Holiday Leftovers Recipe: Cranberry Orange Butter

Happy New Year!  Cranberries are often the only remaining leftover in the fridge by now, and sadly, they often end up getting tossed. Instead of throwing them out, try this super-simple recipe, and you can enjoy your cranberries for at least another week in a different form! Enjoy on hot cranberry bread or muffins, or warm biscuits.

This calls for cranberry orange relish, but you can also use plain cranberry sauce - just make sure to drain it well in step 1.

Using up leftovers doesn't get any easier than this!

Cranberry Orange Butter

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
1/4 cup cranberry orange relish

Directions:

• Put cranberry orange relish in sieve over a bowl and let drain; discarding the liquid or keep it for another use.
• Put butter in shallow bowl, and when it reaches room temperature, add the cranberry orange relish.
• Using a fork or pastry cutter, mix the relish into the butter until well blended, then put in pretty serving dish and put in refrigerator to get cool and solid.
• Serve cold on hot cranberry bread or muffins.

Leftovers Recipe: Potato Corn Chili Fritters

This tasty recipe puts a brand new twist on mashed potatoes, while doing double-duty: using up both the leftover potatoes and corn.

It's simple, easy, and deliciously different - your family won't even recognize it as leftovers!

Potato Corn Chili Fritters
(Makes 14-18 fritters.)

Ingredients: 
 
4 cups mashed potatoes
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup corn (cooked)
1 tsp finely chopped green onion or chives
pinch chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 cup flour (more or less to form consistency desired)
Peanut oil for frying

Directions:

• In a bowl, put the potatoes and the eggs and stir until well blended.
• Mix in the corn, onion, and chili powder; taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.
• Add flour gradually, mixing as you add until you get a dough consistency that holds its shape well enough to stick together when you press it into a spoon.
• In a large heavy skillet, put enough oil in so you have about 1/2 inch; put the heat on medium-high, and heat until sizzling.
• Firmly scoop a heaping tablespoon full of batter, pressing and forming with your fingers until the dough sticks together, then push off into the hot oil.  Cook for about 2 or 3 minutes until golden brown, then flip gently and cook the other side for about 2 to 3 more minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove to a paper towel covered cooling rack, salt if desired, and allow to cool slightly before serving.
• Serve with ketchup, mustard, or other dips.

Recipe: Homemade Holiday Cranberry Orange Muffins

The ugly stepchild of Thanksgiving leftovers is the cranberry sauce. After the gravy, mashed potatoes, and turkey sandwiches, soups, and other creatives are gone, you find the cranberry sauce still sitting at the back of the fridge.

Never fear! There are actually lots of ways to use up this special leftover side dish - such as these delicious, festive, and surprisingly healthy muffins! Oats and cranberry orange relish give these muffins plenty of fiber, texture, and flavor, without too much sugar. These are also great for a quick leftover breakfast the next day.

Homemade Holiday Cranberry Orange Muffins

Ingredients:

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup cranberry orange relish, use leftovers

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees and prepare muffin tin with paper cups or grease and flour.
• In a large bowl, stir or sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
• Add the brown sugar and oatmeal and stir until well combined.
• To the dry ingredients, add all the remaining ingredients, stirring until the dry ingredients are just moist, don't over stir.
• Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full. 
• Bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.
• Remove from oven and let cool slightly, then remove muffin cups to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Leftovers Recipe: Easy Cream And Salsa Turkey Enchiladas

This recipe makes it easy to use up those last few scraps of turkey. You're probably tired of turkey sandwiches and turkey soup by now, so why not shake things up a bit and add some Mexican flavor? These are super fast and easy to put together, so they work great for a quick meal when you don't feel like cooking (and who does, after last week??)...

Easy Cream And Salsa Turkey Enchiladas
(Serves 6-8.)

Ingredients:

3 cups leftover turkey, shredded
2 cups sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp chopped green onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
12 corn tortillas
1 jar (16 oz) good salsa (your favorite)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish.
• In a large bowl, mix together the turkey, sour cream, cheese, onion, and salt.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over low heat. Put a tortilla in and fry until hot and browned slightly, turn and fry the other side, then put on plate, cover with foil, and fry second tortilla.  Continue until all tortillas are fried, making sure to keep foil on them all to keep them warm and moist.
• Lay a tortilla on a work surface and spoon turkey mixture in the middle, the length of the tortilla, then roll up, and lay in baking dish seam side down. Continue until all 12 tortillas are filled and rolled and in baking dish.
• Pour salsa evenly over the top then put in oven and bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
• (Optional: remove from oven and add more Cheddar cheese on top, then bake 5 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.)

