Leftover Turkey Salad (with Gnocchi)

Name: Leftover Turkey Salad (with Gnocchi)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 6 slices bacon (chopped); 2 garlic cloves (minced); 2 cups gnocchi (dried or frozen - see notes ); 1 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated, divided); 1 cup fresh parsley (chopped, divided); 2 cups turkey (chopped); 1 cup lettuce (of your choice, chopped); 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (in oil, chopped - you can use 1 cups for extra sundried tomato flavor); 2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin); 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 1 tbsp honey; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tsp dijon mustard; 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

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This Leftover Turkey Salad (with Gnocchi) turns leftover meat into a whole new delicious dish! Beautifully sauteed and crispened gnocchi, parmesan cheese, and sundried tomatoes. Drizzled with a sweet and savory balsamic dressing; so flavorful and so good! You'll want to devour it!

leftover turkey salad with gnocchi on a large white platter.

Just like our Sautéed Shrimp and Vegetable Gnocchi and our Parmesan Pasta with Roasted Vegetables, this dish is so satisfyingly filling! It's perfect as leftovers the next day for lunch, to keep you energized.

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Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients
Variations and Substitutions
Preparation
A few helpful tips:
Frequently Asked Questions
Serving Suggestions
Storing Suggestions
Other dinner-in-one bowl recipes:
Recipe
Comments

Why you'll love this recipe

It's crunchy: the gnocchi, sauteed on the stove, adds crispiness to the dish. They are nice and crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside.
A quick and easy dish: simple ingredients, no complicated methods.
It's filling: carbs, protein, veggies, all in one plate. Plus, the gnocchi is super hearty.
Great use for leftover turkey: It's perfect the day after Thanksgiving! After having all that leftover turkey, use it up in this salad. I do that in my Chicken Salad with Apples and Cranberries as well. I swap the chicken for turkey, of course. If the turkey you are using turns out drier than expected, adding it to the rest of the ingredients in the salad will definitely save it!

Ingredients

For this recipe, you will need simple ingredients that can easily be found in any local grocery store. Here are some key ingredients:

Turkey: any turkey you have left over will work great. Meat from turkey breast, drumstick, etc.
Gnocchi: So I did a little bit of an experiment. I purchased two kinds of gnocchi in order to see which type works best, frozen or shelf-stable (vacuum packed, not refrigerated). I had my 3 trusted taste testers vote on their favorite, based on texture and taste. Texture-wise everyone agreed that the frozen ones were better because they turned out more crispy. But taste-wise, the reviews were mixed. Because the shelf-stable gnocchi contains lactic acid, as a preservative for a longer shelf life, they tasted more salty/sour than the frozen ones. Those preferring more salt in their food voted for the shelf-stable gnocchi. The verdict? Personally, I would definitely recommend frozen gnocchi - they are more crispy when sauteed and do not have additional preservatives. Because we are cooking with bacon and balsamic dressing, your taste buds will be happy anyway.
Sundried Tomatoes: choose sundried tomatoes in oil. I like purchasing the pre-cut kinds; saves a little bit of time. If you like sundried tomato recipes, you have to try this Sun-Dried Tomato and Mango Crostini as well.
Balsamic Dressing Ingredients: this is a combination of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, honey, and some salt and pepper.

*** See recipe card below for full ingredients list and quantities

Variations and Substitutions

Gnocchi: Substitute with cooked pasta. Shell pasta will look great in this salad and the pieces are large enough not to get lost in the mix.
Red Onion: you may like to use sliced green onion, or sweet onion, or opt out of using onions altogether.
Parsley: substitute with chopped dill or cilantro. Cilantro will give the salad a little bit of a different flavor, which some people love, but others hate 🙂 so, if you love cilantro, it would be a great variation.
Parmesan Cheese: shredded mozzarella cheese will work as well. Alternatively, you can use feta cheese crumbles. Just make sure not to use them when the recipe calls for adding them when sauteeing gnocchi; only add them at the end, into the salad mix, once the fried gnocchi cooled down.
Bacon: I use pork bacon, but, you may like to use turkey bacon or bacon bits.

Preparation

sauteed gnocchi with bacon, garlic, turkey, parsley, and parmesan cheese.

STEP 1: Sauté bacon for about 2 minutes and stir in minced garlic. Sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the gnocchi and distribute in an even layer. Sauté another 10 minutes, or until the gnocchi are browned and crispy. Add half of the fresh parsley, half of the parmesan cheese, and the chopped leftover turkey. Turn off the burner and set aside to cool (about 10 minutes).

balsamic dressing in a small mixing bowl whisked with fork

STEP 2: Prepare the dressing: In a small mixing bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, honey, and some salt and pepper. Whisk well and set aside.

leftover turkey salad (with gnocchi) - mix all fresh ingredients

STEP 3: Add the chopped lettuce, sundried tomatoes, red onions, and the remainder of the parsley and parmesan cheese to a large mixing bowl.

leftover turkey salad (with gnocchi) - fresh and fried ingredients

STEP 4: Combine: add the hot ingredients to the mixing bowl with the other salad ingredients and stir in the dressing. Serve at room temperature.

A few helpful tips:

Use a non-stick skillet so the bacon and garlic do not stick to the pan
If using pork bacon, there is no need to add oil; it releases plenty of its own. If you are using turkey bacon or bacon bits, add one tablespoon of cooking oil.
If using bacon bits, they will not need any time to cook, but for the gnocchi to absorb that bacon/garlic flavor, sauté the bacon and garlic together for a minute or so, and then add the gnocchi to brown.
Use frozen gnocchi - do not defrost and do not pre-boil
When frying gnocchi do not overcrowd the pan so they brown and crispen equally
Purchase sun-dried tomatoes in oil - so they are moist and more tender than the dry ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I pre-boil gnocchi before frying?

No, not necessary. The gnocchi turns out beautifully crispened when fried with the bacon/garlic mixture. Taking the extra step of pre-boiling is unnecessary!

Will the leftover turkey dry when reheated?

Nope! We don't really reheat it. We will simply be adding it to the heated gnocchi and bacon mixture, and because the turkey is chopped into small pieces, it will simply warm up.

Can I use bacon bits instead of bacon?

Yes, you can, but because the bacon bits are already cooked, you would skip the step of frying bacon and simply heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in your skillet, then add the minced garlic, sautee for about 30 seconds, then add the bacon bits, stir for another 30 seconds, and then you can add the gnocchi and continue cooking per directions.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the salad on its own as the main course, or serve it as a side dish with a fresh salad, such as our Spring Vegetable and Berry Salad, or try this Sweet Carrot Salad Recipe.

Using tongs to serve the salad is the most convenient.

leftover turkey salad with gnocchi with red tongs to serve salad

Storing Suggestions

Store leftovers in the refrigerator, in an airtight container. Do not reheat leftovers, simply take the salad out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving and serve at room temperature.

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