Green Your Thanksgiving: Leave No Trace

Just thinking about Thanksgiving dinner seems to expand the stomach. This week, we offer tips to help you green your feast.

Tip #4: Leave No Trace

After tripping on tryptophan and overloading on carbs, the last thing you want to deal with after a hefty Thanksgiving dinner is leftovers. This year, ask guests to bring their own Tupperware containers to reduce the use of tinfoil and save space in your fridge. Or find a local soup kitchen or shelter that will take prepared foods. After making your wish, don't throw that wishbone away. Instead, turn leftover bones, meat, and vegetables into soup. Mashed potatoes can be used for a breakfast hash or made into croquettes. And turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce can become delectable sandwiches.

What are your favorite ways to manage Thanksgiving leftovers? Please share them as a comment below.

Comments

[Amy P.]

We make leftover casserole with whatever remains:

Layer mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, veggies in a casserole dish of appropriate size. Pour cream of mushroom soup and/or gravy over the whole thing and top with either bread crumbs or reserved leftover stuffing. Bake at 350 until bubbly.

[Keith Britton]

In a casserole dish, the larger the better, layer a bag of chopped spinich to cover the bottom, stuffing to cover the spinich, turkey, gravey and for a change, shredded sharp chedder on top. Bake at 375, 30 to 45 minutes until warm. It will take longer if frozen.

[Chad]

I find it ironic that the green tip yesturday was about alternatives to turkey because of how inhumane many turkeys are treated but then the next one is about tripping on tryptophan and what to do with the turkey bones. Not saying that the ideas presented in the tip was bad, just ironic.

[Michelle]

I'm in Canada, & so I've already had my Thanksgiving. Before this year I'd never considered green options, & I also haven't had a decent freezer the past couple of years to keep things in. This year, though, was different. Similar to a casserold idea, I took leftover food sent home with me, & froze several portions for meals that I could have over several days. I'm single & live alone, & so this was good. I could have a good meal in the future without having to do a lot of cooking, & it saved people having to throw a lot of food out. I also took bones & made soup. I don't have a microwave, but I have dishes that are safe to go from freezer to oven, although I do take a portion out in the morning before I go to work. That way, I just have to heat up the over when I get home, & while I'm winding down after work, my supper's cooking in the oven.

[Barbara Anker]

After saving enough turkey & cranberry sauce for 2 sandwiches all the leftovers go home with the guests [family].

[Donna Mayotte]

Thanksgiving is the beginning of soup season; I turn the bones, meat, broth and great added ingredients into delicious soup everyone loves. By the time we're through with the carcass, it goes into the compost.

[Sara B., Norfolk]

I always organize a "leftover potluck" at work for either the Friday or Monday after Thanksgiving.

[Maria]

A rich and delicious stock can be had by not only simmering the turkey bones and meat, but adding the bits of leftover dressing, mashed potato, squash, and other vegetables. Strain it after a few hours of simmering, then freeze the stock in smaller portions for use as a base in soups.

[Maria]

A rich and delicious stock can be had by not only simmering the turkey bones and meat, but adding the bits of leftover dressing, mashed potato, squash, and other vegetables. Strain it after a few hours of simmering, then freeze the stock in smaller portions for use as a base in soups.

[Burt]

Use Glass containers instead of tupperware. They are becoming increasingly popular because you can microwave them without having BPA seep into your leftovers. They also have a longer life and your dog can't chew them up if left in the sink unattended.

[Mary Davidson]

Turkey stuffingf can be frozen in chunks and used later in vegetable soup in place of croutons.

[Acai Berry Detox]

hmm very interesting good read thanks