Here’s What Happened When I Ditched Takeout (and Cooked Instead!) For a Week

Oct 19, 2015

First things first, let’s get one thing straight: I am not a bad cook. I am a lazy cook. I’m also a 24-year-old living in San Francisco and sometimes there are just more exciting things to do than go home and make dinner. However, as much as my laziness and taste buds benefit from already-prepared meals, my bank account would aggressively disagree.

Now, before you scroll down and think that I survived on two meals a day, let me clarify, I didn’t include everything I ate in here. Sometimes I ate a PB&J at work for lunch and I didn’t really think you needed a photo and description of my sandwich. But beyond the quick lunch or basic breakfast I did decide to use this week to try out a bunch of new recipes in order to make this experiment a little more exciting.

And guess what? You can enter to win EVERY SINGLE GADGET I used in this post so you can bring more cooking into your life too! Simply enter your email address below and you’ll be entered to win a Rocket Extract Pro Plus Blender, 6QT Pressure Cooker, Ceramic Coated Waffle Iron, Ceramic Coated Skillet and Ceramic Coated Griddle — all in all, a $250 value.

This contest is now closed.

Submitting your email address also means you’ll be subscribing to the Brit + Co newsletter (if you’re not already). This sweeps ends at 11:59PM EST on November 8, 2015. Full contest terms HERE.

Here’s a rundown of all the new things I made, ate and let’s be honest, shared with my roomies throughout the week.

Monday

I decided to start the week off strong with an extra boost of energy followed by a BFF pizza party. Because Mondays are hard and sometimes those two things are all really all you need to get through the first day of the week.

What I made: Lemon Energy Bites

What gadget I used: Rocket Extract Pro Plus ($51)

How long it took to make: 10 minutes

These energy balls aren’t exactly a brand new recipe for me. I’ve made them a few times before. But this week I decided to see how they would work with BELLA’s Rocket Extract Pro Plus (rather than a food processor). The blender comes with seven pre-programmed settings, which not only cut down on my prep time but blended almonds into a crumble like it was no big deal. The results were pretty impressive. After the almonds, I added in dates, lemon zest, lemon juice, whey protein powder and a pinch of salt. Then for the magic part: when it was nice and blended, it shut off by itself! After I formed them into bite-size portions, I tried my very best not to eat them all in one sitting.

What I made: Skillet Pizza

What I used: 12” x 12” Ceramic Coated Skillet ($18)

How long it took to make: 15 minutes

After work I invited a couple of my besties (and fellow Brit + Co employees) over for a new kind of pizza party… a SKILLET pizza party! I heard about this hack a while back and have been dying to try it ever since. The process is super simple: roll out pizza dough like normal and toss on a skillet over medium heat. We didn’t add any oil to the pan because the skillet is ceramic coated and didn’t need it. Once one side cooks, flip it over and deck your pizza out with sauce, cheese and toppings and place the lid on to melt the topping into gooey, cheesy goodness. This hack was a total success. I will definitely be making this again.

Tuesday

Little known fact about me: I’m kind of a freak about breakfast. To say I love it would be a massive understatement. Once I even met Rob Riggle and asked him only breakfast related questions. So today I decided to embrace my favorite meal by eating it not once, but twice.

What I made: Blender Muffins

What I used: Rocket Extract Pro Plus ($51)

How long it took to make: 20 minutes

These little guys are quite the treat and they took maybe 20 minutes to make. All I did was throw the ingredients (which are mostly peanut butter, banana and an egg) in a blender and then just poured the batter straight from the blender into the mini muffin tin. The beauty of these is that you can make as many different varieties as your heart desires. My heart is a purist and so I went with a basic chocolate chip and blueberry combo.

