Hot Turkey Salad — Leftovers That Carry the Feeling Home

My week with the kids. Thanksgiving week. The kids were excited. Aiden was talking about pumpkin pie like it was the second coming. Zaria had decided this year she was going to help Cheryl make the dressing. Cheryl had agreed. The line continues.

Thanksgiving Day Brianna had the kids in the morning. They came to Mama's at 4 PM. Cheryl had been cooking since Sunday. The spread was massive: turkey (which Cheryl had brined for two days), dressing, mac and cheese, collard greens, candied yams, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, gravy, dinner rolls, sweet potato pie, pecan pie, apple pie. The Carter Thanksgiving table is not a meal. It is a museum of Black American Southern cooking translated north over three generations.

Pop sat at the head of the table. He led grace. He thanked God for the food, for the family, for another year together, for the grandbabies. He thanked God for Marc, by name, which he hadn't done at Thanksgiving in two years. Cheryl gripped his hand and didn't let go. We all sat with our heads down for a long minute. Then Pop said amen. We ate. We ate for two hours.

I drove home with the kids at 9 PM with three Tupperware containers of leftovers and a stomach that was protesting. Aiden fell asleep in the car. Zaria asked if we could do Thanksgiving every week. I said no. She said, "Why?" I said because then it wouldn't be special. She thought about that. She accepted it.

Driving home with those three Tupperware containers on the backseat, I already knew what I was making the next day. Cheryl’s turkey was so good it deserved a second life — not cold out of the container at midnight, but warm and intentional, something I could set on the table for me and the kids the next afternoon when the house was quiet and the holiday was still close enough to feel. Hot Turkey Salad is exactly that kind of dish: nothing fancy, nothing fussy, just good leftover turkey transformed into something that makes you glad you saved it.

Hot Turkey Salad

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked turkey, cubed
• 1 1/2 cups celery, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup crushed butter crackers or potato chips (for topping)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or a 2-quart casserole dish and set aside.
2. Mix the base. In a large bowl, combine the cubed turkey, sliced celery, mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir until everything is evenly coated.
3. Add cheese and almonds. Fold in 3/4 cup of the shredded cheddar and the slivered almonds. Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly.
4. Make the topping. In a small bowl, toss the crushed crackers or chips with the melted butter until combined. Scatter the topping evenly over the casserole, then sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheddar over the top.
5. Bake. Bake uncovered for 25—30 minutes, until the casserole is heated through, bubbly around the edges, and the topping is golden and crisp.
6. Rest and serve. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm, straight from the baking dish.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 30g | Carbs: 12g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 520mg