Leftover Mashed Potato Bread

You can use leftover mashed potatoes to make bread the day after Thanksgiving. The bread is soft and lighter than regular bread. And if you have to eat all those leftover sandwiches, it might as well be on this yummy bread.

Making bread is tricky. Everything has to be the correct temperature, or your yeast will not cooperate. Also, you can substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour, but the dough will be different. Bread flour has more gluten which makes the bread dough more elastic and absorbs more moisture.

•  Servings: 2 loaves of bread
• Time:  Prep:  15 minutes; Cooking: 35 minutes; Rise time  60 minutes; Bread in about 2 hours
  Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a stand mixer, a silicone spatula, a microwave proof bowl, a thermometer, a large mixing bowl, a clean tea towel, 2 9x5 bread pans

 

 Ingredients

• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 1 package instant yeast 
•  ¼  cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½  cup leftover mashed potatoes
• ¼  cup butter melted
• 4 cups bread flour
• A little oil
• Cooking spray

1. Turn your oven onto the lowest setting and place the hopper, the paddle and the bread hook into the oven. You do not want them to be hot, but warm when you use them.
2. Melt the butter and set aside.
3. Mix the milk, water and sugar together and warm to between 110˚ and 115˚f. Any cooler and the yeast won’t rise, any warmer and you will kill it.
4. Sprinkle the yeast over the liquid and set in a warm place until it gets frothy, about 5 or 10 minutes.
5. Place the egg, salt, potatoes, butter and flour into the warm (NOT HOT) hopper of the stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture, making sure to scrape in everything.
6. Use the paddle attachment to mix the ingredients until they are just combined. Over mixing makes the bread tough.
7. Switch to the bread hook and knead on medium-high for 5-7 minutes. The dough should be a little sticky.
8. Pour a tiny bit of oil into the bottom warm (not hot) mixing bowl. Add the dough ball and flip it over so that the whole ball is covered in oil. Cover it in a tea towel and place it in a warm spot until it doubles in size. I find it easiest to turn my oven onto the lowest setting for 2 minutes

Leftover Stuffing Waffles

This can hardly be called a recipe. It is more like a really good idea. But it is a really good idea and I had it. We always have too much stuffing/ dressing. This is an excellent way to use it up.

• Servings:  2 waffles
• Time:  Prep: 5 minutes, cooking: 5-7 minutes per waffle
• Hardware:  A bowl, a spatula, tongs, a waffle iron

 

Leftover Stuffing Waffles

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 2 cups of leftover stuffing
• Cooking spray
• Gravy or heated cranberry sauce for serving

1.  You will need one egg for every 2 cups of stuffing. Just mix the egg into the stuffing, spray the waffle iron generously with cooking spray and cook the stuffing as if it were a waffle.
2. You can top the waffle with warm gravy, an egg or heated up cranberry sauce.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Pot Pies

This year instead of making new recipes for Thanksgiving, I am making a few suggestions for using up leftovers. These Thanksgiving Leftovers Pot Pies were my husband’s favorite.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Pot Pies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Servings:  4 pot pies
• Time:  Prep: 10, Cook: 30minutes total
• Hardware A cutting board and knives, 6-6-ounce ramekins (or individual pie plates), a clean flat surface, a rolling pin, a fork, kitchen scissors, a baking sheet

 Ingredients

• Leftover cooked veggies

• green beans
• potatoes
• carrots
• onions
• peas
• corn
• onions

• Leftover cooked meat

• turkey
• ham
• brisket

• Gravy
• Two pie crusts
• Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Drain and dice the veggies and the meat.
3. Spray the ramekins liberally with cooking spray. On a slightly floured surface roll the pie crust.   Cut it into fourths. Place one fourth into a ramekin.  Gently push the dough down into the bottom.  Make sure that some dough hangs out the sides because you will need to seal the pies.  You may need to use kitchen scissors to cut off a piece and wet it with a little water to make the crust fit all the way around the edge. Repeat for the rest of the ramekins. 
4. Fill each pie with veggies and meat.  The beauty of this recipe is that everyone can have their own custom-made pie. Fill the pie with gravy.
5. Roll out the second crust and cut it into 4 pieces.  Lay a top crust on each pie.  Crimp the edges of each pie.  Make sure each one is sealed. You may use the kitchen scissors to trim up the edges. Use a knife to cut three vents in each top.  If you have leftover dough, you can roll it flat and bake it and serve it with the pies.
6. Place the pies onto the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
7. Remove the pies from the oven and allow them to cool until you can pick it up.  
8. Serve warm.