The day after Thanksgiving, I’m all for piling a plate full of leftovers, letting everything mush together, and enjoying another rib-sticking meal. The day after that? I’m ready for something different.
Sure, there are folks who claim to enjoy eating meal after meal of leftovers, sometimes slapping it all between two slices of bread, but let's be real — it gets a little tiring. Come Saturday, it's time to get creative.
A sandwich is still a fine way to make use of leftover turkey. Instead of topping it with more gravy, though, it’s better to give it more zip. Piled high on warm flatbread, topped with a lemony, herby tahini sauce, even two-day-old turkey breast gets a chance to shine. (Use thick-sliced deli turkey if your family managed to gobble up the whole bird in one sitting.)
The only real trick here is to be particular with how that turkey is reheated. First, infuse olive oil with lemon zest and fresh oregano. (It sounds complicated, but all you’re doing here is cooking the aromatics until they sizzle.) Remove them from the oil, add shredded or sliced turkey, toss to coat, and then throw in a bit of water and let it steam over medium-low heat until hot. It’ll only take a few minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, water, and a bit more oregano to make a sauce. Pull out whatever leftover onions and greenery you’ve got in the fridge to use for toppings and arrange it on a plate. Toast flatbread or pita in the oven just until warm.
Beyond that, it’s all assembly: Scoop the turkey onto the warm bread, drizzle with sauce, garnish with toppings, and then do your best to wrap everything up into a neat foil wrapper. It won’t even taste like Thanksgiving — and that’s a good thing.
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