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–+ servings
leftover turkey salad with gnocchi on a large white platter.
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5 from 2 votes

Leftover Turkey Salad (with Gnocchi)

This Leftover Turkey Salad (with Gnocchi) turns leftover meat into a whole new delicious dish! Beautifully sauteed and crispened gnocchi, parmesan cheese, sundried tomatoes. Drizzled with a sweet and savory balsamic dressing; so flavorful and so good! You'll want to devour it!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Cooling Time10 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dinner Recipes, Salads
Cuisine: American, Italian-Inspired
Servings: 6 as salad, 4 as dinner
Calories: 452kcal
Author: Irina

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 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
  • ½ cup sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped - you can use 1 cups for extra sundried tomato flavor

For the salad dressing:

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
  • 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Cook the "hot" ingredients: Add the chopped bacon to a non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high heat (*** see notes in the Notes Section of the recipe card for frying different bacon types). Sauté for about 2 minutes and stir in the minced garlic. Sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the gnocchi and distribute in an even layer so they brown evenly. Sauté another 10 minutes, or until the gnocchi are browned and crispy. Stir in 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).
  • While the "hot ingredients" are cooling, 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 so all the flavors befriend one another.
  • Add the chopped lettuce, sundried tomatoes, red onions, and the remainder of the parsley and parmesan cheese to a large mixing bowl.
  • Combine: Once the "hot ingredients" mixture has cooled, add it to the mixing bowl with the other salad ingredients and stir in the dressing. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

    • 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1064mg | Potassium: 651mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1138IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 256mg | Iron: 5mg