What I made: Breakfast for Dinner (including Blender pancakes)

What I used: 10.5″ x 20″ Griddle ($17)

How long it took to make: 25 minutes

I won’t lie, this is pretty much what my dinner looks like most nights (I really wasn’t kidding about the breakfast obsession thing). However, on this particular night I switched things up by trying a blender pancake recipe that includes oats, cottage cheese, egg whites, baking powder, vanilla and agave – and you guys! I am in love. Once all the ingredients are pureed and cooked on a griddle, they taste just like regular pancakes. These are on my list to make again ASAP.

Wednesday

After a day of breakfast, I spent most of Wednesday snacking on mini muffins and leftover pizza. Then after work I decided to really do it up with a recipe hack that is supposed to take all day but only took me an hour.

What I made: Pulled Pork

What I used: 6QT Pressure Cooker ($80)

How long it took to make: 1 hour

I was pretty nervous about this one. I had never used a pressure cooker before this week and it can be kind of intimidating. But since BELLA’s six quart pressure cooker can cook foods up to 70% faster than conventional cooking I had to see what it was all about. I decided to try out a pulled pork recipe that could be cooked in less than an hour (a fraction of the time it usually takes).

After creating the dry rub, I took advantage of the multiple features offered on the device. You can slow cook, brown, steam, etc., but for this particular recipe I needed the sautée feature. Once I browned the sides, I popped the top on and let the appliance do its thing. When I pulled it out it was definitely cooked through, but I had to let it cool before I could shred it apart with total ease.

Here I am really enjoying the fruits of my labor (most of which are nicely sandwiched in between a brioche bun).

What I made: Waffle Iron Cookies

What I used: Ceramic Coated Rotating Belgian Waffle Maker ($17)

How long it took to make: 15 minutes

Baking cookies in a waffle iron might just be the best life decision I’ve made in 2015. This process was pretty straightforward: make a giant, baseball-sized ball of dough and place it on the iron that’s set to medium-high heat. I pressed it down a bit to make sure it wasn’t too thick. These cook in about two-minutes (AKA instant cookie gratification!) and didn’t require any sort of non-stick spray because of the ceramic coating. One thing to note is that the cookies are really fragile while in the iron so remove them carefully!

I call this one “Cortney the Cookie Monster.”

Pro tip: Waffle irons are notoriously difficult to clean. If you’re mostly just dealing with a little bit of leftover residue from waffles or cookies, wet a couple of paper towels and place them in the waffle iron for a super easy steam clean.

Thursday

After my night of pulled pork sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies I decided to go in a slightly healthier direction – and what’s healthier than a smoothie and quinoa?

What I made: Antioxidant Green Smoothie

What I used: Rocket Extract Pro Plus ($51)

How long it took to make: 5 minutes

For a quick and clean breakfast I used BELLA’s blender to make an antioxidant smoothie that included: coconut water, greek yogurt, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and spinach. Unlike other blenders that can destroy important nutrients found in fruits and veggies the Rocket Extract Pro Plus is able to maintain that nutrition and pulp for healthier juices and smoothies. I just pressed the “smoothie” setting on the blender and then enjoyed my quick and healthy breakfast.

What I made: Cheesy Quinoa Cakes

What I used: 12” x 12” Ceramic Coated Skillet ($18)

How long it took to make: 20 minutes

These cakes are a semi-regular go-to dish for me. The recipe calls for fontina cheese, but I swapped that for ricotta this time, which seemed to make them a little bit firmer and easier to work with. I ate them with a dollop of garlic + red pepper aioli, but I’ve also topped them with a fried egg and avocado, which makes for a delicious for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Friday

Okay guys, so here’s the thing about making a week’s worth of food when you’re a single woman: you have SO many leftovers. On Friday, I had just about reached my wit’s end in the kitchen and decided to celebrate the end of the work week by eating all the previously made goodies in my fridge..

Saturday

When Saturday rolled around my urge for a big weekend brunch couldn’t be suppressed. It was time to bust out the waffle iron again and eat ALL the bacon (seriously guys, why does my love for bacon know no end?).

