It seems that there’s always a little cranberry sauce left over from holiday dinners. It tastes good on turkey sandwiches, but how many of those can we really eat before we’re over the turkey sandwich thing?

Jellied cranberry sauce not only gives this Turkey, Pecan, and Cranberry Salad a great flavor, it also adds color to make it festive enough to serve company. Busy cooks will appreciate the fact that it contains minimal ingredients and can be put together in about 15 minutes; all of the ingredients can be prepared while the pecans are toasting in the oven – they’ll cool in about 5 minutes if they’re put in the freezer after toasting. Turkey, Pecan, and Cranberry Salad can also be made ahead; in fact, it tastes even better if it sits overnight to blend the flavors.

For variety, serve this delicious salad as a filling for croissants and choux (cream puff) shells.

Turkey, Pecan, and Cranberry Salad

8 Servings

1 cup pecans

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup jellied cranberry sauce

3 cups cooked turkey or chicken breast, chopped
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup dried cranberries

1. Spread the pecans on a shallow baking sheet and toast at 350° for 6-8 minutes or until they are starting to turn brown.
2. Remove from the oven, cool, and coarsely chop; set aside.
3. Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, and jellied cranberry sauce until smooth; set aside.
4. Place the turkey or chicken breast, celery, and cranberries in a serving bowl.
5. Add the pecans and blend with the mayonnaise mixture.
6. Serve on lettuce leaves, or as a filling for croissants, or choux shells.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 327 Calories from Fat 231
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 71% Protein 12% Carb. 17%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 26 g
Saturated Fat 4 g
Cholesterol 33 mg
Sodium 124 mg
Total Carbohydrate 14 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 10 g

Vitamin A 4% Vitamin C 3% Calcium 0% Iron 4%