Throw An After-Thanksgiving Leftover Party

I did this last year and am already inviting friends for this year! It is a great tradition. And, a bonus: your friends probably have the day off, and don;t have plans with family.

I live for turkey left-overs. I usually try to roast an extra large bird just to make sure I have plenty of left-overs to stock the frezzer with. And then there's all the yummy roast turkey stock I can make with the carcass.

My turkey eating/tryptophan coma season starts in October with Canadian Thanksgiving, followed by US Thanksgiving, and then Christmas. Oooo, I can feel myself getting sleepy already :)

I think one of the most disappointing Thanksgivings I had was one where we had no leftovers. We roasted a jumbo sized 25lb turkey, had another smoked turkey someone brought and a ham and there were no left-overs because someone went and invited another 15 people without telling us. Not a scrap of food left. We had to go back home and roast another turkey just for us.

I just freeze the extra roasted turkey. I seem to always come across nice recipes that require already cooked poultry and it's annoying to me to pre-cook it just for that recipe.

I eat myself into a triptophan (sp?) high with hot open face turkey sandwiches all weekend. I live for the leftovers. When I cook, I am usually too tired, frenzied or too full to enjoy the big T-Day meal.

I freeze my extra turkeys we end up with for New Years Eve or Christmas Eve. And if you aren't lucky to have a big freezer, I am sure you can find a friend or neighbor to help you out. And you can pay them back by having them over to eat it with you.

I never have left overs.....I purchase extra disposable containers and send ALL of the extra food home with guests.....children and grandchildren who are always busy.....grandparents, elderly aunts and uncles who don't like to cook for just 1 or 2....If we still have turkey or desserts left over we take them to the security force that works at the University where my husband works.....they never get holidays off and they really appreciate the home cooked food. Pam, South Bend

I love this idea! This way we could have an opportunity to spend time with friends that already have plans for Thanksgiving. Thanks for the great idea!

We do this with our playgroup and it's so much fun!

We already do this, in order to solve the "which house do we spend Thanksgiving at" debate. My in-laws spend it with the other side of their family, then come to ours on Friday.

Personally, I like the leftover turkey sandwiches almost better than the bird on Thanksgiving! Plus, there is no better breakfast than pumpkin pie, IMO.

Freeze the extra turkeys! Practice your roasting technique on them in January and you'll have cheap eats for that post-Christmas bill month AND be an expert by Thanksgiving!

The German and I started this tradition last year. Everyone “reinvents” their leftovers and so what if we have 12 different broccoli casseroles? Everyone’s is different and it is fun to try other people’s traditions.

Personally, I make a large pot of turkey tortilla soup and usually do not have any left that I have to contend with for a week.

Perhaps find a homeless shelter or food pantry that will accept them?

What about the two extra 18-pound+ turkeys that come home with the guys from work?