The holidays are a time for friends and family and good
old-fashioned home cooking. Who can resist the tempting smells
coming from the kitchen at this most favorite time of year?
Holiday dinners were among my favorite, most memorable meals as a
child. Our family shared our holiday meals with different
relatives each year, but wherever we were and whoever we were
with, we always knew to expect good food and enjoyable family
gatherings that we would remember for months to come.
When I was a child, it was always a tradition in our family to
have turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas. We would
also always enjoy mounds of creamy mashed potatoes and gravy,
candied yams with lots of butter, brown sugar, and melted
marshmallows, and I could always count on sampling my dad's
famous fruit salad. He would meticulously cut each fruit into
bite-size pieces (apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, and raisins),
and mix it all together with a generous portion of homemade
whipped cream. Homemade cranberry sauce was also always a
special holiday treat.
Now that I'm married we have even more family to share our
holiday meals with. With so much family, though, we rarely get
to host dinner at our house. It's always nice to go to someone
else's house to eat, but then we don't get any of the leftovers!
We usually end up taking advantage of the holiday sales at the
supermarket though, and then we can have our own little feast.
I've had a lot of fun over the years devising ways to use up the
leftovers from our own holiday meals--and I'd like to share some
of my favorite recipes with you.
Turkey and Rice Soup
2 1/2 cups turkey, cooked and diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 6-ounce box long-grained rice
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrots, grated
In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients with 6 cups of
water. Simmer, covered, until rice is cooked, approximately 30
minutes. Great with fresh bread.
Turkey Spaghetti
8 oz. spaghetti or other pasta
1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
3/4 c. grated mild cheddar cheese
2 c. leftover cooked, diced turkey
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional - diced celery and/or diced onion to your taste
Prepare soup as directed. Prepare spaghetti as directed then
drain. Combine spaghetti, soup and remaining ingredients. Stir
until cheese melts. Serve and enjoy!
Mashed Potatoes and Ham Bake
2 cups mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons mustard
2 cups ham, cubed
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, mix mashed
potatoes and mustard. Spread potato mixture in the bottom of a
greased 8-inch square baking pan. Arrange ham on top of
potatoes. In a small bowl, mix cottage cheese and cheddar
cheese. Spread over ham. Bake until mixture is heated through,
about 30 minutes.
Chopped Ham Sandwiches
2 lb. leftover ham, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 c. ketchup
1/4 c. vinegar
1 c. water
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Fry ham in a skillet and sprinkle flour over it. Stir in the
remaining ingredients. Simmer for 1 hour and serve on toast or
hamburger buns. Makes 15 to 20 sandwiches.
Originally published at Suite 101. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of
What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick
easy dinner ideas. For recipes, tips to organize your home, home
decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative
Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.
More related articles:
Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Leftover Turkey? A Gourmet Treat!
How to Roast the Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey
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