Our Frugal Journey

I’m not sure what I enjoy more: the feast or the leftovers.

It’s a tough call for me.

While I enjoy the family gathering around the dining room table eating all the traditional Thanksgiving Day foods, for the chief cook (me) and bottle washer (dear hubby) it’s a lot of work from start to finish.

The leftovers are kind of like a year-end bonus. After all that hard work, you get to coast for a few days, getting several meals out of the ole bird.

It saves time, work and money. A triple play in the frugal cook’s kitchen.

Here are some of the meals I plan to make this week with what’s left of our 21-pound bird.

Hot Browns:  This legendary dish, which originated at a Louisville, Ky., hotel, is always the first thing I make with my Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. Click here to see the official recipe from the Brown Hotel. Or follow these simple directions to make my much humbler version:

Toast 6 slices of bread and place in bottom of 13×9 pan. Generously cover toast with pieces of leftover turkey, then ladle leftover gravy over turkey. Next, add a layer of bacon and thinly sliced tomato, then sprinkle with any type of cheeses you have on hand. In a pinch, I’ve even used slices of American. Bake at 350 degrees until heated through and bubbly.

 Turkey corn noodle soup: Most of the year I make chicken corn noodle soup, a favorite from my years growing up in Pennsylvania Dutch country. This year I’m substituting leftover turkey for chicken and making my own broth with the turkey carcass. (see below) I like to make this soup in the crock pot. It’s as delicious as it is comforting. And SO easy. There’s no real recipe for it, just a lot of dumping into the crock pot: Add about 6 cups of broth, about 2 cups of turkey cut into small pieces, a can of corn. Toss in a couple of pieces of carrot or celery, if you like, and simmer for a couple of hours. About a half hour before eating, toss in a half bag of egg noodles. So good.

Turkey sandwiches: This is a real quick favorite in our house, especially on a good quality bread with mustard and cheese. It doesn’t get any easier than this.

Turkey and dressing casserole: I borrowed this idea from Lynnae over at Being Frugal. Simple layer dressing and turkey in a casserole dish, top with gravy and a bit of cheese and bake through until hot. This sounds really yummy, though I may have to make a batch of stuffing to pull this off, seeing as all of ours has already disappeared.

Broth: The aforementioned broth, used in the turkey corn soup recipe, is super easy to make. Toss your turkey carcass in a large pot and cover with water. Toss in a carrot or celery, if you have it, or simply add a little salt and pepper and any favorite spices you have on hand. Simmer for several hours on the stop. Strain it, then store in your refrigerator over night. Skim off any fat and voila, you have your own turkey broth. Use it now or freeze it to use later.

Here are a few more ideas to save yourself some money and keep that Bird from going to waste:

*Substitute turkey for any of your family’s favorite chicken recipes.

*Offer unwanted leftovers to a family member or friend. In our house, we don’t eat the dark meat so all of it, including the turkey legs, went home with my mom. She was thrilled to get them.

*If you’re feeling overwhelmed or just can’t stand the thought of eating any more turkey, resist the urge to just toss the turkey in the trash. Freeze it for later.

*Needing some more inspiration for using up your Thanksgiving leftovers?

Jenn over at Frugal Upstate has compiled a list of 16 turkey-related recipes – some of them quite unusual. Thanks Jenn!

Erin over at $5 Dinners has another super list of T-Day recipes here. She’s also got a great idea for using up any extra sweet potatoes you might have on hand. Her recipe for baked sweet potato fries is here. Erin, by the way, has a cookbook coming out just in time for Christmas. Check that out here. I’ve never met Erin but have really enjoyed following her blog so I’m guessing the book will be a source of great info.