Thanksgiving Leftovers Done Light

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year and plan on sending your guests home with all the leftovers – you may want to reconsider! We have some easy, quick and delicious meals you can make out of all those leftovers. You put so much effort into your holiday meal; why not keep on enjoying it?

Stuffed Peppers
This is a great meal for the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving, when you won’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. Enjoy this dish for lunch or as a light dinner.

Ingredients: Two large bell peppers (cut tops off, remove seeds and core), ½ onion diced, 1 cup shredded cooked white meat turkey, 2 cups marinara sauce, 2 cups spinach leaves (washed and drained), 1 cup cooked brown rice, ½ cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese (divided in half)

Directions: Sauté onions in a skillet with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Add turkey and marinara sauce until heated through. Add spinach and let wilt. Remove from heat and fold half of the cheese into the rice. Add turkey mixture to peppers (which have had seeds, ribs, and core removed). Top with rest of the cheese and bake at 350° for 30 minutes and serve.

Turkey Hash
If you have guests staying the holiday weekend, this is the perfect brunch idea. Simply serve this hash with scrambled eggs or egg whites.

Ingredients: Two cups cooked diced white meat turkey, 1 medium onion chopped, 2 red bells pepper diced, 2 medium sweet potatoes diced, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste, ½ cup low-fat cheddar cheese

Directions: Steam potatoes for 5 minutes to soften. In a medium skillet, sauté onions in 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add potatoes and peppers and cook about 10 minutes. Add turkey and heat through. Stir in seasoning. Serve with cheese on top.

Pumpkin Parfait
This makes a great weekday breakfast and is a different way to use leftover canned pumpkin.

Ingredients: Half a can of cooked pumpkin, 8 ounces non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoon light maple syrup, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, ½ banana sliced, 1 low-fat graham cracker crushed

Directions: Mix pumpkin, yogurt, syrup and pumpkin pie spice together until smooth and creamy. Layer pumpkin mixture with bananas and low-fat graham cracker crumbs. Top with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice and enjoy.

Have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!