Thanksgiving Leftovers

Like it or not, the holidays are upon us. And with Thanksgiving only two days away I thought I'd revisit a post from a few years back that offers a creative use for those leftovers. Let's take our standard turkey and dressing and turn it into turkey and waffles. Let's check it out.

So Thanksgiving is over, and if your house is anything like mine, you're still noshing on leftovers. But eating the same old same can get boring after a while, so why not do something a little different.

I saw this a while back on some cooking show and decided that I had to try it. We did and loved it. I haven't quite perfected it, though I think I know the problem.

We'll start with our dressing, or stuffing, if you prefer. If it goes into the bird, it's stuffing. If not, it's dressing. Whatever the case, it's one of my favorite dishes of the entire Thanksgiving feast.

Around here, we do your basic cornbread dressing, no fancy ingredients. Not that I haven't tried, but I seem get shot down every time. "Don't mess with tradition, Mom."

Okay, okay, I get the point.

Now we're going to scoop some of that beautiful dressing onto our HOT waffle iron that's been sprayed with Pam or some such product, and kinda sorta press it down just a little with our spoon.

Close the lid and press hard. Just long enough to compress things.

I had my waffle iron set between medium-high and high and it took about 5-6 minutes for the waffle to cook.

Crisp outside, moist inside. Though getting it off of the waffle iron was a bit tricky. I ended up picking up the iron and flipping the waffle over onto the plate.

Once you've plated your waffle, simply top with your favorite Thanksgiving leftovers.

Turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy... The one I saw on TV was stacked high with a little bit of everything.

Okay, so one key here is that you want moist dressing. And while I did achieve my waffle, I think, next time, I'll toss a beaten egg into my dressing before putting it on the waffle iron to keep things together a little better. 

I love this idea and can't wait for Friday to do it again. In the meantime, I'd like to wish each and every one of you a blessed Thanksgiving. I know this year has been far from the norm, but there's still much to be thankful for. God is good and He's still on His throne.

Do you have some creative ways with your Thanksgiving leftovers?

Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com

Pot Roast and Soup from Leftovers

Jan here, with another soup recipe!

We had a lovely autumn! Do you remember those days of colorful leaves, gorgeous sunshine, and cool, crisp air?

Well, it seems that autumn has left already and winter has moved in for the duration. The weather doesn't seem to know that it's still October!

The birds are going through their food like crazy in this cold weather (it was 17° Thursday morning when I took Sam for his walk) and the snow just keeps falling. Much like during Laura Ingalls Wilder's The Long Winter, we have a storm, then a few days break - or a twelve-hour break - and then another storm front moves through. 

Thankfully, the amount of snow has been light...up until the weekend. We got a total of about 5" from Saturday night to Sunday night. And then last night, the temperatures plummeted. As of this writing, the forecast is for -2° overnight. I'll update with the actual temps in the comments below!

But this is what really makes it look like winter:

To remind you, here's what that view normally looks like:

Am I dreading a long, dark winter? Not at all!

It may be a long winter, but it will be one filled with cozy nights by the fire, good books to read, and dogs who are learning - finally - that sitting next to a person for pets and ear rubs is the next best thing to heaven.

It's also the best weather for homemade soup! This is one of our favorites!

You need to make pot roast, first. I make mine in the slow cooker.

Easy recipe:

Pot Roast

ingredients:

one 3-5 pound bone-in chuck roast

4-5 potatoes

2-3 carrots

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon marjoram

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon basil

1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes

bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

2-4 cups beef broth (preferably home made bone broth)

Adjust all the quantities to fit your family!

Brown the chuck roast on both sides, then place it in your slow cooker. Add the peeled and cut up potatoes and carrots, and the onion. Add the herbs, then pour the broth over all.

Cook on low for at least 8 hours, up to 12 hours.

After dinner, pull out the leftover meat, remove the bones and as much fat as possible. Add the leftover vegetables and broth and refrigerate up to five days, or freeze until you're ready to make soup.

