May
17
The Tomato Project: Part 2
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It’s been almost two months since I transplanted my tomato seedlings into the garden. This is the waiting period where it’s growing, growing, growing, but I don’t have much to show for it.
Staking Tomato Plants
I chose indeterminate tomato plants. Indeterminate plants can be made to grow on a vine, whereas determinate plants will form flowers at the top of the stalk then stop growing. The plant will grow into a bush, which must be contained.
The first step after planting was to wait. And wait. And wait.
Once I saw the first flowers, it was time to go to work. I started by erecting my tomato supports behind it. I’m not sure I did this right, and now it seems I’ll need to buy some poles, but I started with two folding tomato cages. Rather than place one around each plant, I flattened them out and dug them into the ground behind the three plants.
Cost for two tomato cages: $9.86.
I already had plastic floral ties on hand, but heavy-duty twine works, too.
Pruning Tomato Plants
Once you see flowers, it’s time to prune. I cut off everything below the first flowers, but left any leaves above it. I also cut each plant down to two stalks to force the sugar production and growth upwards rather than outwards. I probably should have done this when I transplanted them, but I wasn’t sure which stalks would survive. I think I wasted a lot of growth energy on those unnecessary stalks. There were so many leaves on one plant that finding the stalks to prune was really difficult!
Nevertheless, I pruned them back and then tossed the leaves in my compost bin. The bin desperately needed green matter, so it wasn’t a total waste.
After the initial pruning, you have to be vigilant. If you spot suckers growing out the spots where branches meet the stalk, pluck them out. If you spot dead blossoms, pop them off.
Securing the Plants
I attached the stems to the cages by looping the tie around the stem, twisting it into a figure eight, and then tying the other end to the cage. This weekend I’ll repeat the process for new growth.
My First Tomato!
So far I have precisely one tomato growing. It’s on the earliest producing plant, but the plant isn’t supposed to reach maturity until the end of May, and could be later depending on temperatures. I have what appear to be the beginnings of tomatoes on another plant. I don’t expect to see a real crop until mid-June.
Jan
22
Five Easy Weeknight Meals When You Don’t Have a Plan or Time
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If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know I’m a dedicated menu planner. Not only do I plan my menus every week, I keep them in a little notebook, and save past notebooks so I can refer back to what I ate two years ago. (I’m wacky that way.) Anyway, sometimes my menu plan gets thrown off, or I’m away at the end of the week and don’t get to make the next one. That’s when it’s time to get creative. I’ve come up with a few easy meals that I can always rely on to keep us fed in a pinch.
Jerk Chicken with Homemade Tortilla Chips and Fruit
Ingredients:
Chicken breasts
Jerk spice mix
Corn tortillas
Oil
Seasoning salt
Fruit
Simply rub the jerk spice mix into the chicken breasts and grill or bake. While that’s cooking, heat about ½ inch of oil in a large pan. Cut tortillas into triangles. I get 8 triangles per tortilla. Fry triangles 5-6 at a time (depending on the size of the pan.) It takes about one minute, including time to flip the chips in the middle. Drain on paper towels and periodically sprinkle with seasoning salt if you want a kick, or regular salt if you don’t. Serve with oranges, grapes, or whatever other fruit you have on hand. Something a little tart is best.
Tortilla Eggs
Here’s another easy one I got from NPR’s The Splendid Table weekly newsletter.
Ingredients:
Stale corn tortillas (put them in the oven to dry them out) (about 2 per person)
Oil
Onions
Eggs, lightly beaten, about two per person.
Jack cheese, cut into smallish chunks
Salsa
You can also add other veggies like chopped bell peppers if you have them on hand.
Cut the tortillas into strips. Film the pan with oil. When it’s hot, add the tortilla strips and the onion. Fry until strips are crisp. Slide them to the side and drop the eggs in the middle of the pan. Scramble the eggs until they reach your preferred consistency. Sprinkle with jack cheese. Serve with salsa on the side.
