Turkey, turkey, turkey. It’s the red carpet star of the most coveted meal of the year and the epitome of Thanksgiving festivities. From November 1st onward, campus starts buzzing with the word, upstaging talk of even the pending Ohio State game (maybe). But has any college student actually taken on the laborious task of cooking a turkey for themselves or their friends for a pre-Thanksgiving party? Moreover, what to do with the mountains of turkey leftovers that are packed with you on your journey back to campus after break?
This recipe solves both of those questions. It uses an easy-to-cook turkey tenderloin that cuts the cooking time from 6+ hours down to just 1, and includes dried cranberries and carrots to enhance that specific Thanksgiving taste. It is also a great solution for leftovers: just replace the tenderloin with any turkey you already have pre-cooked. Gotta love finding ways to extend this magical holiday and put one of the best foods in the world to more use!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups turkey tenderloin (chopped into small cubes) Note: can be found in the pre-packaged meat section of the grocery store
1/2 cup celery (chopped into small pieces)
1/2 cup shredded carrots (additionally chopped)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup mayonaise
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Photo by Parisa Soraya
Directions:
1. Cook turkey tenderloin according to cooking instructions on package.
2. In a medium bowl, combine cooked, chopped turkey, celery, carrots and dried cranberries.
Photo by Parisa Soraya
3. In a separate small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Photo by Parisa Soraya
4. Incorporate the mayonnaise mixture into the other bowl of ingredients, stirring until incorporated.
Photo by Parisa Soraya
5. Refrigerate to cool.
6. Serve on sliced bread as a sandwich, on lettuce leaf or enjoy by itself.
Photo by Parisa Soraya