Have lots of leftovers from Thanksgiving? Here is a delicious recipe to use some of the leftovers in a new way. For the topping, I use a mixture of potatoes and cauliflower to reduce the number of carbs in the dish. If you are not a fan of cauliflower use all potatoes. Don’t forget the leftover cranberry sauce to add as a side.
Filling Ingredients
4 cups cubed leftover turkey
1 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot, finely diced
Half a green bell pepper, diced
1 cup leftover green beans, diced
2 cups leftover turkey gravy
Topping
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
2 cups leftover mashed cauliflower
1 tablespoon melted butter.
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Choose either an 8×8-inch or a 9×14-inch oven-proof pan, depending on how much food you have. Oval gratin dishes or a casserole dish also work well, as do individual baking dishes. Butter the dish well.
To reheat the filling before putting the casserole in the oven.
Combine the filling ingredients in the baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and heat in the microwave until warm (not hot), about 4 minutes on high.
If you don’t wish to use the microwave, reheat the mixture in a saucepan and pour into the baking dish.
To make the topping:
Thoroughly combine the mashed potatoes and cauliflower. Mix in the melted butter and cheddar cheese. Spread the topping over the filling in the baking dish, spreading it to the edges of the dish. Place the baking dish on a foil covered cookie sheet. The filling may bubble over.
Bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. You will know it is done when the pie filling is bubbling hot and the topping turns golden brown. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Leftovers in my house always get reinvented into new dishes. In these recipes, they also change from breakfast meals to dinner meals.
Corned Beef Hash
Serve with Roasted Asparagus, recipe below.
3-4 Servings
Ingredients
2 cups leftover corned beef, cubed (recipe on how to make the corned beef)
1 cup diced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups cooked Yukon gold potatoes (or rutabaga for a lower carb option)
3-4 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
Heat the butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the onion and cook a few minutes, until soft.
Mix in the chopped corned beef and potatoes. Spread out evenly over the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and press down on the mixture with a metal spatula.
Cook until browned, then turn the mixture over. Do not stir the potatoes and corned beef but let them brown. If you hear them sizzling, this is good. (Use a metal spatula to peek underneath and see if they are browning. If nicely browned, use the spatula to turn sections over in the pan so that they brown on the other side. Press down again with the spatula.)
If there is too much sticking, you can add a little more butter to the pan. Continue to cook in this manner until the potatoes and the corned beef are crispy and brown.
Sprinkle with parsley and black pepper and remove the pan from the heat.
Fry the eggs in a separate skillet and top each portion of hash with an egg.
Oven-Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
1 bunch thin asparagus spears, trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Place the asparagus into a mixing bowl, and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss to coat the spears, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Arrange the asparagus onto a baking sheet covered with foil in a single layer.
Bake in the preheated oven until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes depending on thickness. Sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving.
Spinach Cheddar Omelet
2 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
2 cups leftover cooked spinach
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 large eggs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Minced fresh parsley, for garnish
Additional black pepper, for garnish
Directions
Heat the butter in a large skillet and add the mushrooms and onions; cook until and soft and tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the leftover spinach and heat until hot.
Beat the eggs in a small mixing bowl and pour over the vegetable mixture. Stir the eggs around the pan with a rubber spatula, pulling the sides in towards the middle, swirling the pan slightly so the runny egg mixture on top hits the pan and cooks. Cook about 2 minutes, until the eggs are just slightly shiny on top. Sprinkle the cheddar over the top.
Carefully lift up the edge of the omelet and check to see if the eggs are lightly golden on the bottom. Once they are, gently fold it over the filling and let cook another minute over low heat.
Slide omelet out of skillet and divide in half. Serve garnished with minced parsley and extra black pepper.
Baked Parmesan Tomatoes
2 servings
Ingredients
2 large tomatoes
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Cut a thin slice off the top and the bottom of each tomato. Cut them in half, horizontally.
Place tomatoes on a baking sheet. Top with Parmesan, oregano, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with oil. Bake until the tomatoes until warm, about 10 minutes. Serve alongside the spinach omelet.
My blogging friend Pam at For The Love Of Cooking recently posted a rub recipe for ribs. My family really likes ribs and after I saw Pam’s recipe, I decided to try a new rub and use her recipe the next time I cooked ribs. I did tell her I was going to make her recipe soon and now I share that with you. The only change I made to the rub recipe was to use a brown sugar substitute because we do not use regular sugar.
Baby Back Ribs
Rub
4 tbsp sweet paprika
3 tbsp brown sugar or brown sugar substitute
2 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Ribs
2 racks of baby back pork ribs
Your favorite barbecue sauce
Directions
Dry the ribs on paper towels.
