What do you do with Thanksgiving leftovers?

[maslex]

I know I'm a bit early with trying to figure out what to do with your turkey leftovers but they posed this question on a local radio station the other day and it's really got me thinking of doing something different this year.

We don't normally have that much in leftovers since we usually eat somewhere besides our own house. But this year, we have an extra turkey just for this reason. LOL

Anyhow, a couple people called into the radio station and explained what they do with leftovers. Here's what they do....

1--someone makes a "pizza" with it. They get the crust, pour a bit of gravy on it, then top it off with whatever they have left over. A little bit of mashed potatoes for a base, shredded turkey, stuffing, turnips, etc. Seems like it would be a bit heavy for a pizza but sounded interesting.

2--Now this one sounded really good. They basically made a "shepards pie" with their leftovers. MMMMM Just layered some turkey on the bottom of the pan, then gravy, then stuffing, cranberry sauce, turnips or other veggies and then top off with the mashed potatoes and you got yourself a yummy meal the next day.

I remember growing up, one of my best friends use to make up a goulash type of dish (I guess that's what you would call it) Anyhow, she would just put some butter in a frying pan and throw whatever she had into the pan and fry it all up together. Sounded nasty, but after you poured a bit of gravy on top of it, it was really pretty good.


So other than the traditional soups, sandwiches, etc that are common, do you have any different ways you like to use up your leftovers?

 

[barkley]

we have 2 leftover dishes that are considered "musts" (so much so that i just bought a 21 pound turkey for a family of 4)-

we do kind of the shepards pie-layering turkey, stuffing, sweet potato casserole (including any marshmellows), green bean casserole, gravy and topped with mashed potatos. a friend threw it together one year at my house and i thought "ick" given the marshmellows, but it's realy good.

the second is "turkey pot pie soup"-cut up the turkey and put it in a stock pot with water (i add some chicken boullion cubes), add some celery, onion, salt and pepper and simmer. later i add some cubed uncooked potatos and sliced carrots (later because i don't want them to mush out). i start adding some milk (or cream if i have it) and continue to let it simmer. towards the end to thicken it i add a little bit of instant mashed potatos. it ends up being a bit thinner version of what's in a turkey pot pie-but when i used to try and make the pot pies my family would end up eating it before i could make the crusts so i just gave up and make the more liquidy soup version now.

 

[Stacerita]

We always make turkey taquitos.

 

[Christine]

I don't make a specific dish with my leftovers but I just keep eating it as a meal.

I will usually have turkey sandwiches the next day. The next evening I take everything out and reheat and we have Thanksgiving all over again. After that one meal, there really isn't much left. Maybe enough for another sandwich.

My dad usually takes the turkey carcass and makes turkey soup from it.

 

[Mermaid02]

Hot turkey sandwiches! Get some "Texas Toast" and put hot turkey and gravy on the bread. You serve it open face style and eat with a fork...... soooooooooooooooooo good!!

I hate leftover potato so someone else gets to take that home!

 

[scrapquitler]

So other than the traditional soups, sandwiches, etc that are common, do you have any different ways you like to use up your leftovers?

I hate leftovers. No one in my house will eat any leftovers unless it is a pasta based food.

That said, I save enough Thanksgiving leftovers to make myself ONE Thanksgiving leftover sandwich (white toast, mayo, turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce). Anything else that is left over gets sent home with my Mother In Law or put in the trash.

 

[Tiggeroo]

Turkey sandwiches with stuffing and cranberry sauce on them.
We go out for thanksgiving and I do a second dinner just for leftovers on the weekend.

 

[kimmar067]

...turkey pot pie, with cranberry sauce next to it....you can use the frozen pie crusts...BUT NO TURNIPS!

 

[C.Ann]

Make then into individual tv dinners and pop them in the freezer.. It's nice to be able to have "Thanksgiving dinner" again any old time you want..

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Turkey and Gravy.

I put cream of mushroom soup and milk in a pan, add a little thyme and heat through. Add bite size chunks of turkey, heat the whole thing.
Spoon over toast and serve.

