The holiday season is a wonderful time of year! But man does the time from Halloween thru year’s end seem to fly by at a rate much faster than the rest of the year! Just me? Perhaps. But one thing I do know for certain is the food is bountiful and amazing and I want to enjoy it all!
However, the food served at our annual Friendsgiving celebration is enjoyed by our guests as it should be while Justin and I as hosts typically only taste as we cook and snack here and there. We never get to really enjoy the meal in the same manner our guests do. Which is the very reason behind this creation. No cooking experience necessary on this one folks! It also does not require a baker’s brain or a rocket science degree. But man does it turn out uniquely fantastic each and every time!
Ya’ll know the drill. There isn’t an exact recipe. Only instructions; suggestions really, to help guide you and inspire you to create your own masterpiece.
- Skip the tupperware!!!
- Grab the largest casserole dish you have.
- Layer each and every bit of your leftovers in said casserole dish. I usually begin with the turkey, then the veggies, a layer of mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, stuffing, applesauce, cranberry sauce, corn bread pudding, etc. You name it, you have it, you add it!
- Top off with some extra French’s Fried Onions (optional).
- Cover in tinfoil and either freeze or refrigerate depending on when you plan on eating it. If you have decided to freeze your casserole be sure to remove it from the freezer and let it thaw completely in the fridge before proceeding to the next step.
- Bake/reheat at 375 degrees covered for an hour or until bubbling.
- If/when bubbling remove tinfoil and continue to bake until golden brown on top (could take up to an additional half hour depending on your oven). If you are confident enough to use the broil feature on your oven go for it! I am not, and burn everything when I do, so I do not use broil ever!
- Let the casserole cool for 15-20 minutes or so before serving (a burnt tongue will ruin the flavor explosion experience).
- Pour yourself a glass of “leftover” wine and enjoy!!!
The flavors come together nicely but in a unique way each and every time depending on both how you layer and what your layers consist of. The final result is a savory but sweet flavor bomb that best captures each and every flavor from the holiday season all rolled into one single bite. It’s an experience for sure! Share your leftover holiday casserole recipes in the comments below and be sure to tag me in your pictures on IG.
What an awesome idea for leftovers!