Turkey Waldorf Salad

Ah, the leftovers......my favorite part of the holiday meal.

The possibilities are endless. I love having Thanksgiving turkey leftover to make delicious sandwiches, soups and main dishes.

Did you know you can freeze cooked sliced turkey?
It freezes beautifully, wrapped well in plastic wrap, then foil. It keeps for about 2 months.

This weekend, we saw a lot of sandwiches (no complaints), but saved enough turkey for this wonderful Waldorf Salad.

This salad originated at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in NYC, and originally did not contain poultry.
But cold, shredded turkey just seems to go so nicely with the apples, grapes and crunchy celery.

The yogurt mayo honey dressing is delicious and I was happy to have something other than carbs after this weekend of feasting.

You can also make this with leftover cooked chicken breast for another day.

Turkey Waldorf Salad: (adapted from Food Network)

2 cups shredded leftover turkey meat
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 cup celery leaves, coarsely chopped, plus more whole leaves for garnish
1 crisp apple, such as Gala or Macintosh, cored and chopped
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted, and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup non-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon honey
1 small celery root (celeriac), peeled and cut into matchsticks (optional, you can use any lettuce/arugula)
sea salt & black pepper

In a large bowl, gently toss the turkey, celery, celery leaves, apple, grapes, and pecans until combined.

In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, honey, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until well combined. Put the celery root in a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of the dressing, and toss to coat completely. Add the remaining dressing to the turkey mixture, season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to evenly dress the salad.

To serve, spread the celery root evenly onto a serving platter, top with the dressed salad, garnish with celery leaves or fresh parsley. I served on top of arugula, because I was using what I had on hand.

Delicious!