Low-Carb Recipe: Perfect Pumpkin Soup

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving, and enjoyed a wonderful time with family and friends! Now comes the less fun part: dealing with all those leftovers!

We can all come up with lots of things to do with leftover turkey, but what about that extra can of pumpkin that you didn't use for the pie? Here's a simple recipe that will warm you up and satisfy your craving for something warm, spicy, and savory that you can make in a jiffy for a quick supper tonight after being on your feet in the kitchen all day yesterday.  Keep in mind that this soup is rich and meant to enjoy in small portions, not large bowls, although you may find it hard to resist. :-)

Enjoy!

Perfect Pumpkin Soup

1 Tbsp olive or coconut oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic - chopped or grated
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup half-and-half or cream

Directions:

• In a large soup pot, combine oil and onion over medium heat and cook until soft.
• Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add the other spices, and stir together.
• Pour in the wine, and stir, cooking for 1 minute.
• Add the pumpkin puree and broth, stir and cook until heated through, about 4 or 5 minutes.
• To make soup smooth, remove from heat and let cool slightly, then pour into food processor.  Blend until smooth, then return to pot. (Or use a stick blender if you have one.)
• Put soup pot on low heat and bring back up to hot, but do not boil.
• Remove from heat and pour in half-and-half, stir, and taste for salt and other seasonings and add more if desired.  You may also add a touch of sugar if you like to bring up the sweetness level. Cover and let stand 5 minutes so flavors blend well.
• Serve warm with garnishes like roasted pumpkin seeds, crispy bacon crumbles, a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, and chives or parsley.
• You can easily double or triple this recipe for a larger crowd.  You will need to process it in several batches in the food processor if you do.

Holiday Leftovers Recipe: Ham Potato Soup Cups

Still got some of that Christmas ham hanging around? Try this delicious recipe to give your leftovers a creative face lift! It is also a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes, peas, dinner rolls, and some of that chicken broth that you didn't use last week while cooking Christmas dinner.

Ham Potato Soup Cups
(Serves 4.)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced smoked ham
4 sliced green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups mashed potatoes
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth (or 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sweet green peas
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
salt and pepper
2 cups torn up dinner rolls
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan; add diced ham, green onions, and minced garlic; cooking over low heat until garlic is fragrant.
• Add the mashed potatoes, broth, milk, peas, and thyme, stirring to combine.
• Turn heat up to medium and bring to a boil, immediately reducing heat to low, then simmer slowly for 10 minutes or until soup thickens, season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon into 4 broiler-safe bowls. Scatter the torn dinner rolls and sprinkle with the shredded Cheddar cheese. 
• Place bowls on a broiler pan 6 inches under broiler turned on high, and broil 1 to 3 minutes or until top bubbles and gets golden brown.
• Remove and let cool slightly before serving.

Hanukkah Leftovers Recipe: Healthy Applesauce Latke Topping

Got some leftover latkes? They are actually great cold for breakfast, topped with warm applesauce! Try this simple, tasty, and super healthy topping - my favorite way to eat latkes!

Healthy Applesauce Latke Topping

Ingredients:

5 lbs semi-tart apples
1 lemon, juiced
2 sticks cinnamon
2 drops vanilla extract
pinch kosher salt
water
natural honey or real maple syrup, to taste (optional)

Directions:

• Peel and core the apples, cut them in half, then place them in a large soup pot.
• Add the next 4 ingredients to the pot, stir together, then fill with just enough water to come up to half way up on the apples.
• Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until apples are soft and liquid has reduced. Stir often.
• Remove and cool slightly, then remove the cinnamon sticks. 
• Now add honey or maple syrup to sweeten if desired, and stir well.
• Mash the apples with a potato masher or run the mixture through a sieve if you want to remove some of the pulp.
• Let cool and serve with hot or cold latkes.

Holiday Leftovers Recipe: Shrimp And Green Bean Casserole Pasta Skillet

Still got that green bean casserole hanging around from last week, and not quite sure what to do with it? This recipe will transform that old casserole into something totally new that no one would even recognize as as leftovers! It's quick and easy too - just cook some pasta, and this quick skillet meal will help you get dinner on the table in no time.

Shrimp And Green Bean Casserole Pasta Skillet
(Serves 2-3.)

