In short order, all those hours of Thanksgiving planning and cooking will come to a delicious close. Your thoughts will then turn to two things: putting your feet up, and relishing in the knowledge that you have leftovers for days.
The first iteration of Thanksgiving leftovers is usually a second crack at the meal itself. A cozy, late-night plate of dressing with a few slices of turkey and some cranberry sauce makes for a perfect snack. Or there’s the requisite turkey sandwich on squishy white bread with cranberry sauce and sometimes even a scoop of the dressing. But by Friday, you’re thinking about how to convert the meal’s traditional elements into something fresh and new.
One of my favorites is turkey pesto turnovers. These yummy little hand pies incorporate leftover turkey, pie crust and a flexible list of other ingredients you probably have in the pantry. You can cram just about anything you like into a turnover—including sautéed vegetables, a little spinach Madeline, and yes, even dressing and cranberry sauce.
|
|
|
This recipes makes 12 appetizer-sized turnovers, but you can cut the dough into larger circles for an entrée-sized serving.
Turkey pesto turnovers
Makes about 12 small or 4 large turnovers
|
|
|
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
½ bell pepper, diced (preferably red, yellow or orange)
2 cups diced or shredded cooked turkey
¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
¼ cup crumbled feta
1 ½ tablespoons prepared pesto
2 homemade pie crusts or 2 store-bought pastries
1 egg, beaten
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium skillet, warm olive oil to medium high. Add onion and bell pepper, and sauté about 5 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, combine turkey, sour cream, feta and pesto. Add sautéed vegetables and mix well. Roll out dough on a floured board. Using a glass, cookie cutter or biscuit cutter 3 ½ inches in diameter, cut flour into discs. Fill each with about 2 teaspoons of turkey mixture. Fold over and crimp edges together with a fork. Using a pastry brush, coat surface of each turnover with beaten egg. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor and the author of Hungry for Louisiana, An Omnivore’s Journey. Reach her at hungryforlouisiana.com.