The TMG Thrifty Person's Guide, Vol. 1
1. Turkey Nuggets:
Grind remaining turkey scraps, skin and carcass in leaf mulcher or stump grinder. Throw in some stale breadcrumbs and Lawry’s seasoning salt. Mold into nugget shapes – or get creative with the kids and try some crazy animal shapes! Bake or deep-fry. Keep refrigerated in air-tight container until Christmas.
2. Puttin’ on the Ritz:
Chop leftover turkey into bite-sized pieces; freeze in ziplock bag. Press spoonfuls of leftover stuffing into empty ice tray and freeze. Prepping for your holiday party will be a cinch: Defrost the chunks of leftovers, place in layered fashion on Ritz crackers, and top with a dollop of cranberry sauce.
3. Smokin’ Turkey:
Many of our more fashionable readers are familiar with Le Whif, the smokable chocolate and coffee products. TMG thought this might be just the ticket for people still craving the holiday fixings but not the calories or post-meal bloat.
Our R+D team tried its own homemade version with dried, diced turkey. The quality was mixed, based on the stability of the rolling/wrapping material. In the end a corncob pipe was determined to be the most satisfactory, and dark meat was favored over white for its richer flavor.
4. Turkey Martini:
Flavored martinis continue to be a bit hit at our local fern bars and watering holes. After yoga class and before book club, ladies need a little protein pick-me-up. Especially during holiday shopping season. That's why our favorite mixologist at the Institute of Chardonnay Studies came up with his own hearty concoction: vodka, pureed cranberry sauce, and turkey jerkey. It's a great way to get antioxidants and protein, and still look good in your yoga pants.
5. Deep-Fried Stuffing
This Paula Deen classic is just as good with leftovers -- and a good way to get more mileage out of the gallons of oil left over from your deep-fried turkey cooking. Fry globs of leftover stuffing, or make corndog style creations by molding stuffing around leftover turkey chunks on a stick. Cool for 3 minutes before serving.
Bon Appetit!
-- recipes by the TMG Test Kitchen editorial staff and unpaid interns
