Holiday Leftovers, Ideas and Recipes by Rachel Sanfordlyn Shreckengast

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Add leftover turkey drippings or gravy to leftover stuffing and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. You end up with a moister and tastier version of your stuffing. In my opinion, the best version of this recipe is one using giblet gravy, because it gives the stuffing a richer flavor and also gives it more texture.

Leftover turkey can be made into a variety of things. The standard is the turkey sandwich, but you can also make turkey stock, turkey soups (our favorite is turkey rice soup) and turkey casseroles. You may substitute turkey for any recipe that calls for shredded or diced chicken and you will get a similar (but unique) flavor. One good example of this, is turkey salad sandwiches. Prepare your turkey salad mixture in the same manner as you would prepare a chicken salad mixture.

Another salad mixture can be made from leftover deli meats (from a meat and cheese type tray). Simply chop the meat finely and prepare as you would any other "salad mixture" recipes. Another thing that you can do with leftover deli meats is to shred the meats and put into a large frying pan. Brown lightly and add barbeque sauce. Cook until mixture is thick and serve on leftover rolls.

Mashed potatoes can be shaped into patties and fried (in butter, olive oil or vegetable oil...depending on the taste that you prefer). The potato patties are a tasty side dish to any meal. You can also flavor your fried potato patties with spices before forming the shape. Simply add a small amount of spices (such as rosemary) to the pattie before frying. Another tasty combination is adding a small amount of gravy to your potato patties and fry. Yet another recipe combines baked yams with mashed potatoes for an entirely different and sweeter taste.

A "sheperd's pie" style casserole can be created using a number of your leftovers. First combine your leftover vegetables (such as corn) with your leftover shredded (or cubed) turkey and your leftover gravy. Make a fairly thick mixture. Pour into a casserole dish. Spread your leftover mashed potatoes over the mixture in the casserole dish. Salt and peper lightly and then add a sprinkling of parsley for garnish. Cook at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the mashed potato topping is lightly browned.

Mix jelled cranberry sauce with your leftover cooked sweet yams. Cook until heated through, approximately 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Top leftover pumpkin pie with leftover cooked sweet yams. Or, you can chop your pumpkin pie into pieces and put the pieces on top of vanilla ice cream. If you have leftover whipped topping, simply use that to top your pumpkin/yam pie or pumpkin pie sundae. The same ideas apply for apple or peach pie/cobbler.

Any leftover crackers can be used as toppings for any type of casserole or baked main dish. They can also be crushed as used as breadings for meats.

Leftover cheese can be used as toppings for soups. For example, chunks of leftover cheese are delicious in most chilis.

Try biscuits and turkey gravy for a tasty side dish or breakfast dish. Simply shred some of your leftover turkey and add that with twice as much (in volume) leftover gravy in a saucepan. Cook until heated and serve over a leftover biscuit. If you prefer, you can heat the biscuit for about 30 seconds in the microwave. You can also serve this mixture over a slice of bread.

Finally, let's discuss everyone's favorite...fruit cake. Try slicing very thinly and placing a dollop of leftover whipped cream (or ice cream) in between two slices. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze overnight. You'll probably like this version of an ice cream sandwich whether you are fond of fruit cake or not. Another trick with fruit cake is to take a thin slice, crumble it up (or throw it in the blender) and add it to any type of dessert bread or white cake. You will get a subtle flavor rather than an overpowering one. Of course, you could always take a thin slice and top it with some type of fruit topping and leftover whipped cream. Whether it's blueberries, strawberries or another fruit...you will change the taste. Another idea is to take a thin slice and treat it as you would a cinnamon roll. Mix 10X (confectioner's) sugar and water until you get a thin and runny paste. Place slices of fruit cake in a baking dish and top lightly with a sprinkling of (equal parts) cinnamon and sugar. Cook until heated (about 10 minutes at 350 degrees). When it comes out of the oven, drizzle your 10X and water mixture over it. As you can see, even fruitcake has it's uses.

Please remember that all cooking times are approximate. It will depend on the amount of leftovers you have as well as such factors such as your altitude. The best advice I can give you is to keep an eye on things to make sure that they are heated through or cooked thoroughly if you will be putting them in the oven. The trick to using leftovers successfully is to simply use your imagination. Do this, and all of your holiday leftovers will taste like a new meal.

Best Wishes,
Rachel Sanfordlyn Shreckengast
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