Monday, December 1, 2014

Leftover Turkey Manhattan

How was everyone's Thanksgiving?

For years, ever since we moved too far away from our families to get together with them on a regular basis, we've invited friends who are in the same situation to our house for the big dinner.

After all, what better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than with friends and family?

This year we had seventeen at our house. Every family brought something for the meal and we had a wonderful time. :) I hope your Thanksgiving was just as full of blessings as ours.

But then comes the day after Thanksgiving. And leftovers.

I always assign leftover turkey to certain favorite meals, like the Turkey Tetrazzini Missy shared last week. (Find that recipe here.)

But when we have leftover potatoes and gravy (an almost unheard-of event!), we fix Turkey Manhattans.

Easy-Peasy, and sooooo good!

No recipe, just layer the goodness on your plate:

First layer: bread. I use bread leftover from making bread cubes for the dressing on Thanksgiving. You need one slice per person.

Second layer: turkey. Sliced white meat is the best.


Third layer: mashed potatoes. To heat them up, warm them in a pan with a little added milk and butter.

Fourth layer: gravy. All over your sandwich.


Since this was my day to say goodbye to simple carbs for a few weeks, I went ahead and had a few potatoes and the bread with my serving.

Oh yes, it's comfort food to the max! But after this (at least until Christmas!), I'm staying away from the starchy carbs and sticking to the other yummy fruits and veggies.

Of course, if you're a just-turned-twenty-one bean pole of a guy, then you can fix your serving this way:


Add a salad and a veggie - if you have room on your plate :)

You can also make this sandwich with chicken or beef - just switch the gravy for the beef version.

Now it's time to talk turkey (sorry, I couldn't resist!). How was your Thanksgiving? Did you have any leftovers?

13 comments:

  1. Oh my word. That last plate reminded me of my freshman year in college. We'd get a midnight pizza and study... like 3-4 times a week. I never gained any weight. If I did that now? Even once? Lol... Oh, I miss that young metabolism!

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    1. Oh yes! That young metabolism!

      My younger boys are learning, though. Their thirty-year-old brother has lost his youthful edge, and they've watched his waistline come (and go).

      So this same young man made a turkey stir-fry for his supper last night. It was delicious - and MUCH healthier than his potatoes and gravy extravaganza!

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  2. I agree with how good this looks and Virginia's comment! Isn't it crazy how those carbs just run with winged feet to our hips and thighs and upper arms???

    Back to broccoli slaw for a few weeks, and then a WEEK OF WHO CARES?????

    :)

    I don't love most leftovers, but Thanksgiving leftovers are different. Stuffing and gravy..... Potatoes and gravy..... Anything and gravy..... :) #happyauthor!!!!!

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    1. Leftover turkey is almost as good as the first time around, isn't it? We only have gravy on holidays, so it's doubly appreciated when we have leftovers :)

      And you did notice my reasonable serving, right? Just enough to enjoy the flavors :)

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  3. I made turkey soup with rice with my 19 pound free turkey from Safeway. Yum. Low on cals and fat.

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    1. Mmmmm, that sounds fabulous!

      I made several quarts of turkey stock from the bones and those bits of meat that cling to them. The house smelled so good while it was cooking!

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    2. BTW - a free turkey from Safeway? Our Safeway didn't have that perk!

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  4. We had the same last night, minus the potatoes! And me, minus the bread. But nothing like turkey leftovers and gravy!

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    1. Nothing like it! But alas, now it's gone. No more until next year. :(

      Oh, wait - I bought two turkeys while they were on sale! I have one in the freezer to cook off later this winter!

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  5. I don't think I can eat bread and mashed potatoes together-together- at the same meal yep but not mixed together. my dad and brother could though..and oddly enough I have no problem whatsoever putting potatoes on my breakfast taco in a tortilla (though Ilike them diced instead of smooshed) but I've mashed some and put them inside a corn tortilla and folded it over and fried in olive oil..cooked then with salsa so they had some flavor.
    I think I'm the only person who doesn't care for thanksgiving food - oddly enough I bought turkey lunchmeat though- would probably like soup with it...jut not wild about the real deal I guess- actually like the frozen dinners with their version of turkey and dressing better!
    I have gotta get back to exercising - a few months ago was doing really well then the days got shorter and I went to night rotation and it was harder then - ok impossible pretty much since it was still hot but just too hot at 5:45 pm vs 7:30 pm.
    Susanna

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    1. Okay, I'm trying to wrap my head around this. "too hot at 5:45 pm vs 7:30 pm". I can tell you live in the south! Even on our warmer days (when the temperature gets close to 60), once the sun starts going down (around 2:30 or so - it's dark by 4:15) things cool off fast.

      But getting into an exercise routine of any kind is hard when your work shifts change!

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  6. That looks amazing!! That's my type meal. :)

    We did have leftovers. Ate them for dinner after having the big meal at lunch. But on Friday, we were ready for a change. I made chili. :)

    BTW, I can't take credit for the turkey tetrazini. :) I think Mindy may have done that.

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    1. You're right! It was Mindy! Sorry. My brain has been mush lately. Maybe it's too much turkey :)

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