Winning Recipes Make Most Of Your Holiday Leftovers

Are you anticipating the day after Thanksgiving, when you can enjoy a savory soup or sandwich made with leftover turkey?

These recipes were the winners of the recent Butterball’s Most Creative Soup and Sandwich Recipe Contest. Turkey, Pear and Bacon Delight, from frequent contest winner Edwina Gadsby of Great Falls, Mont., combines roasted turkey slices with the distinctive flavors of pear, bacon and creamy blue cheese-basil spread, layered on slices of walnut bread.

Zesty Turkey and Peanut Soup, from Julie DeMatteo of Clementon, N.J., features roasted turkey with the savory spices of cumin, thyme and crushed red pepper.

Turkey, Pear and Bacon Delight

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese (regular or reduced fat), softened

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon slivered fresh basil leaves

8 slices walnut, honey-wheat or peasant-style bread

1 small bunch arugula (12 medium-size leaves) or other greens

3 cups sliced, cooked turkey

2 small ripe pears, thinly sliced

8 slices bacon, cooked and drained

In small bowl, beat together cream cheese, blue cheese, garlic and basil until smooth. Spread on one side of each slice of bread.

Layer four slices of bread, spread side up, with 2 to 4 leaves of arugula, turkey, pears and bacon. Top with remaining bread slices, spread side down.

Yield: 4 sandwiches.

Zesty Turkey and Peanut Soup

2 (16-ounce) cans turkey or chicken broth, or 4 cups turkey stock (recipe follows)

2 (14-1/2-ounce) cans diced cut tomatoes with green pepper and onion, drained

2 cups diced and peeled sweet potatoes

1 (19-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

2 cups chopped cooked turkey

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine turkey broth, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, rice, cumin and thyme. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cook and simmer until sweet potatoes are tender and rice is cooked, about 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in turkey, peanut butter and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until heated through, stirring to melt peanut butter, 1 to 2 minutes.

If desired, sprinkle toasted peanuts on top before serving.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Turkey Stock

Turkey carcass

3 ribs celery

1 carrot

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 bay leaf

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

10 black peppercorns

1/8 teaspoon paprika

10 cups water

Remove meat from turkey carcass and set aside for soup. Break carcass into pieces and put in large saucepan or stockpot. Add 3 ribs celery, 1 carrot, 1 onion and 2 cloves garlic, all cut into several pieces. Add the bay leaf, salt, peppercorns, paprika and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Strain stock; discard bones and vegetables. Use in above recipe and freeze remaining stock for other uses.

Yield: About 8 cups.