Do You Prefer the Turkey Meal or Leftovers?

16 years ago

Our Thanksgiving is this weekend! Yaaaay!

My question to you is, what's your favourite....turkey with all the trimmings main meal, or leftovers?

I love the fresh turkey with all the trimmings, but there's something to be said about the turkey sitting in the frig overnight. The flavour seems to be enhanced somehow.

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Comments (24)

patti43
16 years ago
Oooh, the leftovers. I think after I've been cooking/smelling the wonderful smells, we're just too tired to enjoy it as much as I do the next day.

Hope your Thanksgiving is delicious and lots of fun!!
User
16 years ago
Fresh!
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I usually only use leftover turkey for hot turkey sandwiches and then only the breast meat. The rest of the carcass goes in the stock pot for soup. I don't like the taste of turkey or chicken recooked. The exception to that is this casserole. Kind of like a tetrazzini. I make it occasionally with or tuna. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Tuna Casserole ============== Source: My Own 8 Tablespoons butter 1/4 all purpose flour 2 1/2 cups milk or mixture of milk and cream 2 garlic cloves 2 cans white tuna, well drained (or turkey/chicken) 1 cup mushrooms sliced 1/2 cup chopped green onions 1/2 cup chopped celery 1 tablespoon fresh thyme 8 ounces penne (or use pasta shape of your choice) 1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs saute in butter 3 Tablespoons parmesan cheese . Put water on to boil and cook pasta. Do not overcook pasta as it will cook again in the oven. Heat milk in microwave with whole garlic cloves. Make a roux with 4 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup flour. Add milk or cream and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes and remove garlic cloves. Saute mushrooms, onions and celery in butter or margarine until tender. Add the thyme. Stir this mixture into the cream sauce. Add well drained pasta to sauce and stir in tuna. Leave tuna in fair size pieces. Place in buttered casserole dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs to which you have added the parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until crumbs are golden in a 350Â°F oven.
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Here's the tetrazzini version that we make: TURKEY TETRAZZINI WITH SPAGHETTI SQUASH 1- 3 1/2 pound spaghetti squash salt and pepper to taste 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons flour 3 cups canned chicken broth or chicken stock 1 bay leaf 3 cups diced cooked turkey 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half 1 tablespoon Madeira or dry sherry 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan fresh lemon juice to taste freshly ground nutmeg to taste 2 tablespoons buttered bread crumbs Bake the spaghetti squash, pierced with a knife, on a baking sheet in a preheated 400* oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tender and let cool. Halve the squash lengthwise, remove seeds and strings and scrape the flesh into a buttered 9 x 13 buttered baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. In a saucepan, melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the broth, whisking vigorously until the mixture is smooth. Add the bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the turkey, cream and Madeira, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, lemon juice and nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Discard the bay leaf. Spoon the turkey mixture over the squash and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and buttered bread crumbs. Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and golden brown. Serves 4 Best of Gourmet, 1990 This is Ken's contribution, he got this recipe from a newspaper article a couple of years ago and he makes this for us: TURKEY CHOWDER 5 tablespoons butter 2 cups chopped onions 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 5 cups turkey stock (or chicken broth) 1-28 ounce can whole tomatoes 2 cups diced raw potatoes 1 cup diced red bell pepper 2 bay leaves 3/4 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 cups diced, cooked turkey 1-10 ounce package frozen corn, thawed In large pot, melt butter. SautÃ© onions until softened, all flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add turkey stock, stir until smooth and thick. Add remaining ingredients, except turkey and corn. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add turkey and corn and bring to a boil and serve. 6 servings
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RECIPE: Leftover turkey--what to do with it??
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I usually make a turkey curry. The dressing and cranberry sauce as well as the gravy all goes with this. The recipe is off a Sharwood Curry Powder advert for chicken curry which I also make but here I substitute leftover turkey. TURKEY CURRY **************** Serves 4. 1 apple, peeled and chopped 1 onion, chopped 2 TBS oil 2 TBS curry powder 1 level TBS flour 15 fluid oz (scant 2 cups) stock (boil turkey bones to make stock) 1 TBS chutney (I use Sharwoods Mango Chutney) 1/4 to 1/3 cup (60 grams) sultana raisins 8 oz (225 grams) diced turkey (include different sized small pieces from the leftovers on the turkey platter) salt 1) Fry chopped apple and onion together in 2 TBS oil. Add curry powder and flour. Fry gentry 1 minute. 2) Blend in the stock, bring to boil. Add 1 TBS chutney and the raisins. Simmer, covered - 30 minutes. 3) Add turkey pieces to the sauce, season with salt and simmer very gently 10 - 15 minutes more. If you have some leftover turkey gravy - that also goes well added into the curry sauce. 4) Serve over rice and pass around cranberry sauce, warmed turkey dressing, mango chutney and chopped walnuts. **************************************** This is also very good: 2 - 3 portions 1 lb turkey breast, cooked and cut into chunks butter - 1 heaping TBS flour - 1 heaping TBS milk - about 1 1/2 cups heavy cream - about 1 1/2 cups 1 chicken stock cube or spoonful of chicken bouillon mix 1 heaping TBS curry powder (I used Sharwoods's mild) fettuccini noodles for 2 - 3 servings fresh ground pepper butter 1) Put water on to boil for noodles. 2) If turkey is not already cooked, it can be done in microoven with 3 TBS water until just done 3) Melt butter in saucepan, take off stove and mix in flour to make a roux, gradually adding warmed milk a few drops at a time and stirring to keep smooth. 4) Put back on low heat and finish adding milk, then cream a little at a time and stirring. Crumble in chicken stock cube and curry powder. Stir to blend. 5) Add turkey chunks and heat gently, keeping warm while cooking noodles in pot of water. 6) Drain noodles, add butter and fresh ground black pepper. Pour sauce over noodles and mix. Serve on hot plates and add grated parmesan. Note: The Spanish and German chicken stock cubes and chicken sauce bases are excellent and quite different than the ones I saw in Canada. SharonCb
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joyfulguy
16 years ago
When I'm hungry ...

