Five Things To Do With Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thanksgiving Day is three days behind us and you're probably looking for some creative uses for the leftovers. Here's a popular 'Hey Danvers, What's for Dinner?" column that we are bringing you again in hopes that you find it useful.

One huge benefit to every Thanksgiving Day celebration is the ton of leftovers to look forward to. Many of us will be eating turkey leftovers for days. Once the turkey dinner re-heat meal is consumed on day two, we will graduate to the much-anticipated turkey sandwich, slathered with mayonnaise and all the fixings including a healthy glob of cranberry sauce.

But what do you with all the odds and ends? Try re-inventing your leftover ingredients into something unrecognizable so your family doesn't get turkeyed-out.

Here are some fresh ideas to try out this Thanksgiving:

Dates- Bacon Wrapped, Blue Cheese Stuffed

• It is tradition in our home to stuff dates with walnuts and roll them in confectioners sugar. We always buy too many, and have an extra package left sitting in the pantry. Don’t throw them out, make a tasty appetizer by stuffing them with a small chunk of blue cheese, wrap them in bacon and bake at 350’ for 20 minutes, like they do at Nine Elm.

Corn: Creamy Corn Sauce

• Use leftover corn as a sauce for pasta, chicken or fish. Simply saute shallots or a small onion, diced, in olive oil. Add a T. of flour, and heat to bubbly, add cream, corn and a dash of salt and pepper and heat through. Put into a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.

Peas, corn, carrots, potato: Shepards Pie

• Layer your vegetables over ground beef and/or pork for shepards pie. To stretch out the potatoes, add leftover squash or sweet potatoes to them, add some cream or milk to rehydrate and cheese and spices for flavor.

Sweet potato: Sweet Potato Pudding

• Use 2 packages of sugar free vanilla pudding. Add them directly into 2 cups of mashed sweet potatoes, and continue making the pudding as directed, with the addition of 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, (or equal parts cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger combined).

• Chill and Serve-also great with squash or pumpkin.

Stuffing: Fried Stuffing Cakes

• As a side dish to any meal, roll then flatten leftover stuffing and pan fry in olive oil. Flip stuffing cake over when browned, and continue to brown evenly on the other side. Can be served with a little of your leftover gravy, or try it in a bacon, egg and cheese with english muffin sandwich for breakfast.