Avoid post-holiday boredom with these creative turkey recipes

Thanksgiving dinner is the meal that keeps on giving. Leftovers will likely linger long after the holiday crowds have gone. But when your fridge is under threat of a tin-foil takeover, it's hard to be thankful for all that food.

"A lot of people feel pressure to eat the rest of the bird for the whole week on cold turkey sandwiches, but there is a point where you've got to be done," said Jenny Stanger, the Pleasant Grove author of "Fantastic Freezer Recipes." (Stanger Publishing, $14.99, available on Amazon.com.

You could make cold sandwiches or give Thanksgiving dinner another go-round, but instead, try repurposing the leftovers into a meal that doesn't feel like an afterthought.

A feast of dishes can be made with leftover turkey, not to mention the multiple uses for yams, potatoes, green beans and cranberry sauce.

Soups, casseroles and potato cakes are conventional choices, but after spending an entire day in the kitchen, a low-key casserole may be just what you need, said Stanger, who teaches classes at Thanksgiving Point.

Stanger devised a Cornbread Turkey Dinner that turns 10 cups of leftover turkey and a few other ingredients into five or six dinners that are easily frozen.

"If you're sick of turkey, you can freeze it and you won't feel pressure to eat it right away," Stanger said. "And freezer dinners will usually last around three to six months."

Soup is another leftover standby, and for good reason, says Kalyn Denny of Salt Lake City.

"Some people turn their nose up at the mention of turkey soup, and truthfully it can be pretty uninspiring if you don't have a good flavored stock to start the soup," said Denny, a teacher and gourmand who runs a popular food blog, www.kalynskitchen.blogspot.com. "But with a base of homemade stock, made from the turkey carcass, turkey soup is mouth-watering."

Denny has several variations of turkey soup posted on her blog, and among her favorites are Leftover Turkey Soup with Double Mushrooms and Leftover Turkey, Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup. Both call for turkey stock made from the turkey carcass, a great way to make sure nothing goes to waste. (To make turkey stock, place carcass and any leftover bones and wings in a stockpot. Cover with water, add desired herbs and vegetables and simmer for six hours.)

Turkey lasagna is another palate-pleaser, and one that will feed a crowd (in case you have any lingering houseguests).

"If the idea of turkey in lasagna seems strange, be open-minded," said Denny, who concocted the recipe several years ago. "This tastes fantastic."

Turkey nachos, Vietnamese-style salad rolls and shepherd's pie are more recipes that may seem a strange fit for turkey, but the tasty dishes are a great way to satisfy hunger pains without getting overly complicated, according to a feature in the November issue of Wondertime, a creative parenting magazine.

Simple yet creative entrees are a great way to maximize holiday leftovers while minimizing the time you have to spend in the kitchen. Leaving you more time to be, well, thankful.

Cornbread Turkey Dinner

Yields 3 casseroles (8-10 servings each)

• 3 packages (6 ounces each) crushed corn bread stuffing mix

• 10 to 11 cups cubed or shredded cooked turkey or chicken

• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

• 2 cans (10-fl ounce) condensed cream of celery soup

• 2 cans (10-fl ounce) condensed cream of chicken soup

• 1 can (10-fl ounce) condensed cream of mushroom

• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

• 1 cup milk

• salt and pepper to taste

• 3 aluminum baking sheets (13-inches by 9-inches by 2-inches)

Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions. Add cubed turkey and cheddar cheese. Combine the soups and milk in a separate bowl. Pour 1 cup soup mixture into three greased 13-inch by- 9-inch by-2-inch aluminum baking dishes. Top each with turkey mixture and remaining soup mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover with several layers of plastic wrap and freeze two casseroles for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. If frozen, bake at 350 degrees for two hours.

-- Recipe courtesy of Jenny Stanger, www.freezerdinner.com

Leftover Turkey Soup Recipe with Double Mushrooms

Serves about 6 servings

• • cup dried shitake mushrooms, broken into pieces

• • cup boiling water (save after soaking mushrooms)

• 2-3 teaspoons olive oil (depends on your pan)

• 4 ounces brown or white mushrooms, sliced (or more)

• 1 onion diced small

• • cup diced celery

• 1 cup diced carrots

• 2 cups diced leftover turkey (brown meat preferred)

• 6 cups homemade turkey stock made from the turkey carcass

• • teaspoon dried sage

• • teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 teaspoons Penzeys or Better Than Bouillon turkey soup base

• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Break dried mushrooms into pieces, put in cup and pour the boiling water over them. Let sit while you chop other veggies and turkey. Soak mushrooms at least 30 minutes. Put turkey stock, sage, thyme and turkey flavor base in large soup pot and start to simmer. Remove mushrooms from water with a slotted spoon and add to soup pot. Strain mushroom water if desired and add to soup. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in frying pan. Add onion and saute until slightly softened, then add onions to soup. Add more oil if needed and saute mushrooms until they soften and all liquid evaporates, then add mushrooms to soup. Wipe out pan with a paper towel, then add final teaspoon olive oil, add celery and carrots and saute 5 minutes, then add veggies to soup. Let stock, mushrooms and veggies simmer 5 to 10 minutes, then add diced leftover turkey. Reduce heat to lowest possible simmer and let soup cook for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

-- Recipe courtesy Kalyn Denny, www.kalynskitchen.blogspot.com

Turkey or Chicken Lasagna with Sage and Three Cheeses

Yields about 10 servings

• 1 package lasagna noodles

• 6 cups diced, cooked turkey (or chicken)

• 4 cups turkey stock, reduced to 3 cups (or use chicken stock)

• 16-ounce container sour cream (use low fat but not fat free for South Beach)

• 1 • cups turkey gravy (or use 1 can cream of chicken soup, preferably Campbell's)

• 1 cup plus 1 cup good-quality grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 2 teaspoon onion powder

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage (or 1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage)

• 2-3 cups grated mozzarella cheese

• 1-2 cups grated low fat cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put 4 cups turkey stock in pan and simmer until reduced to 3 cups. While stock reduces, dice leftover turkey and finely chop sage. In another large skillet, mix together gravy (or canned soup) and sour cream, then whisk in stock. Add diced turkey, sage, garlic powder and onion powder, and simmer about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in one cup Parmesan cheese. In large 13-inch by- 9-inch glass casserole dish, make a single layer of dry lasagna noodles. (You may have to break some noodles to fit.) Spoon half the sauce over noodles. (It will look like a lot of liquid, but don't worry.) Top with half of mozzarella and half of cheddar cheese, then sprinkle over 1/2 cup Parmesan. Make another layer of dry lasagna noodles, then top with rest of sauce, mozzarella, cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese. Cover dish tightly with tin foil, put in oven and bake one hour. After an hour, remove foil and bake 30-45 minutes more, or until noodles are soft when tested with a fork, lasagna is bubbling, and cheese is melted and slightly browned. Let sit 10 minutes, then serve.

-- Recipe courtesy Kalyn Denny, www.kalynskitchen.blogspot.com

Turkey Nachos

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 (8-ounce) bag plain tortilla chips

• 2 cups shredded cooked turkey

• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

• • pound Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated

• Sour cream

• Salsa

Preheat broiler, then layer the ingredients in a large baking or roasting pan: first chips, then turkey, then beans, then cheese. Broil until the cheese is bubbling and the chips are starting to brown in places. Serve with sour cream and salsa on the side.

-- Recipe courtesy Wondertime magazine

Vietnamese-style Salad Rolls

Serves 6 to 9

• 2 ounces cellophane noodles

• 1 head soft-leafed lettuce, such as Bibb or butter, leaves washed, separated and dried

• 2 cups shredded cooked turkey

• 2 cups veggies, such as shredded cabbage, grated carrots or leftover cooked green beans

• 1 cup whole fresh herb leaves (mint, cilantro or basil)

• cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

• 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons brown sauce

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Cover noodles with hot tap water in a small bowl and set aside for 15 minutes. Drain, and cut into 2-inch lengths. To make sauce, whisk together the peanut butter with 2 tablespoons of hot water until smooth, then whisk in the soy sauce, brown sugar and lime juice.To assemble a roll, put lettuce leaf on plate and pile turkey, veggies and noodles across its middle, topping it with peanuts and spoonful of sauce.

-- Recipe courtesy Wondertime magazine

Shepherd's Pie

Serves 4 to 6

• 2 cups cooked turkey, chopped into bite-sized pieces

• 2 cups cooked vegetables, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 2 cups leftover gravy

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 4 cups leftover mashed potatoes

• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into bits

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine turkey, veggies and gravy in a deep 2 1/2-to 3-quart baking dish and stir together with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon mashed potatoes over the top, making tine marks with a fork if you want, and dot with butter. Bake until filling is bubbling and potatoes are browned, about 45 minutes.

-- Recipe courtesy Wondertime magazine