Thanksgiving is more than two weeks away, but I’m already tired of thinking about it, so I’m going to fast-forward straight to the weekend after — the Time of the Leftovers.

These two tasty comfort dishes will successfully disguise copious amounts of leftover bird. Your family might never suspect. They are good enough and simple enough that you might even want to make them at other times of the year.

The first comes from my cousin Delna Okazaki, who makes it for lunches that Baptist Collegiate Ministries hosts for college students in Hilo.

Delna says it’s a favorite of the 120 or so students who take advantage of these weekly free meals. So when her church, Kinoole Baptist, takes its turn once a month, she coordinates the large-scale baking of her trusty Turkey-Spinach Casserole.

She says the dish is a stuffing recipe that she turned into a casserole, and noted that it can also be made with a supermarket rotisserie chicken, substituting cream of chicken soup for the mushroom.

The second dish is an old-school cafeteria lunch staple, Turkey Corn Scallop, which many readers have asked me for over the years. It comes from Darryl Okamura, cafeteria manager at Kaiser High School, who says he first made it at Iliahi Elementary School in Wahiawa.

If you’re old enough and went to public school in Hawaii, the taste will take you back. The key is American cheese, melted into the dish at the very end. "Makes it yummy," Okamura says.

Turn this into Turkey Ala King by eliminating the potatoes and trading out the corn for bell peppers, peas, carrots and/or mushrooms.

TURKEY-SPINACH CASSEROLE
1 (28-ounce) package frozen hash browns, defrosted
1 (26-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 pint sour cream
Several drops lemon juice
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach or broccoli, defrosted, excess liquid squeezed out
1 pound shredded cooked turkey
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Microwave hash browns 10 to 15 minutes (you can skip this step, but it speeds baking time).

In mixing bowl, combine soup, sour cream, lemon and spinach or broccoli. Add turkey and mix well. Add hash browns and mix. Place in 9-by-13-inch baking pan or large casserole dish. Cover with foil, peeling back foil to leave a small opening in one corner for steam to escape. Bake 45 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, if using, just before serving. Serves 12.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 270 calories, 15 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 600 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 17 g protein

TURKEY CORN SCALLOP
2 cups water
1 large potato, diced (about 2 cups)
2 pounds diced cooked turkey
15-ounce can corn, with liquid
2 tablespoons diced onion
2 tablespoons chicken base (see note)
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
8 slices American cheese, cut in small pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste

Bring water to boil in large pot. Add potatoes, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes can be pierced with a fork but are still firm, about 5 minutes. Do not drain. Add turkey, corn (with liquid) and onion to pot with potatoes.

Combine chicken base with a small amount of milk, stirring until smooth. Add to pot with remaining milk. Add more water if needed just so mixture is covered in liquid. Simmer over medium heat until hot.

Gradually stir in cornstarch mixture until thickened (you might not need it all). Add cheese and stir until melted. Taste; add salt and pepper as needed. Serves 8.

Note: Chicken base is a paste sold in jars in the soup aisle of most supermarkets, near the bouillon cubes.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (not including salt to taste): 200 calories, 7 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, greater than 1,000 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 7 g protein

Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S. Write "By Request," Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or email requests to bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com.