Frugal Thanksgiving Left Over Ideas from a professional chef and BDF

As I mentioned when I started Luv Saving Money's holiday guide this year, it's not just about gifts, it's about prepping for the holiday, holiday baking, cooking, and more.  Thanksgiving is on it's way.  After you've baked your turkey and stuffed yourself full of homemade goodness, what can you do with all the leftovers?  If you're like me then just eating thanksgiving plate every day for the next 4 days is a little boring.

Thanks to Bottom Dollar Food and Chef Schmucker I have some EASY and yummy thanksgiving left over ideas to share with you.  I had the opportunity to take a visit to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh for a Bottom Dollar Food Frugal Chef Class with a few other awesome Pittsburgh bloggers.

I was the first to arrive of the bloggers.  I had a chance to take a sneak peak of Chef Schmucker and his students prepping the area for us to start our cooking class.  While I waited I also had the chance to snap a pic of the dining area where we would eventually be sitting down to taste our creations.  Some of the culinary students had left some delicious desserts for us to!

 We walked into the room and they had everything portioned and set up for us.  We each had our own area to recreate the recipes that Chef showed us.

 They showed us two separate Thanksgiving leftover recipes both created by Chef Scott Schmucker.  The first one is the Monte Cristo Sandwich which chef says is the classic version.  He used ingredients found at Bottom Dollar Food including their store brand "My Essentials"

 This was a very easy.  We were given our own pre-measured tray

 The fruit and greens made a salad.  Not sure if you can see in the picture but he also had some "left over" cranberry sauce for us to mix into our salad to go along with our Monte Cristo. With these ingredients and Chef's recipe I posted above  I created my own Monte Cristo sandwich.

 Let me just say that it was delicious even if I am saying it myself.  I would have never thought of making a Monte Cristo with leftover turkey and cranberry sauce.

The 2nd recipe he showed us was the Turkey Noodle soup recipe.

This is another great use for left over turkey.  Super simple and tasty.  Great for a chilly winter day.  Here is mine cooking away on their stove.

I learned some fantastic tips for chopping vegetables and fresh herbs while I was there.  The students that stayed extra to help us out with the class were wonderful and very patient.  They were giving us tips and I was soaking it in.  

When we were all done we took our creations to the dining room.  Just look at this delicious spread of Thanksgiving leftovers!

 Yummy!  We got to eat our dishes we created and not a moment too soon.  This pregnant momma was ready to eat about 10 minutes into the class :-)   You can create these dishes with your left overs. Save money with the Bottom Dollar Food "My Essentials" brand products for your holiday feasts.

Find out if there is a Bottom Dollar Food store near you and see the great sales available on their website: http://www.bottomdollarfood.com/

You can also find Bottom Dollar Food on twitter: @SaveatBDF
and on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BottomDollarFood

GIVEAWAY

Bottom Dollar Food is giving one Luv Saving Money readers a 

$75 Bottom Dollar Food gift card 

to help you with your holiday baking and cooking!
BDF is located in the following states: MD, PA, NJ, OH, VA

US Only

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***I was compensated with Bottom Dollar Food gift cards and this no cost class. I did not receive any other compensation for this post.  Any opinions expressed are my own.  Recipes are the creation of Chef Scott Schmucker for Bottom Dollar Food.***