What I made: Waffle Iron Cinnamon Rolls

What I used: Ceramic Coated Rotating Belgian Waffle Maker ($17) and 10.5″ x 20″ Griddle ($17)

How long it took to make: 10 minutes

I know what you’re thinking: is she EVER going to make waffles in her waffle iron? The answer is no. There are just too many other fun things to try! For a big breakfast at home I decided to treat my roomies (and myself) to cinnamon roll waffles and bacon. The cinnamon rolls are much easier to work with on the waffle iron than the cookies. Just place, press, remove, frost and devour!

What I made: Honey Dijon Garlic Chicken

What I used: 6QT Pressure Cooker ($80)

How long it took to make: 15 minutes

To wrap up my week spent in the kitchen I tried using the pressure cooker again. This time I was attempting a honey garlic chicken. It worked like a charm and cooked in ten minutes. The pressure cooker wasn’t quite as intimidating this time around. And since this appliance has a safe lock feature that won’t open until all pressure has been released, I wasn’t quite so worried about steaming my face off. It’s not much to look at but damn, it was delicious.

Final Thoughts: Phew! That was a lot of cooking! If I told you this made me want to cook everything I eat from now until eternity, that would be a lie. I’m still going to eat out (and it’s still probably going to be more than my wallet would like), but I will say this past week has rejuvenated my love for cooking. It was hard to say no to dinner invites and happy hour cocktails, but it was a great test of my discipline and I was able to try recipes I’d been pinning and forgetting about for a very long time. Now if you don’t mind I’m going to go home, order a pizza and do some serious Netflixing. But don’t be surprised if you find me with cookie dough in a waffle iron after I’ve binge watched an entire season of Scandal.

This post is in collaboration with BELLA Housewares.

Additional photography by Chris Andre

Collaboration Hacks Every Small Business Owner Should Know

Verizon

verizon

In our Take 5 series, sponsored by Verizon, we ask women in business about unexpected challenges, their inspirations, recent wins, and how the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program has helped propel their business forward. Here, we meet Therise Edwards, founder/CEO of Teshley Solutions, an education consultancy firm that helps students and families navigate the complexities of the education system K through 12.

What is an unexpected business challenge that you faced and how did you overcome it?

I wouldn't call myself a FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) expert, but I ended up having to know a lot more about it than I ever anticipated. FAFSA is what administers Pell Grants, which is what a lot of colleges base their financial aid on. I knew about the application changes, and some were excellent, but they made a series of critical errors and a lot of parents were scrambling. It was not my intent to have this as my area of focus; it just became a necessity.

What's a recent small win for your business?

Recent small wins are my collaborations. I formed partnerships with one organization that focuses on students with special needs. I hosted a webinar with the executive director of that organization. I formed a partnership with members from an insurance company on planning and paying for college. That was my first corporate sponsorship. And I've got a series of events coming out because others actually reached out to me. One of them I met through another networking platform, but I got to that platform from one of the sessions that I did with Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program.

How did you start to collaborate with external partners?

Just changing my strategies and my approach, and just being more secure and more emphatic in making connections. It ends up being this continual cycle.

Is there a woman in business that you admire or that you look up to?

I have two. Leontyne Anglin, who runs a nonprofit called Beyond Expectations. She works with a small pool of students, but she just gives them enormous exposure and opportunity. She's brilliant with collaborating with individuals and businesses and really bringing the students what they need. And then the other on a bigger scale is Cate Luzio, founder and CEO of Luminary, who taught her Business Plan Bootcamp through the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program. She is just a dynamo. She is just so supportive of women entrepreneurs. She's awesome.

How did the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program help propel your business forward?

All of the collaborations and partnerships with the exception of one all came from joining the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program. I’ve taken all of the free classes and the one on projections and pricing, something every entrepreneur struggles with, was very helpful. There have been so many of them. Sometimes you're completely ignorant in a category so you take the class and it's like, okay, that's good to have. But then sometimes you sign up for it and it's like, oh, yeah, I did know 90 percent of that, but this other 10 percent is going to be very, very helpful.

Learn more about the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program and Teshley Solutions.

