It's the day after Christmas, and our refrigerator is full of the leftovers. Our family company is gone, and there was no way we could eat it ... Unless, I got creative. As I looked at the reminants, I began thinking about how not to waste anything and how much I already miss my sisters.
So, I decided to use the leftovers to make some comfort food and store away the results for winter days when we all would be arriving home from work and school cold, and too tired cook.
Beneath the squiggle, you'll find a few of the things I'm putting our leftover holiday to good use in. The fun part was trying to figure out things to make that didn't require going to the grocery and just involved raiding the frig and the pantry.
And, if you have any ideas or recipes to share, I'd love to hear about them. Especially if anyone has any ideas what to do with cookies.
Bean and Ham Soup
1 1/2 cups cubed ham
3 cans Navy Beans
1 can tomato sauce
leftover baby carrots sliced
Directions: Put it all in a soup pot just covered with water and simmer for 3-4 hours.
Bread Pudding
Break up into 3 cups:
Leftover crescent roles
The french bread ends (Why doesn't anyone in our family like the ends?)
4 slices of raisin cinnamin bread
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Use a 2-quart baking dish.
Mix 3 eggs, 1 cup white sugar, 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 cup of butter, and 3 cups of whole milk together, and gently stir in the bread. Carefully spoon the mixture into the greased baking dish.
Bake until set in the middle, about 50 to 55 minutes. Halfway through (30 minutes), cover the dish with foil to keep it from getting too brown. Let the pudding sit for 10 minutes or so before serving it.
Turkey Legs and Brown Rice Soup
This was one of my favorites as a child and it still is. No one in our family likes the turkey legs, so I always end up with 4 of them (2 in the freezer from Thanksgiving) and 2 from the Christmas bird. However, any turkey pickings will actually do. :) All 4 legs and thighs went into the pot to start the broth, and as the meat just started to come loose, I took them out to shred the meat.
1 box of organic chicken broth
leftover celery sticks chopped up
left over baby carrots chopped up
2 large serving spoonfuls of mashed potatoes
1/2 cup of turkey gravy
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup of brown rice
Add water to cover and taste
Simmer until the rice is tender.
Italian Sausage, Meatballs and Polenta Cassarole
I always make up a crock pot of sausages and meatballs for Christmas Eve to accommodate all the ins and outs of family and friends.
Oil baking dish with olive oil. Fill with either sliced polenta (we had an organic roll in the frig!) or make up a batch of corn meal mush:
1 1/4 cups cornmeal
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix together cornmeal, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Layer sliced sausage/ meatballs over the polenta spoona sauce over the top. Layer with more polenta, sausage and meatballs. Sprinkle with Parmasean Cheese and cover with shredded mozarella.
Spicy, Cheesy Turkey Tetrazini
1 package uncooked spaghetti
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup turkey broth
2 cups leftover cheese & Rotil cheese dip
1 cup milk
4 cups chopped cooked turkey
1/2 cup crushed corn flakes mixed with 2 tablespoons melted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking dish. Cook the spaghetti, drain, and place in the prepared baking dish.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour. Mix in turkey broth and milk. Cook and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir in cheese dip and remove from heat.
Mix chicken broth mixture and turkey with spaghetti. Top with remaining cheese. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until surface is lightly browned.