Homemade Pizza
Yes, it’s easy to order a pizza, but this will taste better.
Ingredients
Ingredients for your preferred pizza crust recipe
Toppings of your choice
Mix the crust by hand or in a stand mixer. If using a yeast crust, let rise for 20 minutes or so. Bake until set at the temperature called for in the recipe, about 7 minutes. Top with your preferred toppings. Bake another 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
Shrimp Fondue
If you don’t even want to go to the effort of cooking, this is the easiest recipe in my arsenal.
Ingredients:
Defrosted shrimp, shelled, tail-on (about 4 ounces per person)
Chicken broth (about 1.5 cups per person)
Garlic
Lemon juice
Dipping sauces of your choice
If you have an electric fondue pot, this recipe couldn’t be easier. Pour chicken broth into the pot. Smash a garlic clove and drop it in. Add a teaspoon or so of lemon juice. Heat, but do not boil. Each person attaches their own shrimp to their fondue forks. Place in the pot and cook until shrimp is pink and curled. It takes a minute or two. Remove, dip in sauce, eat, and repeat with more shrimp. I usually serve this with a mustard tartar sauce and a sweet and sour sauce. A salad and a side of rice fills out the meal.
Fried Rice
Some people say fried rice is best with leftover rice, but I don’t usually have leftover white rice. This is easy to throw together in a pinch and always tastes good.
Ingredients:
White rice
Eggs, lightly beaten (about ½ per person)
Chicken or pork, browned and cubed (about 4 ounces per person)
Green onions, diced
Cashews or peanuts, toasted
Snow peas, regular peas, green beans, green or red peppers, whatever you on hand, cubed
Soy sauce
Oil
Cook the rice and set aside. Toast the nuts and set aside. If you’re using a veggie that requires a long cooking time like snow peas, steam them and set aside. Film a nonstick pan with oil. Drop in the green onions and the eggs. Scramble until set. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the chicken or pork to the pan. Cook through. Add more oil if necessary. Add the rice to the pan. Heat through. Add the veggies. Heat through. Add the nuts. Add 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce per two cups of cooked rice. Test after each tablespoon because it varies by brand and your personal preference. Add the eggs and green onions. Heat through. Serve with potstickers, egg rolls, a salad, or eat it alone. It’s certainly got everything you need.
I find that if I keep most of these ingredients on hand, I’m always able to come up with a meal in a pinch if our plans change or I don’t have time to make a menu. Some weeks I’ll just look in the freezer and pantry, see that they’re full, and declare a “creative kitchen” week. I promise you we never go hungry.
Dec
23
Happy Holidays from Sound Money Matters!
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Happy holidays! After today, the blog will be dark until Tuesday. I’m taking a few days off to relax. I’m done my shopping, baking, and wrapping, but here are a few quick tips if you’ve still got work to do:
When shopping for last-minute gifts, remember your budget!
Need a last-minute gift and don’t want to shop? Try these quick gift ideas.
Suddenly in the mood to bake? Try these cookie recipes.
Now put down the wallet and eat, drink, and be merry.
Dec
21
Five Ideas for Last-Minute Gift Exchanges
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So your holiday season is chugging along merrily, and then you get thrown for a curveball. You might get invited to a last-minute gift exchange, or realize that you’re supposed to bring a gift to a party you were invited to long ago. But you don’t have any extra gifts lying around. You can come up with something in a flash with some things you have around the house or in the kitchen.
Toffee
Homemade toffee is fast, easy, and delicious. If you don’t know what to give, cook a batch and then break it up into a tin, or even a square gift box lined with cellophane or plastic wrap. Trust me, it will all get eaten.
Print out this easy toffee recipe just to have it handy. You might want to mix a batch up for no reason at all.
