What To Make With...

I always have at least one can.

On the day after Thanksgiving, do you find yourself wondering what in the world you’re going to do with all of that leftover roast turkey? You’re not alone. There’s the requisite turkey and cranberry sandwich, and perhaps a pot of turkey soup. (Don’t forget to use that carcass for turkey stock!) But for some of us, that barely puts a dent into all those turkey leftovers. Don’t lose hope!

You’ll want to make them all winter.

I like to think sweet potatoes eagerly await Thanksgiving every year, knowing it’s their time to shine. Whether it’s a tradition to bake them into a pie for dessert or turn them into a casserole with marshmallows as a side dish, sweet potatoes are a holiday classic. However, there are so many more ways to serve them than these fan-favorite dishes.

Every year I anxiously await the arrival of fresh cranberries at my local grocer, and once they get here I’m always quick to toss a few bags in my cart — because they don’t stick around nearly long enough. The good news is that when you store fresh cranberries correctly, they’ll keep for three to four weeks in the fridge or up to a year in the freezer (yes, you can freeze fresh cranberries!).

Start with the beef stroganoff.

If you’re buying a big bone-in ham for the holidays this year, consider this your friendly reminder that you’ll be left with a tasty ingredient after all the meat’s been picked off: The ham bone. So, whatever you do, don’t toss it in the compost bin or trash. Ham bones are packed with so much rich, smoky flavor. Don’t have time to put the ham bone to use right away? No problem, just freeze the bone, as you would any other meat bones and food scraps.

Of all the winter squashes that have made their way to the market, there’s none I’m more excited about than spaghetti squash. I love that you can microwave it, put it in the oven, or even just throw it in an Instant Pot. No matter how you decide to prepare it, these thin, durable strands can be used just about any way you’d traditionally use noodles or spaghetti.

All too often I buy a carton of heavy cream for a recipe and, after using a small portion, the leftovers get pushed to the back of the fridge and forgotten about. Sound familiar? I’ve learned that the best strategy for making sure I use up the leftovers is keeping a roster of easy ideas of what to do with heavy cream. It’s an extremely versatile ingredient, and can be used in a pretty wide variety of sweet and savory recipes.

I could eat potatoes every day for the rest of my life. At their core these spuds are so humble, but with a little finesse, they suddenly blossom into a comforting side which turns out to the best thing on the plate (no offense to the main dish!) Mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, baked potatoes — sign me up as interested for all of the above.

It’s not just a side dish!