Request Newsletter | Food Online Website | Submit Articles and News | Return To Main Page

Recipes Information


Search the Web:

Holiday Leftover Ideas


The holidays are a time for friends and family and good old-fashioned home cooking. Who can resist the tempting smells coming from the kitchen at this most favorite time of year? Holiday dinners were among my favorite, most memorable meals as a child. Our family shared our holiday meals with different relatives each year, but wherever we were and whoever we were with, we always knew to expect good food and enjoyable family gatherings that we would remember for months to come.

When I was a child, it was always a tradition in our family to have turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas. We would also always enjoy mounds of creamy mashed potatoes and gravy, candied yams with lots of butter, brown sugar, and melted marshmallows, and I could always count on sampling my dad's famous fruit salad. He would meticulously cut each fruit into bite-size pieces (apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, and raisins), and mix it all together with a generous portion of homemade whipped cream. Homemade cranberry sauce was also always a special holiday treat.

Now that I'm married we have even more family to share our holiday meals with. With so much family, though, we rarely get to host dinner at our house. It's always nice to go to someone else's house to eat, but then we don't get any of the leftovers! We usually end up taking advantage of the holiday sales at the supermarket though, and then we can have our own little feast. I've had a lot of fun over the years devising ways to use up the leftovers from our own holiday meals--and I'd like to share some of my favorite recipes with you.

Turkey and Rice Soup

2 1/2 cups turkey, cooked and diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 6-ounce box long-grained rice
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrots, grated

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients with 6 cups of water. Simmer, covered, until rice is cooked, approximately 30 minutes. Great with fresh bread.

Turkey Spaghetti

8 oz. spaghetti or other pasta
1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
3/4 c. grated mild cheddar cheese
2 c. leftover cooked, diced turkey
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional - diced celery and/or diced onion to your taste

Prepare soup as directed. Prepare spaghetti as directed then drain. Combine spaghetti, soup and remaining ingredients. Stir until cheese melts. Serve and enjoy!

Mashed Potatoes and Ham Bake

2 cups mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons mustard
2 cups ham, cubed
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, mix mashed potatoes and mustard. Spread potato mixture in the bottom of a greased 8-inch square baking pan. Arrange ham on top of potatoes. In a small bowl, mix cottage cheese and cheddar cheese. Spread over ham. Bake until mixture is heated through, about 30 minutes.

Chopped Ham Sandwiches

2 lb. leftover ham, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 c. ketchup
1/4 c. vinegar
1 c. water
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Fry ham in a skillet and sprinkle flour over it. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 1 hour and serve on toast or hamburger buns. Makes 15 to 20 sandwiches.

Originally published at Suite 101. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.


MORE RESOURCES:

ABC News

Tyler Florence's 7 recipes for a full holiday meal
MSNBC - 15 hours ago
Looking to get all your recipes from one reliable source? Food Network star Tyler Florence helps you prepare the turkey and all the delicious sides dishes ...
Emeril's Brined, Herb-Roasted Turkey ABC News
Making Thanksgiving gravy Examiner.com
Recipe of the week: Thanksgiving turkey: A fast-roasting classic ... The Week Magazine
all 4 news articles


Examiner.com

Fun Raw Organic Thanksgiving Recipes that are also Eco and will ...
Examiner.com - 7 minutes ago
Well now you can rejoice because I have created special Holiday Raw Organic recipes that are also Eco/Green and will help save our Planet because there is ...


Telegraph.co.uk

Delia Smith's recipes: pumpkin pie
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 23 hours ago
One day I'm hoping actually to be in the US for the big day, but meanwhile I'm offering a recipe for exiles over here, a quick and easy version of the ...
Pick a Perfectly Pleasing Pumpkin Pie Recipe at FoodNetwork.com MarketWatch
all 8 news articles


Neoseeker

Cooking Mama Responds to PETA by Highlighting Vegetarian Offerings ...
MarketWatch - Nov 19, 2008
Mama wants people to know that World Kitchen includes 51 recipes from around the world, ranging from vegetarian fare like miso soup and rice cakes to ...
Majesco Responds to PETA's Cooking Mama Parody Wired News
Majesco Responds To PETA On Cooking Mama Criticism Gamasutra
Majesco reponds to PETA Cooking Mama criticism gamesdog.co.uk
CVG Online - DailyTech
all 106 news articles


Tampabay.com

You Asked for It: Thanksgiving leftover recipes You Asked For It ...
Tampabay.com, FL - 4 hours ago
Can anyone share some good recipes for leftover turkey? Deborah Lemmon, Dunedin Creamy turkey and broccoli cobbler is a recipe Anna Stearns of Dunedin found ...


Sandwich Recipes From Renowned Boston Chefs
Epicurious - 13 hours ago
One café spokesperson confirmed that no substitutions are allowed; their mission is to maintain the integrity of the original recipe. ...


Aretha Franklin Shares Christmas Traditions, Recipes
NPR - 18 hours ago
... with Farai Chideya, Franklin reveals why she decided to produce an album of holiday standards, and the two share some of their favorite holiday recipes.


Do-it-yourself skincare recipes
The Olympian, WA - 1 hour ago
Face it, you don't need to spend a small fortune to take care of your skin properly. Instead, try these tips: n Cleanse: Use baby wash as a facial cleanser. ...


New York Times

Recipes for Health Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup
New York Times, United States - Nov 20, 2008
This series offers recipes with an eye towards empowering you to cook healthy meals every day. Produce, seasonal and locally grown when possible, ...
The Diet Detective Gobble up a healthier Thanksgiving feast Seattle Times
all 4 news articles


Gather friends for a party to make these recipes for gift-giving
Dallas Morning News, TX - 21 hours ago
Time is precious, especially at the holidays. Even so, you want your gifts to be personal and if you could manage to spend time with a few friends, ...

Recipes - Google News

home | site map

Site Map | Site Map | Links

© 2006