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^{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.