Wondering what to do with holiday leftovers?

I believe that the amount of dirty dishes after a meal is closely linked to the quality of the meal. If that is the case, then Christmas dinner –with all of its trimmings- is a whopper.

The good news is that, after all of that work, you’ve usually got scads of leftovers. Leftovers though can be your grocery budget buster. Waste not, want not! Use up every last crumb.

Cranberry sauce

If you’ve made a super delish cranberry sauce (say with a little orange or ginger) but seem to have boatloads of it leftover, don’t dump it in the trash. This tart condiment has a variety of great uses. Slather it on a pork tenderloin or pork roast and bake. Very tasty.

Use it in sandwiches, along with a thin smear of mayo.

Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

A great way to use leftover mashed potatoes is to top a Shepherd’s Pie. But in this post-Christmas dinner version, throw in a selection of other leftovers- chopped turkey, creamed corn, green beans-whatever you like.

Toss the ingredients with a couple of cans of either Cream of Mushroom soup or Cream of Chicken soup. Bake until bubbly and potatoes are golden.

Hot Turkey Sandwich

Leftover turkey. Check. Leftover gravy. Check. A nice side of mashed. Check. Fill up your favourite bread with leftover turkey. Spoon with a ladle of gravy. Add top slice of bread and more gravy. Serve with your leftover mashed potatoes and some frozen peas- quick and easy.

Turkey soup

There are few better things on this planet than Turkey soup, made from scratch. As far as aromas to fill your house with food merriment all day long- this one is tops. Clean the turkey bones of all meat. Cover in water. Add several cups of carrots, celery, onion and chopped turkey. Bring to boil and simmer for several hours until water is broth-like.

I always cook short noodles on the side and add to the soup when it is reheated. If not, the noodles absorb a lot of the liquid and aren’t as tasty.