No leftover meat or vegetables? No problem. Glean as many bits of beef as you can from the bones and use those and the broth for your soup.

TIP - if you're planning to freeze your leftovers, refrigerate them overnight first. After the leftovers have cooled, you can easily remove any remaining fat before you put them in the freezer.

Leftover Pot Roast Soup

ingredients:

Leftover meat, broth, and vegetables from your pot roast dinner

Other vegetables you like in your soup - we add green beans (canned, fresh, or frozen)

Additional potatoes or carrots, if needed

Additional beef broth as needed

This is what the leftover pot roast looks like after being in the fridge for a few days.

The first thing to do is to remove the fat. This step is so easy because beef fat is solid when it is cold. 

Look at that fabulous dark brown broth! That's what browning your chuck roast before cooking it in the slow cooker does. That broth is rich, flavorful, nutritious, and full of gelatin.

Next, cut the potatoes and carrots into smaller chunks if you wish, add any additional vegetables you want to use, additional broth if necessary, and heat.

Bring the soup to boiling, then let it simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, or until all your vegetables are cooked.

I like to serve this with fresh bread or biscuits, and a bowl of applesauce for dessert is always welcome. :-)

We may be in the middle of wintry weather now, but the prairies are known for rapidly changing weather. We could move back into autumn before winter comes to stay - or the cold temperatures may be here for the duration. We'll just have to wait and see!

Meanwhile, two of my books released last week!!!

Links to purchase either book are on my website: www.JanDrexler.com 

How is the weather where you live? Cold and snowy? Or are you still enjoying the fall temperatures?

Jan Drexler has always been a "book girl" who still loves to spend time within the pages of her favorite books. She lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her dear husband of many years and their active, crazy dogs, Jack and Sam. You can learn more about Jan and her books on her website, www.JanDrexler.com.

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Manhattan

You know that old saying, "The more life changes, the more it stays the same"?

Well, that's what my life is like as we ease into the holiday season, and I'm very happy about that! With all the changes we've experienced this year - ever since that fateful day in April when we saw that the PERFECT house for us was for sale and we made an offer - I long for a season of same-old, same-old. :-)

One of the traditions that hasn't changed is our annual Thanksgiving get together. This year we had fifteen - almost the same number we had the year of my original Turkey Manhattan post five years ago! The faces around the table have changed a bit, but the fellowship was even sweeter with the passing of time! (Never take friendships for granted!)

Enjoy this post from the past!

* * * * * * *

Leftover Turkey Manhattan
(a rerun recipe from 2014)

How was everyone's Thanksgiving?

For years, ever since we moved too far away from our families to get together with them on a regular basis, we've invited friends who are in the same situation to our house for the big dinner.

After all, what better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than with friends and family?

This year we had seventeen at our house. Every family brought something for the meal and we had a wonderful time. :) I hope your Thanksgiving was just as full of blessings as ours.

But then comes the day after Thanksgiving. And leftovers.

I always assign leftover turkey to certain favorite meals, like the Turkey Tetrazzini Missy shared last week. (Find that recipe here.)

But when we have leftover potatoes and gravy (an almost unheard-of event!), we fix Turkey Manhattans.

Easy-Peasy, and sooooo good!

No recipe, just layer the goodness on your plate:

First layer: bread. I use bread leftover from making bread cubes for the dressing on Thanksgiving. You need one slice per person.

Second layer: turkey. Sliced white meat is the best.

Third layer: mashed potatoes. To heat them up, warm them in a pan with a little added milk and butter.

Fourth layer: gravy. All over your sandwich.

Since this was my day to say goodbye to simple carbs for a few weeks, I went ahead and had a few potatoes and the bread with my serving.

Oh yes, it's comfort food to the max! But after this (at least until Christmas!), I'm staying away from the starchy carbs and sticking to the other yummy fruits and veggies.

Of course, if you're a just-turned-twenty-one bean pole of a guy, then you can fix your serving this way:

Add a salad and a veggie - if you have room on your plate :)

You can also make this sandwich with chicken or beef - just switch the gravy for the beef version.

