I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done.
And this is the last minute. The turkey is thawing and the cornbread is baking, so there is no dispute we are in the short rows of our Thanksgiving Day prep.
I think most home chefs (me included) will over-prepare for the day. Why? Because we were raised to believe that the worst thing we can do is not have enough food for the big day.
So we’ll plan too much and invariably end up with a ton of leftovers because it’s human nature to go big rather than have anyone in the family go home hungry.
The Thanksgiving meal will turn out fine, but it will also involve that inevitable dilemma of having to deal with a topic that most home chefs try to avoid – leftovers.
It doesn’t have to be that way, though. I like to think of leftovers as a whole new set of ingredients with which a true culinary artist can paint a masterpiece.
Ok, that’s over the top, even for me.
But I admit to being passionate about the subject, simply because using what’s left from the main meal to make new and interesting dishes is just what keeps things interesting.
If you play your cards right and get really creative, it’s easy to plan out several days’ worth of post-holiday creations.
This offering from Allrecipes.com takes to heart the old adage about adding everything but the kitchen sink. It utilizes just about every leftover on the table.
Leftover Thanksgiving Casserole
10 servings
- Cooking spray
- 3 cups leftover stuffing
- 4 cups chopped leftover roasted turkey
- 2 cups leftover cooked vegetables
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- ⅛ teaspoon ground paprika
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Spread stuffing evenly in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Mix turkey, vegetables, and mayonnaise together in a bowl until well combined; spoon over stuffing and spread into an even layer.
Mix mashed potatoes and Cheddar cheese until well combined; spread over the turkey mixture. Sprinkle paprika over top.
Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, 30 to 40 minutes.
When figuring out how to best us leftover turkey, it’s not a good idea to overlook one of the best, most flavorful parts of the bird – the carcass. There is still a lot of meat stuck to those bones after you finish carving, and thast makes a great base for soup or gumbo.
This is one of my go-to recipes for using up leftover turkey. And who doesn’t enjoy a hearty bowl of soup?
After-Thanksgiving Turkey Soup
16 servings
1 leftover turkey carcass (from a 12- to 14-pound turkey)
3 medium onions, chopped
2 large carrots, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 cup butter, cubed
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half cream
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
¾ teaspoon pepper
Place turkey carcass in a soup kettle or Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove carcass; cool. Set aside 3 quarts of broth. Remove turkey from bones and cut into bite-size pieces; set aside.
In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, sauté the onions, carrots and celery in butter until tender.
Reduce heat; stir in flour until blended. Gradually add 1 quart of reserved broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Finally, while we all recognize the turkey is the official guest of honor at the Thanksgiving Day meal, there are plenty of folks who also like to offer another popular protein – ham.
Growing up, having a ham and a turkey was standard practice in my home. It just seemed like the thing to do.
There are lots of things an enterprising home chef can do with leftover ham. Red beans and rice, white bean soup and a plain old ham sandwich spring to mind.
For something more special, here is a recipe from Taste of Home. It’s perfect for a post-Black Friday cool down session.
Broccoli Ham Stroganoff
4 servings
- 2 cups frozen chopped broccoli
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 can (10½ ounces) chicken broth
- 2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 jar (4½ ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
- Hot cooked noodles
Place broccoli and water in a 1-quart microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high for 2-4 minutes or until the broccoli is tender, stirring once. Drain; set aside and keep warm.
In another microwave-safe bowl, heat butter, uncovered, on high for 20 seconds or until melted. Add onion; cover and microwave on high for 1 minute or until tender.
Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in broth; mix well. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 3-5 minutes or until thickened and bubbly, stirring once.
Add the ham, sour cream, mushrooms and reserved broccoli; mix well. Cook, uncovered, on high for 2-4 minutes or until heated through, stirring once.
Serve over noodles.