How to Use Your Thanksgiving Leftovers

There are many ways to use your Thanksgiving leftovers, and with a little creativity, you'll have several enjoyable meals long after the relatives have left and the dishes have been put away.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A few extras, such as a good artisan bread, refrigerated pie crust and chicken stock.

1. Make a turkey soup by simmering the leftover turkey bones in a stockpot for several hours. For more flavor, add chicken stock to the pot for taste. Add cut-up vegetables like carrots, leeks, white potatoes, and celery, simmer until vegetables are soft. You can also add a pasta, such as Ditalini or egg noodles, about 10 minutes before the soup is done.
2. Make a yummy sandwich out of your leftovers. Start with a great artisan bread and cut it into thick slices. Spread one slice with mayonnaise and the other slice with leftover cranberry sauce. Layer your sandwich with turkey, stuffing, and add anything you like from your stash. Some of my family members like to add a slice of good cheddar cheese.
3. Make some easy turkey empanadas, beginning with store-bought pie crust rounds. Use a round cookie cutter or a wide-mouth glass to cut 3-inch to 4-inch rounds out of the pie crust. In a large bowl, mix chopped turkey, shredded cheddar cheese, black beans and salsa. Put a scant tablespoon full of the mixture in the center of each pastry round, then fold over the pastry and seal the edges with a fork. Brush each empanada with an egg wash and bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• Be creative! Add other ingredients to your soup, sandwich or empanada, depending on what you have left over.