Thanksgiving; What to Do With the Leftovers?

Anyone who has hosted a Thankgiving dinner knows that the holiday isn't over just because the dishes are done.  Most agree that the best part of Thanksgiving are the leftovers!  I'm sure we've all tried to make many different sandwiches out of turkey before but do you ever wonder if there are other options for the leftover food we have?  There is!  Here are two favorite recipes to use for the Thanksgiving leftovers!

A quick an easy food to make every Friday after Thanksgiving is Turkey Rice Soup.  It's a great way to make your turkey stretch to cover several meals!  This soup also give you a chance to add other veggies to the soup that you might have had from the day before!  Soup is a really nice change from just eating the usual leftovers.

Turkey Rice Soup

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
5 cups chicken or turkey broth
3 cups turkey, chopped
3/4 cup brown rice
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups broccoli, chopped

Directions

1. Drizzle olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Toss in diced onions and garlic and stir continuously.
3. After 5 minutes, add carrots, celery, chicken or turkey stock, and chopped turkey.
4. Turn the heat up to high and let the broth start to boil.  Once boiling, add rice.  Immediately turn the heat back down to medium-low, cover the lid, and cook for 20 minutes.
5. After the rice is cooked, add mushrooms and broccoli. 
6. Cook for another 5-10 minutes and serve!!!

** Is someone in your family is not a fan of broccoli, try adding other veggies like spinach, chard, or kale in place of broccoli.


Another leftover to use is the stuffing.  What do we do with all that leftover stuffing?  The next recipe answers the question by baking it in a bell pepper!  This is a simple and easy way to add some of your favorite leftovers into the bell pepper.  Try making this recipe several ways!

Stuffing Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients
4 large bell peppers
1 cup shredded turkey
1/2 cup reduce fat cheese
3 cups leftover stuffing
Leftover broth or gravy

Directions

1. Take bell peppers (any color) and cut 1/2-1 inch off the top of the pepper so that you have a removable lid.  Then remove the seeds and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix turkey, cheese and leftover stuffing.
3. Add in enough gravy or broth to moisten the mix.
4. Stuff the mixture into the bell peppers and top with their "lids".
5. Roast in a 450 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until the peppers are tender.

** Try getting the kids involved with mixing all the ingredients and stuffing the peppers!  Make it a meal by serving it with a crisp green salad.