I don't save potatoes but MIL used to make potato cakes with the leftover potatoes.
Stuffing gets reheated and eaten if there is any left. As well as the sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and squash.

The kids eat all the cranberries before I can get to them...

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

I know, this is a smart A** comment, but when I read the title of your thread, my first though was..


EAT THEM!!!



The only thing special we do is make turkey salad sandwiches. I use onions, celery, Miracle Whip, and green olives.

We don't usually have a ton of leftovers in our family so its not an overwhelming experience.

 

[C.Ann]

Turkey sandwiches with stuffing and cranberry sauce on them..

I really do have to try this one of these days.. Sounds delicious.. I don't like just plain turkey sandwiches because no matter how much mayo I put on them, the turkey still tastes dry to me.. But mixing it your way? I think that might actually work!

Thanks for sharing that..

 

[disneyhand]

Turkey pot pie, green enchilldas w/ turkey and the good old turkey sandwich.

Years ago at a friends cabin, we had the most fabulous Thanksgiving leftover sandwich. He had a sandwich press type tool for the fireplace, cheapo white bread that he buttered on the outside (I think) and stuffed with everything, then toasted in the fire place. It was delicious!

Then for dessert he made cherry pies the same way, also yummy!

Hmm I had forgotten about this, now I'm craving it!

 

[kirbydog48]

I make my own stock from the carcass (trim off all the good meat), then homemade turkey noodle soup. So good in the cold weather. My mom used to make potato cakes from the mashed potatoes. I think she mixed an egg and some milk into the potatoes, dust with flour and cook in a pan with some butter. They were good!! I love just reheating the leftovers and eating them for lunch or dinner. Never get sick of turkey dinner!

 

[sunnyday123]

Turkey sandwiches, turkey shepards pie and turkey soup. I make it with a creamy type base and then put a "stuffing dumpling" in it.


I eat Thanksgiving leftovers until they're questionable.

 

[NotUrsula]

Gumbo, of course! Usually a couple of gallons of it. We put the carcasses on to boil while we're still eating Thanksgiving dinner, and the gumbo is good the next day with the turkey sandwiches. The rest of the gumbo gets put in quart buckets in the deep-freeze, without rice in it, and we eat it all winter. (You cook the rice separately and add it in the bottom of the bowl before you add the gumbo.) Turkey-Andouille gumbo is excellent.

I'll also tend to make Turkey Tetrazzini with some of it. I make it up the day after Thanksgiving and freeze it for consumption sometime during the Christmas shopping season; just bake and eat.

 

[Art 1]

Hot open face turkey sandwiches with gravy for me. After a few days anything left gets thrown out.

 

[minkydog]

I don't make a specific dish with my leftovers but I just keep eating it as a meal.

I will usually have turkey sandwiches the next day. The next evening I take everything out and reheat and we have Thanksgiving all over again. After that one meal, there really isn't much left. Maybe enough for another sandwich.

THat's pretty much what we do, just keep eating THanksgiving meals until its all gone. I make a LOT of side dishes so really, you could eat several differnt meals from the left overs. My famliy isn't fond of casseroles and my DD is vegetarian, so I keep all the meat separate from the veggies.

My DH and kids make leftover turkey sandwiches--turkey, cranberry sauce, dressing, gravy and a little mayo. Yuck. But they love it

 

[PatsGirl]

I am always in charge of making the turkey soup from the carcas, delivering several bowls to each household. Doesn't matter where the family goes (all my siblings except myself alternate the holiday) that's my job and I like it. There's nothing like pulling a bowl of turkey soup out of the freezer when its snowing or you have a cold

I don't like just plain turkey sandwiches because no matter how much mayo I put on them, the turkey still tastes dry to me.

C.Ann, maybe if you make turkey salad by chopping the turkey into small bits and adding mayo to that and then make the sandwich, adding a bit more mayo, the stuffing and cranberry, that would help?

NotUrsula, I would love to have a recipe for turkey gumbo, can you spell it out for us please, oh please?

 

[vettechick99]

Don't forget the Moistmaker!