Turkey Quesadillas – Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe

So imagine it’s the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

You’ve reheated the leftovers once. Maybe twice…

If you’re like me, you LOVE the leftovers, but by Saturday, you’re ready for something completely different. Something spicy…Asian, Mexican…

But there’s all that leftover turkey…and cranberry sauce.

Never fear…there’s hope. Like Turkey Quesadillas.

Let’s make them!

Slice up one red pepper, one poblano pepper and one onion.

Also take 3-4 cups of that leftover turkey and chop it up.

Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a pan over medium high heat.Toss the onions and pepper into the pan.

Stir it around for 3-5 minutes.

Toss your turkey in.

Stir it around again.

Stir it again for a minute then add in one can of black  beans. Drain them, rinse them and add them to the pot.

Also, and maybe you have some leftover corn, but add in one cup of corn.  You can even use frozen, if you have it.

Add in a half teaspoon of cumin and chipotle pepper.

Mix all of this around, stirring for a minute or so.

Grate up a block of pepper jack cheese.

Butter one side only of some flour tortillas.

I use a flat griddle, like one you would use for pancakes to do this, but you could easily use a fry pan instead.  Place the tortillas buttered side down on the flat grill.

Sprinkle some pepperjack cheese over top.

Spread a heaping spoonful of your turkey black bean mixture over top.

Top with another butter tortilla, with the buttered side on top.

Let the bottom side cook until it’s toasted nice and brown and crispy.

Then flip it over. Then remove it to a cutting board. A pizza cutter works great.

Make a quick dipping sauce using this..leftover cranberry sauce.

Add one cup of sour cream to a medium bowl.  Add in 1/2 cup of cranberry sauce and 1/2 cup of this..pepper jelly.

My favorite of all time. Suan’s scotch bonnet pepper jelly, made right here in Oklahoma.

Mix it all up.

I have to say, this is a delicious dipping sauce. If you can’t find pepper jelly, add in some raspberry jelly and some finely diced jalapeno pappers or red pepper flakes.

Serve up your quesadillas with your yummy dipping sauce.

Isn’t this a great way to use up that leftover turkey and cranberry sauce?

Turkey Quesadillas - Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: Katie of Dishin & Dishes

Recipe type: Main Dish

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 T. olive oil
• 4 c. chopped leftover turkey
• 1 can black beans
• 1 c. frozen or cooked corn
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 pablano pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 c. pepper jack cheese, grated
• 1 c. leftover cranberry sauce
• ½ c. pepper jelly
• ½ c. sour cream
• ½ c. chopped cilantro
• optional: avocado slices
• 12 flour tortillas
• ½ c. butter, softened

Instructions

1. In a skillet, add olive oil and turn on medium heat.
2. Add both peppers, and onion to olive oil and stir fry until softened a bit but peppers are still a bit crisp.
3. Add in turkey, beans and corn and stir a minute or two longer just to heat through the turkey.
4. Lightly butter one side of 2 tortillas.
5. Place one tortillas buttered side down on skillet or griddle
6. Top with ½ cup of the turkey/bean mixture
7. Spread not quite to the edges of the tortilla evenly, leaving a little room around the edge.
8. Sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of the pepper jack cheese
9. Place top tortilla with butter side up on top of the cheese layer
10. Gently press down with spatula and let cook about a minute, or until the bottom tortilla is nicely golden brown, then carefully flip over to brown other side as well. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

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