Peppermint Bark
You can find tins of peppermint bark all over the place. Williams-Sonoma sells it for $28 a pound! And while I’ll admit that their peppermint bark is nothing short of bliss, that’s pretty steep for candy. So, make your own, either for yourself or for a last-minute gift. As with the toffee, package it in a tin or a box lined with cellophane or plastic wrap. If you want to get real fancy and have the time, mix toffee and peppermint bark in the same box. Try this recipe from Epicurious. If you don’t have peppermint extract and can’t find it, one commenter suggests using mint chocolate chips. You can also skip the peppermint extract, for a slightly less full flavor. You can also substitute different types of chocolate. I like dark chocolate, so I’d use that instead of bittersweet.
Wrapped Candle
Most people have lots of candles around. I have many that I received as gifts, but never opened. So dig into your closet to find a wrapped candle, or at least a candle that hasn’t been burned and isn’t dusty. Wrap with ribbon or cellophane and you’re good to go.
Cookies
Have you baked several batches of cookies already? Assemble some in a box or bag and you’ve got a ready-made gift.
Mix in a Jar
These are always popular. Start by figuring out what you already have on hand, then visit this page to find a mix that will go with what you have. Layer it all into a mason jar, add a label with instructions, and tie with a bow.
Truffles
As I’ve said before, truffles are my go-to gift. They’re easy to assemble, but most people think you did tons of work and are nothing short of amazed.
Most people will happily receive any of these gifts and never realize it was a last-minute gift. One caveat if you know people with food allergies: make sure you give them something they can eat. If you give cookies to a person who can’t have wheat (unless they’re wheat-free), they’ll know you weren’t thinking of them when you made the gift.
Dec
18
Christmas is next week, which means many bakers will be pulling out their pans and getting to work this weekend. If you’re a holiday baker/candy maker, here are a few tips to help make your holiday bake-a-thon go a little smoother.
Gather Your Recipes Now
If you have them online, consider printing them. If you have them in a binder, pull them all out. If you have them in various cookbooks, put Post-Its on the pages. If you have them in your head, I envy you.
Pull Out All Your Ingredients Now
The last thing you want to do is get everything laid out, reach into the cupboard for that one last thing, and realize you’ve run out. For example, I just pulled my last two pounds of butter out of the freezer. I don’t know how I managed to use four pounds of butter in two weeks, but clearly I need to restock. (No, I take that back. I realize now that Thanksgiving ate all my butter.)
Organize your ingredients, then compare them to the recipes. Make sure you have enough for everything you need to bake. If you don’t, make a quick run to the store. Even if you go couponless and don’t visit the cheapest store, do it now. This is about convenience!
Pull Out the Pots and Pans
If you need several containers for storing, mixing, or baking, pull everything out and put it in one place.
Make a Schedule
Now go through your recipes. Figure out which need to be refrigerated overnight, which have a long resting period, which require precise timing, etc. Now decide which pans you’ll need for each. If you need the same pan for two different dishes, you’ll need to space them out. List everything you need to bake in the order you need to prepare it. If you’ve got a dish with a long resting period, slot another item (or lunch) into that space.
Choose a Start Time
Unless you want to be baking until midnight, choose a start time for this endeavor. Since everything will take longer than you expect, you’ll have a nice pad to still get done relatively on time.
Bake the Easiest Things Last
Put the simplest or quickest item last on your list. That way you’ll be able to whip it up in no time at the very end, or pull it together after dinner one night next week if you run out of time this weekend.
Forget Perfection
No one cares if your cookies are a bit dented or your truffles are oddly-shaped. They still taste good and they’ll still be impressed that you made them yourself. In fact, you might like the “homemade” look a little better. For example, the first time I made sea salt truffles, I didn’t temper the milk chocolate coating. The truffles started to melt and became Frankentruffles. They tasted amazing. This time I tempered the coating and perfectly applied it. They looked great, but I preferred the taste of the Frankentruffles. The flavors were better balanced, despite their ugliness (although, let’s be honest, chocolate can never truly be ugly.)
