Holiday Leftover Ideas

The holidays are a time for friends and family and good old-fashioned home cooking. Who can resist the tempting smells coming from the kitchen at this most favorite time of year? Holiday dinners were among my favorite, most memorable meals as a child. Our family shared our holiday meals with different relatives each year, but wherever we were and whoever we were with, we always knew to expect good food and enjoyable family gatherings that we would remember for months to come.

When I was a child, it was always a tradition in our family to have turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas. We would also always enjoy mounds of creamy mashed potatoes and gravy, candied yams with lots of butter, brown sugar, and melted marshmallows, and I could always count on sampling my dad's famous fruit salad. He would meticulously cut each fruit into bite-size pieces (apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, and raisins), and mix it all together with a generous portion of homemade whipped cream. Homemade cranberry sauce was also always a special holiday treat.

Now that I'm married we have even more family to share our holiday meals with. With so much family, though, we rarely get to host dinner at our house. It's always nice to go to someone else's house to eat, but then we don't get any of the leftovers! We usually end up taking advantage of the holiday sales at the supermarket though, and then we can have our own little feast. I've had a lot of fun over the years devising ways to use up the leftovers from our own holiday meals--and I'd like to share some of my favorite recipes with you.

Turkey and Rice Soup

2 1/2 cups turkey, cooked and diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 6-ounce box long-grained rice
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrots, grated

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients with 6 cups of water. Simmer, covered, until rice is cooked, approximately 30 minutes. Great with fresh bread.

Turkey Spaghetti

8 oz. spaghetti or other pasta
1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
3/4 c. grated mild cheddar cheese
2 c. leftover cooked, diced turkey
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional - diced celery and/or diced onion to your taste

Prepare soup as directed. Prepare spaghetti as directed then drain. Combine spaghetti, soup and remaining ingredients. Stir until cheese melts. Serve and enjoy!

Mashed Potatoes and Ham Bake

2 cups mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons mustard
2 cups ham, cubed
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, mix mashed potatoes and mustard. Spread potato mixture in the bottom of a greased 8-inch square baking pan. Arrange ham on top of potatoes. In a small bowl, mix cottage cheese and cheddar cheese. Spread over ham. Bake until mixture is heated through, about 30 minutes.

Chopped Ham Sandwiches

2 lb. leftover ham, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 c. ketchup
1/4 c. vinegar
1 c. water
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Fry ham in a skillet and sprinkle flour over it. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 1 hour and serve on toast or hamburger buns. Makes 15 to 20 sandwiches.

Originally published at Suite 101. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.

---

Chocolate Tasting Techniques

First of all start with an empty stomach. This has... Read More

Do I Really Need to Follow a Recipe?

These days, its seems like everyone is looking for different... Read More

Limes

Limes were originally grown in Asia,introduced by the Arab traders... Read More

New York Style Cheesecake Recipe

New York style cheesecake recipes are made with a combination... Read More

Vegetarian Diet Tips: Make Your Vegetarian Diet A Balanced Diet!

The world has opened eyes to the harmful side-effects of... Read More

Boneless Prime Roast Recipe

When it comes to prime rib and there are two... Read More

How to Bake Quick Bread: Apricot-Orange Nut

We love moist, fruity quick breads--and this is one of... Read More

Paella, The Most Famous Spanish Dish

First of all, paella is not exactly the dish but... Read More

Vegetarian Gourmet----Meatless Makeovers

Three years ago I decided to go "meatless." It wasn't... Read More

Wonderful Holiday Recipe Ideas

The Holiday Season is upon us and soon we will... Read More

A Victory Garden

In the early nineteen forties,women shopped with ration stamps that... Read More

Noodles

Different cultures have their own way of taking some water... Read More

Low Fat Salmon Recipes

Finding delicious low fat salmon recipes has just become easier... Read More

Party Appetizer Recipes ? So Easy And So Affordable!

These are two of my favorite party appetizer recipes that... Read More

Light Veal Recipes to Barbeque or to Broil

With everyone watching their weight and seeking out recipes that... Read More

Zucchini Carrot Salad

Summer is nearing and it is time to start thinking... Read More

Fish Recipes

These recipes are wonderful and they are old family recpies.... Read More

Dining With The Romans

Numerius was a slave and ate one meal a day... Read More

Hot Barbeque Recipes

Anyone can create delicious homemade hot barbeque recipes once they... Read More

Rice Noodles with Tomatoes and Tuna -A Savoury Gluten-free Alternative to Pasta

Ok. I never thought that the day would come when... Read More

My Mothers Recipe Box

Remember the days when cookbooks weren't so readily available, and... Read More

Apples of Love

If the Spanish conquistadors had known what they were onto... Read More

Fortunate Lemon Chicken

A delicious chicken meal for you to prepare at home.... Read More

6 Steps to Beating Childhood Obesity

These days kids would rather spend time on the computer... Read More

So, You Have A Crockpot - Now Youll Want Crockpot Recipes

To those of us that don't know, crockpot recipes are... Read More

Asparagus Quiche

½ lb. Asparagus spears (top part of asparagus with the... Read More

Swiss Chard - What Do I Do With That?

Originally, all foods were "organic" ? grown and prepared without... Read More

Shake Things Up With Fun Milkshakes

Milkshakes have been around since the old days of drugstore... Read More

Low Fat Pasta: Why and How to Make it.

Making your own pasta is not difficult. It's actually very... Read More

Holiday Recipe: Filled Cookies

From the book: Christmas In Dairyland (True Stories From a... Read More

Do You Ever Search For Quick recipes?

In the quest for more time, searching for quick recipes... Read More

Simply Salads

"It is just sensible."exclaimed my friend. She was referring to... Read More

Thai BBQ or Barbeque Chicken Recipes

What makes Thai BBQ chicken recipes so delicious? It is... Read More