Illustration by Daniela Jordan-Villaveces

This Is The BEST 'My Life With The Walter Boys' Season 2 Update

Drama lovers are living large thanks to The Summer I Turned Pretty, Sweet Magnolias, and now My Life With The Walter Boys season 2! The show (which is basically Friday Night Lights meets Dawson's Creek) spent some time at the number one spot on Netflix’s Global English Top 10 TV list (and joined the list in 88 other countries). Netflix renewed it for a sophomore season in December 2023, and the great news is that season 2 just finished filming!

Here's everything you need to know about My Life With the Walter Boys season 2 — and don't forget to watch our interview with the cast, too.

Is there going to be My Life With the Walter Boys season 2?

Netflix

Yes, there will be a My Life With the Walter Boys season 2! Netflix renewed the new TV show in December of 2023. The second season started filming in Calgary, Canada on August 14, 2024. Showrunner Melanie Halsall is returning for season 2, as is executive producer Ed Glauser. Becky Hartman Edwards will also serve as an EP.

While there's no book for My Life With the Walter Boys season 2, author Ali Novak revealed her upcoming sequel book won't influence the show, saying “none of the content that I am currently writing will be in the second season. They’ve just taken different directions. Still all the same characters that we love.”

The season recently wrapped in November 2024, and the cast spilled on their post-shoot plans. “We have our apartments for a little bit afterwards, so we’re definitely going to stick around,” star Asbhy Gentry tells TUDUM. The cast also talked about visiting Calgary Zoo, renting bikes, and heading to Banff (in Alberta, Canada), but was distraught when they learned their favorite dessert place had closed its doors. Thankfully, a new place called Cloud Naan came to the rescue. “It’s like Cloud Nine, but with naan,” Ashby says. Now I'm craving naan!

When is the My Life With the Walter Boys season 2 release date?

Netflix

We don't have an official release date for My Life With the Walter Boys season 2 yet, but we know it's coming in 2025. Considering season 1, which started streaming in December of 2023, premiered a little over a year after filming ended, it's safe to assume we'll get another December release.

“Season 2 is bigger and better,” creator Melanie Halsall tells TUDUM. “We’ve got massive set pieces in each episode, and the stories are more intricate. We found our feet with our characters, [and] the actors really understand their characters now. When I was coming back, I was excited to start shooting again because I knew we had great stories to tell.”

Who's in the My Life With the Walter Boys season 2 cast?

Netflix

Nikki Rodriguez, Noah LaLonde, and Ashby Gentry return as Jackie, Cole, and Alex respectively. We'll see other cast members like Marc Blucas, Johnny Link, Corey Fogelmanis, Connor Stanhope, Dean Petriw, Alix West Lefler, Lennix James, and Sarah Rafferty! Natalie Sharp, Carson MacCormac, Janet Kidder, Riele Downs, and Jake Manley are joining the cast.

What has the cast said about their time on the show?

Netflix

The My Life With the Walter Boys cast has loved their time on the show! When the first season dropped, Nikki Rodriguez posted a selfie with Noah LaLonde and Ashby Gentry with the caption "Cheers to the best time of my life."

"NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD," Ashby said in his own Instagram post when the show hit the streaming platform's top spot. "GRATEFUL IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT."

During our own interview with the main trio, they talked about how quickly the bonded on set. "We got deep," Noah told me over Zoom.

"Nothing says bonding like goofing off," Ashby said. "I think it's easy to become a family when you include a little bit of that."

"There's so many topics that the show covers," Nikki added. "Love, loss, grief, family, and chosen family, and I feel like those are all topics we've all experienced and can connect to."

Who does Jackie end up with in My Life with the Walter Brothers in the books?

Netflix

In the My Life With the Walter Boys books, Alex and Jackie agree to just be friends after she confesses her feelings to Cole, who then confesses his own feelings in the pouring rain (dreamy!!). In the final episode of the TV show, Jackie confronts Cole after he glued her sister's broken teapot back together, and the two end up kissing. But then Cole finds Jackie has run back to New York City, leaving nothing but an "I'm sorry" note behind.