What’s the best part about making a plan? Getting everything done without collapsing into a pile of goo afterwards. That’s what Christmas is all about.
Dec
7
How to Make a Christmas Cookie Basket
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‘Tis the season of the Christmas cookie basket. That delicious treat that features sinful treats you probably don’t get the rest of the year. If you’re a master baker, put this on your gift list for an easy, fun treat no one will dislike. If you have kids, this is an affordable gift they can make for teachers and relatives alike. It’s the one thing I can guarantee no one will want to return to the store.
Cookie Basket Supplies
To make a proper cookie basket, you’ll need a few things:
Baskets or tins
Cellophane wrap
Decorative ribbon
Colored Saran or plastic wrap
Cookies and fudge
Visit a dollar store or Michael’s to stock up on the non-baking items. You can find cute, cheap baskets that aren’t decorated for Christmas, but no one will notice once they’re filled with cookies. If you need to make smaller gifts, pick up festive mugs at the dollar store.
Choosing Your Cookies
First, determine how many cookie baskets you’ll need. I usually like to put 2 dozen assorted cookies in each basket. Multiply 24 times the number of baskets you need to get the total number of cookies. Now choose five different holiday cookie recipes. I usually like to make snickerdoodles, candy cane cookies, stained glass cookies, chocolate thumbprints, and fudge.
Most cookie recipes make 2-4 dozen cookies, so five recipes is enough for 5-10 baskets. If you have kids, make figuring out how many batches of each recipe you need to bake to get enough cookies into a fun math challenge.
Shop for Supplies
If you didn’t stock up on baking items during Thanksgiving, you still can. Create a shopping list from your recipes, then visit the store with the best sale on baking supplies for everything you need.
Set Aside a Weekend to Bake
If you’re working alone, you can probably blast it out in one day, but if you don’t want to kill yourself, spend a few hours each weekend day baking. Then package them up in the evening. Start with the most complicated recipe and work down to the simplest. If you’re making a recipe with nuts and someone with a nut allergy is on your list, make it last to avoid contamination. Always keep those completely separate from the other cookies.
Package the Cookies
This is the last step. First, put a few layers of tissue paper on the bottom of the basket or tin as a cushion. Line the basket with colorful plastic wrap. Add about 5 of each type of cookie. Consider dropping in a couple candy canes or chocolate kisses for color and variety. Fold the plastic wrap over the top, then fold the tissue over it. If you’re using a tin, put the cover on. If you’re using a basket, set it on the center of a large sheet of cellophane. Pull the cellophane up over the sides so the corners meet. Gather the corners together and tie a bow around the bundle.
Freezer Tip
If you’ll be distributing the baskets over a couple weeks, freeze the cookies instead of packaging them all up at once. Lay the baked cookies flat on cookie sheets and put the sheets in the freezer for about 90 minutes. Then arrange the frozen cookies in large freezer bags or boxes. Label each one with the recipient’s name. Take a bag out of the freezer the night before you need to wrap it. Then just arrange the contents in the basket or tin and wrap it nicely. They’ll be as fresh and tasty as they were the day you made them.
Dec
4
Freezer Cooking Made Simpler
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Freezer cooking is all the rage right now. If you’re unfamiliar, you shop the circulars and coupons to find the best deals, stock up on sale items, and then make a month-long menu plan (with some repeat items.) Then, you spend one or two days doing all the cooking for one whole month and put it in the freezer. In theory, you then only need to buy produce and beverages for the rest of the month. That’s a lot of work, though, and you have to spend a whole weekend on it. I’ve come up with a simpler way to do freezer cooking. It reduces prep time and gives each freezer meal a fresher taste.
Stock Up and Make the Menu
For this method, you should still stock up on sale meats and filler items when the stores have sales. Put them in the freezer and then defrost before making each freezer meal. You may not want to plan each dinner for the whole month, but at least find the recipes for meals you can make multiples of or use the same components in.
