Did you host Thanksgiving this year? Are you looking for affordable, delicious recipes to use up all those leftovers? Yes we all love a good turkey sandwich, but turkey sandwiches, day after day after day gets old quickly. Are you looking for some tasty meal ideas? More than just turkey sandwiches? Well you’ve come to the right place! Keep reading for how you can use up all those leftovers and not let anything go to waste.
Today I’m sharing some of my favorite timesaving tips and all time best leftover makeover recipes for what to do with all the extras from your big holiday meal. These recipes are tested and family approved, and I bet your family will love them as much as we do.
Timesaving Tip: When chopping veggies for your recipes, be sure to cut up more than you need for your Thanksgiving dishes, save the extras to use later in the week for leftover meals.
Helpful Tip: Serve salad dressing on the side.
Salad that’s tossed and coated with dressing won’t keep in the fridge. It gets soggy and limp quickly. Serve salad dressing on the side and let your guests use the dressing they love best. That way it’s easy to bag up any leftover salad ingredients to serve with meals later in the week.
Here’s how to make this beautiful Salad Bar Salad without a Salad Bar. Top a bed of lettuce with assorted veggies and let your guests choose their favorite toppings. Not only is this salad endlessly customizable but it’s a beautiful, colorful statement on your Thanksgiving buffet.
Economical Tip: When you’re slicing and dicing all your veggies, save all the vegetable scraps in large ziplock baggies and keep them in the fridge to use later on to make home made stock.
After you’ve picked all the turkey meat off the carcass, use it to make turkey stock. Place it in a large heavy bottomed pot, add those veggie scraps you saved, toss in a bay leaf and cover everything with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 90 minutes. Strain and use the stock in your recipes.
Economical and so much more flavorful than anything you can purchase at the market.
Helpful Tip: Did you serve a ham for the holiday? Save that ham bone. Bag it up in a ziplock baggie and store it in the fridge for later use.
Use that ham bone, with some turkey broth and chopped veggies to make a creamy and utterly delicious Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup. This soup really hits the spot on a cold winter evening. It simmers away in your slow cooker, making it an easy-peasy meal after the busy holiday. Wouldn’t you love to come home to a big bowl of this soup after a long day of Christmas shopping?
- Use leftover ham to make Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwiches, always a family favorite.
- Ham & Cheese Omelettes are a quick and easy Breakfast for Dinner idea when you’ve had a long day and want something tasty that’s quick to prepare.
Did you know: You can easily substitute turkey for any of you favorite recipes that call for cooked shredded chicken.
Try this Ultimate Comfort Food; Cindy’s Old Fashioned Chicken & Dumplings recipe using leftover turkey and turkey stock in place of the chicken. This one is oh so very, very good!
Substitute leftover turkey in this timeless family favorite, Chicken Pot Pie. I never hear complaints when I serve this meal! Serve it over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes and pair it with some of that leftover salad to round out the meal.
It’s A Cinch To Make These Creamy Chicken Enchiladas with leftover turkey meat. A creamy, decadent meal with a subtle Mexican flavor profile that’s sure to please.
Let’s put the idea that leftovers have to be boring and predictable to rest once and for all. Leftovers don’t have to be dull. With just a little creativity you can easily turn those Thanksgiving leftovers into entirely unique meals that your whole family will enjoy. They don’t even have to know they are eating leftovers!
Did You Make This?
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Romans 15:13
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