The Flavor-Packed Dish That Saves You From Dry Leftover Turkey

Turkey is one of those incredibly versatile meats that is not only nutritious but delicious — at least until you try to reheat it. After you've roasted your turkey to perfection so the meat is succulent and juicy and the skin is a crispy golden brown, nothing is more disappointing than reheating it the next day and discovering it has become dried out and bland. When turkey is reheated, the proteins tighten up, which squeezes out the moisture in the meat and causes it to dry out. So, what do you do with your leftover turkey? Before you toss it thinking there is no hope, consider using your leftovers as a nourishing alternative to a nostalgic stew.

Chili, that easy-to-make staple of American kitchens that embodies the term comfort food, is the ideal base for your leftover turkey. You can cook it in a crockpot early in the morning for a set-it-and-forget-it dish that is ready when you get home from work, or dote over it while it simmers on the stovetop until it reaches perfection. Substituting turkey for beef, which is a classic choice for this dish, you not only have a lower-fat meal but one that doesn't fall victim to the curse of dried-out leftover meat.

Ideally, chili should be cooked slowly at a low temperature, allowing plenty of time for the flavors of the different components to come together. This approach to cooking solves the problem that people encounter when reheating turkey at a high temperature, which dries it out, giving you an excellent opportunity to use up those leftovers so they don't go to waste. Depending on how you've carved your turkey, you can shred the meat (by hand or with a knife) or cube it into bite-sized pieces. However you choose to cut it, you should brown your turkey with your onions, peppers, garlic, and spices at the beginning of the cooking process to imbue it with the most flavor.

Chili not only solves the dryness problem for leftover turkey — it is the ultimate superhero to give the meat new life thanks to the many ways you can create a unique flavor that is perfectly suited to your taste buds. As you build your flavor profile, you can experiment with the seasonings (chile powder, smoked paprika, ground cinnamon, and allspice all create distinct yet harmonizing flavors), heat (poblano chiles will give you a nice mild heat while ghost peppers are for the brave of heart), and different types of beans (kidney beans or white beans make great choices for chili), to make the dish your own. You can even try adding some animal fat, like beef suet, to deepen the flavor and add some richness to your dish and make your turkey chili shine.