Chopped Turkey Salad | Recipe

A great and easy way to spruce up your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. Featuring goat cheese, fresh herbs, dried cranberries and crunchy walnuts.

Funny thing about my family: We take food pretty seriously. So much so that if I happen to luck out on Thanksgiving, my mom and husband will feel the need to rival one another's poultry skills, and two birds will be served on the big day. And, yes. That really happens.

IF we are lucky, after Thanksgiving Day, we will be left with a heaping pile of turkey meat. And, while I love to reach into the fridge and pick out a nibble or two of cold turkey, or make myself a next-day, leftovers hodgepodge plate, sometimes there's just more than enough turkey to go around. And, I can only eat the exact same dish for so many days in a row, regardless of how delicious it is.

Lucky for me, I've got a few recipes under my belt to dress up the dueling bird leftovers. One of them being this chopped turkey salad. It starts with a sauce infused with creamy goat cheese, herbs and vibrant lemon. Shallots and celery make for a refreshing crunchy texture. The walnuts bring in an additional savory note and the dried cranberries add just the right amount of sweetness. It's guaranteed to take to take your turkey leftovers to a whole 'nother level. Please, enjoy.

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese

Juice of half a lemon

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly minced thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups cooked* turkey breast, cut into large chunks

2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped

1 shallot, roughly chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

To make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, goat cheese, lemon juice, thyme, sugar, salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse the turkey breast until shredded but not pureed, about 4-6 times. Alternatively, shred the turkey by hand. Transfer the turkey to a large mixing bowl.

Add celery and shallot to the food processor and pulse until minced. Alternatively, mince by hand. Transfer to the mixing bowl with the turkey. Add the dressing, cranberries, and walnuts and stir until well-mixed. Serve atop a bed of spinach, alongside whole-wheat crackers for spreading or as a sandwich filling and enjoy.

Makes about 3 cups.

*If you are not working with leftover turkey, simply drizzle a turkey tenderloin with 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil, season with 2 teaspoons of TAK seasoning and roast at 375° on a sheet pan fitted with a rack for 30-35 minutes, or until cooked through.

Would pair well with:

Dry White Wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio

Cranberry-Orange Mimosa

Fall Pear Spritzer

Elderflower Spritzer

Cool Weather Fruit & Cheese Platter

Roasted Baby Dutch Potatoes

Roasted Sweet Potato Crescents

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