Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Four Ways to Use Thanksgiving Leftovers


     With the holidays approaching, there is a lot of excitement in the air.  People anxious to reunite with relatives from afar.  Recipe boxes being dusted off in order to ensure that family favorites are on the table.  But what happens in the days following the holidays? What to do with the plethora of leftovers that are taking up valuable space in your fridge? How to you get your family from becoming bored with turkey and all the fixings?
    The following are great ideas on how to re-invent your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers that will excite the pallets of all within your household without sending you to culinary arts school. There is also absolutely no reason to break the bank to feed your family following the holiday.  Use your leftovers are the primary ingredients to some very simple and easy recipe ideas and save money while satisfying the family.
     Turkey is a very versatile meat, and that should be kept in mind as you think about how to best utilize the country’s coveted dinner bird.

Homemade Turkey Soup

     Make the most of what is left of your turkey no matter how much or how little.  Simply simmer (2 hours) the turkey bones in order to get the rich flavor.  From there, remove the remaining meat, add rice, vegetables and cream soup.  Within a matter of minutes, you will have a hearty and cost effective meal for you family.

Cheddar Turkey Casserole

     Add your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers with a creamy cheese sauce and vegetables for a tummy pleasing meal.
·        Ingredients
o   4 cups uncooked spiral pasta
o   1 garlic clove, minced
o   3 tablespoons of butter
o   3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
o   1 teaspoon salt
o   ¼ teaspoon mustard
o   ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
o   ¼ teaspoon pepper
o   2 cups 2% milk
o   1 ½ cups shredded cheese
o   2 cups turkey
o   2 cups frozen vegetables
o   ½ cup slivered almonds
·        Directions
o   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta per package instructions.
o   In a large saucepan, sauté garlic in butter until tender.  Stir in flour, salt, mustard, thyme and pepper. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted. Drain pasta and add.

Stuffing Crust Pot Pie

     This is a way for you to re-invent the majority of the leftovers in your fridge.  Use your remaining stuffing, vegetables, turkey and mashed potatoes.  This is a budget conscious way to spice up the leftovers from Thanksgiving.

Turkey a la King

·        Ingredients
o   2 tablespoons butter
o   1-3/4 cups of mushrooms
o   1 celery rib, chopped
o   ¼ cup onion, chopped
o   ¼ cup green pepper, chopped
o   ¼ cup all-purpose flour
o   1 cup chicken broth
o   1 cup milk
o   2 cups turkey breast
o   1 cup frozen peas
o   ½ teaspoon salt
o   2 cups cooked rice
·        Directions
o   In a large nonstick skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms, celery, onion and pepper; cook and stir until tender.
    • In a small bowl, mix flour and broth until smooth; stir into vegetable mixture. Stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Add turkey, peas and salt; heat through. Serve with rice. Yield: 4 servings.


    With these meal suggestions, there is no need to stick to grandma’s method of making countless turkey sandwiches with your leftover Thanksgiving turkey.  Allow yourself to be as creative as you are on any other night of the year for the days following the holiday.  Do not reserve yourself from amazing your family on the holiday alone.  Fill their bellies and delight their taste buds with new meals each night with the leftovers from America’s favorite meal. 

    

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