Leftover roast turkey, a hard-boiled egg, pecans, mayonnaise, and mustard are combined to make this simple turkey salad recipe. Ready in 15 minutes, it’s the best way to enjoy leftover Thanksgiving turkey! Gluten-free.
We typically consume leftovers from the holiday meal repeatedly after a significant celebration.
Throughout the weekend, we eat Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter dinner five, six, or seven times.
That wouldn’t bother me, but I’m not a big fan of traditional roast turkey. I can barely handle eating it for the main meal, much less continuing to do so in the days following the holiday.
This year, after Thanksgiving, I wanted to figure out how to use some of our turkey without really consuming a ton of leftover turkey with gravy.
When I was making it, I was reminded of the chicken salad my mother had served at my bridal shower. I had never had it before that particular brunch, so all I can recall about it is that they said it was my favorite.
I made this turkey salad repeatedly and ate it six times instead of six servings of roast turkey. It was delicious.
Either way, it contained pecans, the classic mayo and mustard, and celery salt and onion powder in place of crunchies, which I detest in my chicken, egg, ham, or turkey salad. I love the soft crunch of the pecans in it, even though I detest crunchy bites of celery and onion. I’m not sure what makes them different, but I adore the nuts.
A Delicious and Versatile Dish for Any Occasion
Annie’s Turkey Salad is a beloved recipe passed down through generations, offering a delightful way to utilize leftover turkey or enjoy a fresh, flavorful salad. This guide explores the key ingredients, preparation steps, and serving suggestions for this timeless dish.
Ingredients:
- 6 large eggs
- 6 cups cooked turkey meat
- 1 (16-ounce) jar sweet pickles, chopped
- 1 ½ (10-ounce) jars mustard-mayonnaise blend
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
Instructions:
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Boil and Peel Eggs: Place eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil, immediately remove from heat cover, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10-12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel, and chop.
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Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, thoroughly mix chopped eggs, cooked turkey, chopped sweet pickles, mustard-mayonnaise blend, and mayonnaise.
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Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the salad for about 3 hours before serving.
Serving Suggestions:
- Lettuce Bed: Serve the turkey salad on a bed of red leaf lettuce for a refreshing and visually appealing presentation.
- Garnishes: Enhance the salad with colorful garnishes such as red and green seedless grapes and pecan halves.
- Side Dish: Offer cubed jellied cranberry sauce alongside the salad for a sweet and tangy accompaniment.
- Crackers or Bread: Provide assorted crackers or bread for scooping and enjoying the salad.
Tips:
- Freshness: For optimal flavor, use freshly cooked or roasted turkey.
- Texture: Avoid using a food processor, as the chunky texture adds to the appeal of the salad.
- Customization: Adjust the amount of mayonnaise and mustard-mayonnaise blend to suit your taste preferences.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover turkey salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Variations:
- Add-Ins: Experiment with additional ingredients such as chopped celery, onions, or fresh herbs for a different flavor profile.
- Dressing: Substitute Greek yogurt or sour cream for a lighter dressing option.
- Wraps or Sandwiches: Use turkey salad as a filling for wraps, sandwiches, or lettuce cups for a satisfying lunch or light meal.
Annie’s Turkey Salad is a versatile and flavorful dish that can be enjoyed in various ways. Whether served as a classic salad, a sandwich filling, or a light lunch option, this recipe offers a delicious way to utilize leftover turkey or enjoy a fresh and satisfying meal. With its simple ingredients and easy preparation, Annie’s Turkey Salad is a surefire crowd-pleaser that will become a staple in your culinary repertoire.
What you need to make leftover turkey salad
- Spicy dijon or horseradish mustard
- Miracle Whip: For the pinnacle of salad perfection, I like to combine Miracle Whip with mayonnaise. The two flavors .
- Mayonnaise
- Garlic powder: Use a small amount of garlic powder instead of fresh garlic in this recipe as I find it to be too strong.
- Celery salt: Slice a stalk of celery if you enjoy crunchy bits in your turkey salad. I stick to the celery salt for flavor because I detest both crunchy ingredients in my chicken and turkey salad and fresh celery. Dont leave this out completely though.
- Onion powder – See above note about raw celery. Since I detest biting into raw onions, onion powder works well for me. Also, do not leave this out.
- Hard boiled eggs, cut into cubes
- Leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken from the grocery store can also be substituted for leftover cooked turkey, either shredded or cubed.
- Diced pecans: I realize that I detest crunchy ingredients in my turkey salad, but pecans are not one of them. I adore the way the pecans add texture to the salad.
- Cheddar cheese that has been shredded is the finishing touch that makes this recipe truly amazing.
How to serve turkey salad
I love leftover turkey salad best served over Ritz crackers. I just love it.
A portion of turkey salad can also be wrapped in a lettuce leaf and eaten as a lettuce wrap, or it can be spread on a croissant, a tortilla, or a sandwich made with regular or gluten-free bread. Alternatively, you can eat your sandwich hot by placing it in a panini press.
Of course, you could make a delicious chicken salad instead of using chicken in this recipe. Diced ham would also be good.
When combined with the pecans, chopped grapes, dried cranberries, or pomegranate seeds make a delicious addition to this salad. Use a handful or two.
Since avocado complements everything, adding some diced avocado to the salad along with the pecans and cheese is a great idea.
You could substitute almonds or walnuts for the pecans.
As mentioned above, you could substitute fresh celery and red or green onions for the celery salt and onion powder if you like your salad to have crunchy bits.
Simple Turkey Salad | CHEF CARMEN ATL
FAQ
What is turkey salad made of?
How long does turkey salad last in the fridge without?
How many calories in a turkey salad?
Why is my egg salad bland?
How do you make a Turkey salad with eggs?
Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix eggs, turkey, pickles, mustard-mayonnaise blend, and mayonnaise. Chill in the refrigerator for about 3 hours before serving. This turkey salad can be made with leftover turkey or a turkey breast.
Can mayonnaise be used instead of eggs?
Yes, you can replace eggs with mayonnaise in recipes. You can use 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise for each egg. Mayonnaise is a good substitute for adding moisture to your brownies or other baked goods, as it is made of eggs and oil, which make them soft and moist.
Are hard boiled eggs in Turkey salad?
Hard boiled eggs may sound like a strange ingredient, but the hard boiled eggs bring a really nice element to the turkey salad’s flavor. There’s not a lot of egg in the salad, but just enough to amp up that flavor. Most people won’t even realize the eggs are there, they’ll just know the turkey salad tastes oh sooo good! 2.
How do you make a Turkey salad?
To make this turkey salad, you’ll need: Mayonnaise: Such as Duke’s; the base of the dressing for a rich, creamy finish. Sour cream: Adds a light and tangy flavor to the dressing as opposed to using straight mayonnaise. Flat-leaf parsley: For a bright, fresh note. Apple cider vinegar: The acidity livens up the salad.