One of my fondest memories of my Dad was his love of leftover turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce. As a typical kid, I turned up my nose at the idea of putting tart cranberry sauce on a sandwich. (My mom always served Ocean Spray canned cranberry sauce). Luckily my immature palate has matured and I now love that combination.

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Try “Dad’s favorite” sandwich, or any of these quick and handy ideas for leftovers when you just don’t have time to fuss …

• Mix cooled leftover potatoes and buttery sweet corn with about ½ cup or so of your favorite cheese, form into 3-inch diameter pancakes. Heat up 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry your potato pancakes. (Turn them gently; they may split or fall apart.) Dab pancakes on paper towel to take off the grease, then place on dish. Dollop with sour cream.

• Shred leftover turkey, toss with your favorite bottled barbecue sauce, gently heat and serve.

• Make your favorite chicken salad recipe, substituting cubed turkey. Serve on toasted bun or over leftover mixed salad greens.

• For an easy but “dressy” meal, what’s more delicious than cooked pork chops smothered in leftover cranberry sauce? You can always mound some reheated dressing on the side.

• Open a can of your favorite cream of mushroom soup, stir in leftover veggies, rice and/or turkey, then heat and enjoy a warming soup.

• Make your favorite meatloaf, press it into a casserole dish and bake until the loaf is firm, cooked through and the top is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and spread leftover mashed potatoes on top of the loaf, then sprinkle with paprika. Slip under the broiler and broil until the topping is golden and puffy, about 2 minutes. (If your potatoes are a tad dry, beat in a few tablespoons of milk, buttermilk or sour cream before spreading on top of the meatloaf).

• Spice up your classic turkey sandwich with a layer of cranberry sauce, served on wheat bread.

• Have an old-fashioned mashed-potato-and-turkey sandwich, on white bread. (To make this more delicious, serve it open-face and hot, and pour some reheated gravy over your meal.)

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