Making use of Leftovers

Hi Everyone,

Here in So. PRC we're having some actual fall weather for a change. For us that means nights in the low 40's to high 30's. For those of you in the North or East, you probably think of this as a spring day, but here....

It's during this time of the year that all those comfort foods come into play. Stews, soups, breads, anything to warm the innards. With all the left over turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes and gravy to use up, making use of them can help stretch the food budget.

Some of the usual things to do with left overs are Turkey sandwiches, good but not comfort food. Hot
Turkey sandwiches, better, and the usually Turkey soup. But let's look at a couple of quick and easy ways to tweek this. 

Instead of hot Turkey sandwich, how about heating up some of the left over mash potatoes, heat up some turkey, cubed, in gravy and serving that over the mash potatoes. Yum.

Or you can make a variation of Shepard's Pie. Mix some gravy, cubed turkey, and frozen mixed veggies in the bottom of a casserole dish, layer on some stuffing, and cover with mashed potatoes, or skip the stuffing if you like. Place in the over at about 350 until warmed through. If you like, during the last 5 minutes you can put some grated cheese on top.

Add a little variety,changing up the Turkey soup by using some different veggies in it.  In addition to potatoes, add some yucca. You can buy this frozen or fresh. It is similar to potatos, but with a firmer texture and doesn't break down like potatoes when reheated. A little okra, frozen, adds a pop like crunch and the frozen kind tends not to have that sliminess okra is famous for.

Nopales, which is available in Mexican stores as fresh, and I've seen it in cans, but I don't know how the canned stuff is. This is another thing that if you use too much could turn slimy, but in small amounts it is flavorful and helps thicken the soup like okra.

Squeeze juice from half a lemon into the bowl just before you eat it. You'll be surprised how good this is.

Or how about some chopped cilantro. This is one of those things, people either really like or not. I LOVE cilantro and can't seem to use enough of it.
Chopped cabbage, or radish are also good additives.

Using different veggies are a way to add variety and nutrition to an old standard for Turkey left overs.

If you want quick and easy, you can still have that wonderful left over Turkey soup without all the work. Use chicken broth, add your chopped up Turkey, some frozen mixed veggies, dehydrated onion, and frozen country hash browns for potatoes. Make small portions this way and you have a satisfying healthy meal and no leftovers.

Well, that's it for today. Hope you all enjoy your leftover turkey and maybe get a chance to experiment with some new things. Trying new things help keep us young. See you next time. Until then, keep prepping, because what you do matters, and remember, "Just 'cause there's snow on the rooftop, doesn't mean there ain't a fire in the fireplace."

Candy