Leftovers to be Thankful for

Get creative with your Thanksgiving leftovers with these hot, out-of-the-oven recipes.

By Maddy Hill

Web Exclusive

No matter whether you are the entertainer or the guest at Thanksgiving dinner, chances are, you’ll be going home with leftovers. But are you tired of making the same old turkey chili in a sorry attempt to rid yourself of the remnants from last night’s feast? Spend some time getting creative in the kitchen on Black Friday and transform those leftovers into something your entire family will want to eat. Let the following recipes inspire your taste buds, no matter what leftovers you end up with.

For mashed sweet potatoes: Sweet Potato and Banana Muffins

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/potatoesandsweetpotatoes/r/Sweet-Potato-And-Banana-Muffins-Recipe.html

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 1/2 cups mashed sweet potato leftovers

2/3 cup ripe banana, mashed

1/4 cup melted butter

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup pecans, chopped and toasted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease the muffin pans. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, allspice and salt. In a large bowl, mix the sweet potatoes, bananas, melted butter, eggs and milk. Stir well. After completely mixed, add the dry flour mixture and pecans. Stir. Fill muffin pans two-thirds of the way full and bake for 20 minutes. For an extra garnish, serve with leftover cranberry sauce or bake extra cranberries into the muffins.

For stuffing: Stuffing-Stuffed Mushrooms

foodnetwork.com/recipes/stuffing-stuffed-mushrooms-recipe.html

Ingredients

24 button mushroom caps

1 cup leftover stuffing

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix together leftover stuffing, Parmesan, olive oil, parsley and garlic. Stuff the mixture into the mushroom caps, topping with a touch more Parmesan and olive oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

For cranberry sauce and grilled vegetables: Vegetable Samosas

foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/vegetable-samosas-recipe.html

Ingredients

1 cup leftover mashed potatoes

1/2 cup cooked vegetables (carrots, green beans, etc.), chopped

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon mint, chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, chopped

Salt and cayenne pepper for seasoning

Puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

Plain yogurt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix leftover mashed potatoes, cooked vegetables, thawed frozen peas, curry powder, cilantro, mint and ginger. Add a dash of salt and cayenne pepper. Roll the puff pastry into a 14-inch square and cut into 25 small squares. Place 1 tablespoon of filling onto the center of each square, brushing edges with a beaten egg and folding the pastries into triangles. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with cranberry sauce and yogurt mix.

For Mashed Potatoes: Eggs in Purgatory

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/eggs-in-purgatory-recipe.html

Ingredients:

5 large eggs

2 cups chilled leftover mashed potatoes

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 cup marinara sauce

2 tbsp grated parmesan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Stir one egg in a large bowl, mixing in the leftover mashed potatoes and flour. Form the mixture into four potato pancakes (about ½ cup each.) Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, frying pancakes until they are golden (about two minutes per side.) Transfer the pancakes to a paper towel to absorb excess oil and keep them warm on a baking sheet in the oven. Drain excess oil from the pan. Crack remaining four eggs into the pan and sprinkle salt and pepper, cooking until the white is firm (about two minutes.) Flip eggs over and repeat. Spoon warm marinara onto four plates. Place a pancake on top of the sauce and add an egg on top. Sprinkle with parmesan.

For Turkey: Turkey, Brie and Apple Butter Sandwich with Arugula

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/grilled-turkey-brie-and-apple-butter-sandwich-with-arugula-recipe.html

Ingredients:

Stone-milled rye bread or Hawaiian rolls

Brie

Leftover turkey

Apple butter (or leftover cranberry sauce)

Arugula

Directions:

Put two slices of turkey, a slice of brie and apple butter (or leftover cranberry sauce) between two slices of bread or, for a sweeter flavor, a Hawaiian roll. Microwave for 30 seconds on high. Remove sandwich from the microwave and put arugula on it.

Photos courtesy of foodnetowrk.com.