Now it's time to talk turkey (sorry, I couldn't resist!). How was your Thanksgiving? Did you have any leftovers?

Jan Drexler spent her childhood dreaming of living in the Wild West and is now thrilled to call the Black Hills of South Dakota her home. When she isn’t writing she spends much of her time satisfying her cross-stitch addiction or hiking and enjoying the Black Hills with her husband of more than thirty-seven years.

Thanksgiving Leftovers -- My Annual Post

If you're out shopping today, good luck!! I can tell you I will be avoiding shopping in huge crowds. Not my thing. :) So for your enjoyment, if you're a homebody like me (or in between your shopping trips), here's my annual replay of my favorite Thanksgiving leftovers post! This is from 2011. Enjoy!

***
Missy, here. I wanted to tell you about a wonderful way to use up your Thanksgiving leftovers. I thought I'd share it today so you'd have time to add extra ingredients to your shopping list for next week. (Is it really approaching that quickly??!!)

Last year, I chaperoned a trip with my son's AP U.S. History class. We visited Boston and surrounding areas. At one stop in Concord, we let the kids go do lunch on their own. Several of the teachers and I hit a fantastic restaurant called Main Streets Market and Cafe. I had what I think may have been the best sandwich of my life. The Turkey Cranberry Wrap. I was in heaven. Recently, I decided to recreate this sandwich on my own. (I can't believe I didn't think to do it sooner.)

So, here we go! Pull out those leftovers and get to wrapping!

Get some of those low carb wraps I mentioned a few weeks ago. Spread on cranberry sauce. Your choice of type. My daughter chose jellied, "the kind that's shaped like a can."  :) Layer with baby spinach.

Add dressing. I heated mine.

Then layer on the turkey. Again, I heated mine.

Wrap up and serve with a side of sweet potato fries just for fun. :)

How easy is that?! And it's an amazing sandwich. I ate it leftover on three days last week! And didn't even get sick of it.

What's your favorite thing to make with Thanksgiving leftovers?

Leftover Lunchmeat? Try This!

Missy Tippens

Since I shared college graduation photos last week, and planned to repeat an older post this week, I thought this one would be fun to share from 2015--written right after my daughter graduated from high school!



Missy, here. We had my daughter's graduation last week and a house full of family here to celebrate with us. What fun!! But when everyone left and all the dust cleared, I had a ton of thin sliced ham and turkey left over.

What to do?? My friend Lindi suggested making something like chipped beef and gravy. Voila! Great idea!

Melt 3 TBS of butter in the skillet.

Add 3 TBS flour. You can adjust the amount, just keep them equal. Stir and let bubble for a few minutes to "cook off" the flour taste. Let it brown if you want a brown gravy.

Yes, that's a Christmas spatula in May. LOL

Add the milk. I always eyeball this. Don't get too much, or it won't thicken enough. Season with salt and pepper.

While it simmered, I chopped the ham and turkey.

Add to the gravy until heated through.

Serve over biscuits or toast. YUM! Notice the paper plate? Yes, I'm all about practicality when I have 12 people here for the weekend! :)

Did any of you grow up eating chipped beef and gravy?

Turkey Rice Casserole

Missy Tippens

I bought a rotisserie turkey breast last week in the deli at the grocery store. It was too dry to really enjoy as is, so I decided to make a casserole.

I used this recipe as my base: Easy Broccoli Rice Casserole at Spend with Pennies.

Here's my version, which turned out really good!

1 package of fresh broccoli (I had a pack of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots), chopped bite sized and steamed so it's still a little crisp
1 package boil-in-bag brown rice, cooked by directions
3-4 cups cubed leftover turkey (I used the whole rotisserie turkey breast)
1/4 cup chopped onion and bell peppers (I used frozen and fresh combined)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (or 1 mushroom and 1 cream of chicken)
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (plus more for topping)
bread crumbs
3 Tbs butter
spices to taste (such as poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic powder)

Sauté the onions and pepper in olive oil. Add in the steamed vegetables to heat through and brown them a bit. Then add in turkey to heat through.

