^{Posted by: ShortOrderMom}

It's a plight that we all seem to face each year; what to do with those Thanksgiving leftovers? I do look forward to the leftovers almost as much as the meal itself, but it can get really old really fast. Mostly we reheat as-is, make open-face sandwiches and cook up a pot of Turkey Corn Chowder. I'm betting the rest of you do something similar. How about a few different-than-the-norm ideas?

Cranberry sauce--thin with apple juice or cranberry juice and serve hot over Pumpkin Pancakes or waffles. Use as a spread for toast in the morning. Great for a quick sauce for appetizer meatballs; add bottled chili sauce and heat through.

Turkey- It's already cooked, so it couldn't be easier to add to soups, stews, and sandwiches like a Kentucky Hot Brown. Salads are great with cooked turkey and something lighter is nice after a heavy Thanksgiving meal. Cooked and cubed turkey is a quick add to many salads - including my favorite Turkey Waldorf Salad (below).

Stuffing- If you didn't already make stuffing muffins for your main meal, do it now. Pack stuffing into greased muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until crunchy on top. Any leftover bread cubes that didn't go into your stuffing could be used for bread pudding or croutons.

Veggies- Add to soups or cover in cheese - you know the kids will like that one.

Sweet potatoes- Puree leftovers for Sweet Potato Pie, Sweet Potato Bisque or Sweet Potato Biscuits. It's also great pureed as a thickener for soup.

Mashed potatoes- Use just like pureed sweet potatoes to thicken a soup or top Shepherd's Pie (below). These make great Potato Pancakes or top with buttered crumbs and cheese and bake in a casserole dish until browned and bubbly.

Gravy- Use leftovers as part of a soup or stew base. leftover gravy is great for topping homemade Egg Foo Young, as well.

Turkey Waldorf Salad
2 c  diced apples
2 c diced cooked turkey
1 c  chopped walnuts
1 c  diced celery
1/2 c dried cranberries
Mayonnaise
Salt to taste
 
Combine apples, turkey, celery, nuts, cranberries and salt.
Bind with mayonnaise to taste. Mix well. Serves 4 as a main dish salad.

The mother of all leftovers is Shepherd's Pie. It uses almost every leftover your Thanksgiving dinner offers up and is fast and delicious! Mix together leftover cubed turkey, vegetables and gravy, pour into a greased casserole dish and top with mashed potatoes - white or sweet, (cheese sprinkled on top would be even yummier!) and bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes until potatoes are browned on top.


Other Food and Recipe Posts in the Yule Blog:
Moravian Sugar Cake
Butter Pecan Shortbread Cookies and Pot de Creme
Cookie Dough Bites and More Traditional Christmas Treats
Christmastime Cinnamon Scones
The Great Leftover Debate -- Solved!
Turkey Day in Review
Cooking My First Bird
Gourmet Thanksgiving Dinner: Plan of Attack
Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes for Two
Links for Planning a Great Thanksgiving
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds