Instructions: For many of us, the three, four, five, even six days after Thanksgiving are the flip side of the 12 Days of Christmas. Instead of inching closer to a joyous occasion, were counting down (usually with gritted teeth) until the last vestige of turkey, not to mention all those fixins, is finished. Turkey sandwiches, again?

But turkey leftovers offer lots of possibilities for quick meals, especially because many of the ingredients are already cooked.

? Try making a pate by pureeing 1 1/2 pounds cooked turkey in a food processor with 4 chopped shallots, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 2 tablespoons brandy and just enough cream to make it smooth and creamy. Though you can eat the pate immediately (with crackers or bread), the flavor will improve if refrigerated overnight.

? Turkey tonnato is a variation on vitello tonnato, the cold Italian dish.

For this, puree 5 anchovy fillets, 3 tablespoons capers and a (7-ounce) can of olive oil-packed tuna in a food processor. Thin with a bit of turkey stock and fold into 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise, or just enough to make a spreadable sauce. Add lemon juice to taste. Alternate layers of the sauce and about 1 1/2 pounds sliced, cooked turkey breast on a platter. As with the pate, the flavor will improve if refrigerated about eight hours.

? Other quick turkey leftover dishes that wont bore you or your family include turkey curry, spicy turkey chili and turkey Waldorf salad with apples, pecans and, instead of celery, fennel.

? And remember, leftovers dont have to involve just turkey. You can make a savory sausage by combining 1 3/4 pounds well-chopped turkey meat with 1 pound bread stuffing and 4 to 6 ounces of drained cranberry sauce. Add 2 eggs to help bind the mixture, then form into one large (or more smaller) sausages. Wrap in cheesecloth or foil and bake for 45 minutes in a 375-degree oven. Let rest 10 minutes before unwrapping.

? Even those ubiquitous casseroles can be a bit special with the addition of an out-of-the-ordinary ingredient. When making Tetrazzini, the creamy turkey-noodle dish named after an opera singer, use shiitake mushrooms instead of the usual button mushrooms.

? To the blanquette de bird below (a variation on the French veal stew, blanquette de veau), you could add frozen tiny carrots.

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