It’s the Monday after thanksgiving and I bet you’ve got some turkey in your fridge.  Thanksgiving leftovers are practically inevitable – it is, after all, a holiday rooted in the celebration of abundance.  For some, these leftovers are eagerly anticipated.  My husband enjoys the leftovers more than the meal itself and, after a weekend filled with turkey sandwiches, has already begun to lament our dwindling supply of leftover turkey.  Me, I’m good for about three sandwiches before I start looking for ways to do something with the leftovers that doesn’t scream “leftovers.”

Maple BBQ pulled turkey sandwiches are a good starting point.  Pull all the remaining meat off your leftover turkey legs and warm it through with a jar of our sweet & tangy Maple BBQ Grilling sauce.  Mound the shredded turkey on buttery toasted rolls and pile on a generous scoop of our Apple Cider Slaw for a refreshing crunch.

If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, try Pumpkin Chipotle Turkey Sopes, our Midwestern take on a traditional Mexican street snack.  Sopes begin with shallow little cornmeal bowls, fried until crisp and sturdy.  These crumbly cousins of tortillas make the perfect platform for leftover turkey warmed with our smoky-sweet Pumpkin Chipotle Roasting Sauce.  A garnish of sliced radishes, jalapenos, and pumpkin seeds adds texture, and crumbled queso fresco provides a creamy counterpoint to the spicy meat.

In both dishes, yesterday’s turkey is enlivened by the rich, complex flavors of American Spoon’s fruit and spice grilling sauces and balanced by the cooling crunch of fresh vegetables. They’re the perfect marriage of heft and lightness, hearty spice and cool crispness, old and new.

Maple BBQ Pulled Turkey Sandwiches with Apple Cider Slaw
(printable recipe)

For the Slaw

1 small green cabbage, shredded
3 small carrots, sliced into thin rounds
2 celery roots, cut into fine matchsticks
2 Honeycrisp apples, cut into fine matchsticks
3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons kosher salt
1 jar American Spoon® Apple Cider Grilling Sauce Add to Cart
3 Tablespoons cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Remove the core from the green cabbage and cut the head in half from root to tip.  Slice each half in quarter inch ribbons and toss with the salt.  Place the salted cabbage in to a colander to sweat while the remaining ingredients are prepared.

For the carrots, apples, and celery root, peel each then cut into appropriate shape.

For the dressing, whisk together the Apple Cider Grilling Sauce, the cider vinegar, and the olive oil.

Before mixing all the ingredients, give the cabbage a good squeeze to push out any remaining liquid.  Combine the prepped ingredients with the herbs and the dressing in and toss to combine.

Reserve the slaw until ready to assemble the sandwiches.

For the Turkey

2 roast turkey legs, meat shredded
1 jar American Spoon® Maple BBQ Grilling Sauce Add to Cart
6 Kaiser style rolls
2 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature

This recipe works great with leftover Thanksgiving turkey.  If you don’t have leftovers, these sandwiches can be easily made with whole turkey legs or chicken legs, roasted in a 350 degree oven until the meat is easily shredded; about 45 minutes for chicken and two hours for turkey.  If you have precooked legs, reheat them in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes to make them easier to shred.    Once they are warmed through, pick all the meat off the bone, discarding all skin, sinew, and bone.  Place the picked meat into a pot with the Maple BBQ Grilling sauce and heat through, stirring to combine.

For the Sandwiches

To finish, split the rolls and butter the cut sides and place then, buttered-side down in a sauté pan over medium heat.  Once the rolls are nicely golden, top them with a generous scoop of the pulled BBQ turkey and the slaw.

Pumpkin Chipotle Turkey Sopes
(printable recipe)

For the Turkey:

2 roast turkey legs, meat shredded
1 jar American Spoon® Pumpkin Chipotle Roasting Sauce Add to Cart

For the Sopes:

3 cups masa flour
2 ½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon salt

 To Garnish:

1 ½ cup crumbled queso fresco (fresh Mexican cheese)
¼ bunch cilantro
3 thinly sliced radishes
2 Tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds

To make the sopes, add the masa flour and salt in the bowl of a kitchen aid with a paddle attachment.  With paddle on medium-low speed, gradually add the water until the dough comes together.

Roll the dough into 1/3-inch thickness sheet.  Using the top-lip of a water glass, punch out rounds from the dough.  Taking each round, pinch a ¼-inch lip around each sopes; this will create a wall to hold in the filling. 

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Over a medium flame, heat one teaspoon vegetable oil in a large saute pan.  Once the oil is hot, add the sopes in a single layer and cook until the bottoms are golden brown, about two minutes.  Transfer the sauté pan to the oven and cook for an additional two minutes.  Remove from oven finish.

To finish, spoon desired amount of Pumpkin Chipotle braised turkey into the sopes.  Garnish with the cheese, sliced radish, cilantro, and pumpkin seeds.