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Originally Posted by Rerun

Anybody got any good recipes or suggestions for turkey leftovers?

Thanksgiving just passed and we ended up tossing a lot of week-old leftover turkey into the garbage can.

I can see the same thing happening come Christmas.... because it happens every year (the garbage thing that is).

I've yet to taste a homemade turkey soup that I like (at least one that I've made) and you can only do so many turkey pot pies.

Any suggestions?

Turkey Soup with Stuffing Dumplings



2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups onions, diced
1/2 cup each of carrots and celery, diced
2 cups button mushrooms quartered
1 Tbsp garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup sherry
4 cups turkey broth
2 cups cooked turkey, cubed
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Stuffing dumplings, recipe follows

1 Put the butter in a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot, and celery and sweat until soft, about 5 minutes.
2 Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the mushrooms and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring often.
3 Sprinkle the flour, thyme, nutmeg, and pepper over the vegetables and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4 Deglaze with the sherry and simmer until nearly evaporated.
5 Add the broth, turkey, and cream. Use chicken broth if you have not made turkey broth from the turkey carcass. Slowly bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle the soup into warm bowls and top each with 5 or 6 stuffing dumplings. The picture shows a large dumpling, but I prefer to make them smaller and basically serve them as croutons sprinkled on the soup.


Stuffing Dumplings

I purposely make more stuffing than necessary and bake it in a bowl on the side, just so I can make these stuffing dumplings for the turkey soup.



1 to 2 eggs, beaten
4 cups left over stuffing
1/4 cup turkey or chicken broth
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp sage (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 Put the stuffing in a bowl and break up into smaller pieces. Add the parsley, chicken broth, and 1 beaten egg and mix with your hands until well combined. If you feel the stuffing mixture is still too dry, either add another beaten egg or a bit more broth. The egg is what helps bind the dumplings together. Taste and adust for salt and pepper if necessary. You could also add a bit of sage if so desired.
3 Shape into small balls about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the stuffing dumplings are browned and crispy on the outside but still soft inside.

Note: This recipe assumes that your stuffing was made using celery and onions. If it was not, finely dice about 1/2 cup of each, lightly sauté in a bit of butter until softened, and add to the stuffing mixture.