Combine the spice ingredients and rub 1 tablespoon (4 tablespoons) of the rub mixture on each side of the ribs. Wrap in foil and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Place the ribs in a large baking dish and cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 3 hours,; until the ribs are tender but not falling apart.
Remove the baking dish from oven and increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Pour off all liquid in the baking dish. Brush the ribs with barbecue sauce and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce begins to get a little sticky. Remove the ribs to a cutting board and cut into two-rib sections to serve.
Potato Patties
Ingredients
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes at room temperature
1 egg (beaten)
2 scallions, green and white parts finely chopped
1/4 cup flour or arrowroot for low carb
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
Directions
Mix together the mashed potatoes, beaten egg, scallions, flour, cheese and pepper and stir well. Using a muffin scoop, measure out 8 scoops of the mixture and place on a waxed paper-lined plate. Refrigerate until time to cook.
In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and butter together until the butter melts and the mixture starts to sizzle.
Using a metal spatula place the potato mixture into the frying pan and pat into 3-inch circles that are about 1/2-inch thick. Cook the potato patties until the bottom is browned and crisp, which will take about 3 to 4 minutes.
Carefully turn each patty over and cook the second side until it is brown and crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. Remove the patties from the pan and drain briefly on paper towels Serve the patties immediately.
Broccoli With Easy Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
1 head of broccoli cut into florets and the stems reserved for another recipe.
Sauce
1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Directions
Broccoli
Steam the florets until tender and drain in a colander. Set aside in a serving dish
Sauce
In a 1 1/2 quart saucepan, heat the heavy whipping cream over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. When the cream begins to simmer (little bubbles form around the edges, whisk in the cheese, mustard, garlic and onion powder, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper. Turn heat to low.
When the cheese has melted, remove the sauce from the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Whisk again and pour over the steamed broccoli florets and serve.
Chili Stuffed Peppers
Use any chili you have for this recipe but I really like my Texas-style chili for this recipe.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium red bell peppers, washed
2 cups leftover Texas Style Chili, divided
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Use the oil to coat a baking dish large enough to fit the peppers.
Cut the bell peppers in half and remove the seeds and membranes inside.
Fill the peppers with the chili, about ½ cup in each.
Place the chili stuffed peppers in the prepared baking dish, cover tightly with foil and place them in the oven.
Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the chili is bubbling and hot and the peppers have softened.
Top with shredded cheese, about ½ cup for each and bake, uncovered, an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Golden Mashed Potatoes
4 servings
Ingredients
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
Salt
1/2 cup buttermilk or heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and place in a large bowl.
Mash the potatoes, adding the buttermilk until moist and the consistency that you like. Season with additional salt if needed. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
Roasted Acorn Squash
Ingredients
One 2 lb. acorn squash
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs or 1 teaspoon dried (combination of thyme, sage, rosemary, or oregano)
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400° F.
Cut acorn squash into quarters and remove the seeds from the center of each quarter.
Slice the quarters into 1/4 inch thick pieces. In a small mixing bowl combine the melted butter, garlic and herbs.
Place the squash on a foiled lined baking pan coated with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush the herb butter on both sides of the squash.
Roast the squash until tender, about 25 minutes.
Dinner For Two:
Grilled Lamb Chops And Peppers
Make the marinade early in the day.
Marinade
1 whole lemon, washed, seeded, and chopped
2 large sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves removed
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Lamb & Peppers
4 loin lamb chops, trimmed of extra fat
1 lb mixed peppers
Salt & Pepper to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
To make the marinade:
Place the chopped lemon, rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a food processor. A blender can also be used. If you have neither, finely chop all ingredients together.
Spread and massage the lemon paste evenly over the lamb chops. Place in a baking dish and cover, or use a large resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate for several hours before cooking.
Preheat an outdoor grill or a stovetop grill pan. Oil the grill grates.
To grill the peppers:
If using a grill pan for the lamb chops, place the peppers under a broiler and turn until charred on all sides.
Grill the peppers, turning occasionally, until charred all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let steam for 15 minutes. Peel and seed the peppers, then cut into thin strips and season with salt and pepper.
To grill the lamb chops
Remove the chops from the marinade and grill them over medium-high heat, turning once, until medium-rare, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer the chops to one side of a serving platter and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer the grilled peppers to the other side of the platter and drizzle with olive oil.
Old Fashioned Potato Salad
Serves 2. Double the ingredients for extra servings.
Ingredients
1 pound small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons mixed chopped herbs, such as dill, parsley, basil, chives and thyme
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 scallions (green onions), chopped
Directions
Put potatoes into a pot, cover with salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Test for doneness by inserting a fork into a potato chunk. It should slide in easily without breaking apart the potato. Immediately drain well and let cool 10 minutes.