Do All Your Veggie Prep in One Day
To save time, chop all your veggies for the whole week in one day. Make a big container of chopped onions that you can dip into as you go.
Make a Double or Triple Batch with Each Meal
If the veggies are cooked, then it’s not that hard to make a double or triple batch of each meal when you’re doing your regular cooking. For example, if you’re making beef stroganoff, double the recipe. Serve half for dinner and put half in a Ziploc bag destined for the freezer. It will take slightly longer to brown that much beef, but not a huge amount of time. The same goes for soups and chili – double the recipe. Eat what you can, then divide the rest into portioned bags. I put enough for one meal in each bag.
Don’t Freeze the Pasta or Rice
If the meal is served over pasta or rice, don’t cook it now. Obviously, you need to cook the pasta ahead for a layered dish like lasagna, but something like beef stroganoff doesn’t need to be frozen with its pasta or rice. It will taste a fresher if you cook the pasta or rice that day you serve it. Simply cook the pasta 2-3 minutes less than it requires. Put it back in the pot with the defrosted topping. Heat them in the pot for a few minutes. That will heat the topping and finish cooking the pasta.
Don’t Freeze Your Fresh Sides
I usually have a bag of taco meat in my freezer. Basically, I mix the marinade, slice the meat, and let them marinate overnight. Then I divide into bags. When it comes time to serve, I use fresh-cut lettuce, fresh-grated cheese, and fresh tomatoes rather than frozen versions.
Make Another Menu Plan
If you haven’t already planned each meal for the month, sit down each week with your freezer inventory. Plan your menu to use up part of your stash, along with fresh sides. Then make your grocery list for the fresh items and stock-up items for your next freezer cooking day. You may also want to plan a few completely fresh meals. For example, I keep frozen raw fish and shrimp in my freezer at all times and always make those meals fresh because I find that cooked frozen fish just doesn’t hold up well when reheated. Chicken and beef, on the other hand, reheat beautifully.
If you don’t want to pre-cook, but have a packed freezer, check out my post from last year detailing my freezer week where I used up everything in it. I didn’t have time to shop this weekend, so this week has been another freezer week.
Nov
23
Thanksgiving Countdown Schedule – Cooking or Traveling
Filed Under Groceries and Food, Holiday, Travel | 1 Comment
We’re T -3 to Thanksgiving, so it’s time to kick it into high-gear. Since I have experience both hosting and traveling, I’ve got Thanksgiving countdowns for both options.
Thanksgiving Travelers’ Schedule
If you have to travel, I feel your pain. I flew home for several years, until it became too expensive and started to take nearly as long as the drive. I switched to driving 11 years ago. It’s awful, but better than the airport. (Shudder.) Here are my tips for a reduced-stress trip.
Monday
Make your packing list. If you have kids, make their lists, too.
Make sure everything on the packing list is clean. If not, do laundry.
Check the weather for both your departure and return days. Plan alternate routes if you’re driving and there may be snow along your preferred route.
If you’re flying, make a parking reservation if you haven’t already.
Refer to my list of Thanksgiving travel tips to make sure everything is covered.
Tuesday
Get out the suitcases.
Pack.
Buy snacks and water.
Double-check your backroads.
Pack car games or something for the airport/plane.
Stop the newspaper/mail (if you’ll be gone long enough).
If you have pets, confirm with their caretaker and exchange keys.
If you’re flying, check in online.
Wednesday
Pack final toiletries, pajamas, etc.
Pack the car.
Put everyone in the car.
Leave as early as possible.
Thursday
Make yourself useful to the host or get out of the way.
Eat, eat, eat, eat!
Thanksgiving Hosts’ Schedule
If you’re hosting, then your work is just beginning. Hopefully you’ve shopped for most of the food, but I’ve included a shopping trip in case you’re using a fresh turkey that will need to be picked up.
Monday
Make bread if using for stuffing so it will have time to get a bit stale.
