Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and there will be food, food and more food. And when the feasting is over, most likely there will be food left over. Turkey is usually the main leftover from the holiday meal. Of course, you can just re-heat it or slice and slap it on a couple of pieces of bread.

Or you can get creative.

“I think the opportunities are endless,” says Sherrie Rosenblatt of the National Turkey Federation in Washington, D.C.

Not only is turkey a staple of the holiday season, but it is versatile, according to Ms. Rosenblatt. From breakfast (turkey hash or turkey burritos) to entrees (turkey calzones, turkey lasagna), turkey dresses up a variety of dishes. It’s not just for Thanksgiving.

“It’s also the beginning of the colder months,” Ms. Rosenblatt says, “and it’s a great time to make casseroles and soups.”

Deb Vaughn of Maryville, Mo., and Kris Guthrie of Clearmont, Mo., know all about using turkey in casseroles. Ms. Vaughn, an avid cook and cookbook collector, uses leftover Thanksgiving turkey to whip up a turkey and rice casserole, a recipe that she got 25 years ago from a friend, Sharron Cowden of Clearmont, Mo. The casserole is easy to make, and Ms. Vaughn says her family loves it.

“It’s moist and it’s real flavorful,” she says.

Add a salad and some hot bread, and you have a meal.

The holidays aren’t the only times when Ms. Vaughn makes the casserole. Good food knows no season. If she doesn’t have turkey on hand, she’ll used canned or fresh chicken.

If the turkey doesn’t end up in a casserole at the Vaughn home, it will be used to make soup. Leftover vegetables and even leftover pasta go into the soup. Its base is V8 tomato juice. Add onions, garlic and Italian seasoning and Ms. Vaughn has another meal to serve her family.

Over at Ms. Guthrie’s home, overnight turkey casserole and cheesy turkey casserole are family favorites. Ms. Guthrie, also an avid cook who hopes to one day author her own cookbook, says that she got the overnight recipe when she helped put together a cookbook. The cheesy recipe came from her late mother.

“She would try things and then pass them along to me,” she says.

The “overnight” in the overnight turkey casserole means just that. Ms. Guthrie says after mixing up the ingredients, the uncooked casserole goes into the refrigerator. Overnight, the uncooked macaroni absorbs the liquid in the recipe.

“You just take it out of the fridge and cook it for an hour,” she says.

The cheesy recipe is just as easy. When asked if the casseroles can be frozen, Ms. Guthrie says there’s never been any leftovers.

If you want to try turkey in a variety of other dishes, log on to the Internet and you’ll discover endless options. The National Turkey Federation alone features several hundred recipes, including ethnic dishes. Go to www.eatturkey.com to try some of them.

Lifestyles reporter Cathy Woolridge can be reached at cathyw@npgco.com

Turkey and rice casserole

1/2 cup uncooked rice

2 cups diced celery

2 onions, diced

6 tablespoons of butter or margarine

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

3 cups diced leftover turkey (or chicken)

1 can cream of chicken soup

Cook rice, drain and set aside. Saute onion and celery in the butter, add soy sauce, stirring well.

Add the turkey to the cooked rice, stir in the soup, then add the sauted onion/celery mixture. Mix well and place in a 2-quart baking dish. Bake one hour at 350 degrees.

— Deb Vaughn, Maryville, Mo.

Overnight turkey casserole

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 cups cooked, diced turkey

1 can cream of chicken soup

3 cups milk

8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Chopped onion to taste (optional)

Place all ingredients into a sprayed 9 X 13 pan, stirring until mixed well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Uncover and bake in 350-degree oven for one hour.

— Kris Gutherie, Clearmont, Mo.

Cheesy turkey

casserole

2 cups cooked, diced turkey

1 onion, chopped

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 ounces shredded Velveeta cheese

1 box chicken stuffing mix

Place turkey and onion in a 9X13 casserole dish. In saucepan, combine soup and cheese, heating until mixture is smooth and well blended. Pour evenly over turkey mixture in dish. Prepare stuffing according to directions on box and spoon over mixture in pan. Bake at 350 degrees until browned.

— Kris Gutherie, Clearmont, Mo.

Turkey Monte Cristo

2 large eggs

1/2 cup skim milk (or whole milk may be used)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 slices French bread, cut 3/4-inch thick

4 ounces Swiss cheese, sliced thin

16 ounces cooked or oven roasted turkey breast, sliced thin

1/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce

As needed, unsalted butter

In a shallow container, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Set aside. For each sandwich, place 1/2 ounce cheese atop one slice French bread. Add 4 ounces sliced turkey, 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce and another 1/2 ounce of cheese. Top all with second bread slice. Repeat with all ingredients to assemble a total of four sandwiches. Dip both sides of sandwiches in egg batter. On lightly greased hot griddle over medium heat, cook sandwiches on both sides until lightly browned and cheese has melted. Slice on the diagonal and serve immediately.

— National Turkey Federation (www.eatturkey.com)

Turkey salsa soup

1 cup chunky salsa with chipotle

1 (15-ounce) can black beans

1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

1 cup cooked turkey, chopped

14 ounces turkey broth or chicken broth

As needed sour cream

As needed chopped fresh cilantro

In a large saucepan, combine salsa, black beans, corn, turkey and broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer five minutes. Garnish each serving with sour cream and cilantro.

— National Turkey Federation (www.eatturkey.com)

Turkey fried rice

1/4 cup broccoli flowerettes

1/4 cup thinly sliced carrots

1/4 cup green onions

1/4 cup celery

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts

1/4 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup bean sprouts

1/4 cup frozen peas

1 cup long-grain rice, cooked according to package directions

1 cup shredded cooked turkey

1½ tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 egg, beaten

In large non-stick skillet or wok, over medium-high heat, stir-fry broccoli, carrots, onion and celery in oil one to two minutes. Add water chestnuts, mushrooms, bean sprouts and peas; stir-fry one to two minutes. Stir in rice, turkey, soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper and stir-fry one to two minutes or until well blended and hot.

Make well in center of turkey and rice mixture. Pour egg into well, reduce heat to low; stir egg, turkey and rice mixture until egg is cooked.

— National Turkey Federation (www.eatturkey.com)