Reimagined Leftovers

 

And leftovers we will have for quite some time

Backstory: When I ordered the turkey online through Walmart  I gave them a range of poundage 16-18. But when I went to pick it up they gave me a 24-pound one and we were only having 4 guests. Yikes! it's the biggest turkey I have ever cooked and took 7 days to thaw out in refrig plus it needed a cold water bath to move the thawing process along.  And yes by some miracle it did fit in the oven. You have no idea how heavy and unmanageable that size was to clean and prepare. Then there was the concern about how long to cook. I overcompensated and the turkey was done two hours too early. But my husband came to the rescue going online. It was suggested to keep the turkey warm and not dry out to turn the oven way down and place a baking sheet filled with water underneath the turkey on the rack below. And indeed this idea worked and the turkey stayed very moist.  

Some photos from the dinner DIY style. The napkins were decorated with ribbon and dried flowers. The Dollar Store had the perfect dishes to go with the tablecloth. The small pumpkins are place card holders from a craft store. I made the message cards on them.

We are eating light the next few days.

Santa Fe Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Cook's Notes: If wanting to eat on the low-carb side, use butter lettuce leaves as an alternative to bread or wraps.
The recipe makes 8 lettuce wraps and was adapted from skinnytaste.com
The flavor of the meat filling can be amped up by increasing spices.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced red bell peppers
• 1/4 cup minced scallions
• 12 oz. leftover turkey breast, diced small
• 2/3 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 tablespoons diced jarred jalapeno peppers
• 1/2-1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2-1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 8 large Iceberg lettuce leaves
• 12 tablespoons Avocado-Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the red bell pepper and scallions to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes until tender.
• Add the diced turkey, corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper to the pan. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring well so the spinach gets mixed in with everything and is slightly wilted.
• Place about 1/3 cup of turkey mixture in the center of each lettuce leaf.
• Top each wrap with 2 tablespoons cheese and 1-1/2 tablespoon avocado sauce if desired or avocado slices.
  

I have my bag and am ready for Saturday to start some holiday shopping. First-stop a local used book store. Many of the books for sale there are like brand new.