Mashed Potatoes
Creamy, buttery (and sometimes garlicky) mashed potatoes are too tasty to waste — and, thankfully, you don’t need to! Use the leftover mashed to make a comforting shepherd's pie. Try a traditional one featuring beef, peas and carrots and parsley, or use lean ground turkey in place of beef for a slightly modified version. And if you’re not in the mood for a hearty pot pie, turn your leftover mashed potatoes into kid-friendly mashed potato tots — perfect for dipping into ketchup or Ranch dressing!
Turkey
Turkey is the superstar of any holiday meal, and it’s also the MVP when it comes to leftovers. Your options are virtually limitless. Shred the turkey to make a hearty, warming, turkey noodle soup right in the slow cooker. Craving comfort food? Use your leftover turkey to make a turkey stroganoff.
Leftover Vegetables
Those carrots, peas, Brussels sprouts and squash might not seem like the most versatile leftovers, but you’re sitting on a culinary goldmine. Throw any of your favourite vegetables into a breakfast hash to make it more filling, or finely chop your leftover vegetables and add them to your morning omelet. Make a vegetable quiche or frittata featuring your leftover holiday fare — for a hearty option try a leftover carrot, caramelized onion and potato frittata, or broccoli and spinach if you have a surplus of greens — or simply add leftover vegetables to your turkey soup or pie.
Alternatively, keep it simple by topping mixed leftover vegetables with a dressing of your choice for a quick and easy “roasted” vegetable salad. Make your leftovers feel deluxe with a mustard and bacon vinaigrette or keep it classic with a herb and garlic one.
Pie
We love holiday pie – pumpkin, apple, pecan, chocolate – the list goes on! If you’re looking at half a pie or more post festivities, you probably want a more creative way to eat it than simply serving up a slice. Try chopping your pie into chunks and serving it over vanilla ice cream for an easy sundae, adding a drizzle of rum caramel sauce for an extra-sweet touch. Or blend the pie until (almost) smooth, shape into balls, coat with milk chocolate and dust with cocoa for easy truffles. Bake any leftover pie filling in muffin tins to make crustless mini-pies — you can enjoy them on their own or blend ‘em into a smoothie or milkshake for a decadent treat.
Just Remember - Food Safety is Key
While your holiday dinner leftovers are delicious, they won’t be safe to eat forever. Use up refrigerated leftovers within two to three days. If you can’t use up your leftovers by then, freeze them for longer-term storage.
