Waldorf Chicken (or Turkey) Salad

Thanksgiving is upon us! And as exciting as that may be, I know some of you out there are bracing yourselves to deal with the leftovers. One option is to just serve the same thing over and over until no one will eat it anymore or it needs throwing out, whichever comes first. We’ve all done this, but, really, there has to be a better way. I think it’s worthwhile to cultivate a few recipes using Thanksgiving leftovers that your family looks forward to.

Turkey and sausage gumbo is a popular post-Thanksgiving treat locally, but many people (and I’m included) don’t want to stand around stirring gumbo a day or two after cooking for Thanksgiving all week. Of course, you could try to establish this fantasy holiday tradition: whoever cooked the turkey hands over the leftover turkey and carcass to somebody else, and THEY make the gumbo. I hear this division of labor used to be common in multi-generation households. If you manage to pull it off, by all means come back and let us know how you did it.

Turkey sandwiches certainly can be good, but a lot of people I know prefer deli turkey for turkey sandwiches, and think leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches are dry. Okay, fine. I could counter that with a Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich. Those are terrific, and certainly not dry because they require somebody to make a cheese sauce right before constructing the sandwich. (As if! Talk to me on Derby Day.) Shredded turkey and gravy open-faced sandwiches are another possibility, but those can be boring, and I’ve noted that leftover gravy can be hard to come by. A few years ago I just punted and used leftover turkey to make my favorite cool weather chicken salad, Waldorf Chicken Salad.

Waldorf Chicken Salad is simply classic Waldorf salad with chicken added. The way I learned to make it was with heavy cream and sour cream, but you can substitute mayonnaise if you like. Don’t skip the lemon juice, though. That’s what keeps the apples from turning brown.

This Waldorf Chicken Salad calls for pecans rather than walnuts because we happily have loads of pecans on the Gulf Coast in the fall, and we only ever have walnuts if we buy them from the grocery store. Use whichever is easier for you.

I like to use red apples for color, and Galas or Honeycrisps are what I typically have around. Use whatever crisp, juicy apple you like regardless of color.

Your chicken or turkey doesn’t have to be roasted. Poached is nice, and smoked is lovely, too if you have it. If using smoked chicken or turkey, it’s best texture-wise to stick to white meat.

Finally, I like Waldorf Chicken Salad sandwiches best on hearty breads. Whole wheat, multi-grain, and seedy wheat breads are all nice, but leftover rolls or croissants will certainly do. I also like it on whole grain crackers better than buttery or fine-grained crackers. Waldorf Chicken Salad is a terrific spread for tailgating, etc. And of course, Waldorf Chicken Salad is right at home on a bed of lettuce, or simply wrapped in a lettuce leaf and enjoyed that way.

Happy Leftovers!