Blogmas: Day 27-- Creative Leftover Ideas

I hate leftovers, full stop.  Unless it is a rare, fantastic meal that magically improves its taste while chilling out overnight in my fridge (super rare), I will not eat leftovers.  Holiday meals are not the exception, they are the rule.  Even though I personally will not eat leftovers, I do have some leftover hacks that can make your nearly week old leftovers *new(-ish)* again.

Cranberry Sauce: Cocktail Mixer

Puree your leftover cranberry sauce in a food processor or blender until it is completely liquified.  Run the liquid through a strainer to catch any remaining solid bits in the mixture.  Use the strained liquid as a cocktail mixer-- in Kettle and Cran, martinis, cosmopolitans, and as a champagne topper.

Rolls: Breadcrumbs

Crumble leftover rolls into small chunks and spray with cooking spray.  Place the crumbles on a baking sheet and cook at 350 degrees until the crumbs are crisp.  Once the crumbs have cooled, run small amounts through a food processor or blender and pulse until they are the consistency of a fine meal.  Use this meal as you would breadcrumbs.

Turkey and Stuffing: Casserole

Shred leftover turkey.  Mix turkey, leftover stuffing, and half a cup of mayonnaise in a casserole dish.  Smooth the mixture out, top with cheese (if you wish) and bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and the ingredients are bubbling. 

Turkey: Turkey Tater Tot Casserole

A new take on a personal favorite.  Shred your left over turkey and combine with one can on drained corn, two cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup, and 2/3 of a can of water.  Spread half the mixture out in a casserole dish then lay a layer of tatter tots on top of the mixture.  Add the remaining mixture on top of the tatter tots.  Lastly, add the remaining tots and (depending on your taste) a little cheese on top.  Bake at 350 degrees until cooked through.

What creative ideas have you come up with for your leftovers?  Share your ideas in the comments.