Creamy Turkey Potato Soup

The traditional leftover turkey soup, with a couple of twists.



2 T butter
1 medium shallot, diced
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 C corn
4 C chicken broth
1 C chopped, cooked turkey
1 T fresh herbs, finely chopped (whatever herbs you have left from your turkey - I used sage, thyme, and parsley)
1 C mashed potatoes
2 T flour
1/2 C cream
salt and pepper to taste
leftover stuffing

Melt butter in a large pot and saute shallot, carrot, and celery until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add corn and cover veggies with broth. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add potatoes, turkey, and herbs. Bring to a boil again and cover and simmer for another 5 minutes. Whisk flour and cream together and whisk into soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until thickened. Serve with a scoop of stuffing on top.

Chicken Tacos

This recipe uses leftover chicken (grilled, boiled, roasted, whatever).

2 C shredded, cooked chicken
2 C salsa
1/4 C brown sugar
1/2 packet Ranch Dressing mix (or to taste)

Mix all ingredients in a medium sauce pan and cover and cook until bubbly and heated through. I let mine cook about 30 minutes so that the flavors could incorporate into the chicken.

Serve garnished with purple onions, avocado, tomato, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc. Also great in a taco salad.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Shepherd's Pie

This is a recipe from Martha Stewart. I found it last year and have always wanted to try it. The best part is that you can just use what you have.

Serves 4 to 6

• 3 cups cooked stuffing
• 1 cup cranberry sauce, plus more for topping (optional)
• 1 pound sliced cooked turkey
• 10 ounces glazed carrots, (or another leftover vegetable)
• 4 to 6 tablespoons gravy
• 3 to 4 cups mashed potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9- to 10-inch pie plate, mound stuffing on bottom; layer with cranberry sauce, turkey, and carrots. Drizzle with gravy; spread potatoes over surface to sides of dish. Top with more cranberry sauce, if desired.
2. Place pie on a baking sheet, and bake until heated through and potatoes are golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Chicken in Orange Sauce

I used leftover breaded and baked chicken, but you could use any leftover chicken or chicken nuggets. Also, use up any vegetbles you have on hand, carrots, broccoli, snow peas, etc.

Orange-Flavored Chicken

1/2-1 lb. cooked chicken
Diced vegetables, optional
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. garlic powder or 1/2 garlic clove minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup cornstarch

In large skillet or wok, heat 2 tsp. oil. Cut chicken into bite size pieces and stir-fry with vegetables. In a saucepan mix the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and orange juice until combined. Stir in ginger and garlic. In a small, seperate bowl mix cornstarch with equal parts water. Stir cornstarch into sauce and bring almost to a boil. Once sauce is thickened, pour over chicken. Toss and serve over rice.

Salmon Cakes

Leftover Salmon? Make Salmon Cakes.

1 cup leftover salmon (probably pre-seasoned)
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper

Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a small skillet. Break up salmon in small bowl. Add egg, bread crumbs, and salt & pepper (taking into consideration seasoning of original salmon.) Form mixture into small patties and fry for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Let cool on paper towels. Serve warm or room temp with tartar sauce.

I love this for a next day, kids at school, babies napping, me time lunch (which doesn't happen very often.)

Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes

We love pumpkin at our house. Pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, etc... But most of my pumpkin recipes call for 1/2 can of pumpkin and I always have this sad little cup of pumpkin sitting in my fridge. Today I used that sad little cup of pumpkin to make some whole wheat pumpkin pancakes. They are really hearty and healthy, not too sweet, and really moist...

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes



1/2 c wheat flour
1/2 c white flour
1 T brown sugar (you can add more if you like them sweeter)
2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t allspice
1/4 t salt

1 c milk
1 beaten egg
2 T oil
1/2 - 3/4 c pumpkin puree (whatever you have leftover)
1/4 c chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat your griddle to medium high. Mix all dry ingredients and set aside. Beat together wet ingredients and add to dry ingredients all at once. Beat until combined. Fold in nuts. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto lightly greased, hot griddle. Cook for about 2 minutes per side (or until golden). Gently toss the cakes from one hand to the other a couple of times when removing from griddle to release the steam (this stops them from becoming soggy while you cook the others). Top with butter and maple syrup.

