What is your favorite way to eat thanksgiving leftovers?

I’ve already admitted that turkey and mashed potatoes aren’t my favorite foods, but I’ve got memories of waking up in Milwaukee on Friday morning, making turkey sandwiches with iceberg and mayo on little potato buns before heading out for some Christmas shopping. I loved those little sandwiches.

Of course now a days, we’ve got exotic, exciting ways to enjoy those leftovers and I must say I’m more interested in some of these leftover ideas than the actual thanksgiving meal itself. Maybe I’ll take some of that leftover turkey after all….

(source)

Turkey Samosas – Real Simple

Stuffing-Stuffed Mushrooms – Rachael Ray

Turkey, Artichoke & Mushroom Lasagna (switch out chicken for turkey!)

 Turkey Banh Mi – Martha Stewart

Turkey Waldorf Salad – Real Simple

 Penne with Goat Cheese, Kale, Olives, and Turkey – Real Simple

Baked Potato Pizza – Iowa Girl Eats

Grilled Turkey, Bacon, Radicchio and Blue Cheese Sandwich – Bon Appetit 

Turkey-Porcini Tetrazzini – Delish

And if all you really want is a sandwich, try these twists on the turkey sandwich from Rachael Ray!

• Creamy-Crunchy Sammy: Drizzle EVOO on 2 whole grain bread slices and toast them; spread on soft goat cheese and layer with thinly sliced turkey, pears and radishes.
• Honey-Mustard Brie Melt: Toast an english muffin, then spread with honey-mustard sauce. Layer with a couple of turkey pieces, sliced tomato and brie cheese. Place the open-face sandwich under the broiler until the cheese is melted.
• Spinach-Artichoke Grilled Cheese: Butter 2 slices of white bread and fill with turkey, gruyere cheese, spinach leaves and chopped marinated artichoke hearts. Grill in a skillet or panini press until golden-brown.

As I made my way through the (we will not name the number) bowl of creamed kale, I came to a very important realization.

Creamed kale tastes like it is really, really bad for you. It tastes like it is full of cream and cheese. Two things I adore, but when I’m eating kale, I like to think I’m doing something good for my body.

When I thought about the ingredients, I realized that there was a chance this creamed kale was actually healthy! I didn’t believe it at first either, because it certainly doesn’t taste it, but when I worked out the nutrition facts, I was left with a side dish that has about 100 calories per serving and a bonus of 10 grams of protein! I’m not one to get caught up on whether something is healthy or not during the holidays, I think it’s best to enjoy the celebration and eat the foods you enjoy, but this dish lets you have the best of both worlds.

Another bonus of this dish and not that I would ever condone this, but say you’ve got an uncle who is a little hesitant when it comes to kale. Maybe its your in-laws, I won’t tell. You could  trick them into eating, and liking kale. Sometimes I hear things like, “why do you like hippy food?” or “why do you eat like a rabbit?” and I feel the need to retaliate. I know, it isn’t right. But its totally fun.

Enjoy your rabbit food Uncle Mike.

Hint: To easily remove stems from kale, grab bottom of leaf in right hand and pull down with left hand.