Happy day after Thanksgiving! I hope you had a beautiful time with family and friends, or maybe you gave your heart out by helping serve food at a soup kitchen. Whatever you did on this historical holiday I’m sure food was part of it. And if you cooked up a storm like I always do, I’m sure there are many leftovers that you don’t want to go to waste. Now the real fun begins – it’s time to improvise!
I actually find it a fun challenge to figure out other recipes with holiday leftovers. If you like to cook and you’re like me, you probably have a well-stocked pantry for scavenging different ingredients to couple with your many leftovers. Rummaging through the refrigerator can be fun, especially if you can combine many ingredients into a satisfying meal or two. It’s a true creative culinary challenge!
Because you’ve worked so hard and have already invested so much time cooking your holiday menu, why not get the most and best out of your holiday meal and use what you have to improvise? It’s like a game for me and I jump to the challenge every year. More than likely, my après holiday meal creation is better when I transform one main ingredient into something completely different just by adding a few different spices.
It’s time to change your attitude about leftovers! Get inspired with some of my favorite food improvisations:
Original Holiday Meal
Roasted herb turkey
Sweet potatoes
Pearl onions
Stuffing with chorizo
Poached pears filled with cranberry sauce
Steamed haricots verts and roasted peppers
Warm rolls
Holiday Leftover Ideas
1) Make Turkey Hash & Eggs For Brunch
Take turkey leftovers, cut into small bite-size pieces, add some sweet potato cubes, pearl onions and sauté in butter. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Fry up some eggs and serve this turkey hash alongside them. Quick, easy and delicious!
2) Make Chorizo Hoagies For Lunch
Take a large skillet and sauté some sliced chorizo from your leftover stuffing, pearl onions and roasted peppers. Heat a hoagie roll and pile it in!
3) Make A Pear Crisp For Dessert
Chop up your day old rolls in a Cuisinart. Roll the breadcrumbs in some butter and sugar. Take the poached pears and cranberry sauce and lightly mix together. Add the fruit mixture to a buttered baking pan and top with the sweetened bread crumbly mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Sweet as pie!
I feel clever when I can experiment with leftovers. I’m not wasting food, it’s gratifying to create a new dish, and personally, I feel accomplished. Try it yourself and let me know what you come up with!
I love leftovers! Bring them on! And if you need help planning a Thanksgiving menu worthy of delicious leftovers, Just Ask!