Mix together the soup, milk, sour cream and spices. Then stir this into the veggie-turkey mix. Stir in the cheese.

Pour into a greased casserole dish. Top lightly with more cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and pats of butter.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.

It was delicious! A bit more time-consuming than I had planned but worth it.


www.missytippens.com

The Annual Turkey Cranberry Wrap!

Missy Tippens

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of love, laugher and good food. I'm so grateful for my fellow bloggers and for each of you who visits with us at the Cafe.

For those with turkey and dressing crowding your fridge, I'm once again re-sharing my favorite recipe for Thanksgiving leftovers!



Years ago, I chaperoned a trip with my son's AP U.S. History class. We visited Boston and surrounding areas. At one stop in Concord, we let the kids go do lunch on their own. Several of the teachers and I hit a fantastic restaurant called Main Streets Market and Cafe. I had what I think may have been the best sandwich of my life. The Turkey Cranberry Wrap. I was in heaven. Recently, I decided to recreate this sandwich on my own. (I can't believe I didn't think to do it sooner.)

So, here we go! Pull out those leftovers and get to wrapping!

Get some of those low carb wraps I mentioned a few weeks ago. Spread on cranberry sauce. Your choice of type. My daughter chose jellied, "the kind that's shaped like a can."  :) Layer with baby spinach.

Add dressing. I heated mine.

Then layer on the turkey. Again, I heated mine.

Wrap up and serve with a side of sweet potato fries just for fun. :)

How easy is that?! And it's an amazing sandwich. I ate it leftover on three days last week! And didn't even get sick of it.

What's your favorite thing to make with turkey leftovers?

P.S. Is you're going to hit the crowds shopping today, good luck!


www.missytippens.com

Beautiful Music and Frugal Soup

Jan here, with a special treat for you!

Cantio Flutes

My friend Olya is part of a flute ensemble that plays gigs all around town. They formed last year, and are already in demand for Christmas parties and weddings. Check out their Facebook page! Cantio Flutes Facebook page

Olya has uploaded some of their music to YouTube, set to lovely pictures. Here's a sample for your enjoyment: Beautiful music here. (By the way, this is the first time this video has been shared publicly!)

You'll find links to the YouTube videos on their Facebook page.

Isn't the music lovely? Sigh.

Meanwhile, winter is hanging on in the Black Hills. We've had some warmer temperatures and sunshine the past couple days, but snow still covers the Hills. As it melts, it provides us with some much-needed moisture, but we won't be seeing flowers for a couple months.

With our cold weather, we're still deep in the soup mode. I've been making soup for supper three or four times a week. My husband recently asked me why I don't make "Freezer Soup" anymore. I told him that it is a recipe from a bygone era.... A throwback to years ago...

Our four children with Grandma and Grandpa
back in 1994

Back to the days when...yes...our children were that small. Now they're grown, two are married, and all of them are way too big for me to tell them what to do!

But back in those days, we lived in a great older neighborhood in a great small town in northern Indiana, and life was good.

We had no time. No money. Going every-which-way. Refereeing sibling squabbles. Falling into bed exhausted every night.

But life was good. More than good...blessed beyond belief.

In those days, we would have leftovers at the end of a meal. Can you believe that??? It never happens now, and hasn't for years! But little bodies don't eat as much - and their appetites are unpredictable - so there would be extra food.

After dinner, I would save the leftover hamburger patties, meatloaf, pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, leftover spaghetti sauce... You name it! I would cut everything into bite size pieces and put them in a container in the freezer.

Once a month (or when the container got full,) we had freezer soup for dinner.

Freezer Soup

Actually, there is no recipe for this soup, and it's different every time you make it!

