Tag Archives: Recipes

Pie Milkshakes

Shake ’em if you got ’em. Leftover pie can be used in so many different ways. Breakfast with hot beverage is one way (shhhhh, don’t tell anyone), but you can always take that last piece of pumpkin or apple pie and make a delicious milkshake in just a few minutes. Add some rainbow sprinkles or shaved chocolate an you have a party!

Ingredients

1/4-1/2 cup cold milk (you can also use your favorite milk substitute)

1 cup vanilla ice cream

1 small slice of pie (or 1/2 a larger piece), cut into chunks

toppings (optional): candy sprinkles, shaved chocolate, whipped cream

In blender, place ice cream and 1/4 cup milk. Cover and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add pie chunks; cover and blend until smooth, stopping blender to scrape down sides if necessary. Add additional milk, a splash at at time, if the milkshake is too thick. Blend until smooth.

If the texture is too loose, add additional flour one tablespoon at at time. Mix well. You want

Pour into a fancy glass and top with candy sprinkles, whipped cream, or chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

This recipe makes one shake, but you can easily double it to share with someone.

Turkey a la King

Turkey gravy is so delicious, and often you have a cup or two left over after a holiday meal. With just a few ingredient and 10 minutes you can create a whole new meal with it.

Ingredients

1 1/2-2 cups gravy (use whatever you have on hand, store-bought is ok)

1-1 1/2 cups mixed vegetables (if using green bean casserole, dice the green beans to bite-sized)

Chicken or vegetable stock, or water, as needed

1/2 tsp. mustard

3/4 cup diced turkey

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper, to taste

Drain the vegetables and place in a medium saucepan.

Add the leftover gravy, turkey, and mustard to the pan and heat on medium low. If the gravy is too thick, add broth or water, a few tablespoons at a time.

Heat until simmering, cooking constantly. You don’t want the bottom to scorch. Add Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.

Once everything is heated through, about 5 minutes, remove from heat.

You can use this to top mashed potatoes, savory waffles, potato croquettes (tots), or even a toasted roll.

Mashed Potato Tots

Have leftover mashed potatoes? Take them to a whole new level. This easy recipe can be put together in a short time, and you can have the kids help with shaping them.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

1 egg

1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1 tsp onion powder

panko crumbs

Mix mashed potatoes, egg, chives, onion powder, and half of the flour together in a medium bowl. Mix until well combined.

If the texture is too loose, add additional flour one tablespoon at at time. Mix well. You want the consistency to be like clay. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes. This will give the flour time to rehydrate.

Add panko crumbs into a bowl for rolling.

Using a small scoop or two teaspoons, drop spoonfuls into the panko and completely coat. Gently remove and shake off excess. Place on a parchment paper or wax paper lined baking sheet. You want to fill up the baking sheet, but the tots should not touch.

Using your fingers, press the potato cakes into a log shape. Place the pan into the freezer for at least an hour, and up to overnight.

When you are ready to cook them, heat up cooking oil to 350F, then add in 5-8 frozen tots into the hot oil. You don’t want to crowd them so they can cook evenly. Flip over after 3-4 minutes and cook until golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Note:

You can make these ahead of time and only pull out as much as you need. Store them in a sealed plastic bag in the freezer.

Roasted Turkey Leg

I love roasted turkey for dinner. One turkey can provide several meals, and it is a very versatile ingredient. With a smaller household, though, it can fell like too large of an undertaking. By roasting two turkey legs, you can have a manageable amount of protein but still have leftovers the next day.

2 turkey legs, thawed
6 cups brine (see recipe here)
3 stalks celery, large diced
1 cup diced carrots (or 1 cup baby carrots)
1 cup mushrooms, quartered
2 large potatoes, large diced
1 sweet potato, large diced
1/2 medium onion, cut into eighths
2 clove of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
4 cups water or broth
1 teaspoon ground sage or poultry seasoning
fresh sage leaves (optional)
olive oil
1/4 cup melted butter
salt and pepper to taste

At least 24 hours ahead:
Place thawed turkey legs in large zip bags or other sealable container and add the brine. Put in the lowest area of your refrigerator for 14-48 hours.

Heat oven to 375F.

On the day of:
Remove the turkey legs and brine from the refrigerator. Take the legs out of the liquid and rinse in fresh water. Discard brine.

In a large, heavy baking dish or roaster place the turkey legs and all of the vegetables. Add the water or broth, ground sage or poultry stuffing, and salt and pepper. Lay sage leave across the top of the legs, and drizzle with olive oil.

Cover and roast in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and cook another 45 minutes, or until the legs register 175F on a thermometer (measure at the thickest part, not hitting the bone). During the last 30 minutes of cooking, baste with the melted butter every 10 minutes.

When the legs are done, remove from the pan. You can serve at the table, or shred the meat from the bone and gristle. Unless someone calls dibs on a whole leg, I prefer to cut the meat off before serving.

You can serve with the roasted vegetables as a side dish, shred it down and add to make a hearty soup, or save the broth and vegetables to eat the next day as a light meal.

You can also add shredded chicken or turkey, mini meatballs, or cooked pasta or rice to the vegetable and broth mix. Two meals with one stretch in the oven makes this an easy thing to fix.

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