Turkey Salsa Bowls with Tortilla Wedges

Thanksgiving week. I drove Monday (a short Lincoln run) and Tuesday was full prep — the turkey brined in a cooler on the back porch because the porch was 28 degrees and the fridge had no room, pies made Tuesday afternoon, rolls proofed Tuesday night on the counter under a dishtowel. Gayle came over Wednesday at noon and rolled out the rolls with me, the same way we rolled them out when I was 12, the same way I rolled them out alone for the first time at 17 the year Gayle was sick with pneumonia, the same way I have rolled them out every year since. Our hands know the dough. We do not need a recipe. We barely need to speak. Gayle sat at the table and I stood at the counter and we rolled two dozen dinner rolls in sixty minutes and she said, "Your father used to eat four of these." I said, "I know, Ma." She said, "I still make too many." I said, "We need too many."

Thanksgiving Day was a good day. Twelve at the table. Me, Dave, Amber, Tyler, Justin, Josie, Gayle, Dave's brother Steve and his wife Louise, Steve and Louise's grown daughter Hannah and her husband Mark, Hannah and Mark's toddler Ella who is two and who ate three dinner rolls and then climbed into Gayle's lap and fell asleep. Gayle did not move for an hour. A two-year-old on the chest of a 78-year-old woman is a kind of miracle that requires no blessing other than the quiet Gayle gave it. I watched her hold Ella and I saw the Gayle who held me in 1977 and Darla in 1980, and it was like the whole family was in that chair for a moment.

The turkey was excellent. The stuffing was excellent. The gravy was, by Dave's count, the best I have ever made, which may be a husband's thing to say but he is usually honest about gravy. Justin had four helpings of mashed potatoes. Tyler made the green bean casserole himself this year — his first real solo dish for a family dinner — and it was perfect. Amber made the cranberry relish from scratch with orange and ginger, breaking my from-the-can tradition, and I ate two servings of hers and none of the can version because Amber's was better and I can admit that. Josie poured drinks like a tiny sommelier. It was beautiful. It was loud. It was Novak.

Friday I ate leftovers all day and did nothing. Saturday I did the second revision pass on the manuscript based on Sarah's notes. I moved the Darla chapter to chapter 3. I read the reordered book. It was right. It had always been right. Sarah will have the second revision Monday.

The house smelled like turkey for four days. I did not want to open a window. Some smells you keep.

Friday I ate leftovers standing at the counter in my socks and I was perfectly happy, but by Saturday I wanted the turkey to feel like something new again — not a plate covered in foil, but a real meal. These Turkey Salsa Bowls are what I reach for when the holiday is over but the bird isn’t, and this year with Amber’s cranberry relish still in the fridge alongside everything else, the bowl felt like one last celebration of the whole table. It’s quick, it’s colorful, and it tastes like you meant to make it from scratch.

TRANSITION_START

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

3 cups cooked turkey, shredded or chopped
1 1/2 cups chunky salsa (mild or medium)
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 cups cooked brown or white rice
4 large flour tortillas, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

Make the tortilla wedges. Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange tortilla wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder and a pinch of salt. Bake 8–10 minutes until crisp and golden at the edges. Set aside.
Warm the turkey mixture. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the shredded turkey, salsa, black beans, corn, cumin, and chili powder. Stir to combine and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Warm the rice. While the turkey heats, warm the cooked rice in the microwave or in a small saucepan with a splash of water, covered, over low heat.
Assemble the bowls. Divide the rice evenly among four bowls. Spoon the turkey salsa mixture generously over the rice. Top each bowl with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and a scattering of fresh cilantro.
Serve. Tuck tortilla wedges alongside each bowl and add a lime wedge for squeezing. Serve immediately while the turkey mixture is hot and the tortilla wedges are still crisp.

Nutrition (per serving)

Turkey Salsa Bowls with Tortilla Wedges — Because Some Leftovers Deserve a Second Life