Karen’s After Thanksgiving Recipes with your Leftovers
Nov 24, 2023, Updated Nov 09, 2024
Here’s what I’m cooking up with the holiday’s leftovers.
Soup, Salad, A New Pasta, Throw-back Casserole, Tacos, Chef Salad, Savory Cranberry Chicken Thighs, The Best Russian Dressing for Roast Turkey and more – create new meals for the week with minimal effort.
I’m in Love with this Pasta!
Big on flavor and layered with herbs – a wonderful Fall Pasta using many ingredients you have on hand – lightened-up and delicious!
Make an easy Creamy (no-cream) Sauce – add Turkey, Leftover Veggies (Brussel Sprouts and Winter Squash), Herbs and Gouda Cheese
Perfectly Seasoned Chicken Thighs team with a luscious Cranberry Sauce with Rosemary & Thyme.
Use up your leftover Chunky Cranberry Sauce for this lucious meal! (Mine has ginger and pineapple in it.)
Why I Love this Recipe:
- A great use for your leftover Cranberry Sauce (I know you have some!)
- Learn how to make CRISPY Chicken Thighs in a Cast Iron Skillet (use in- bone)
- Simple, and done in less than 20 minutes
- Not too sweet – added to my Chunky Cranberry Sauce is Port Wine & Chicken Broth
- Looks appealing Too! The bright magenta color just makes you happy!
- The added fresh Rosemary adds a kick of minty sage-like peppery flavor (mingles well with cranberry)
After a festive holiday meal, the dishes are done … leftovers are put away, and some lucky ones have gone home with “goodie bags.” Here are some creative ways to use up you leftovers and make exceptional new recipes. Hopefully you still have a little steam left to prepare them!
This easy and ZESTY Russian dressing features just 3 Ingredients! Perfect for dipping turkey, slathering on a sandwich or tossing in a salad. Includes Mayonnaise, Ketchup and Karen’s “Shaken” Italian Dressing.
Avgolemono soup is a Greek lemon chicken soup that is thickened with an egg sauce (whipped eggs and lemon juice.) With rice and vegetables, it’s a meal in itself!
Almost every culture has some version of chicken soup, noodles or not.
My Avgolemono style soup recipe is a redux on the classic Greek version.
After Thanksgiving – besides dunking roast turkey into Russian Dressing (homemade of course) I crave this soup! One of my most googled recipes!
It’s zesty lemony flavor with many vegetables mingling in the soup seems light yet satisfying.
A Hearty & Healthy Soup using 2 cups of diced freshly roasted turkey from your Thanksgiving feast. Make again using leftover chicken!
Have lots of leftover veggies? Enough roasted turkey to make cubes for another meal?
Here is what I like to do with my leftover turkey – MAKE TACOS!!
Cubes of your Thanksgiving turkey are totally transformed into a fabulous filling for tacos.
Assertive seasonings are needed to create just the right smokey and a little spicy infused flavor. I love Mulato Dried Chiles (dried poblano)typically used in Mexican mole sauces with a delicate smoky flavor.
Your Go-To Recipe After Thanksgiving! Leftover Turkey and Vegetables are tossed together and baked into a hearty main course casserole. Lightened-up and delicious!
I love this Turkey Tetrazzini ~ Simple to prepare, and Gluten Free (light on the carbs, there’s just a small amount of quinoa and brown rice noodles inside.)
“Tetrazzini” is an American dish made with diced poultry or seafood and mushrooms in a butter-cream and cheese sauce flavored with wine or sherry.
The dish is named after the Italian opera star Luisa Tetrazzini and days back to 1905.
A Chef Salad is a great way to use up leftovers! – and a great alternative (and carb-free!) to the classic turkey sandwich.
Make the most of your Thanksgiving leftovers with this healthy & tasty salad. Use what you have! Drizzle with this Cranberry Sauce Vinaigrette (it takes minutes to prepare!)
Use your leftover Cranberry Sauce… you know you’ll have some!
Make a delicious Vinaigrette, perfect for your salad creations after Thanksgiving.
These pancakes are great to make over the long weekend after Thanksgiving! Have extra pumpkin puree?
The recipe can also be made with extra sweet potatoes of butternut squash – but plain ones, whipped to a puree. The recipe calls for one cup of puree… and they’re delicious. I love topping with Yogurt, Granola, Caramelized Apple Slices and a drizzle of Pure Maple Syrup.
Enjoy your long weekend – with just a little more cooking!
Karen
Creamy Turkey Vegetable & Pasta (no cream!) – an after Thanksgiving Recipe
Equipment
- 1 large pan like a paella pan
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta, I use Gluten Free Parpadelle, Irollo from Italy
Vegetables:
- 1/2 cup cooked winter squash*, such as butternut or Kabocha, 3/4" dice
- 1/2 cup cooked brussel sprouts*, halved roasted
Pasta Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, I use Organic
- 2 1/2 teaspoons garlic, peeled, finely grated or minced
- 2 tablespoons gluten free flour blend, (use regular flour if not gluten free)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 big pinches chili flakes
- 1 1/4 cup chicken broth, preferably homemade or low sodium
- 1 cup milk, full fat
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
Other Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh turkey (white meat), cut into batonettes 1/2" x 1 1/2"
- 1/2 cup gouda cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup pasta water, (saved from your cooked pasta)
- 4 tablespoons aged gouda cheese, optional for topping
Herbs:
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon , chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, divided
Instructions
Pasta:
- Cook pasta in plenty of boiling water until al dente – remove and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water! then drain (will be folded into the sauce.)
Creamy Sauce: (while the pasta cooks)
- In a large paella pan, add 2T. butter and garlic, cook over low heat 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the flour, black pepper and chili flakes, stir one minutes to create a roux.Add the chicken broth and dry sherry. Raise heat to high, stir well with a wire whisk until just thickened. Add milk, stir until thickened and creamy, 1 minute. Turn heat off.
- Add the thyme, tarragon, and ONE tablespoon parsley. Taste for salt.Add the vegetables, turkey and gouda cheese, stir gently to combine.
- Add 1/3 cup pasta cooking water and the cooked pasta, stir well. Taste the sauce – check for seasonings – add the remainder pasta water if needed (not too much, do not dilute the flavors of the sauce; added for creaminess.) Serve in individual bowls, sprinkle with remaining 1 T. parsley and aged gouda.Enjoy!
Notes
I love adding a winter squash, for green vegetable, string beans would also be nice. Garlicky Breadcrumbs; Ingredients: 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs (crusts removed.) 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon minced parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons EVOO, pinch each sea salt & pepper.
Add all breadcrumb ingredients together in a small bowl. Stir with a spoon. Toast in a skillet or 325 degree oven until golden. Optional Topping: Your leftover stuffing; chop small and toasted. This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I always make the Greek lemon soup, it’s my family’s favorite! Another one which is great is the simple Russian dressing for Turkey. Never made a good one and this one adds her Italian dressing which adds a good punch of flavor. Going to make a chef salad this coming year. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thank you Carol for your thoughts. Happy to hear you are making these after Thanksgiving recipes! Yes, give the chef salad a try! 😀Karen