We hope that you are all enjoying your Thanksgiving celebrations today and that your little one is enjoying his first Thanksgiving dinner!
We thought this would be the ideal time to give you a few ideas for some different ways in which you can use up your Thanksgiving leftovers to make some yummy baby food!
One important thing to remember when using up your leftover turkey (and other ingredients from your Thanksgiving meal) is that the usual food safety rules still apply.
That means that the food you cook for Thanksgiving Day should be promptly stored in the fridge if it is not eaten up.
If the various components for your meal have been set out on the Thanksgiving table and have remained at room temperature for more than 2 hours, then the leftovers are NOT safe for your baby to eat.
If you pre-cooked any part of your Thanksgiving meal, then warmed it to serve today, then it is NOT safe to warm that food for a second time. This means that the leftovers should NOT be used to make baby food.
So – assuming that your Thanksgiving leftovers were properly stored – what can you make with them?
- Any of the recipes on our Thanksgiving Baby Food Recipes page can be put together using ingredients leftover from the main meal.
- Many of the recipes on our Chicken baby Food Recipes page call for cooked chicken… cooked turkey, of course, will work equally well!
- Try making the old British favourite Bubble and Squeak by mashing leftover potato with finely chopped leftover veggies, forming the mixture into shapes with your hands, and either frying them in a little olive oil or spraying with oil and baking them at 350 deg F (180 deg C) for around 20 mins, until golden. This creates an easy-to-pick-up finger food that delightfully soft and ‘squidgy’ inside!
- Make a simple but delicious sandwich spread by pureeing leftover veggies with cream cheese.
- Make a unique turkey salad by mixing cooked, shredded turkey with finely diced melon and a blob of natural yogurt. Add a little taste twist by mixing in a pinch of turmeric.
- Make a nice homemade stock with the turkey carcass (our directions are for a chicken stock, but you can use a turkey carcass instead!).
- Use leftover mashed potato to make Potato Pancakes for Baby
- Make this yummy Turkey and Vegetable Bake…
Leftover Turkey and Vegetable Bake
1 1/2 cups cooked pasta
1 cup cooked veggies (broccoli and carrots work well)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
pinch freshly ground black pepper
pinch thyme
1 cup milk (use breast milk or formula if you prefer)
1/2 cup grated Cheddar
1 1/2 cups diced, cooked turkey
Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour.
Gradually add the milk (stirring constantly) and cook, still stirring, until the sauce has thickened.
Remove from the heat and add the cheese.
Put the cooked turkey, veggies and pasta into a small baking dish and cover with the cheese sauce.
Bake at 350 deg F, uncovered, for around 30 mins, until the sauce is bubbling and golden on top.
Thanksgiving Leftover Soup For Baby | The Homemade Baby Food Recipes Blog
Friday 26th of November 2010
[...] more ideas – and for a few safety tips to observe when using leftovers – see our Baby Food Recipes using Thanksgiving Leftovers post from 2009! [...]