*This is adapted from my banana nut pancakes. To make the banana version just omit the nutmeg and allspice and replace the pumpkin with 2 smashed bananas. You can also add mini semi-sweet chocolate chips to either version for a sweeter variety!

Cranberry Cream Cheese Squares

This recipe is still a work in progress - I don't think it's perfect yet, but definitely worth sharing. This is a great way to use up left over cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving. I don't know about you, but I always make like 6 cups of cranberry sauce, and we maybe use 2 cups during our meal...



Crust and Crumb Topping:
2 C flour
1 1/2 C oats
3/4 C brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t kosher salt
1 C butter, softened

Cream Cheese Layer:
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1 t vanilla

Cran-raspberry Sauce:
2 C frozen raspberries
2 C fresh cranberries
1/2 C sugar
1 T cornstarch
1 T frozen OJ concentrate, or 1 t orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the cranberry sauce mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until bubbly, thick, and cranberries begin to burst. Use for you turkey dinner and reserve one cup for this recipe. Or just use your traditional cranberry sauce recipe, I'm sure that will taste great here as well!

To make the crust mix all ingredients together until it resembles large crumbs (I did this in my stand mixer, with the whisk attachment, but you can use a pastry cutter also). Reserve 1 cup of the mixture to put on the top. Press the remaining mixture into a greased 9X13 pan. Bake for about 12 minutes in the preheated oven.

While that is baking beat the cream cheese until it is smooth. beat in egg, vanilla, and condensed milk until light and fluffy. Spread onto crust. With a spoon place even dollops of cranberry sauce (I used about 1 cup of sauce) on cream cheese layer and use a butter knife to swirl in dollops, but not mix. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture on top. Bake in 350 oven for another 40 minutes, or until golden. Cool completely, chill, and cut.

Carolina Style Pork Sandwiches

Last night I made pork tenderloin for dinner. A picky-eater pleaser, but not when it comes to leftovers.
So today I turned the tenderloin into South Carolina-style pulled pork sandwiches. It's a tangy mustard-based sauce I came to love when living in Coastal South Carolina. Hope you like it.

South Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Leftover pork loin or tenderloin
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup ketchup
2/3 cup mustard
1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar
1 T coarse salt (keep in mind how you seasoned your meat the first time around and reduce salt and pepper accordingly.)
1 T Tabasco
1 t pepper
1/4 t garlic powder
10-12 sandwich rolls

Place pork in crock pot. In large glass bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Pour over pork and cook until able to shred with two forks; approx. 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low. Place shredded meat on rolls and serve.

I like to top with gold or South Carolina-style barbecue sauce. You can also top with cole slaw for a nice contrast of flavors.

(Sorry about the pictures. I'll get better at photographing food.)

Winter Alfredo

This recipe uses leftover beef roast, but would surely be good with chicken or pork as well. And it would be great with no meat at all! Monster and the Little Miss each ate 2 heaping plates full!

Winter Alfredo

12 oz. bow tie pasta

Leftover beef roast, thinly sliced and chopped
2 cups cubed butternut squash
1 shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
dash nutmeg
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain.

While water/pasta are boiling heat 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil in a saute pan. Add garlic and shallot and saute for about 1 minute. Add squash and saute until tender, but not mushy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat, add roast beef, and cover while you make the sauce. (This allows the meat to heat through, while not getting over cooked.)

For sauce. Melt better in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add flour and stir until smooth. Slowly whisk in milk and keep stirring until it is smooth and begins to bubble and thicken. (Keep in mind that this will be lumpy at first, don't be scared! Just keep stirring with whisk). When sauce has thickened add nutmeg. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss pasta with alfredo sauce and fold in squash mixture. Enjoy!

*I made this whole recipe while the water boiled and the noodles cooked, so it is a fast one. I also added more than just the butternut squash, you can add whatever veggies you have on hand, peas, green beans, corn, etc. If you are in a real hurry, you can also just use your favorite bottled alfredo sauce!