Turkey can be a wonderful star of any meal; however, the traditional turkey dinner is rather labor intensive and the traditional options for serving up turkey can get a bit tiresome. If you seem to have fallen into a routine with how you serve turkey, it may be time to mix things up.

 

Omelets

 

 

When people think of turkey, they generally have a vision of it as a dinnertime food. However, it can be easy to start off the day with turkey incorporated into breakfast in the form of an omelet.

 

 

Turkey-stuffed omelets can kick off your day with a healthy dose of protein while delivering great flavor. Add shitake mushrooms, spinach, cheddar cheese to round things out for a delicious and healthy omelet. If you are feeling like adding a little extra crunch to your turkey omelet, try adding a little bit of bacon.

 

 

Macaroni and Cheese

 

 

When people think of macaroni and cheese, most view it as a side dish. However, adding turkey to it can take it from being an accompaniment to the star of any meal.

 

 

Whether you are preparing macaroni and cheese from scratch or getting a little help from a prepackaged mac ‘n’ cheese, turkey can boost the dish. Make it spicy by adding a bit of crushed red pepper. Create a rather healthy version by loading up the dish with turkey, broccoli, carrots and a variety of other vegetables. Or you can even move it toward a more gourmet dish by adding truffles along with the turkey.

 

 

Burritos

 

 

Kid-friendly and fun, burritos often are made with red meat. However, turkey can provide a healthy twist on this family favorite.

 

 

Serve up with refried beans, and you have an easy and delicious meal that should please even the pickiest of eaters.

 

 

Manicotti

 

 

Often, ground meat such as beef, pork or veal are used in manicotti. However, turkey or a combination of turkey and spinach can transform this traditional dish into a fresh new favorite.

 

 

For a decadent version, try utilizing three cheeses rather than simply the traditional ricotta cheese. This will create a rich-tasting version of the dish.

 

 

For a healthier version, swap out the regular ricotta for a lower fat version. This will provide the flavor with less guilt.

 

 

Tomato Soup

 

While it is not uncommon to incorporate turkey into a variety of soups, less common is the turkey-tomato soup. Chunks of turkey can add a richness of depth. To make it even heartier, add elbow macaroni.

 

 

While turkey may not normally be considered the most exciting ingredient, venders such as Harvestland can offer you turkey options that can really alter your family and friends’ opinions of this sometimes bland white meat.