Leftovers? Yes Please!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so you might be wondering why on earth I am already talking about leftovers before it has even arrived. I am already talking about them because I already had Thanksgiving #1 last weekend! I had a "House-Thanksgiving" Thanksgiving with all of my old house-mates last Saturday. It was really fun to get back together with the people I spent most of my 20's with! We spent all day wine tasting in the Santa Cruz Mountains and then came home to a perfectly cooked turkey (thanks mom for putting it in the oven!) and Thanksgiving dinner....and more wine...and more dinner...and...well you get it:) I waddled more than walked to bed that night. Anyway since I hosted and paid for everything I got to keep all the leftovers! WOo hoo! I rationed them out so they should just last me to tomorrow morning which will be Thanksgiving #2 for me:) It should be a smooth transition. (I think you can safely go up to 4 Thanksgivings a year, but any more than that and it's just gluttony:) Anyway, I have made all kinds of stuff over the last few days, but there were a few inventions I thought worthy of passing along in case you are looking for creative ways to utilize those holiday leftovers! Enjoy!

Turkey Day Benedict

Turkey Day Benedict: Take leftover stuffing and or mashed potatoes, and make into small patties and fry in a pan with a little olive oil. Pan fry a couple thin slices of turkey in a pan with some turkey skin (it adds tons of flavor, and you can pick out the actual skin before eating), last either poach or pan fry an egg but make sure the yolk is runny!!! This is super important! Salt and pepper egg and turkey to taste. Heat up some gravy in the microwave. Once everything is done put the stuffing pancake on a plate, followed by a slice of turkey, then the egg, and cover with gravy. YUMMMMM!!!!

Quesadillias...Yum!

Turkey Quesadillias:
Cut up turkey in little pieces and fry with skin (I know, I know we are using the skin again, but it's delicious and not too bad if you cook it down until it's crispy. It's almost like bacon, adds a little bit of moisture to the dry white meat, especially when re-heating it in a pan). Add a little chili powder and cumin (maybe .5 tsp each?), and a small amount of salt and pepper. Or use a packet of taco seasoning.  Add a bit of water to coat all pieces if necessary. If you have leftover corn you can add it to the turkey in the pan. Make a package of instant mexican rice (it's quick, 7 minutes and about 1.50 a package). Grab some shredded cheese and tortillia's. In a pan place tortillia, meat, and some rice and cover with cheese and another tortillia. Cook for a couple minutes and flip. And that's it. You can eat them with salsa if you have it, or sour cream. They are tasty, and aren't too "Thanksgiving-y" if you are getting burnt out on gravy. OUTTA THIS WORLD!

Turkey and Blackbean Chili: OMG! This is so good I am having it for lunch today after having it for dinner last night:) I took a blackbean chili recipe I found on line and modified it to get the taste and texture I was imagining with the ingredients that I had leftover. So while this is a recipe, it's kind of a loose one that you can change around as you see fit.
1 lb cut up leftover turkey
1 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
3 cans black beans  (don't drain them)
1-2 cups turkey stock (boil the bones!)
.5 cup mashed potatoes (oh yes!)
1 tbsp dried oregano
1-2 tsp cumin
1.5 tbsp chili powder (it's not hot)
.5 tsp cayanne (this is super hot so skip it if you're a wuss)
Salt and pepper to taste.
Cheese and sour cream for topping
Tortillia chips to dip in!
Basically you cook the onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil until the onions a translucent. They you add the turkey and all the spices and mix thoroughly. In a pot add the beans with their water, the turkey stock and the mashed potatoes and stir till blended. Taste and salt and pepper as needed. Then add everything together and let simmer for a while until all the flavors blend, I'd say about a half hour, stirring regularly. If it's looking too thick, you can add more stock, but it should be thick enough to eat with chips (like a dip). After you pour it into a bowl, sprinkle with cheese and add a dollop of sour cream and your done! I don't have a photo of this one and to be honest that's probably a good thing as it's not the most appealing looking concoction I have ever come up with. But for what it lacks in appearance it makes up for in deliciousness! I promise!

 I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Go Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints!!!! And Happy Leftovers!!!