Thanksgiving is over. Now comes the hard part: what to do with the turkey leftovers. You could make mayo and tomato sandwiches for days. Or you can buck up and make something palatable and delicious with the bird remains. Below we give four recipes that will make your turkey meat leftovers glorious. You can serve each over rice or pasta—like in the Turkey Stir-Fry where it is paired with hot noodles. Family and friends will come over just to have the leftovers. In each case, the portions amount to four or more servings.

TURKEY CURRY

Note that this is my version of leftover turkey curry. If you want to add other ingredients like turmeric, cinnamon, cloves or ginger to give it a more Indian or Asian flavor, go right ahead.

1/2 stick butter
½ cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 cups leftover turkey meat cut into 1/2-inch chunks or pieces
Salt to taste

  1. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook briefly until combined and starting to bubble, about 3-5 minutes. Do not let the flour darken.
  2. Pour chicken broth into flour mixture. Whisk to combine until smooth. Here, you can adjust for thickness: cook, whisking, until thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Or If you want it thinner, add more broth.
  3. Add curry powder and stir to blend. Stir in turkey meat. Add salt and cook until heated, and serve. Some folks like to add yogurt, about ½ cup, to the curry. Your choice.

SAUCY TURKEY

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced thinly
2 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 can (14 ½ oz.) stewed tomatoes
1 chicken bouillon cube or 1 packet chicken granules
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups turkey meat, chopped or cut into ½-inch chunks or pieces

  1. Heat oil in a skillet or frypan. Add onions and cook over moderate until and translucent. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
  2. Add undrained tomatoes, bouillon cube, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir in turkey meat and cook until bubbling.

TURKEY STIR-FRY

2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced into ¼-inch strips
1 cup fresh green beans, cut into ½-pieces (can use frozen but need to be thawed).
2 cups turkey meat, cut into chunks or ½-inch strips
½ cup scallions, chopped into ½-inch pieces
½ cup sliced bamboo shoots
½ cup sliced water chestnuts
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Pinch each of nutmeg and ground pepper

  1. In a large frying pan or wok, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
  2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. In this case, serve over hot, cooked egg noodles.
    Note that there are no set rules for stir-frying. You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand.

TURKEY-RICE SOUP

1 cup rice
1 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1  clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon capers
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 cups turkey meet, chopped or shredded
4 cups water

  1. Place rice in 1 cup water and let it soak.
  2. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, oregano, capers and tomato sauce. Sauté over moderate heat for 10 minutes.
  3. Drain rice and add to pot. Stir to combine while gradually adding 4 cups water. Bring to a boil and cook on high heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
  4. Add turkey meat, lower heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes more or until rice is tender. Serve immediately.
    Note that this recipe will make a thick soup or stew. If you want it thinner, add more water as desired.