What do YOU want to see in My Life With the Walter Boys season 2? Follow us on Facebook for more pop culture news!

This post has been updated.

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How To Build A Local Community When You’re A Digital Creator

Verizon

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In our Take 5 series, sponsored by Verizon, we ask women in business about unexpected challenges, their inspirations, recent wins, and how the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program has helped propel their business forward. Here, we meet Rita Suzanne, a marketing strategist for health and wellness businesses who learned to network, connect with other entrepreneurs, and build her business online and IRL.

What's an unexpected business challenge that you've had to face and how did you overcome it?

The hardest thing for me was my sister passed away and I ended up taking custody of my nieces. I ended up being a single mom of four kids. This is the thing that transitioned my whole entire life. I stopped doing web design and started my podcast Mom Owned and Operated. I wanted to reconnect with other moms and figure out how they were able to run their businesses and raise a family and take care of themselves because I wasn't able to do all three at the same time. Through that journey, I realized that I really needed to connect with other people and how important it was for my business. It helped me to create that community that I was yearning for that I didn't realize that I needed.

What's a recent small win for your business?

For me, the win was just pivoting back to something that I actually wanted to do. Also, I’ve started to say no to things that I no longer want to do.

Who is a woman in business that you look up to and why?

I have always admired and looked up to Amy Porterfield [author of Two Weeks Notice]. I listened to her all the time when I was starting out. I think that she's amazing and I love her stuff. She just seems like a very genuine person.

Is there a resource that has made an impact on you as an entrepreneur?

I listen to a lot of audio books. One of my favorites that has been huge for me is You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero. I was told when I first started my business, by a friend who was a business coach, that I have a mindset problem. Ten years ago, I had no idea even what “mindset” was. Sincero’s book helped me to see what she meant by “mindset” and helped me adjust that mindset and fix some of the things that I didn't realize were broken.

How has the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program helped propel your business forward?

There are a lot of things that I have loved about it. There are local networking and training opportunities, and that has been great, and the online training is very valuable. It's a great resource. I find that marketing needs a three-tiered approach, meaning you need to network it locally, socially, and then also have a very comprehensive online approach to your marketing. One of the Verizon Small Business trainings that I took was all about taking advantage of your local resources. I found that to be extremely valuable because often people think they need to just focus on social media. I don't think that people focus enough on their local community.

Learn more about the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program and Rita Suzanne.

Illustration by Daniela Jordan-Villaveces

audio books digital ready program entrepreneurs mindset online business podcast unexpected challenges verizon sponsorship women in business social media work money marketing career sponsored entrepreneur

Chad Michael Murray's Mysterious 'One Tree Hill' Sequel Update Is The Most Lucas Scott Thing Ever.

Break out your basketball jerseys because the Tree Hill Ravens are coming back! Multiple sources have toldVariety that Netflix will develop a sequel series to the beloved CW drama, which ran from 2003-2012. While the series hasn't officially been greenlit yet, multiple series stars have admitted they'd love to have a One Tree Hill reunion and make another installment of the show.

"I just can't see a world where something won't happen," Chad Michael Murray told E! News. "Something will happen. Whether we get everybody together and do a live reading of the show, or we create a new fictional future episode, I don't know what it will be."

"We’re all on board, we’re all friends, it would be the most fun show anybody has ever been on," Barbara Alyn Woods says in an Entertainment Tonight interview.

Here's everything to know about the One Tree Hillsequel series — including the stars rumored to return!

Who's returning to the One Tree Hill sequel?

Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix

One Tree Hill Sequel Cast

According to Variety, Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton would return as Brooke Davis and Peyton Sawyer, respectively. Daneel Ackles would also return — and all three would serve as executive producers on the TV show alongside Warner Bros. Television, who was behind the original show.

