Making a large holiday meal can be stressful, especially when you're having a lot of people over for dinner. There can be so many things to take care of and preparations that need to be made to create a really good meal. When it comes to the leftovers, I figured out a way to make a creative meal that tastes as good as the original. Here's my little twist on holiday leftovers, you might want to give it a try yourself.



The people in my family are big fans of turkey leftovers, so I decided to make a different kind of meal as a treat for them. I nickname it my Day-after-casa-roll just fun! It doesn't really have to be made with leftovers, but it works quite well either way. Over the years I've found that when it comes to family meals, a little creativity sure goes along way.

Now there isn't always the time to cook an entire turkey, or wait a few hours for it to finish cooking when there's so much else to do. So sometimes in an effort to save time, I'll purchase a pre-cooked bird to use in my casserole. While it might cost a bit more, to me it's worth it since it makes everything so much simpler and quicker. I simply pull the cold turkey off of the carcass and use my fork to shred it. I usually purchase a 3 or 4 pound bird, which is plenty for my family of 5.

Then it's time for the stuffing. I find that the boxed, instant type of stuffing is perfect for this dish as it's another great time-saver and tastes great in the casserole. I usually make 2 boxes so I have plenty of stuffing, simply doubling the ingredients listed on the box. I fluff it up and set is aside to cool. Next I layer it in a glass or ceramic casserole dish that's been greased. Then I take my shredded turkey a layer it on top.

Then it's time for the gravy. Again, simple is the key, so I used canned or jarred gravy and pour it over the top of the turkey and stuffing. Next I place it in the oven for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees to bake. I usually check it a couple of time to make sure the gravy is not coming over the top. This is the time I also place some refrigerator rolls or biscuits in the oven to cook until they are lightly browned. Once the bread is done, I let them cool. Once they're nice and cool, I spread mayonnaise on one side of each roll and cranberry jelly on the other side.

By now the casserole is finished, so I take a spatula and use the edge to slice the casserole into small individual portions. These portions on placed onto the biscuits and served to my hungry family. I usually start with 2 biscuits for each person, but you can fully expect requests for more! This casserole sandwich has become on of my family's favorite meals, whether it's the first day or really a leftover meal!

You can change this up depending on your family's particular tastes. Sometimes I choose to add some carrots or peas to the casserole for a slightly different taste, but you can add anything from mashed potatoes to yams to make a yummy sandwich. When it comes to casserole and leftovers, my philosophy is don't be shy, be daring!