Get Creative with Thanksgiving Leftovers

By now everyone has gotten their two cents in about the best way to cook and carve a turkey, whether the potatoes should be creamy or lumpy, the proper way to make a pie crust, and whether to call it stuffing or dressing.

But now that Thanksgiving has passed, who knows the proper way to prepare the leftovers?

There are tons of ideas floating around on the internet, and some of you probably have your own traditional leftover dishes. The following recipes will help you create meals that use every last bit of Thanksgiving goodness, right down to the cornbread crumbs and turkey bones. 

Martha Stewart has an uncharacteristically simple recipe for Turkey and Rice Soup, which might serve as a light departure from the heaviness of the Thanksgiving meal. 

For a gluten-free Turkey Soup recipe, try the Gluten-Free Goddess’s blog, and for a break-down of how to make stock out of your turkey carcass, check outCooking for Engineers. 

Posted on New York Magazine’s blog, Grub Street, is a series of recipes conceived by professional chefs, and while a few of them call for ingredients more readily available in the big city, we as Southerners can certainly appreciate the fantastic Turkey Cobbler...

"Dice the turkey; chop up the leftover veggies/mushrooms/green bean casserole/whatever; spread in some mashed potatoes, scoop in some stuffing, sprinkle your favorite biscuit dough on top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until it's bubbling."

...and the Leftover Shepherd’s Pie should be a crowd-pleaser as well. Both recipes include several dishes from a typical Thanksgiving meal and sound absolutely delicious. 

The folks over at the Mother Nature Network have compiled a list of several classic recipes, with a special shout-out to the Thanksgiving Sandwich, which is comprised of turkey, dressing and cranberry sauce smashed between two pieces of buttered toast.

For a diversion from the classics, try these Turkey and Mushroom Eggrolls, which combine turkey, mushrooms, cheese and hot sauce in an eggroll wrapper. Dip them in your favorite sauce and watch them disappear!

And finally, check out this decadent vegetarian recipe for a Mashed Potato Wreath which consists of layering mashed potatoes, sour cream and cheese over a crescent-roll-in-a-can..