Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers Featuring a Fantastic Salad

So the “big meal” is over and you’re wondering what to do with leftovers consisting of turkey and little bits of “this and that.” Well make a biggie turkey salad of course! When tummies are still full from the lingering effects of heavier Thanksgiving Day dishes, a lighter main course salad chock-full of this favorite holiday’s comforting flavors will indeed be a welcome sight.

The full recipe is located below …

If you are like me, you may be in the need of a cooking break after working so hard on the bunches of Thanksgiving dishes you prepared this week. Well, I am delighted to tell you that all you need to do to create this beautiful “meal in a bowl,” is assemble all your yummy salad ingredients, toss with either my Creamy Honey-Dijon Dressing or your favorite mayo and dinner is done!

The day I decided to create this salad using leftover Maple-Orange Glazed Turkey Breast, I foraged through my fridge and found a delightful assortment of salad “mix-in’s” including dried tart cherries, a few apples and pears, some leftover green beans and even pomegranate seeds and toasted pecans for a hint of crunch.

Digging a little deeper, I discovered a big yellow beet and a couple of sweet potatoes that were looking rather lonely and in need of a home…so out they came as well .

Wanting to make this salad a complete meal, at the last minute I tossed in a cup of a combo of leftover brown rice and quinoa which added a nice bite to every forkful.

Print Recipe

After Thanksgiving Turkey ‘n Fruit Salad

So the “big meal” is over and you’re wondering what to do with leftovers consisting of “this and that.” Well make a salad of course! When tummies are still full from the lingering effects of heavier Thanksgiving Day dishes, a lighter main course salad chock-full of this holiday’s comforting flavors will be a welcome sight. Don’t have all these ingredients? No worries, just use whatever yummy fruit and veggie leftovers you have in the fridge.

Yield: about 4 servings

Author: Linda Shapiro, © Meal Planning Maven

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple unpeeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 1 medium red apple unpeeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 1 large ripe pear unpeeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 2 medium raw sweet potatoes peeled, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup raw sliced green beans
• 1 large raw yellow beet peeled, cut into cubes
• 1 cup grapes halved if desired
• 4 cups cooked turkey cut into cubes
• 2 green onions trimmed and sliced
• 1 cup cooked brown rice quinoa or couscous (or a combination as I used)
• 1 cup pecan or walnut halves toasted
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
• 3 tablespoons dried cherries or cranberries I like apple-juice sweetened by Eden
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup Creamy Honey-Dijon Dressing or a healthier mayo such as Hellmann’s Olive Oil or Spectrum

• Large lettuce leaves such as romaine, red or green leaf
• 1 tablespoon freshly snipped dill optional for garnish

Instructions

• In a large bowl, toss chopped apples and pears with lemon juice. (to prevent browning)
• Steam or boil sweet potatoes, green beans and beets for about 5 minutes or until tender. Drain well; let cool. (Or use whatever raw vegetables you have leftover. Cooked vegetables are fine as well.)
• Gently combine apples and pears along with cooked vegetables and remaining ingredients except dressing or mayonnaise.
• Lightly toss salad with Creamy Honey-Dijon Dressing (or mayonnaise) Cover; chill for about 4 hours.
• Taste; add additional salt and pepper if desired.
• Line a serving bowl with lettuce leaves. Spoon salad into bowl. Garnish with dill sprigs. (optional)

Notes

Make Ahead and Storage Tips: salad may be assembled without dressing up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Use leftover salad within 1 day. Dressing may be stored up to 3 days; cover and refrigerate. Stir before using.

If you can, choose firmer pears such as Anjou or Bosc which are less likely to brown than Bartlett.

No time to make the Creamy Honey-Dijon Dressing? This salad would also be delicious with a healthier mayonnaise such as Spectrum or Hellmann’s Olive Oil Mayonnaise.

Maple-Orange Glazed Turkey Breast or leftover roasted chicken would be absolutely delicious in the salad!

Don’t have all the ingredients I picked? No worries, just use whatever fruit and veggie leftovers you have in the fridge. And if your turkey has been al gobbled up, (pun intended!) just pick up a cooked rotisserie chicken on your way home.

It just does not get much simpler than this! Enjoy!

More Recipes to Love Using Thanksgiving Leftovers

Coming Next Week to the Blog: Edible Holiday Gifts for All to Enjoy!

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Linda Shapiro, Meal Planning Maven