Now what?

It doesn't look like this anymore so now what...

 

 

Thanksgiving is over and we've been to the Black Friday sales. Kids are hollerin' that they do NOT want leftover turkey or turkey sandwiches so now what?
Can't waste good food, not when we've just spent next week's grocery money on the Black Friday sales. But the kids and husband don't like the dark meat so now what?
Shake out your super mom cape and put it on...here's my best easy to throw together Now What recipes for the day after Thanksgiving. The family won't even know they're eating leftovers and you'll have enough energy left to make it to one final sale before the five o'clock deadline!

Leftover Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding
1/2 cup granulated sugar

5 large beaten eggs

2 cups milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups cubed leftover cinnamon rolls (NOTE: If you didn't have homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning, then 3 cups of leftover dinner rolls or white bread can be used but increase sugar to 2 cups)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans
SAUCE:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup of milk or half and half
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.
Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add vanilla. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes.
In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter, and pecans.
Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.
For the sauce:
Mix together the granulated sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together until the sugar is melted. Thicken with 3 T. flour in 1/4 cup of milk, stirred until smooth. Pour over bread pudding. Serve warm or cold.

 

Hot Turkey Salad

2 c. chopped turkey (and it can be the dark meat)

1 c. chopped celery

1 c. mayonnaise

2 T. lemon juice           

2 T. chopped onions

½ t. salt

½ c. almond (or if you live in the south, chopped pecans)

½ to ¾ c. of crushed potato chips

Combine all the ingredients except the chips and put into a baking dish. Top with chips and bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.
(NOTE: if it's got potato chips then it's got to be good, right?)

 

Cold Turkey Salad

2 cups diced cooked turkey

2 cups diced apples

½ cup walnuts (or pecans)

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup mayonnaise

4 T. honey

3 T. Dijon mustard

Mix all together and serve chilled over lettuce leaves. Or it can be served as sandwiches if you can convince the family that it is really deli food!

 

Cold Turkey Salad

3 cups diced turkey

¼ cup dried cranberries

½ cup diced celery

2 T. finely chopped red onion

½ cup diced apple

¼ cup chopped pecans (or walnuts or almonds)

6 T. mayonnaise

2 t. lemon juice

¼ t. salt

dash of black pepper

Mix all together and serve over lettuce leaves or in a hollowed out tomato. Or again it can be served as a sandwich stuffing but make the family think it is something really special!

And just for fun, I tried this yesterday. The grandkids loved it and it helped get them all sugared up before I sent them home with their mommas!

Snicker Salad 

1 package of instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup of milk
Mix well and add a container of Cool-Whip
Add three apples, peeled and diced
and about 10 miniature Snicker bars cut into small pieces
Chill for at least thirty minutes! (I was the best Nene in Oklahoma when I brought that out for dinner)

 

They'll think you slaved for hours, and on the day after Thanksgiving! Now put your cape back in the closet and hurry on out the door to that next Black Friday sale...then come on home, prop your feet up and read one of the newest Sourcebooks romances. Speaking of which Just a Cowboy and His Baby comes out in two weeks and there is a fun Thanksgiving scene in it when Trace Coleman meets Gemma's family for the first time! I'll give away an ARC of that book today to someone who leaves a comment on this site...drawing to be held tonight and in the spirit of being grateful to ALL my readers, it's not limited to the US and Canada. Whoever Mr. Random pulls from the boot gets a book whether they live next door to me or half way around the world!