... either'll do just fine!

I think that I like the main one best ... though there is something to be said for maturity ...

... but then - usually I don't make the main meal.

ole joyful
gadgets
16 years ago
Honestly, I think it would be an even tossup for me. I like both.

Happy Thanksgiving to my up north neighbors.

Shirley
sue_va
16 years ago
Do You Prefer the Turkey Meal or Leftovers?

Yes.

Either and/or both.

Turkey, etc. is probably my favorite meal.

Sue
bigack
16 years ago
Warmed up dark meat/w dressing and gravy the next day!
phyllis__mn
16 years ago
I think I fill up on the mashed potatoes and gravy and stuffing, so I don't think I eat much of the bird fresh, but love the pickings the next couple of days.
taigen_gw
16 years ago
Hmmm....that's a tough one! I love both :)
matti5
16 years ago
I prefer the leftovers! I'm so busy cooking the day before and day of Thanksgiving, that by the time dinner is on the table I'm too pooped to enjoy it. The next day when everyone is gone, I sit, relax and enjoy every morsel. I'm drooling just thinking about it!!!
susanjf_gw
16 years ago
leftovers, but fresh one time turkey...just don't like the taste of it as much, anymore...
trishaw
16 years ago
Leftovers! We had Thanksgiving with friends last year and ended up cooking the whole meal at home the following weekend just for the leftovers. We make what we call Thanksgiving Subs with turkey, stuffing, mashed taters and cranberry sauce. Oh my! I am drooling already.

Trish
glenda_al
16 years ago
I'm done with the meal, but the days after I love turkey, mayo, and lettuce sandwiches.

A good dressing and cranberry sauce sandwich is great as well, with a little dab of mayo.

Don't recollect having mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving.
Marilyn Sue
16 years ago
I love the fresh. Of course will eat leftovers too, but like the fresh turkey, the dark meat please for me and the fresh yeast rolls right out of the oven. Happy Thanksgiving for our friends in Canada!

Sue
dotmom
16 years ago
When we owned a small motel, we used to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving, by semi-closing the motel, having all of the family for the weekend (Naturally, I had enough guest rooms) We usually made the turkey on the BBQ, also had a ham. The weather was always so nice so the kids could play outside. Then when our regular holiday came around, i could let the help have it off to be with their families. It sure worked well for us. BUT.... I'm not crazy about turkey, so haven't made it since. It will just be Hubs & I and I'll make a ham.
magic_arizona
16 years ago
WHAT?

No Mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving?????????

That's Blasphemy!

I love it all for as long as it lasts. I no longer make 15 different things that I always felt I had to have and no one really ate. Now, I stick to the basics. Turkey, taters, dressing, corn and peas, gravy, rolls and cranberry sauce.
williamsburgjane
16 years ago
I love all the things that go with the turkey, except the turkey. I don't like any kind of poultry. So, I'll eat the fixings fresh and the next day too.
glenda_al
16 years ago
magic, no mashed potatoes, that I an recall.

We always had with the turkey and dressing, sweet potato casserole or my favorite, sweet potato stuffed oranges, that was my mother always made. Loved the stuffed oranges.
bluejeans4ever
16 years ago
It's a tie, I think!

We'll be having 2 TG dinners, one will be roast beef and the other is ham. I can't stand the thoughts of not having turkey so I am cooking one next weekend. Then it will feel like Thanksgiving!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!
cynic
16 years ago
Wow, it's already Thanksgiving time! Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

Although I like the main meal, I never gave it too much thought. The problem is I like poultry to be more on the dry side rather than drippy wet from grease that keeps the gravy from adhering. For me, gravy should be the main moisture. So I guess that's why I like the aftereffect. And I like to just grab a hunk of turkey from the frig and snack while I watch TV or something. Cube it up, in gravy of course, over mashed potatoes. One of the few school lunches I really liked. In the last decade or so I've become a fan of dressing too. Covered with gravy of course.

I would prefer if America would have Thanksgiving earlier on. I don't do Black Friday, though I occasionally like to do the Fish House Parade and lighting of the Luminaries. Like I said in another thread most people don't understand or appreciate the meaning of the holiday. Just another reason to pack our faces with food, put on airs and act like you like the relatives.
jel48
16 years ago
Both! Love dinner on the day and love love love the leftovers!
wildchild
16 years ago
Both. I like the hot meal the first day. Leftovers are better cold than reheated. I do reheat the stuffing (has to be hot) but we rarely have much of that left over even though I make extra on the side.
marilyn_c
16 years ago
I like fresh turkey and I don't care much for left overs. It seems to dry out when re-heated, so I don't keep it more than a day, and then I feed it to the cats. I get tired of turkey really fast...except fried turkey...that's my favorite.

I do love cornbread dressing.

I don't know what I will do this year. The past two years, a "friend" asked me to cook for her...which I did. Both times, she got drunk and in a bad mood and ate little if anything. As soon as I finished cooking last time, I left. I told her I should have learned my lesson the first time, and I would never cook for her again. If she can't make turkey and dressing, there is no time like the present to learn. I will probably eat out.
jannie
16 years ago
Oh, I love the meal! Family all around, food is all so tasty and fresh. Some vegetables don't taste good reheated-think broccolli. It gets "skunky" in the fridge.
My mother always planned one vegetable and one dessert per person. And anyone volunteering to bring a dish to share, a dessert, some wine or flowers is going to be invited back next year! Leftover turkey is great cold on a sandwich. But not the rest.
pammyfay
16 years ago
There's always so much pressure on the cook to plan and cook everything perfectly, create a beautiful table, have all the foods ready to go on the table at the same time.

Or so I've heard!

I love real turkey (not the usual deli turkey products!), so I like Thanksgiving to linger for a few days afterward!

Most of mine have been group feasts at work. I bring a salad or some other side dish and then get to enjoy everybody else's contributions, too!

Do You Prefer the Turkey Meal or Leftovers?

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patti43

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