It’s that time again. What to do with all these leftovers? Today I took stock and I have-- a whole tray of mushrooms that did not get used, the greater part of a 13 pound turkey, stuffing and collard greens. How about some mushroom and turkey soup with collards thickened with stuffing? There is also ham but I’m not sure that fits the vibe.
Also twice baked sweet potatoes (they were a big hit) and roasted potatoes. Scoop out the sweet ones, add them with the roasted ones, mix and mush, cover with cheese-- Two Potatoes Casserole!
Any improvements in the above welcomed. Also MORE leftover ideas, please!
Layer the leftovers into a couple of casseroles (with gravy). Freeze one or both for later.
Put individual portions of everything into single-serving divided containers and freeze for later lunches or dinners. Maybe make some gravy or a cream sauce to go in there, too.
Leftover cranberry relish and/or sauce is a great substitute for some or all of the pineapple layer in pineapple upside down cake. Sprinkle some cinnamon in the pan on top of the berries.
Upside down cake freezes well; I usually cut it into single-size squares, wrap and freeze, so we can grab one or two pieces for dessert as desired.
Turkey pot pie is great, too. Mix gravy (make a roux if you don’t have enough), shredded turkey, diced potato, corn, carrots, string beans, onions, peas - whatever you’ve got; the mushrooms and sweet potatoes would be great - for the filling. If you are like me, you made a ton of pie crust dough and threw the extra into the freezer, so that’s already made.
Yesterday I used the leftover turkey to make Turkey tetrazzini, and it worked out quite well. Plus mushrooms, cream, chicken stock, linguini, a nice roux, onions, peas, salt and pepper and voila, a nice alternate turkey feast was had.
I’ve shared this recipe before, but I’ll post it again because it uses up so many after-holiday leftovers.
Sherried Turkey and Ham Bake
12 oz cooked turkey, cut into strips
7 oz thickly sliced cooked ham, cut into strips
¾ cup frozen peas (more or less)
2 TB butter, plus a little extra for greasing the dish
2 TB plain flour
1 cup milk
2 tbsp medium sherry
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
½ cup cheddar, grated
50g chopped mixed nut, such as hazelnuts, almonds, and walnuts (optional)
Mix turkey, ham and peas in an ovenproof casserole dish.
Make a white sauce with the butter, flour and milk.
Add sherry, mustard and half the cheese. Stir till smooth. Top turkey and ham mixture with sauce. Add the remaining cheese (and nuts if desired).
Bake at 350F for 25-35 minutes. Serve over rice or noodles.
As I referenced in this other thread, in my house leftover turkey goes into tetrazzini. I actually don’t make tetrazzini all that often, so Thanksgiving leftovers give me an excuse to make it.
This year I made a really good hotdish (casserole). In a 9X13 pan I layered:
Mashed potatoes (if you don’t have leftovers, you can sub instant)
Green beans
Corn
Turkey
Gravy (if you don’t have any leftover, use package or jarred)
Stuffing with a little cranberry sauce mixed in it
Topped it with 1/4 C of butter cut into pats
400 degrees for 30 minutes