Turning Leftovers into Left- ‘Uppers’

Featured Clients,

December 21, 2011

After a successful Cooking Connections run in the first months of 2011, The Motherhood has brought back the popular virtual cooking school series for a 2012 season, thanks to ConAgra Foods and its recipe hub ReadySetEat.com.

To kick off the first class on Nov. 15, 2011, Turning Leftovers into Left-Uppers, celebrity chef George Duran joined an enthusiastic group of moms via live feed video to discuss ways to repurpose Thanksgiving leftovers into new, special meals. He also demonstrated one of his own left-upper recipes featured on ReadySetEat.com, Leftover Turkey and Stuffing Enchiladas.

http://youtu.be/7zNeZHtqN0g

“This is when I wish we could smell and taste food through TV!” said Ruby DW as George whipped up the recipe.

Deb at Just Short of Crazy agreed, “I want some now please. Might have to make Thanksgiving a week early!”

Keep reading for more ways to recycle leftovers into new, inspired and tasty family dinners!

Loving on Leftovers

An informal left-upper survey of the 10 blogger co-hosts revealed a few interesting Thanksgiving tidbits – eight of them agreed that leftovers are one of their favorite parts of the holiday, and six admitted that their families deliberately prepare too much food with the expectation of having leftovers.

“So, out of curiosity, how many leftovers do you ladies usually have at the end of a Thanksgiving meal? Ours is almost shameful,” said Stephanie, Goober Monkey.

“We always make extra so there are leftovers,” replied Deb, Just Short of Crazy.

“I always seem to have a lot left over so this is good to know I can make ‘Left Uppers,’” added Migdalia, Latina on a Mission.

Kasey at All Things Mamma noted, “I’ve heard so many people say that they aren’t fans of leftovers, but if they turned them into left-uppers – I bet they’d change their minds!”

“The great thing about Thanksgiving leftovers is that they all go so well together so you can combine them into almost anything – sandwich, quesadilla, fried cakes, etc,” agreed Kristy, The Wicked Noodle.

Left-Upper Inspiration

People love eating Thanksgiving food for days after the holiday – but 90 percent of people use their leftover turkey to make simple sandwiches. Our informal blogger survey showed that eight out of 10 people either made sandwiches or simply reheated a plate of Thanksgiving food. But there’s more you can do!

George Duran suggested using leftover stuffing in wraps with deli meat and gravy for a delicious lunch that kids will enjoy.

“Hubby would love that. With some leftover homemade cranberry relish in it,” added thienkim.

“What about taking crescent rolls and rolling up turkey and cheese in it, sorta like a pig in a blanket type appetizer? Then bake it,” said Mel, MamaBuzz.

“My mom used to make this with cream of mushroom soup and turkey as the filling!” replied Kasey, All Things Mamma.

“Another great idea for leftover turkey is to chop it, mix with mayo, Swiss cheese, cranberries, walnuts, salt & pepper and make a braid out of Crescent rolls. SO good. It also makes a great turkey salad,” said Jen, 80 MPH Mom.

“I love crescent roll braids!” agreed Jayme, Tater Twins.

Turkey is a versatile meat that can be used in almost any recipe. The class participants had a few other suggestions:

“Turkey pot pie with leftover turkey and leftover roasted veggies,” said Johanna, Momma Cuisine.

And thienkim added, “Every year, I make a turkey sausage gumbo using the turkey carcass & drippings. It’s so good and I make a huge pot to freeze.”

George suggested quesadillas as an easy Thanksgiving left-upper, which the group loved.

“Quesadillas are a staple in our diet. Didn’t think to use all of our Thanksgiving leftovers to make a new and fun meal idea!” admitted Kasey, All Things Mamma.

For leftover stuffing, “I make Chipotle Stuffing Cakes,” said Kristy, The Wicked Noodle. The recipe on her site: http://www.thewickednoodle.com

“What about what to do with leftover cranberry sauce/compote??” asked Johanna, Momma Cuisine. A few others had advice for her.

“Put it on crackers with goat cheese or brie!” said Kristy, The Wicked Noodle.

And thienkim suggested, “Waffle, french toast or pancake topping!”

Even if you have a very small amount of something left over, that doesn’t mean it can’t be used again. Mel at MamaBuzz “read this in magazine … to save and not waste, take even the smallest of leftovers & put in an ice tray, things like tomato sauce or pesto. Freeze, then bag and save for future use.”

Left-Uppers for Non-Turkey Thanksgivings

Thanksgiving turkey is a tradition with many families, but there are left-upper options for those who choose a different kind of meat for their holiday table.

Jen at The Big Binder has a grandmother who makes ham instead of turkey, and she asked for leftover ham recipe ideas. George Duran suggested using it in a quiche.

“Quiche sounds PERFECT for the leftover ham!!” she replied.

“We raise chickens and always have a ton of eggs so quiche is a weekly meal,” agreed Deb, Just Short of Crazy.

“We always make potato soup with leftover ham – with cheese and green beans,” added Jayme, Tater Twins. “So yummy!”

“In Puerto Rico we make pernil or pork roast … any suggestions for that?” said Migdalia, Latina on a Mission.

