Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes

Thanksgiving is over and that means tons of food is probably still leftover. The hype has worn off and you’re probably tired of eating it by now.

Well before you start tossing good food, try any of these recipes that let you turn your leftovers into more meals you’ll actually want to eat!

1. Turkey Soup

Ingredients:

• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 turkey carcass, all meat removed
• 1 carrot, halved lengthwise, plus 1 carrot, minced
• 1 whole stalk celery, plus 1 stalk, minced
• 1 onion, halved, plus 1 onion, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups dark turkey meat
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups leftover cooked Thanksgiving side vegetables (Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, green beans)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

Directions:

1. Put the chicken broth, turkey, carrot halves, celery stalk, onion halves and 1 bay leaf in a large stockpot.
2. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 1½ hours.
3. Dice the turkey meat. (If preparing the soup the next day, be sure to store leftover turkey meat in an airtight container before placing it in the refrigerator. Top with 1 or 2 ladles full of broth to keep the meat moist.)
4. Before straining the broth, remove the large bones and carcass with tongs.
5. Strain the broth and remove the solids.
6. Transfer the broth to a bowl set in a bath of ice water, which will cool the broth quickly and help keep it fresher longer.
7. In a large soup pot, heat the garlic in the olive oil over medium heat.
8. Allow it to brown slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the minced carrots, celery and onions.
9. Dice the leftover Thanksgiving vegetables
10. Add the sage to the soup pot along with the turkey broth and the remaining bay leaf.
11. Bring to a simmer. When simmering, add the Brussels sprouts, green beans and diced turkey meat to the soup.
12. Bring it back up to a simmer.
13. Finally, add the sweet potatoes.
14. Turn the heat off and cover.
15. Allow it to sit and steam, 5 to 7 minutes.
16. Let simmer for 5 more minutes and serve.