This year may have been our most successful Thanksgiving yet! Maybe it was having more family around or adding that extra stick of butter to the sauce I poured over the turkey but a great time was had by all. I hope everyone had a nice holiday break, whether it was very quiet or with lots of family. I am also very thankful for those who work during this time, so the rest of us can have a few extra days off.
Last year I focused on healthy meals using leftovers but this year, I am sharing some delicious recipes that can be easily put together when you are still wanting some of that comfort food as the cold weather continues to settle in.
- Turkey tetrazzini – I feel like this is the white meat version of beef stroganoff, which I love. I am not usually a fan of mushrooms but I do like them in this dish. I adapted my recipe from one from crunchycreamysweet.com. If I have a lot of turkey, I will make a large container and freeze some.
- Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 small yellow onion (chopped), 6 oz white mushrooms (sliced), 2 cups chicken stock, 2 cups milk (I use 2%), 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tsp salt divided, 8 ounces spaghetti (sometimes I add more), 2 cups leftover turkey meat (shredded or diced), 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley to garnish if desired
- Directions: heat up oil and butter in large skillet; add garlic and onion, sauté until almost translucent. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook until soft. In a separate bowl, mix milk and cornstarch with salt and pepper. Whisk. Add turkey, dry noodles, chicken stock, and cornstarch mixture to the mushrooms, garlic, and onions. Stir well and make sure noodles are covered by the stock. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low, and simmered covered, stirring often, for 12-14 minutes or until noodles feel done. Remove from heat, let cool for 5 minutes. Add sour cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir well and serve right away! Can garnish with fresh parsley.
2. Pastel de papas- the Argentinean take on a shepherd’s pie and a great way to use up all the mashed potatoes!
- Ingredients: this will depend on how much mashed potatoes you have, so I would recommend adjusting based on need. I had about 2 cups, so I used an 8 x 8 inch Pyrex. The rest of the ingredients include ground beef (1/2 pound), olive oil for cooking (1-2 tablespoons), garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, basil, parsley (use as much or as little as you want), nutmeg (1/2 tsp), 1/2 chopped yellow onion, 1 cube of bouillon or 1 teaspoon of Better than Bouillon (I used beef). I didn’t use one but you could add chopped red pepper as well.
- Directions: turn on the oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, heat up olive oil on a cast iron skillet and add ground beef. Season with everything, except nutmeg. Cook until browned and add onions (if you have peppers, add now also). Cook for 2-3 minutes and add nutmeg and bouillon. Lower the heat and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. Take half of the mashed potatoes and spread them on the bottom of the Pyrex. Pour the beef mixture on top and cover with the rest of the mashed potatoes. Flatten it with a fork and make marks on the top. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and then broil for another 5 minutes.
3. Traditional turkey sandwich – not pictured! When all else fails, take all the ingredients you have and put them on a delicious roll!
- Ingredients: Amoroso roll, left over turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing. Quantities depend on how many sandwiches you are making, what leftovers you have, and your preference of amounts!
- Directions: lightly toast the bun. Meanwhile, heat up turkey, gravy, stuffing, and potato of choice in the microwave (not too much). Take the toasted roll, spread cranberry sauce on both sides. I like to add the potatoes and stuffing, put the turkey on top, and drizzle the gravy over everything at the end. Enjoy!
I would love to hear other people’s leftovers ideas! Hit me up on the blog page, Instagram, or Facebook page!