When asked if he would return as Lucas Scott, Chad Michael Murray simply responded with “No clue." Considering previous reports suggested he had "no plans to return," this is promising news to me! He then added he hopes the sequel series “comes together for the fans.”

“I mean, this fandom that has grown, I mean, literally, I was just in Halifax a week ago and, sure enough, I’m running into 11, 12, 13-year-old kids who are in love with Tree Hill,” he continues. “They’re seeing it on Hulu and they’re going, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ It’s stood the test of time and I think to have some new stories, whatever iteration of the show that’s created, I want it for the fans.”

Will One Tree Hill have a season 10?

Warner Bros. Television

One Tree Hill Sequel Plot

One Tree Hill doesn't have a season 10, and it's unclear what kind of sequel this new One Tree Hill series would be. But it looks like star Hilarie Burton is confident the new series would be told through the female experience. "What has been really cool for [the entire cast and crew], they're all really proud of the work that we did back then too," she told Brit + Co in September. And so to see the public support this little show we made 20 years later, that's so special and it's so rare."

“Being able to work with a team of women and look at these stories [and] these characters through a female lens is something that — whether I was doing a reboot or a brand-new show or a different movie at this phase in my life, female teamwork is something that is so vital to me,” she adds in an interview with People. “It is the core of anything I've done that's successful...So I'm excited to be able to team up with people that I look up to, people that I love dearly.”

After the One Tree Hill finale featured all of our favorite characters' kids, I've always wanted to see a One Tree Hill next generation series that brings the kids into high school, which is something other fans have been wanting too!

One viral TikTok imagines an intro for a fictional Next Gen series starring Dylan O'Brien, Candice King, and Vanessa Marano. "Could you imagine this as a reboot with the kids though," one comment reads. "We can only dream."

Warner Bros. Television

And good news for OTH fans! Jana Kramer, who played Alex during the later seasons of the show, teased she thinks Peyton and Brooke "are coming back as moms."

"I had spoken to Hilarie about it, about Alex making an appearance when I knew about it," she tells People. "We had discussed it before the news broke...I think their intention is to bring back people that make sense. And Hilarie was like, 'I never got to meet Alex, so it'd be fun to have us meet,' and I'm like, 'I would love that. Sign me up.' So, we'll see. TBD."

Brooke having to deal with her kids' TikToks? Peyton thinking about the future of art and AI? Mouth leading the Tree Hill podcast empire? There is so much to dive into here. But all in all, One Tree Hill is one TV show that gives me so much hope, no matter how many times I watch it. And I know that bringing back our favorite found family is the perfect way to bring some of that hope right back into today's TV.

Scott Gries/Getty Images

One Tree Hill also starred Chad Michael Murray, James Lafferty, Austin Nichols, Bethany Joy Lenz, Paul Johansson, Barbara Alyn Woods, Lee Norris, and Antwon Tanner. Check back here for the latest updates on the One Tree Hill reboot cast!

Warner Bros. Television

What do you think about the One Tree Hill sequel?! Stay tuned for the latest news and read up on how This One Moment Proves Brooke Davis Is The Best Character On One Tree Hill.

This post has been updated.

one tree hill pop culture entertainment tv

25 Delicious Recipes To Use Up Those Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thanksgiving dinner is a meal we look forward to all year long. The savory stuffing, the roasted turkey, the cranberry sauce — does it get any better than that? Well if you ask us, the best part are the leftovers! And we're talking about more scrumptious meals than the usual turkey sandwich. We've scoured the internet for different ways to put that surplus of food — trimmings included — to use. These 15 recipes will have you licking your chops.

Amazing Thanksgiving leftovers the entire family will won't mind eating until the first week of December

Butternut Bakery

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Don't throw away that pumpkin purée just yet! You can use it to make delicious pumpkin cupcakes the entire family will keep coming back for. Once you add in a little pumpkin pie spice, flour, baking soda, dark brown sugar, and more goodies, you'll have 12 sweet treats to munch after Thanksgiving.

P.S. You may want to have someone else bake this recipe a second time so you can have 24 cupcakes!