Set bread out to dry.
Vacuum.
Make up guest rooms.
Put fresh towels in guest baths.
Make final shopping list.
Put turkey in fridge to defrost if using frozen and not brining. If you are brining it, it should already be defrosting.
Make Thursday cooking schedule, counting backwards from the time you want to eat.
Tuesday
Chill the wine.
Make rolls.
Mix dip or other appetizers.
Make pie crust.
Pick up turkey.
Begin brining turkey if brining it.
Make cranberry sauce it not using canned.
Wednesday
Make pie.
Cook appetizers.
Put brined turkey in fridge to rest so skin is nice and crispy.
Wash china/crystal.
Polish silver.
Iron linens.
Set table.
Sweep/dust.
Make stuffing.
Thursday
Wipe down bathrooms.
Stuff turkey.
Put turkey in oven immediately.
Make side dishes.
Make salad.
Warm and plate appetizers.
Remove turkey, let rest.
Heat rolls.
Make gravy.
Serve cranberry sauce.
Eat, eat, eat, eat.
Friday
Enjoy leftovers.
Nov
18
Top Frugal Thanksgiving Tips
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We’re at the one-week countdown to Thanksgiving. This is a family holiday, so no need to go all out and spend a fortune on your tablescape and whatnot. Keep it simple and it should be pretty frugal, too. Here are my top 10 tips for a frugal Thanksgiving.
Use Your Coupons Wisely
Next week is the big week for food shopping. Most grocery store circulars come out today, so check them for super deals. If you see a great deal and can combine it with coupons, consider buying enough non-perishables to get you through Christmas and beyond. Last year I had a great canned pumpkin deal, and discovered that the can would keep until this Thanksgiving, so I stocked up. Check out these money-saving tips from Woman’s Day to help you cut your food bill even further.
Shop Early and Often
The really super amazing deals will go fast. Consider taking a trip to your grocery store this Wednesday or Thursday to buy the non-perishables that are on sale. If you’re buying a fresh turkey and not one of the free frozen ones you get with a $25 purchase, you’ll have to go back next week for your turkey. Ask the meat department if they can put it on hold for you until Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on your brining/rubbing plans.
Visit the Farmer’s Market for Produce
The farmer’s market will be packed this week. PACKED. On the plus side, the farmer’s know this and stock extra. So, find the largest Saturday or Sunday market in your area, get up early, and bring a friend or spouse to help carry your load if you’re buying for a lot of people (especially if you’re buying potatoes or squash.)
Clear Out the Fridge and Freezer
If you’ve got lots of leftovers planned, make room in the freezer for the future contents. Obviously you’ll need to make room in the fridge for the big bird and all the sides. I planned a light menu for the days leading up to Thanksgiving so I can preserve the room in the fridge. My freezer is filling up, but it’s filling with components of my leftover dishes.
Make Your Schedule
Start planning your cooking schedule now. Figure out what you can make ahead. Also start planning your cleaning and project schedule now so everything will be done before the guests descend. Again, you don’t need to go all out, but sweep the floors and change the sheets on the guest beds.
Don’t Try Complicated New Dishes for the Main Meal
Want to get creative with your leftovers? Go for it. This is not the time to try a complicated new dessert or side. One year my sister tried a new apple pie recipe that took six hours. I still don’t comprehend how a pie can take six hours, even if you picked your own apples and milled your own flour. She contends that I don’t understand because I’m a baker and she’s not. Nevertheless, if you look at the recipe and any portion is confusing or it has many, many complex steps, skip it. Save it for a potluck where you can pick something up at the store if your dish is a total failure.
Don’t Choose Dishes with Pricey Ingredients
In the name of frugality, don’t choose recipes with expensive, out-of-season, or rare ingredients that will require you to stop at a dozen stores. Save those for a gourmet dinner party. Thanksgiving is about comfort foods. If someone asks where the mango chutney is, tell them that you’re trying to be authentic and eat seasonal items the way they did at the first Thanksgiving. (Hopefully your guests won’t know that the first Thanksgiving didn’t include pie, cranberries, or potatoes.)
