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The best Thanksgiving leftovers are had Thanksgiving night. The dishes are done. The relatives are gone. You've already taken 2 naps during a post-dinner, post-football movie. Top button still unbuttoned, the mere thought of food makes you uneasy. But out of nowhere a tiny rumble sounds deep within your belly. It has, after all, been six hours since your last meal. It is time to waddle to the fridge to build the annual turkey, potato, stuffing, gravy, insert every other suitable leftover Thanksgiving food here sandwich. Shoehorn the leftovers in between two slices of bread and place it on a plate next to a slab of leftover pie and a handful of Tums.
Thanksgiving is over.
Only 364 days left to plan next year's meal.

Turkey pot pie! I make it with all the leftovers - turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, carrots, peas, and make an English pastry to encase it. Sometimes I think the whole turkey dinner is just a necessary evil to get to the pot pie!

Turkey, eaten cold, with gobs of mayo and mustard, while standing around a kitchen counter. Also, picking at the turkey carcass for those last bits. Delish.

(Slate had an amusing article the other day arguing against elaborate recipes for turkey leftovers.

And I agree with ajeys about eating those leftover late at night after the relatives are gone. Thanksgiving dinner tastes better at night, or the next day.

Today I'm sorting out old boxes of stuff and came across a recipe that is fantastic for "after turkey-day" when all that's left is basically the bones. :)

Autumn Bisque

Ingredients
1/4 C butter (half stick)
1/2 C chopped leek
1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 C chopped celery
2 large apples, peeled, cored, chopped

7 C turkey stock
4 C peeled diced butternut squash

2 T butter
2 T flour

1 tsp. dry thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry sage
1/4 tsp. ea. turmeric and dry rosemary
Pinch nutmeg
Ground black pepper to taste

1 C unpasteurized cider
1/2 C light cream
1 C grated swiss cheese

Croutons small or large

Action Plan
1. Heat butter, cook leek, onion, celery and apples till soft.
2. Add stock, simmer 10 minutes.
3. Add squash, cook 15 minutes or till vegetables are tender. Add more water if required.
4. Melt the 2T butter with the 2T flour - make a quick roux on low heat for around 3 minutes without browning. Stir 1/2 C soup into the roux then whisk the blend back into the soup.
5. Add herbs and seasonings, simmer 5 minutes.
6. Add cider and cream, heat through.
7. Remove from heat, stir in cheese.
8. Serve with croutons on top.

Note: I like to set the cheese aside, make large croutons as if for French Onion Soup Gratinee then serve the soup over the top of those croutons.

I made a great turkey pot pie that the husband and the boy loved.

My dad snagged the carcass for his annual monster batch of turkey soup- very filling with lots of vegetables and barley. He makes it spicy so it is perfect for cold winter days. Best of all- he makes enough to share and it freezes well so we can enjoy it for several months.

I have some bits of ham (plus bone!) that I'm hoping to stir into a batch of homemade macaroni and cheese soon. Dad will get that carcass, too, for ham and beans. The husband doesn't like beans (despite his penchant for gas inducing foods- go figure!) so I'll have to share the bounty with my parents. Fabulous with homemade cornbread!

I thought this recipe was pretty creative:Turkey Cranberry Wontons

Hillary
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