Using Up Your Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thanksgiving is always a big celebration for my family. Typically my Mother in Law hosts the meal, with a menu that is mind-blowing. Somehow, as years go by and the number of family members goes down, the list of dishes that are prepared goes up. This leaves us with not only a huge mess to clean up, but a mountain of leftovers. Half of my family is okay with just eating the same thing until we eat all of it. The other half does not like to eat the same thing two days in a row. So, I have to be sneaky. When confronted with the remains of a 26 lb turkey (seriously) and fifty eleven different side dishes, I need to be a magician and turn them into something other than plain turkey. I’ve compiled a list of my ten favorite recipes – some tried and true, some exciting and new to use up your Thanksgiving leftovers!

The main list is over on the Accuquilt blog today. I’m also sharing a tutorial to make your own scrappy oven mitts. This is my last oven mitt post. For now.

I want to talk about one recipe here. The Brie and Cranberry Pizza Appetizer, courtesy of my mother in law, Kathleen Strauser. (The ones from my family have no measurements, so not good for sharing). She likes to serve it as an appetizer on the big day, but I prefer to make it with leftovers. I have been known to throw whatever cheese was left on the cheese plate onto the crust, rather than buying a brie just for this. Also, I don’t mind eating the rind, so I don’t cut it off. It is also delicious made using Crescent Roll dough, rather than pizza dough.

Other tips for leftover management 

• Green bean casserole –  Come on.  These are so gross.  If you made one, just put it in the trash and move on.  
• Gravy – Again.  Yuck.  This goes into a container and my husband has 5 days to eat it before it is trashed, too. Is anything more horrifying than cold, solidified gravy? 
• Pies and cheesecake –  Quit fooling around.  Who has leftover dessert?  At the very latest, it is gone after breakfast on Black Friday.  You need to get all of that high quality sugar in to keep your energy up for your shopping marathon.  
• Turkey carcass – I do love to make turkey stock in my crock pot.  I just put the carcass in, along with whatever raw veggies made it through the feast, and fill the pot with water.  Then I simmer it at least one day (two days if I forget to deal with it).  Then I strain it and put it into mason jars.  I use it all winter – adding it to anything I’m cooking that calls for water or broth. 

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope this helped you to use up some of your Thanksgiving leftovers. But most of all, I hope you get to spend some time in your sewing space.  You deserve it after that marathon of cooking and cleaning.  (And if you do take-out for Thanksgiving, you are officially my hero.)