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp olive oil for frying
1 lb medium sized shrimp, cleaned
3 cups leftover green bean casserole
1/2 cup white wine
8 oz penne, cooked, drained (keep warm)
grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions:

• In a large skillet over medium-low heat, put garlic, red pepper flakes, and olive oil, cooking just long enough until the garlic gets fragrant and softens.
• Immediately toss in the shrimp, cooking until just pink.
• Add the leftover green bean casserole and the white wine, stirring to combine; turn heat to low and simmer gently until just heated through, about 4 or 5 minutes.
• Dump cooked pasta into skillet and toss to combine.
• Serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Holiday Leftovers Recipe: Simple Seconds Turkey Stuffing Casserole

This is a great way to use up just about everything you  have left over from Thanksgiving dinner! Repurpose the leftover turkey, stuffing, gravy, and some cranberry sauce, and save that green bean casserole for Friday's recipe, and you'll finally be done with leftovers (at least for this year). Plus it's super simple and easy!

Simple Seconds Turkey Stuffing Casserole
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

4 cups leftover stuffing
2 cups leftover turkey, diced or shredded
2 cups leftover turkey gravy
1/3 cup leftover cranberry sauce

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter or oil a large casserole dish.
• Put half the stuffing in the baking dish and pat gently to cover the bottom of the dish evenly. 
• Add half the turkey, arranging evenly, then half of the gravy. 
• Repeat the layers, then evenly distribute the cranberry sauce over the top of the casserole.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Low-Carb Leftovers Recipe: Cranberry Orange Vinaigrette Dressed Salad

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! With all the excess of yesterday's feast, you may be in the mood for something lighter today, and this delicious salad will hit the spot - while helping you use up leftovers at the same time! Use the remnants of Thanksgiving dinner to create a scrumptious dinner salad that won't leave you feeling bloated.

Cranberry Orange Vinaigrette Dressed Salad

Ingredients:

Leftover cranberries. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 cup cranberry sauce (whole berry)
1 small sweet orange, zested and squeezed*
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp honey
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 olive oil
fresh spinach
leftover turkey
chopped walnuts

Instructions:

• Put the cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, vinegar, mustard, honey, and salt in a bowl and stir until blended.
• Drizzle in the olive oil, slowly, whisking constantly, adding a bit of olive oil at a time until the vinaigrette becomes smooth and thickens.
• Arrange a bed of spinach and turkey pieces on salad plates and top with generous amount of vinaigrette.
• Sprinkle walnuts on top of salad and serve cold.

* You can make this also with leftover cranberry orange relish.  Just substitute the sauce with the relish and eliminate the zested and juiced orange in the recipe. Everything else remains the same.

Recipe: Leftover Sweet Potato Cake

If you're looking for a sweet way to use up some of those holiday leftovers, treat yourself to this wonderful and unique cake! Leftover sweet potatoes add fiber, flavor, and beautiful color, while the rich flavor is accented with vanilla, spices, and a tangy hint of beer - it may sound odd, but try it - you'll be glad you did! (Feel free to cut down on the sugar - with the sweetness of the potatoes you shouldn't need this much - I would probably only use about a cup or so.)

Leftover Sweet Potato Cake

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: SheGotTheBeat)

1 3/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil or coconut oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups leftover sweet potatoes, mashed
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup beer

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, add the sugar and vegetable oil and mix together until smooth.
3. Into the bowl with the sugar and oil, put one egg at a time, beating each one as you add them.
4. Into the same bowl, stir in the vanilla, then add the mashed sweet potatoes and blend well. 
5. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
6. Add small amounts of this dry mixture to the sweet potato mixture, alternating with small amounts of the beer until everything comes together; but do NOT over mix. 
7. Turn this batter out into the prepared baking dish.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Remove and cool, then slice and serve as is or top with your favorite frosting - cream cheese frosting works great!

Leftovers Recipe: Cheddar Potato Veggie Soup

Mashed potatoes are an essential side of most Thanksgiving dinners, but what on earth to do with the leftovers? They're not as easy to just throw into something as leftover turkey is, and they don't always reheat well, and certainly aren't good cold. This recipe offers a creative use of leftover mashed potatoes, so you can get rid of that bowl sitting in the back of the fridge! Rather than having to blend up the potatoes to make a creamy soup, just use the already mashed ones. The addition of cheese, carrots, celery and cauliflower makes this filling and hearty potato soup anything but bland. Next holiday, you may just make extra mashed potatoes on purpose!

Cheddar Potato Veggie Soup
(Serves 4.)

