dot cuts back {turkey leftovers}

Just in time for Thanksgiving, we have some ideas on what to do with turkey dinner leftovers from Kara who blogs at Sweet & Salty.  She has some creative strategies she uses for all the leftovers from a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  Be sure to show her some comment love and feel free to add your own suggestions.

Hi, I'm Kara from Sweet & Salty.  I’m thrilled to be a guest today for Dot Cut Backs money-saving series! This is my first guest post so I am extra excited.

When Beth asked me to be a part of her money-saving series, I knew right away what I wanted to blog about.  Since the holidays are approaching I thought, “Why not talk leftovers?!”  One of the perks of being the holiday host is having leftovers.  

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Here are some tips to help you put leftovers to good use:

• Clear off the table as soon as you can and put the leftovers away to prevent food from spoiling. Prepared food should not be left out longer than two hours to prevent spoilage and to ensure food safety.
• Keep the turkey carcass and giblets along with the vegetable trimmings to make homemade broth.
• You can choose to freeze or refrigerate your items. Most refrigerated items should be used within 3 to 4 days and frozen food anytime between 2 to 4 months.
• Make sure you properly store leftovers in airtight containers to prevent freezer burn.
• If you wish to share your leftovers with guests, have containers available with labels.

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What to do with all those leftovers? Here are some ideas to make that turkey dinner last for days...

Turkey: You can make the traditional leftover turkey sandwich with stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy, or you can make more of a gourmet turkey sandwich using an artisan bread such as a ciabatta, dress it up with a cranberry chutney, slices of a granny smith apple, a nice aged cheddar cheese, a slice of bacon and some lettuce.  And, of course, we can't forget the star of the show... turkey (I'm drooling just thinking about it).

Stuffing: What to do with that stuffing??? Perhaps you can make a few over-easy eggs and put them on top of your stuffing using it like a hash.

Or you can cook up some sweet sausage out of the casing and add it to the stuffing to make stuffed mushrooms with the mixture.

Potatoes:  (This is my favorite) Take your refrigerated potatoes, put them in a bowl with sliced scallions, any type of cheese, and combine the ingredients.  Make some potato patties or balls and dip them in flour, then an egg and milk mixture, then breadcrumbs.  You can either deep fry until golden brown or bake in the oven.  Yum!

Veggies: Take all your left over veggies and spread them on a baking sheet, put them under the broiler for a few minutes then toss them with cooked pasta and a little olive oil.

Gravy: Cook some egg noodles and add some chunks of leftover turkey and lots of gravy for a different take on a type of goulash.

Rolls: You can make breadcrumbs by blitzing away in your food processor.  Or, you cut up your bread in cubes, drizzle some olive oil, S&P and any spices you like, throw it in an oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes to make croutons.  Or you can just give to the birds or feed the ducks.