There are often leftovers after Thanksgiving. People claim to like them but if you don’t plan, you may end up tossing a lot of food in the trash. Considering that about 30 percent of our food is going straight to waste, it’s a good thing to use your leftovers. It’s not just good for the environment, though; it’s also good for your bank account. Enjoy this round-up with nine ways to use leftovers from Thanksgiving.
- Plan Ahead – If there is something you are making that you know for sure you will use in a leftover, make enough and store it right away so that you will have it. If you make plans in advance to turn each of the things you are making into something new, you can ensure you have the right ingredients at home.
- Make Soup – It’s simple to make soup from your Thanksgiving leftovers. Did you know that in fine restaurants, the professionals typically make each ingredient for soup separately and only combine it when the customer orders it? You can make some broth and then add any of your leftovers to it and serve within ten minutes when it’s hot. (https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/turkey-tortilla-soup)
- How about Chili – Making chili is as simple as soup. Taking leftover turkey and making a beautiful white chili is easy to do. You’ll have most of the ingredients; all you’ll need to buy are some white beans and a few other things. (http://simplegoodandtasty.com/2014/11/28/cure-for-black-friday-white-turkey-chili)
- In a Casserole – You can turn leftover turkey into all sorts of meals and casseroles. One amazing meal is turkey enchiladas. It won’t taste anything like Thanksgiving when you make these. (https://www.theharvestkitchen.com/easy-turkey-enchilada-casserole/)
- Be Like Chopped – Put on your apron and think outside the box. Look at the ingredients you have available and try to create something from it. Think about the ingredients as flavors instead of what they are, and you can do it. (https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/chopped/episodes/thanksgiving-soup-er-stars)
- Fry Your Mashed Taters – One of the best ways to use leftover mashed potatoes is to make potato pancakes with them. They are so tasty; you’ll find yourself wanting to make mashed potatoes all the time because it only works with real potatoes. (http://www.kitchme.com/recipes/leftover-mashed-potato-pancakes)
- Waffle It – Do you have leftover corn, or leftover stuffing, or even other things? You can mix them just right and then put in your waffle maker to make a brand-new invention from your leftovers. (https://www.stonewallkitchen.com/thanksgiving-leftovers–waffle-R2198.html)
- Make a Panini – Sandwiches are common to have after Thanksgiving but you can fancy it up by making a panini, which is a crusty pressed sandwich that is delicious no matter the ingredients. (https://pinchofyum.com/loaded-turkey-panini-thanksgiving-leftovers)
- Wrap It – It’s incredible what Thanksgiving tastes like in a wrap. Use leftover turkey, salad, and other ingredients and just wrap it in some form of wrap from a tortilla to lettuce or something else. (https://www.angelicbakehouse.com/thanksgiving-turkey-wraps/)
Using Thanksgiving leftovers creatively is also fun. If you can put your chopped apron on and come up with some totally unique ways to use your leftovers, you’ll be so glad you did. You may create a new family favorite.
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