Q: What can I do with holiday leftovers?
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Keep the holiday going by sending guests home with leftovers (make sure to squirrel some away for yourself though!) We recently saw this muffin tin hack on Instagram, and we think this is a genius way to package leftovers (however, please ignore the caption and do not put aluminum products - or flimsy plastic - into your microwave. To reheat, remove the lid, cover with foil if desired, then pop into a 350°F oven or toaster oven). If you don’t have disposable muffin tins on hand, you can also use muffin liners as container dividers.
Basic turkey stock
If you’re still up for cooking once the turkey has been carved, throw the bones into a large pot along with some aromatics (onions and/or shallots, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, etc.), and some celery and carrots. Cover the contents with water, then let simmer for a few hours. Let cool, then strain and you have stock for days that can be used in myriad ways. Some ideas of how to put it to use are below.
Waldorf turkey salad
You may feel the need for some greens after Thursday’s feast. And, if you hosted (or even if you didn’t), you likely have most of the ingredients on hand for this salad: celery, grapes, apples, a handful of nuts. If you don’t have leftover turkey, you can sub in tuna, shredded chicken, or even cubed tofu. For even more digestive power, add some curry powder to the dressing.
It is football season, after all. If you’re feeding a crowd for the second time this week, pile all your leftovers onto some buns, top with cheese, and brush with some butter. Easy as pie.
Turkey pot pie
By Saturday or so, you may be hungry again. If you made stock, this is an excellent way to put it to use. Grab some leftover onions and carrots, the last of your turkey, and turn it into pot pie. You can use a store-bought crust if you don’t have any leftover on hand, or could omit the crust entirely and serve this as a soup.