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FREEZER IDEAS FOR TURKEY LEFTOVERS

© Kerri Bazzell

When the hectic holiday season ends, there are still loose ends to tie up. You might need to exchange a gift or two, write a few thank-you notes, put away the wrapping paper, and finally, figure out what to do with those leftovers! Since you're cooking ahead, you can stash those meals from the turkey leftovers in you freezer for some evening in the next month or two. That way, no one gets tired from a week or more of turkey on the menu.

The easiest idea for freezing leftovers is to make "instant meals": Use divided storage containers or microwavable plates to arrange combinations of turkey, dressing, and other leftover dishes for quick warm-ups later on. If you are using a plate to freeze these meals, just cover the plate tightly with plastic wrap, then wrap again with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Another delicious dish that works great for turkey leftovers is "Turkey Enchiladas." I've found that the easiest way to prepare these is to freeze the enchiladas in freezer bags in the quantity needed to make a meal for your family, then freeze the sauce separately. The dish will have to be "put together" right before cooking it, but it tastes much fresher that way. Here are the directions:

Turkey Enchiladas

½ cup chopped onion
1 can (4 oz.) green chilies, drained (divided)
3 tbsp. butter, divided
1/3 c. taco sauce or picante sauce
1 cup sour cream, divided
1/8 tsp. chili powder
2 ½ cups cooked turkey
½ c. shredded cheddar cheese
12 flour tortillas
2 tbsp. flour
1 cup turkey broth (or chicken broth)

Saute onions in 1 tbsp. butter. In a meduim-sized bowl, combine onions, chilies, taco sauce, ¼ cup sour cream, and chili powder. Chop turkey in food processor and add turkey to mixture in bowl. Add shredded cheddar cheese. Divide this mixture among the tortillas. Roll tortillas and place seam side down in freezer bags. Divide the enchiladas into 2 or 3 bags (or more) depending on how many enchiladas you will need for each meal

Microwave the remaining butter in a glass microwave dish until melted. Blend in flour, then slowly stir in broth. Microwave on high power for 3-5 minutes until thickenend Stir in the rest of the sour cream, and the rest of the chilies. Divide this mixture among 2 or 3 freezer bags, depending on how many bags of enchiladas you have.

To prepare after freezing: Place frozen enchiladas in pan, seam side down, and bake in oven at 325 degrees. Thaw sour cream sauce in microwave on defrost power. When sauce is thawed, remove the enchiladas, cover with sauce, and return to the oven. It will take about 1 hour, 15 minutes to completely cook the frozen enchiladas. If you thaw them in the microwave first, it should only take about 45 minutes to cook the enchilada. If you'd like, you can top the enchiladas with about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese about 10 minutes before they are done.

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