With a much-needed break from lectures and midterms behind us, students here at UCLA are ready for the last two weeks of classes in full-swing. For some of us, this Thanksgiving was the first time that we’ve had a home-cooked meal since the start of the year. No doubt our chosen families are packing our luggage full of leftovers to take home. But with the sheer amount of cooking that’s going on, many of us can be overwhelmed by what to do with all this extra food. Turkey is great, but after three days in a row, it gets a tad repetitive. But fear not, we here at Her Campus at UCLA have the solution to all of your problems. Here are a few things that you can do with those extra leftovers:
- Make a New Recipe
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Repurpose some of that amazing food into some different dishes! All of these recipes are taken directly from my amazing mother, so be sure to thank Amy when trying this great food.
TURKEY POT PIE
Ingredients:
Turkey (leftover)
Gravy (leftover)
Mashed Potatoes (leftover)
Peas or Green Beans (leftover)
Cranberry Sauce (leftover)
Pie Dough (leftover)
½ cup frozen corn
½ cup frozen carrots
½ onion, diced
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 TB butter
½ cup heavy cream
Sauté onion in butter, add turkey, gravy, cream and veggies and heat through. Pour into a 9×13 casserole dish. Top with rolled out pie dough. Bake at 375 degrees until the crust is browned and the casserole is bubbly. Let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with a side of cranberry sauce.
THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS WAFFLE STACK
Ingredients:
Stuffing (leftover)
Sweet Potatoes (leftover)
Turkey (leftover)
Mashed Potatoes (leftover)
Gravy (leftover)
Cranberry Sauce (leftover)
Spray a waffle iron with Pam/vegetable oil spray. Add leftover stuffing. Heat up the other leftovers in the microwave. When the waffle is crisp, top with a layer of each item. Add hot gravy last. Serve with cranberry sauce on the side if desired.
THANKSGIVING EGG ROLLS
Ingredients:
Turkey, chopped (leftover)
Mashed Potatoes (leftover)
Stuffing (leftover)
Yams (leftover)
Cranberry Sauce (leftover)
Egg Roll Wrapper
Oil
In a bowl, mix chopped turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and yams into a mush. Fill egg roll wrappers with the filling. Fry in hot oil until crisp. Dip in warmed cranberry sauce.
- organize a potluck-style Friendsgiving
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A great way to get rid of some of your extra food — and taste some other delicious recipes — is to organize a potluck-style Friendsgiving. Invite your friends over, let everyone bring a dish, and feast on your food together. Maybe you could even make some of the recipes above and get extra points.
- Donate Unopened boxes to Food Banks/Shelters
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Food banks can’t take leftovers, but they certainly can take those unopened boxes of stuffing or cans of cranberry sauce. Give some of your extra food to people in need. Remember to donate the things that people need to make the food; things like salt, butter, etc. are often forgotten and are an important part of many meals.
Here are some food banks/shelters near UCLA that are taking donations:
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
Remember, in this time of celebration, it’s also important to give back. Consider donating, volunteering, etc. this holiday season.
We here at Her Campus at UCLA hope that you had a great Thanksgiving break, and we wish you an early happy holidays!