Ingredients:

 (Photo credit: lynn.gardner)

1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup cauliflower pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 cups mashed potatoes
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or white Cheddar cheese
1 (8 oz) package lower fat cream cheese, warmed to room temperature, and cut into small pieces
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In your food processor, put the onion, carrot, celery, and cauliflower and pulse until fine.  You can use either cooked leftovers or raw.
2. Put this mixture into a large soup pot, add the olive oil, and put over medium heat, stirring to saute for 2 minutes.
3. Add the broth to the soup pot, turn heat up and bring mixture to a boil, immediately turning heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Keep heat low, and slowly add in the potatoes and milk, and stir until well combined; simmer slowly for 5 minutes.
5. Keep heat low, and stir in the Cheddar cheese and cream cheese, stirring constantly while heating until the cheeses are completely melted and soup is hot - but do NOT boil. Be patient, this should take a few minutes to do correctly.
6. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
7. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for five minutes.
8. Serve in soup bowls with a pat of butter on top, a sprinkling of more Cheddar cheese, or a few chives or green onions.

Leftovers Recipe: Cranberry Apple Sweet Potato Crisp

The sweet potato casserole is often a favorite, so you may not always have many leftovers, but if you do, it sometimes seems lacking on subsequent days. Here is a creative and interesting way to dress up that leftover casserole, and make it shine anew. The tartness of the apples and cranberries provide a perfect foil to the sweet creaminess of the leftover casserole, and the addition of a crunchy topping provides textural interest as well as tantalizing your taste buds!

Cranberry Apple Sweet Potato Crisp

Ingredients:

4 cups leftover sweet potato casserole
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped tart apples
2 cups leftover cranberry orange relish
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 cups oat or corn flake cereal

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a shallow casserole dish.
2. Put the leftover sweet potatoes in a bowl with the cream cheese and mix with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix again until smooth. Note: If your sweet potato casserole is very sweet, you can omit the added brown sugar and cinnamon.  If your sweet potatoes are unsweetened, then be sure to add these ingredients. 
3. Layer the sweet potato mixture into the casserole dish, distributing evenly.
4. Sprinkle the apple pieces evenly over the top.
5. Spoon the cranberry orange relish evenly on the top.
6. Sprinkle the walnuts over the top.
7. Put the butter, flour, and brown sugar in a bowl and cut with pastry cutter or with forks until mixture is crumbly. Add the cereal flakes and toss until combined.
8. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the casserole.
9. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the crunchy topping is lightly browned.

Recipe: After The Feast Turkey Vegetable Soup

Turkey soup is one of my favorite ways to use up holiday leftovers. It's easy, simple, and delicious, and it helps you get rid of that turkey carcass a lot faster!  We usually make this a few days after the holiday, when we've snacked on turkey sandwiches for a couple of days, and are ready to be done with it. But if you just want to get that big carcass out of the fridge sooner, pick most of the meat off the bones and put it in stackable containers in the refrigerator, and then use the carcass in this tasty soup. The stock is filled with flavor and good healthy stuff. To get the most nutrients out of the bones, add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the stock before cooking.

After The Feast Turkey Vegetable Soup
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: churl)

Stock:
Carcass from roasted turkey, picked clean
1 large yellow onion, peeled, quartered
1 large carrot,  scrubbed, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
1 bay leaf
10 whole black peppercorns

Soup:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme
2 cups leftover turkey meat, shredded or chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, taste as you add
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Put the turkey carcass, quartered onions, coarsely chopped carrots and celery, smashed garlic, bay leaf, and peppercorns in a large stockpot.
• Cover with cold water and set over medium-high heat and bring to boil, then immediately turn heat to simmer and slowly simmer for 1-2 hours.
• Remove pot and pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl or pot.  This should yield about 10 cups of broth.

• Dry the inside of the stockpot a little with a paper towel.
• To the stockpot add the oil and place over medium heat. 
• Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrots and cook until starting to get soft, about 5 minutes. 
• Add the minced garlic and thyme, stirring to combine for just 1 minute.
• Pour in the reserved stock and bring to a gentle simmer; simmering until vegetables are just soft, about 10-15 minutes. 
• Add the leftover turkey meat, salt, and pepper, tasting to adjust seasoning.
• Simmer just until turkey is heated through. 

Recipe: Holiday Leftovers - Ham Salad Sandwiches

If you've still got some ham rattling around in the fridge, check out this recipe for a tasty yet simple twist on the ham sandwich. Mustard, pickle, and onion gives it a kick, but rather than the usual sliced ham, this ham salad incorporates the spices right into the meat, so you'll get a yummy flavor combo in every bite.

Enjoy!

After The Feast Ham Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup leftover ham, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp pickle relish
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp grated onion
salt and pepper to taste
kaiser rolls or other sturdy bread

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, put the ham and pulse until finely minced.
2. Put in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients; taste and season as desired.
3. Spread mixture on bread, bun, or crackers for a quick lunch or dinner the next day.

Recipe: Leftover Ham And Cheese Stratta

Yum - this makes a great breakfast!  Or even lunch, for that matter.... This is a great way to use up some of that leftover ham from your Easter dinner. Breakfast favorites you probably already have on hand like milk, eggs, and bread are spiced up with green onions, mustard, and cayenne pepper, while bacon adds its signature smoky flavor to the mix. Use whatever cheese you like - from fancy to simple - it will be delicious either way!

Leftover Ham And Cheese Stratta(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

Preparing for strata. (Photo credit: digitalprimate)

2 cups milk (preferably whole, organic, and non-homogenized)
1 cup chopped green onions
4 eggs (free range)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
10 cups bread, cut into cubes
1 cup diced ham
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyere or any cheese you have
4 natural-cured bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

1. Lightly spray or rub a baking dish with oil.
2. In a large bowl, combine milk, green onions, eggs, mustard, and pepper, and whisk until well blended.
3. Add bread cubes and ham to the bowl and stir to combine. 
4. Pour mixture into baking dish, then sprinkle cheese evenly over the top.
5. Cover and put in refrigerator overnight.
6. When ready to bake, remove dish from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature while you preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Uncover dish, and bake for 20 minutes.
8. Fry the bacon and sprinkle over the top of the dish, then put back in oven and continue baking for 15 minutes or until hot and eggs are set and cheese has started to brown. (Serves 4 to 6 and can easily be doubled.)

Leftovers Recipe: Thanksgiving Table Shepherd's Pie

I do have a great recipe for leftover turkey soup, but everyone does soup, so I wanted to mix it up a little this year, and give you a new option. This one uses multiple leftovers - turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, and vegetables, so you can start getting the fridge cleaned out this weekend, and won't feel like you're eating the same thing again. Plus, since just about everything's already cooked, this one's a snap to make, which will be nice after all the work you put into the Thanksgiving dinner. Enjoy!

Leftover Thanksgiving Table Shepherd's Pie

Shepherds Pie (Photo credit: seriouslygood1)

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked turkey, shredded
3 cups cooked vegetables, anything you have leftover (if you don't have leftover vegetables, just quickly steam some chopped broccoli and carrots or peas and you'll be good to go)
1 cup gravy
4 cups leftover mashed potatoes
1 egg
1 Tbsp cream cheese; room temperature
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp butter or margarine, broken up
dash paprika

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a large pie plate or casserole dish.
2. Heat turkey, vegetables, and gravy in a saucepan until warmed through, then turn into prepared dish.
3. Mix room temperature mashed potatoes with egg and cream cheese until smooth and well blended, add salt and pepper to taste, then mix again.  
4. Spoon the potatoes over the ingredients in casserole, spreading to cover ingredients completely.
5. Stick pieces of butter all over the potatoes and sprinkle with paprika.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until potatoes are browning and filling is bubbling hot.

Recipe: Perfect Cranberry Glazed Pork Tenderloin

This makes a great holiday entree, or just a delicious fall-inspired dinner for family or friends (also makes great use of leftover cranberry sauce). Be sure to use naturally-raised pork - you don't want to be eating all the hormones and chemicals and crap that are fed to conventionally farmed pigs. Natural pork should be raised on pasture or wooded areas if possible, and allowed plenty of space to forage and range. You'll find the flavor far superior to conventional supermarket pork.

Pork is equally well suited to sweet fruit flavors, and savory herbs such as rosemary. In this delicious recipe, you don't have to choose! And the garlic and a touch of balsamic vinegar provide a unique and delicious depth of flavor to the sauce.

Perfect Cranberry Glazed Pork Tenderloin
(Serves 4.)

Cranberry Sauce (Photo credit: MGF/Lady Disdain)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 (1 lb) pork tenderloin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil a 9x13" baking pan.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; lay pork tenderloin on work surface and season pork with salt and pepper. When skillet comes up to heat, lay pork tenderloin in the skillet and brown lightly on all sides.
3. Remove the pork from the skillet and set in prepared pan.
4. Into the skillet, put the onion, reduce the heat, and cook until softened, then add the garlic, and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute or until garlic softens, being careful not to burn.
5. Pour into the skillet the chicken broth, cranberry sauce, rosemary, and vinegar, and cook for 2 or three minutes until hot.
6. Pour this sauce over the pork in the baking pan and bake, uncovered, until pork tenderloin is done, about 20 to 25 minutes.  Use a meat thermometer and make sure it registers 155 degrees.
7. Remove from oven and let the pork rest for 8 to 10 minutes at room temperature.
8. Slice and serve with sauce spooned over the top of each piece.