Cozy Cravings

Butternut Squash and Bacon Crostini

Your family will become a huge fan of crostinis once they taste this recipe. Between the butternut squash, ricotta cheese, and bacon, everyone will be eating sweet as well as savory mini sandwiches.

Munching with Mariyah

Curried Pumpkin Red Lentil Soup

Blend your leftover pumpkin and squash with coconut milk, red curry paste, ginger, and more veggies for the heartiest lentil soup you've ever tasted. Everyone will be looking to recreate this dish for a taste of lentils once they eat it, er, sip it.

Brit + Co

Gluten-Free Frittata Recipe

Bring your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers together with some cheese, peppers, and onions for a delicious frittata. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

The Butter Half

Thanksgiving Leftover Pop Tarts

These savory pop tarts are filled with cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and bits of tender turkey, then drizzled with gravy for a snack or meal that will knock your socks off. (via The Butter Half)

Foodess

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

Put the sandwiches on hold, because this turkey pot pie is the *only* way to use those turkey leftovers to their greatest potential.

A Sweet Pea Chef

Leftover Turkey Salad With Cranberry Vinaigrette

Take your comfort food and turn it into something nutritious by topping salad with leftover turkey and a vinaigrette made with leftover cranberries.

Spices in My DNA

Thanksgiving Leftovers Everything Bagel Sandwich

This recipe stuffs your everything bagel with a poached egg, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and turkey.

The Seasoned Mom

Aunt Bee's Leftover Turkey Casserole

It's cozy casserole season, so this recipe is the perfect way to use up that leftover turkey by adding it to a pasta bake that is rich, creamy, and jam-packed with flavor.

Lively Table

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

Nothing soothes the soul better than a steamy bowl of soup like this, filled to the brim with tender shredded turkey, nourishing veggies, and a generous dollop of Greek yogurt for extra smoothness.

The Cookie Recipe

Deep-Fried Loaded Mashed Potato Bites

If you don't know what to do with that heap of extra mashed potatoes, we've got you covered with these crispy potato, bacon, and cheese-filled bites of glory.

What Should I Make For...

Thanksgiving on a Roll

If you want ALL the carbs, this recipe sandwiches turkey and all the fixin's between a fresh roll and it. Is. Magical.

Whitney Bond

Turkey Fajita Rice Bowls

Kick things up a notch and put a healthy spin on your leftover turkey with these veggie-filled fajita rice bowls.

Yes to Yolks

Thanksgiving Leftovers Pierogi

This recipe smashes the traditional pierogi together with leftover Thanksgiving goodies for a fun and seasonal spin on a classic.

Jessica in the Kitcen

Vegetarian Meatloaf and Cranberry Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwich

Vegetarians can enjoy Thanksgiving to the max too, and if anything proves it, it's this stacked meatless 'wich that swaps the usual turkey for plant-based meatloaf.

Pickled Plum

Leftover Turkey Dinner Hash

These turkey-filled hash patties will make brunch fanatics swoon with their festive flavor and golden crisp exterior.

Bless Her Heart Y'all

Turkey Teriyaki Stir-Fry

This feast doesn't just give you a healthful meal after gorging on holiday eats, but it also serves as a weeknight wonder, clocking in at just 15 minutes from start to finish!

Chef de Home

Turkey Tetrazzini With Mushrooms

Putting that leftover turkey to use never looked so good with this creamy mushroom and pasta-filled tetrazzini.

Half Baked Harvest

Thanksgiving Leftovers Croque Madame

This Thanksgiving leftovers croque Madame sandwich is an excellent way to serve breakfast on Black Friday. After all, you'll need an extra boost from the fried eggs to get you through your mad dash at the mall!

Vikalinka

Butternut Squash Casserole

Not sure what to do with all the leftover butternut squash? Make a cheesy au gratin casserole!

Crowded Kitchen

This post has been updated.

holiday recipes recipe roundup thanksgiving thanksgiving dinner food