Here's what you need:

My home canned tomato sauce was always more
juice than sauce

1) About a quart of leftovers, cut in bite sized pieces.
2) 1 quart tomato juice/sauce (I used my home canned sauce which was never as thick as store-bought)
3) Beef or chicken broth, as much as you need for the amount of soup you want to make
4) Additional vegetables as desired - I quite often threw in a pint of frozen green beans or an extra diced potato
5) Seasonings to taste - garlic, basil, thyme, and marjoram make a good blend

Combine the ingredients in a large pot, then bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about an hour, more or less. Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

I always served this soup with some bread (often homemade) and some homemade applesauce.

I used to can 70 quarts of applesauce every year!

Times change. I haven't made freezer soup for a long time. Partly because of the lack of leftovers! But mostly because I'm not feeding growing bodies anymore.

When I make vegetable soup now, I use a basic simple recipe. But it turns out the same every time I make it. It lacks that surprise element!

It reminds me of how our lives have changed...no longer chaotic, rarely surprising. The only sibling squabble that erupts is when Thatcher tries to eat Wynter's food. Life these days is quiet. Predictable. These are the years in between watching our children grow and the time when grandchildren bring new life to the family gatherings.

But it's still good. More than good... Blessed beyond belief!

Have you ever made soup from leftovers? Or are you so ready for spring that you're sick and tired of hearing about soup? :-)

Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.

You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com.

Thanksgiving Leftovers (Revisited)!

I think this will be a regular post for me to re-share every year. It's my favorite meal idea for Thanksgiving leftovers! Enjoy!

Missy Tippens


Last year [this was now 7 years ago!], I chaperoned a trip with my son's AP U.S. History class. We visited Boston and surrounding areas. At one stop in Concord, we let the kids go do lunch on their own. Several of the teachers and I hit a fantastic restaurant called Main Streets Market and Cafe. I had what I think may have been the best sandwich of my life. The Turkey Cranberry Wrap. I was in heaven. Recently, I decided to recreate this sandwich on my own. (I can't believe I didn't think to do it sooner.)

So, here we go! Pull out those leftovers and get to wrapping!

Get some of those low carb wraps I mentioned a few weeks ago. Spread on cranberry sauce. Your choice of type. My daughter chose jellied, "the kind that's shaped like a can."  :) Layer with baby spinach.

Add dressing. I heated mine.

Then layer on the turkey. Again, I heated mine.

Wrap up and serve with a side of sweet potato fries just for fun. :)

How easy is that?! And it's an amazing sandwich. I ate it leftover on three days last week! And didn't even get sick of it.

What's your favorite thing to make with Thanksgiving leftovers?

What to Do While Preparing for a Storm?

Missy Tippens

With Tropical Storm Irma approaching this past weekend, I decided to try to use up any leftovers and produce in the refrigerator since the power was likely to go out. I had a large batch of leftover spaghetti noodles and two bundles of asparagus.

Thankfully, I also had plenty of canned tomatoes in the pantry. Thus, I made one of my favorite pasta dishes. I've probably shared some version of this before because I used to eat it for lunch quite often.

Heat some oil in a skillet. Add some chopped garlic, then add the chopped asparagus. Cook for a couple of minutes. Then add canned diced tomatoes.

I also like to add some olives or capers. This time, I added chopped kalamata olives. It adds nice flavor and saltiness that I so love! Also, to make the sauce a bit saucier, I poured in some of the olive juice. If you don't want something quite that salty, you could add pasta water (unless, of course, you're using leftover noodles like I was). :)

Toss in the noodles and let them heat through. And of course, top with parmesan cheese!! If you're part of the Missy Tippens School of Thought on Cooking, that means LOTS of it. Ha ha!

What do you like to make when you're trying to clean out the refrigerator?

P.S. 
We weathered the storm well. Lost power for about 16 hours. Lots of yard debris but no trees down, thank the Lord. We all need to be praying for and doing what we can to help those hardest hit by Irma and Harvey. One organization that I know of that gets top ratings is the United Methodist Committee on Relief. I hope you'll check it out.

www.missytippens.com