Sick of just having turkey sandwiches after Thanksgiving? There is so much more you can do with the leftovers. Don’t get me wrong, a turkey sandwich is a wonderful concoction of yumminess! But, why not take it up a notch by making a turkey panini? Use whatever bread you want. My personal favorite is ciabatta bread but I have used leftover thanksgiving rolls. Must haves for the inside of the sandwich are turkey, cranberry relish, stuffing and some cheddar cheese. Place the sandwich inside the panini maker and in 3 minutes, you’ll have the BEST sandwich ever! And this is great for after Thanksgiving too…you’ll be making grilled cheese and heating up other sandwiches in no time.

For me, one of the biggest hassles after you finish eating is what to do with the turkey carcass? It’s huge, messy and is a major inconvenience. Why not make it into soup? The stock pot allows you to do just this. Simply place the turkey carcass into the stock pot, pour in the water, and some salt; bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook the turkey frame until the remaining meat falls off the bones. After an hour, remove the carcass and throw away. This way you’re getting literally all the meat off and not wasting anything from the bird. Add some vegetables like celery, potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, whatever you want and cook for another hour to have delicious soup. Add Worcestershire sauce, parsley, basil, bay leaf, black pepper, paprika, poultry seasoning, and thyme to take it to another level. You can also use the stock pot for making chorizo, chili or a host of other items.

Last year, I discovered the leftover thanksgiving egg roll! What? Yep, this little morsel is a treat for your mouth! It’s easy to make and a big hit with both adults and kids. I mixed in a bowl some cubed turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. Get some egg roll wrapper and place about 1/4 a cup of the leftover mixture in the middle of the wrapper. Wet the edges and roll them up. I got out my fry daddy and cooked the eggrolls until they were golden brown. Once they were done, I made the dipping sauce using leftover cranberry sauce, a little water, and a teaspoon of vinegar! My good friend told me to save some calories, I should try baking the eggrolls. I may try that this year but then again…..why mess with perfection?

Stuffin muffins? Yes, it is what it sounds like…muffins made from stuffing and of course, other yummy Thanksgiving leftovers. You can use either leftover ham or turkey. Cut the meat of choice up into small pieces, add some spinach, 6 eggs, 2 tbsps. of milk, and 3 cups of stuffing. Mix it all up and spoon the mixture in a muffin tin. Here’s what I like about this recipe besides it being super easy, it’s freezable!

I’ll admit that I make way too many mashed potatoes. I have a really good reason I want to make mashed potato cheddar and chive waffles with the leftover potatoes! Add a little flour, some eggs, baking powder and baking soda, chives and some shredded cheddar cheese. Mix it all together and put it on the waffle maker. After a couple of minutes, they will be done!

With these simple steps you can save money and enjoy Thanksgiving for days (and maybe even weeks!) longer than everybody else!