Thienkim suggested, “Make a stir fry with it. Spring rolls. Glaze it with some hoisin sauce and serve as sandwich, burger, etc.”

And for general ideas for repurposing leftovers, Johanna at Momma Cuisine is “doing a series of posts where I take leftovers and REMIX them into new recipes!” Check it out on http://mommacuisine.com

Storing Leftovers

“Food safety is really important in my kitchen,” emphasized George Duran.

When it comes to leftover meats, George recommended storing them for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator, and as long as 2-6 months in the freezer.

“After 4 days all our turkey is long gone,” joked Deb, Just Short of Crazy.

But freezing leftovers to serve months later can have its advantages.

“Can you imagine freezing and re-using the food in January?! How awesome is that!” said Migdalia, Latina on a Mission.

“Love the idea of warm comfort food on those cold, frigid days,” agreed Mel, MamaBuzz.

Kristy at The Wicked Noodle suggested, “I always freeze my turkey in individual portions so I can whip it out for easy dinners for my kids.”

Healthy Left-Uppers

Left-Uppers don’t have to be packed with calories. George Duran’s Leftover Turkey and Stuffing Enchiladas use low-fat sour cream and Hunt’s tomatoes, and for an antioxidant-rich option, he suggested working with kale.

“Great idea with the dark veggies. I DO forget about Kale!” Jennifer at 80 MPH Mom said.

Mel at MamaBuzz agreed, “I would never have thought of kale for flavoring … what a great healthy twist!”

Kasey at All Things Mamma focused on the tomatoes in George’s enchiladas. “LOVE Hunt’s Tomatoes with basil and oregano. Use them a ton in recipes!” she said.

George also highlighted the health benefits of using turkey instead of ground beef.

“Turkey instead of ground beef … I do that ALL The time. It definitely makes recipes healthier,” said Kayla.

“Have you tried ground chicken? Also very good and economical as well,” added Migdalia, Latina on a Mission.

Helping Hungry Kids This Holiday Season

When you buy ConAgra products to prepare for Thanksgiving and other holiday meals this year, you can also help those who will go hungry this holiday season.

Through December, collect the UPC codes from ConAgra Foods brands like PAM Cooking Spray and Hunt’s canned tomatoes and donate them to participating schools, listed at http://www.ChildHungerEndsHere.com. ConAgra will donate one meal to Feeding America for each code. The goal is to donate 5 million meals during the 2011-2012 school year.

“5 million meals?!! That’s amazing!!” said Kristy, The Wicked Noodle.

“We’re working with thousands of schools to help those in need this fall through our partners at Feeding America,” added Dan P. Skinner from the ConAgra Foods team.

“ConAgra is amazing…I was part of their Child Hunger Ends here campaign,” said Jen, 80 MPH Mom.

Left-Upper Recipes from Ready Set Eat

Here in the United States, we produce 34 million tons of waste each year, and 14 percent of that is from food scraps alone. Don’t let your holiday leftovers become part of that statistic! ConAgra’s recipe hub, Ready Set Eat, can inspire you to create new meals with your leftovers.

“Oh mercy. Can’t wait to share this great site with my readers,” said Deb, Just Short of Crazy.

“I love Ready Set Eat, I heard about it at Blissdom and use it quite a bit!” added Jen, The Big Binder.

“They have such quick and easy recipes. Love that they have Latino recipes as well!” said Migdalia, Latina on a Mission. “They also let you know what ingredients are on sale in your neighborhood stores. This has saved me quite a bit of money which is so important in this economy.”

Here’s the link to George’s recipe for Leftover Turkey and Stuffing Enchiladas from recipe hub Ready Set Eat: http://www.readyseteat.com/recipes-Leftover-Turkey-and-Stuffing-Enchiladas-5828.html

“Oh wow, mashed potatoes, cheese and turkey for the enchilada? DROOL!” said Stephanie, Goober Monkey.

Here’s one the kids will love! Leftover Turkey Sloppy Joes: http://www.readyseteat.com/recipes-Leftover-Turkey-Sloppy-Joes-5831.html

For a lighter meal, you can try these Leftover Turkey Lettuce Wraps: http://www.readyseteat.com/recipes-Leftover-Turkey-Lettuce-Wraps-5834.html

Turkey soup is a leftover standby, but you can spice it up a little to make this Leftover Turkey Taco Soup: http://www.readyseteat.com/recipes-Leftover-Turkey-Taco-Soup-5823.html

Thank you!

As the class ended, Jen at The Big Binder concluded, “We are lucky to be here with George Duran today, these are fantastic ideas and so creative. No more dreading leftovers!!”

THANK YOU to ConAgra Foods and their recipe hub ReadySetEat.com for sponsoring this informative class! And a big thanks to George Duran, http://www.georgeduran.com, and our fabulous blogger co-hosts:

Deb, Just Short of Crazy
Jayme, Tater Twins
Jennifer, Eighty MPH Mom
Jen, The Big Binder
Johanna, Momma Cuisine
Kasey, All Things Mamma

Kristy, The Wicked Noodle
Mel, MamaBuzz
Migdalia, Latina on a Mission
Stephanie, Goober Monkey

See the original Talk here: http://tmotherhood.wpengine.com/talk/show/id/62304