Gently toss potatoes with sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, herbs, lemon juice, celery, onion, salt, and pepper. Cover and chill before serving.
Summer Fresh Tomato Salad
2-3 servings
Ingredients
½ cup diced red onion
1 1/2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, cut into wedges
Shredded fresh basil leaves
½ teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
For the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together the mustard, vinegar, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Gradually whisk in the olive oil.
Place the onion, tomatoes and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in a salad serving bowl. Toss with the salad dressing. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
Pork Chops
Ingredients
3–4 pork chops (1 lb) 3/4 inch thick
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup homemade BBQ sauce (see recipe below) or your favorite brand
Directions
Prepare an outdoor grill for high direct heat and indirect heat. Oil the grates.
Trim off excess fat and pepper both sides of the pork chops.
Place the pork chops on the grill over direct high heat with the lid closed. Cook for 2 minutes.
Turn the pork chops over and continue grilling, lid closed, for another 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium-low on a gas grill or move the chops to a cooler portion of a charcoal grill.
Brush a liberal amount of barbecue sauce on the chops and then turn them over. Brush more barbecue sauce on the top side.
Cook for another 2 or 3 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chops are 145° F.
Remove the pork chops from the grill to a serving platter and let rest for about 5 minutes.
BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
26 oz container strained or crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground yellow mustard
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to simmer. Cook, uncovered, until thick about 1 ½ hours. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
4 servings
Ingredients
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
Salt
1/4 – 1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and place in a large bowl.
Mash the potatoes, adding the buttermilk until moist and the consistency that you like. Season with additional salt if needed. Add the chives and serve..
Garlicky Sautéed Greens
4 Servings
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups (packed) stemmed and roughly chopped swiss chard or other greens
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
Heat garlic and oil in large skillet over medium-low heat until the garlic begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Pour the mixture into a small bowl and reserve.
Add the Swiss chard, red pepper flakes, and salt to empty skillet. Using tongs, turn greens until wilted enough to fit in the pan.
Raise the heat to medium, cover, and cook 7 to 10 minutes, tossing a few times during the cooking process. Transfer the greens to a colander to drain.
Return to them to the pan, turn the heat to low and toss with the reserved garlic and oil mixture.when hot, transfer to a serving bowl.
Beef Pot Roast
Ingredients
3 lb chuck beef roast
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups beef broth
1 large sweet onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut in half
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
Directions
In a small bowl combine the sea salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, thyme, and onion powder. Mix together. Rub seasoning mixture all over the roast.
Heat a large Dutch Oven over high and add the oil. Sear the roast on both sides until browned.
Pour the beef broth over the roast. Sprinkle minced garlic over the top and add the onions. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower heat to low.
Cook for 60 minutes, turn the roast over and add the carrots and mushrooms. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours more or until the meat is falling apart tender.
Remove the carrots and roast from the pot and place on a serving platter. Cover with foil and let rest while you thicken the gravy.
In a small bowl combine: arrowroot powder and cold water. Stir until mixed.
Bring the sauce in the pot to a boil and pour in the arrowroot powder mixture. Boil and stir until the sauce thickens. Turn down the heat to very low.
Slice the roast and serve with the carrots and hot gravy.
Swiss Chard and Mashed Rutabaga
You may use two Yukon gold or one large baking potato instead of the rutabaga in this recipe.
For the Swiss Chard
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion finely chopped
2 large bunches of Swiss chard, washed in several changes of water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
For the rutabaga
1 medium rutabaga
Salt
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions for the Swiss Chard
Drain the washed chard very well. With a knife, remove the chard stems that run up the middle of each leaf. Cut the leaves into smaller pieces.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, and black pepper.
Heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are tender.
Add the chard leaves and cook, covered, for 5 minutes until the leaves are wilted and brightly colored. Add a tablespoon of water to the pan if it seems like the leaves are getting too dry.
Add salt to taste and set aside.
Directions for the Rutabaga
Peel the rutabaga. Cut into ½ inch diced pieces. Place the rutabaga in a medium saucepan with a cover.
Add the chicken broth, garlic, and a little salt to taste. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to medium. Cover the pan and cook until very soft, about 45 minutes.
Drain the rutabaga over a bowl and reserve the broth for soup. Return the cooked rutabaga to pan and mash with a potato masher. Add the olive oil.
To finish the dish
Stir the mashed rutabaga or potato into the Swiss chard. Heat the mixture over low heat, cover the pan and let the mixture simmer for about 30 minutes until the chard is very tender. Serve with the pot roast.
