned to tolerate her or moved cross country so those phone calls don;t matter any more. But those first few months you cooked to impress like the rest of your married life rested on your skills.  This EASY FAST dish would impress.

#51

I go step by step with photo instructions on how to make a gravy that stands up to any drippings gravy!  Plus a few tips on how a store bought rotisserie chicken can help you save Thanksgiving disasters... Plan for success, but be ready to recover from a disaster (like running out of gravy).

#52
Asian Chicken and Noodle Soup

A fun soup, made special with sriracha sauce and made fun with a BIRD's NEST of glass noodles that cook as you serve the soup.  Easy and FAST and exotic enough to impress!





Well,  we did it...
52 recipes, all different, all delicious and all made fast, easy and cheap by the use of the beloved
Store bought, pre-cooked, pre-seasoned
ROTISSERIE CHICKEN!
Don't leave your market without one!!!

But WAIT, there's more...
#53

How could I have not made this sooner?  Absolutely one of my favorite meals, from an authentic recipe fresh from a visit to New Orleans.  LOADED with spicy sausage and chicken... Seasoned vegetables and rice!  One pot meal, ready in less than an hour and better the next day (make plenty for leftovers)!

#54

It started out as a quick lunch because the potatoes were on sale.  The dish ended up to become a highlight on my "side dish" list.  Loved the combination of tastes with the vinaigrette recipe in the post.

#55
Sloppy Joes Um... Sloppy Colonel Sanders

It's a sloppy Joe, made of Chicken and made just a touch more healthy with the beans in the mix.  I also made this in a slow cooker.  So all the work in the morning and ready at my convenience!  Oh, and spicy and DELICIOUS!




I haven't even made a risotto yet...
 ... And I am still testing a dessert made from Chicken parts ...

So stay tuned, follow us on Pinterest and take a look for the next 52 recipes!


Many more to come soon...

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My favorite Chicken Salad

Recipe by Dave Scott

Prep time: 10 Minutes
Ingredients
  • 4 Cups Diced Rotisserie Chicken
  • 1/2 Cup Diced Sweet Onion
  • 1/2 Cup Diced Grapes (same size as onion)
  • 1/2 Cup Diced Granny Smith Apple (same size as onion)
  • 1/2 Cup Diced Sweet Gherkin Pickles (same size as onion)
  • 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
  • 2 TSP Minced Cilantro
Cooking Directions
  1. Mix well and serve!