Take heart. The sky's the limit when looking for new ways to use up the fruits of your holiday labors. Traditional uses, including soups and casseroles, are the first place to start. Why not try a turkey-and-wild-rice soup that can be whipped up in about 30 minutes?

The base for the soup is a package of long-grain and wild rice mix. With the addition of sliced fresh mushrooms, chopped onion and some whipping cream, my Turkey and Wild Rice Soup will turn your leftovers into an entree soup you'll want to make often. Just add some crusty bread and a salad for a great post-holiday meal.

That same box of rice mix turns leftover turkey or chicken into a delicious casserole, as my Mother's Chicken and Rice becomes turkey and rice casserole after the holidays. The prepared rice mix is combined with diced leftover turkey, reduced-fat cream of chicken soup and reduced-fat sour cream, curry powder and sherry. A crunchy topping of sliced almonds makes this casserole special enough for company.

If the holidays have left you more stuffed than your turkey was on Thanksgiving Day, why not turn your leftovers into a delicious chopped salad? Chopped salads are the rage at restaurants across the country, and mine pares diced leftover turkey with shredded romaine and iceberg lettuces and fresh basil, diced salami, chick peas, diced tomatoes and crumbled feta with a lively lemon vinaigrette.

When there's leftover ham after the holidays, why not turn your ham into elegant and easy Ham and Asparagus Cannelloni? My recipe uses jarred alfredo sauce and egg roll wrappers to make an entree that will wow your family.

QUICK-CHANGE ARTIST

Looking for more great ways to use leftover holiday turkey and ham? Check out www.augustachronicle.com/karin and substitute your leftover meat in the following recipes.

For leftover turkey try:

Hot Turkey Salad

Chicken Salad Pie

Cornbread-Topped Chicken Casserole

Quick Turkey Curry

Chicken Taco Rice

Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Salad with Brown Rice

Chicken Broccoli Supper

Turkey Pot Pie

Creamy Chicken and Spinach Lasagna

White Chili

Turkey Tortilla Soup

For leftover ham:

Ham and Cheese Quiche

Ham and Cheese Pockets

Black Bean Soup

Crockpot Bean Soup

Add diced ham to Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes

Substitute regular ham for country ham in Country Ham Bread Pudding

Ham and Potato Frittata

RECIPES:

TURKEY AND WILD RICE SOUP

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups cooked turkey, diced

1 6-ounce package Long Grain and Wild Rice Mix*

2 14.5-ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half, optional

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onions, and saute until mushrooms are golden and onions are tender. Stir in the turkey, rice mix and seasoning packet and the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until rice is tender. Stir in cream or half and half, if desired, and heat through.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

*Uncle Ben's Original Recipe Long Grain and Wild Rice Mix was used for testing purposes.

MOTHER'S CHICKEN AND WILD RICE

3 cups diced cooked turkey

1 6-ounce package long-grain and wild rice mix, cooked according to package directions*

1 can reduced-fat-and-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup

1 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 tablespoon dry sherry

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 cup sliced almonds, toasted**

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine chicken pieces and prepared rice mix in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, sherry and curry powder. Fold soup mixture into the chicken and rice until well blended. Spread the mixture in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the almonds. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

*Uncle Ben's Original Recipe Long Grain and Wild Rice Mix was used for testing purposes.

**Toast almonds in a skillet over medium-high heat until golden, or in a shallow baking dish in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes.

CHOPPED SALAD WITH LEMON VINAIGRETTE

(You'll need one bunch of fresh basil from your supermarket's produce section to make this herb-infused salad.)

Lemon Vinaigrette:

1 large lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salad:

1 head Romaine lettuce, cut into thin strands

1 8-ounce package iceberg shreds

1 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strands

2 cups diced leftover turkey

4 ounces hard salami, diced

1/2 cup canned chick peas, rinsed and drained

2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

2 green onions, chopped

Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. Toss Romaine, iceberg and basil leaves together in a large serving bowl. Top with remaining ingredients and toss with the vinaigrette.

Makes 4 dinner-sized salads.

HAM AND ASPARAGUS CANNELLONI

3 cups prepared alfredo sauce, divided

Pinch ground nutmeg

Pinch ground cayenne pepper

1 bunch asparagus, about 1 pound

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

8 ounces diced leftover ham

1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, divided

15 egg roll wrappers from a 16-ounce package*

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place alfredo sauce in a medium bowl and stir in a pinch of ground nutmeg and cayenne. Remove 1 cup of sauce and set aside. Wash asparagus and trim 1-inch off bottom of each spear. Cut into 2-inch pieces and blanch asparagus in boiling water or in the microwave for 2 minutes. Drain liquid, reserve a few attractive asparagus tips for garnish and set aside.

Place ham in bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times to finely chop the ham. Add to the bowl with the alfredo sauce. Add asparagus and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese.

Spray a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of the reserved alfredo sauce on a dinner plate. Place 1 egg roll wrapper on top of sauce and spread with a thin layer (about 1 tablespoon) of the ham and asparagus sauce. Roll up jellyroll fashion and place in the prepared dish, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining egg roll wrappers until all filling is used.

Top cannelloni with remaining alfredo sauce and Parmesan cheese and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly. Garnish each serving with reserved asparagus.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

*Look for egg roll wrappers in the product department of your supermarket.

Write to Karin Calloway in care of The Augusta Chronicle Newsroom, P.O. Box 1928, Augusta, GA 30903. Or send e-mail to karin.calloway@comcast.net.

--From the Sunday, December 1, 2002 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle