I think what I love most about Thanksgiving is the tradition. I always know what will be served and how it will taste. And that’s a good thing.

No, wait. Tradition is second. The food is really what I like most.

I already got a head start on the holiday last night at That Joplin Woman’s house for the Finley dinner. While the entire meal is always fabulous, I always look forward to the mashed potatoes and gravy. That’s usually my dessert.

Then, tomorrow, it’s off to celebrate with my parents for the Evans dinner. There, again, the meal is always excellent but I especially look forward to the dressing. Ah, the tradition. Ah, the food.

Does anyone ever cook just enough food for Thanksgiving dinner? There may be some who want the turkey and trimmings once and only once, but I can’t imagine very many with that mindset. Today is a good day to think about cleaning out your fridge to accommodate the leftovers.

Or, if you are like my sister and me, we load up with leftovers at our parent’s house so today is a good time to make sure you have plenty of baggies and to-go containers. If you have your turkey sitting in your fridge waiting to go into the oven, you already have had to make some extra space.

Just don’t wait until the last minute to rearrange and get rid of food. Today might be a good day for potluck, warming up whatever is tucked away on those refrigerator shelves.

When you get ready to store your leftovers, do so as quickly as possible. Remember to never leave your food out on the table for more than two hours. Any longer will risk contamination and that’s not a Thanksgiving tradition any of us want to start.

Give the leftovers a maximum of four days to be eaten. Any longer, out they go to the dog. If you have more than you need for that four-day time frame, freeze the leftovers as soon as possible.

Don’t wait four days to freeze the turkey. Also, divide any large quantities into smaller amounts for storing.

Give new life to that cooked bird by making enchiladas, quesadillas or tetrazzini. Bake a shepherd’s pie using leftover mashed potatoes.

What about leftover cranberry sauce? Mix a little in with some cream cheese to create a tasty spread for your toast, bagel or muffin. Whisk some of the sauce into your favorite vinaigrette for a new twist to your salad dressing or pour over warmed turkey. You can also simply warm the sauce and pour over ice cream.

Make the best turkey sandwich ever when you start by spreading a hoagie bun with cranberry sauce. Layer with warmed stuffing, turkey and gravy and you have used several leftovers at once and have a yummy dish.

Whatever your Thanksgiving traditions or whatever your menu, enjoy your family and friends and remember to give thanks. We can find lots of blessings if we just stop and think about it.

From Fueve online comes the Thanksgiving leftover casserole. You can easily substitute turkey for the ham, and sweet potatoes for the mashed. Just choose your preference or use what you have in the leftover department.

My mother always cooks ham and turkey both for Thanksgiving, and the ham is always the most popular. This year, she bought a huge ham and a smaller turkey breast. One of our favorite traditions is filling up the to-go bowls so I see leftovers in my future for this recipe.

Also online, I found the leftover mashed potato soup from Sue L. It reminds me of the baked potato soup I like so much, but much quicker when you already have the leftover mashed potatoes. Use a whisk to get the potatoes mixed in nicely.

My friend Carolyn Phillips gave me the pumpkin Twinkie cake recipe. She said another friend of mine, Barbara Martin, brought it to work and it was great. What a fun dessert to make together with the kids. Eating it with them isn’t bad either.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and happy eating!



Thanksgiving leftover casserole

11⁄2 cups mashed potatoes

2 cups cooked ham, chopped

1⁄2 cup mayonnaise

1 can cream of mushroom soup

11⁄2 cups croutons, slightly crushed

1⁄2 cup milk

2⁄3 cup cheddar cheese, cubed

Dry breadcrumbs

1⁄4 cup grated cheese (for topping)

Spray casserole dish with vegetable oil. Spread potatoes in bottom of casserole. In medium bowl, mix ham, mayonnaise, soup, croutons, milk and cheese. Layer over potatoes. Sprinkle with topping cheese then a light layer of bread crumbs. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees until brown.



Leftover mashed potato soup

2 tablespoons butter

1⁄2 cup chopped onion

1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped

1 can chicken broth

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon pepper

1⁄2 teaspoon paprika

2 cups mashed potatoes

1⁄2 cup cheddar cheese

2 scallions, finely chopped

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons cream or half and half

In a large saucepan, cook onion in butter until soft. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Add broth, salt, pepper and paprika. Stir to mix. Blend in potatoes until lumps disappear. Mix in scallions, bacon, sour cream, and cream. Stir till heated through. Do not boil.



Pumpkin Twinkie cake

1 can pumpkin

1 box Twinkies

2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding

11⁄2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 cup milk

1 cup powdered sugar

2 small containers whipped topping

Cut Twinkies in half lengthwise. Layer, cut side up, in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Mix 1⁄2 tub whipped topping, cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Pour over Twinkies. Mix pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, pudding and milk together. Spread over cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining whipped topping and sprinkle with extra pumpkin pie spice.

Address correspondence to Cheryle Finley, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, MO 64802.