I've found that one sure-fire way of making great dishes out of leftovers is to just insert them into an already great recipe. One of my favorites, by far, comes from a 1993 Thanksgiving Eve edition of the New York Times. I've had this single, yellowed page with a recipe for Turkey Enchiladas with Mole Sauce pressed between the pages of Rick Bayless's Authentic Mexican for several years. Every so often, it comes out. Sometimes I have leftover turkey, sometimes it's chicken, and sometimes I just make the mole sauce to have around.

As I said, I only have the one page, and as such I don't know who is to thank for this recipe aside from simply the NYT. Those who are familiar with mole recipes will appreciate that this one is slightly pared down. It's still delicious and all the better for its simplicity.
Turkey Enchiladas with Mole Sauce

6 dried ancho chilies
1 14.5 oz. can stewed tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 small banana
1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon salt, or more, to taste
8 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cooked turkey
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1. To make the sauce, place the chilies in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Stem and seed the chilies and place them in a blender with the tomatoes, sesame seeds, oregano, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, garlic, banana, chocolate and salt, plus 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Blend until smooth. Scrape the mixture into a saucepan, stir in 1/2 cup water and simmer for 5 minutes. Keep warm.

2. To make the enchiladas, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Steam the tortillas until hot and pliable. Place each tortilla on a work surface and arrange 1/4 cup of the turkey in a line down the center. Top with 1/2 tablespoon of the onion and 1 tablespoon of the cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in a shallow baking dish. Repeat. Spoon sauce over the tortillas and bake until heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings.