Plan Ahead for Ways to Use Your Leftover Turkey

Instead of scurrying around the day after Thanksgiving to figure out what to do with all that extra turkey, why not have a plan in place on how to use it up before hand.  This year we are traveling back to see our families and to help out my mother-in-law, I am helping out by planning to make a special lunch the day after Thanksgiving with her left over turkey.  So during my holiday grocery shop, I also picked up a few things to bring along to make up a Chicken Broccoli Ring. Obvisoulsy I am using left over turkey instead of chicken, but the broccoli and Swiss cheese in it will different flavors from our traditional Turkey Day meal from the day before.

Here are a few other of my recipes that work great with cooked turkey (or chicken) that you may want to plan on having to help use up that leftover turkey.

Turkey Cranberry Ring

Chicken Broccoli Ring

White Chicken Enchiladas (with turkey)

Chicken/Turkey Divan

BBQ Chicken Stromboli (with turkey)

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Creamy Chicken and Noodles 

Cheesy Spinach Pasta Casserole

Chicken Pasties

Oriental Cabbage Salad

Other options for using up the leftover turkey:

1) Divy it up to your guests before they leave with a few extra cressent rolls and suggest they have turkey sandwiches the next day.

2) Cut it up, package it and put in the freezer for future meals.

3) Make Turkey Broth - Don't forget that you can get a two for one in making up some extra turkey broth for future use as well when you are done with your turkey.  Throw the carcass of the bird with all the little bits of meat left on it, some onions, carrots, celery, parsley, salt and pepper in a large pot with about 8 cups of water bring it to a boil.  Cover it and let simmer for 45 minutes, then let it cool for 10 minutes.  Strain it and then use it in a soup right away or freeze it for future use.


No one wants the added pressure of coming up with meals after one of the biggest meals of the year to plan for but a few extra minutes of planning can help you have a lot less stressful holiday.  My hopes are that these ideas will help you out a little bit.  Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

My Family's 50 Favorite Meals

I always love trying new recipes but each week during my meal planning I fall back on some of family's favorite meals to fill in the rest of the days.  I've actually been able to come up with a list of 50 of my family's favorite meals. When planning out my weekly meals it's nice to have a list of family favorites to refer back to when I need inspired on what to make for dinner each week.

Why not trying to make your own list and keep it posted inside your pantry or cabinet door to help you out with your weekly meal planning.  Remember you can always check out my blog to get some more ideas as I try to post "What's For Dinner?" each week at our house.

50 of My Family's Favorite Meals:

1. Alice Springs Chicken, steamed vegetables
2. Angel Chicken Pasta, garlic bread and vegetable
3. Appalachian Potato Soup and crusty rolls
4. Bacon Cheeseburger Quiche and crab salad
5. Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy, garden peas
6. BBQ Chicken Stromboli 
7. Beef stroganoff, noodles/rice, corn, and rolls
8. Beer can chicken, roast potatoes, broccoli salad
9. Braised Roast Pork, rice, stir fry veggies
10. Breaded pork chops, twice baked mashed potatoes, homemade applesauce, baked beans
11. Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon, baked sweet potatoes
12. Chicken Alfredo
13. Chicken Enchiladas
14. Chicken kabobs marinated in Italian dressing (chicken, red peppers, mushrooms and onions) with sweet corn on the cob
15. Chicken and Leek Pie
16. Chicken parmesan melts, butter parsley potatoes, and Oriental cabbage salad
17. Chicken Pasties
18. Chicken Quesadillas and taco dip
19. Chicken Schnitzel, red cabbage, mashed potatoes
20. Chicken Wild Rice Soup 
21. Chili, fresh veggies and dill dip
22. Chili Beef, fried rice
23. Country fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn
24. Creamy chicken and noodles, garden peas
25. Fish pie, crusty rolls with butter
26. Fish (beer battered) and chips, garden peas
27. French toast, bacon, scrambled eggs and orange slices in powdered sugar
28. General Tso's Chicken, fried rice, chow mein noodles
29. Goulash, bread and butter
30. Grilled BBQ chicken, potato salad, and broccoli salad
31. Grilled chicken wings, crab salad, and potato salad
32. Grilled pork chops with a warm rocket (arugula) salad, oven baked sweet potatoes
33. Grilled Sirloin Steaks with sauteed mushrooms and green beans
34. Guinness beef stew and brown bread
35. Ham balls, seafood stuffed mushrooms, roasted sweet potatoes
36. Hamburgers on the grill, potato salad, baked beans
37. Hawaiian pizza
38. Homemade chicken strips (country fried), spinach balls, sweet corn
39. Italian beef sandwiches, cheesy potato casserole, corn
40. Lasagna, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and garlic toast
41. Meatballs, twice baked potatoes, corn
42. Poppy Seed Chicken, penne pasta, mixed veggies
43. Pork chops and cinnamon apples, cheesy potato casserole
44. Pork sausages and sauerkraut, German potato salad, corn
45. Roast beef, mashed potatoes, cooked carrots
46. Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn
47. Roasted Squash Soup and roast pork loin
48. Sesame chicken with rice, crispy duck with pancakes
49. Spaghetti, peas, and garlic toast
50. Sweet and sour chicken/pork with Jasmine rice, crispy duck with pancakes

Some of Family's Favorite Sides Dishes:

1. Brocolli Salad
2. Cheesy Potato Casserole
3. Cole slaw (Just Like KFC)
4. Crab Salad
5. Crab stuff mushrooms
6. Fresh veggies with dill dip
7. German potato salad
8. Loaded baked potatoes
9. Mashed potatoes
10. Potato Salad
11. Special Fried Rice
12. Spinach Balls
13. Sweet potatoes, baked
14. Spring Rolls
15. Twice Baked Potatoes
16. Warm Rocket Salad