What to Do with Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thanksgiving has come and gone and you are still left with a ton of food. By now the thought of eating another turkey sandwich doesn't sound too appealing. Here are some recipes you can make with all those leftovers that your family is sure to love.

Cordon Bleu Casserole

4 cups cooked turkey breast meat - cubed
3 cups extra lean ham - cubed
12 ounces frozen vegetables - Italian blend or equivalent
1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese - shredded, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1/4-cup fat-free chicken broth
1/3-cup flour
2 cups skim milk
1 1/4-teaspoon dill weed - divided
1/8-teaspoon dry mustard
1/8-teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 Tablespoons light margarine - melted

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Coat a pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine turkey, ham, vegetables and 3/4-cup of the cheese; set aside.

In a saucepan, sauté onion in broth until tender. Add flour to form a paste. Gradually add skim milk, stirring constantly. Simmer until thickened, approximately one minute. Add the mustard, nutmeg and one teaspoon of the dill weed. Mix well.

Remove from heat and pour over meat mixture, mixing well. Pour into prepared pan.

Toss breadcrumbs, melted butter and the remaining 1/4-teaspoon dill weed. Stir in remaining 1/4-cup cheese. Sprinkle over casserole. Serves six to eight.

Leftover Turkey Salad

3 1/2-cups diced cooked turkey
4 ribs celery - sliced
4 green onions - sliced
1/2-cup toasted pecans - chopped
1/2-cup sweet red pepper - chopped
1/2-cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4-teaspoon dill weed
1/4-teaspoon salt
1/8-teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl, combine turkey, celery, onions, pecans and red pepper. Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper; stir into turkey mixture. Chill before serving. Serves six.

Easy Turkey Soup

2 cups turkey light meat - skinless, cooked and cubed
3 cups water
1/2-cup celery, sliced
10 ounces frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
14 1/2-ounces chicken broth
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2-teaspoon black pepper
1 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked

In a four-quart saucepan, combine turkey, water, celery, vegetables, broth, poultry seasoning and black pepper. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a full boil. Add macaroni and reduce heat to low. Cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until macaroni is tender. Serves eight.

Turkey Revenge Soup

1 turkey carcass, wings and all (the scraps left after carving)
Any leftover gravy
Any leftover vegetables
2 large carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery (and tops), chopped
1 can (12 oz) no salt green beans, drained
2 quarts boiling water
Any peels, root ends and leafy tops leftover from onions, celery, potatoes, carrots
Several bruised garlic cloves
12 ounces wide egg noodles
1 can (12 oz) no salt corn, drained
1 large white onion, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut wings off carcass and cut up the remaining bird as you would a chicken for frying. Place the carcass pieces and any leftover peelings and parings into a stockpot and fill with water. Add garlic cloves. Fill the stockpot with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let it cook until the liquid is reduced by one-third. Remove from heat to cool, cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, remove the congealed fat from the top of the broth. Drain the contents through a colander into another large pot. Return the broth to the stockpot. Go through the colander and remove vegetable and garlic pieces and discard.

Next, go through the turkey remnants and pull out all the meat and add to the stockpot. Add any leftover vegetables, carrots, celery, corn, green beans and the onion to the pot. There should be just enough liquid to cover the contents. Place over heat and bring to a boil.

While you're waiting, cook the egg noodles per package directions and drain. Simmer the soup just long enough to cook the carrots. Add two quarts of water, egg noodles and leftover gravy. Adjust seasonings (salt and pepper). Stir well, let simmer long enough to heat noodles and serve. Serves eight.

Creamy Mashed Potato Bake

3 cups hot mashed potatoes
1 cup sour cream
1/4-cup milk
1/4-teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/3-cup French fried onions
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine mashed potatoes, sour cream, milk and garlic powder in a large bowl; mix well.

Spoon half the mixture into a two-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with 2/3-cup French fried onions and 1/2-cup cheese. Top with remaining potato mixture. Bake 30 minutes until heated through. Top with remaining onions and cheese. Bake five minutes longer, or until onions are golden. Serves six to eight.

Mashed Potato Candy

1/4-cup mashed potatoes
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 dash salt
1 pound box powdered sugar
Peanut butter

Mix together all ingredients, except peanut butter. Add sugar until dough reaches a firm consistency. Roll out onto powdered sugar-dusted breadboard or waxed paper. Spread peanut butter all over. Roll it up like a jellyroll loaf.
Place in refrigerator to chill. Slice 1/4-inch thick. Serves 14.

Amish Turkey Loaf

3 cups diced turkey
8 slices bread
1/2-cup diced celery
1 onion, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/4-teaspoon poultry seasoning

Mix all the ingredients together and place in greased pan. Bake at 350°F for 55 minutes. Serve with gravy. Serves four to six.

Cranberry Orange Delight

1/3-cup pecans
2 Tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups cranberry sauce
2 oranges
12 gingersnap cookies

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a colander, lightly rinse pecans. Sprinkle with half the sugar and toss to coat. Lay out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and put in the oven to bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a standing mixer or with an electric handheld mixer, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add remaining sugar and vanilla and beat until you have stiff peaks.

Meanwhile, whisk or stir cranberry sauce to break up and smooth. Zest the oranges and mix zest into the cranberries. Remove skin and pith from the oranges, separate segments and cut into a quarter-inch dice. Fold the orange dice into the cranberries.

Fold whipped cream into cranberry orange mixture. Divide evenly among individual dessert glasses.

In a large Ziploc bag, add pecans and gingersnaps. Seal, and with rolling pin or other heavy object, crush the contents of the bag until pieces are smallish. Top each serving with a healthy sprinkling of the pecan cookie topping. Serves six.

Easy Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie

1 2/3-cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 cup cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1 (10-oz.) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup Bisquick
1/2-cup milk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400°F. Stir vegetables, meat and soup together. Spoon into an ungreased nine-inch pie plate.

Stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour over mixture in pie plate. Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

You can even use cooked pork loin, ham or roast beef in this dish if that's what you have on hand. Use other cream soups with different meat, like cream of celery, cream of mushroom or cream of asparagus for a different taste. Serves six to eight.

These are just a few of the great recipes you can use to finish up all those Thanksgiving leftovers. Try searching online, or ask your friends and family how they gobble up all that leftover turkey.