Buy What You Need Before Thanksgiving
More stores are open on Thanksgiving than when I was young, but it’s still best to avoid running out to pick something up on Thanksgiving, when most of the sales will be over and you’ll be left with the last pickings.
Skip the Tablescape
Sandra Lee “fans” are shuddering with me. But basically, keep your table decorations simple. A couple mini pumpkins, a couple candles, a few fall leaves. That’s about all you need, because you’ll need lots of room for the food. Remember what this particular holiday is about – gorging ourselves until we’re too stuffed to move. What? You thought it was about giving thanks? Pshaw.
Skip Black Friday
I posted last year about my hatred of Black Friday, so my most frugal tip is to skip it. Stay home, snuggled in your bed. Even if they have amazing stupendous gobsmacking doorbuster deals, not spending money at all is still cheaper.
Nov
5
Planning for Thanksgiving Leftovers
Filed Under Groceries and Food, Holiday | 4 Comments
A lot of people don’t like leftovers, but nearly everyone looks forward to Thanksgiving leftovers. I’m almost more excited about the leftovers I have planned than I am about the main meal. In fact, I’m planning to buy a turkey that’s way too big for six people so I can have enough to feed my houseguests for three days and still be able to freeze chili and soup for later. If you’re stumped for ideas, here are 20 ideas and tips for planning for them.
- Thanksgiving dinner again (just serve the same meal you did on Thanksgiving, but in smaller portions)
- Turkey sandwiches
- Turkey quesadillas (add crumbled bacon and scallions for extra zing)
- Turkey and black bean soup (I’m making a double batch this year. It’s simply amazing and freezes well.)
- Turkey chili (Any recipe will do. Use your favorite and freeze half for later.)
- Turkey casserole (substitute turkey for chicken or tuna)
- Turkey pot pie (Another good freezer meal. Cut the uncooked crusts to size and freeze with the pot pie filling.)
- Shepherd’s pie (For all those mashed potatoes, but you can also use turkey in place of the beef)
- Egg “McMuffins” (use up those leftover biscuits)
- Turkey stock (great use for the carcass)
- Turkey enchiladas
- Curried turkey on rice
- Turkey burritos
- Turkey tortilla soup (So easy!)
- Sweet potato butter (Martha recommends serving it over biscuits)
- Melted cranberry sauce over ice cream
- Cranberry sauce on bagels and toast
- Turkey tetrazzini
- Turkey lo mein (Just replace the chicken and substitute the veggies for whatever raw veggies you have on hand.)
- Turkey fried rice (Again, replace chicken with turkey and throw in your green beans from Thanksgiving.)
Planning for Leftovers
If you want to make a few dishes that you can freeze and serve again later, plan to have the ingredients on hand and figure out how much turkey you need leftover before you buy the turkey. The Butterball calculator recommends a 9 pound turkey for my dinner for 6, with leftovers, but I’m thinking I might go for 12-15 pounds to ensure I have at least 4 pounds of turkey leftover for sandwiches, soup, chili, quesadillas, and maybe pot pie.
As I suggested before, decide in advance which main leftovers you plan to cook and add the ingredients to your Thanksgiving grocery list so you don’t have to run out the day after Thanksgiving. You’ll also be able to spend the next three weeks shopping the sales for those ingredients if you plan ahead.
Then, if you have more turkey than planned, you can throw together a few of the simpler dishes listed above with whatever you have on hand.
What If You Don’t Have Leftovers?
If you don’t serve a Thanksgiving dinner, you might not have leftovers, or might not be able to take home enough for all your ideas. So, create your own leftovers! Buy a turkey breast and roast it. Serve some for dinner, then use the rest just like you would regular Thanksgiving turkey.
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