Each year cooks across the Americas struggle with the same question, “What am I going to do with all this leftover turkey?” I have an idea. Why not take that turkey on a trip around the world, drop it of in Thailand and make that proud poultry exotic and exciting again? Yeah. That’s what this recipe does.

The inspiration for this dish was a recipe with a similar name that appeared in the Pillsbury circular Fast and Fresh Pasta: 20-minute stovetop dishes plus easy casseroles. While both use peanut butter, soy sauce and capellini noodles, the similarities end there. The original recipe was pretty ingredient heavy and called for a few more steps than necessary.  Seriously, this is a leftover recipe, it should be fast and easy, right?

In the end, We adapted the peanut sauce from our own chicken satay recipe and dropped most of the extra ingredients. The result is a luxurious, creamy, fragrant dish It has a deep, rich peanut flavor kissed with hints of lemon and soy that will delight and inspire your family, no matter what age they are. Our 7 year-old even asked for seconds, so you know we got it right on this one.

Really… This is a simple, elegant, and beautiful dish, wouldn’t you agree?

And without Further adieu, we present to you the recipe that will change the face of your holiday leftover menu forever.

What? I’m serious. Once you’ve tasted this, You’re going to be looking forward to leftover turkey even more next year. (Not that you have to use leftovers, you can always make it with chicken or turkey cutlets at any time of the year.)

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Yield: 4 servings

Thai Peanut Turkey and Noodles - A Leftover Turkey Recipe Revolution

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Leftover Turkey is good for so much more than just soup! Take your turkey leftovers on a trip to the far east with this simple and utterly delicious spin on Thai peanut noodles and forget boring leftovers forever.

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Ingredients

• 8 ounces capellini noodles (1/2 of a 16-ounce package)
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• The juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder (we used Madras)
• 2 Tablespoons peanut oil, light sesame oil, or vegetable oil
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin, bite-sized strips
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds cooked turkey, cut in bite-sized pieces
• 3 green onions, sliced very thinly green parts included
• 1/4 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain in a colander and return to pot. Cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, mix the peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice and curry powder together in a medium bowl until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Set aside.
3. Add oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and swirl until hot. Add peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender (about 3 minutes.) Add Turkey and toss with peppers until heated through.
4. Reduce heat to medium low and add noodles and peanut sauce. Toss well until everything is well coated. add green onions and toss until combined. Divide evenly to four serving bowls. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and serve immediately.
5. Share and enjoy.

Notes

If you want a little heat, add some red pepper flakes or chili-garlic paste to the peanut sauce. (Or go for broke with some chili oil or Sriracha.)

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 820Total Fat: 44gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 247mgSodium: 1301mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 76g

What we would have done differently had we thought of it at the time.

Not much. This was a unanimous hit and one that we’ll definitely be making again. Perhaps a little cilantro would be nice? I can also see this made with Ramen noodles (2 package) just as easily, and it would be a bit lighter.

What are your favorite Holiday leftover recipes? Are there any that step out of the box or come from different cultures or cuisines? let us know in the comments. seriously, I still have  a lot of turkey to use up!

More great leftover turkey recipes from around the webs:

• Leftover turkey recipes, from The Pioneer Woman Cooks!