By Dana Jacobi
American Institute for Cancer Research

In years past, I’ve spent hours thinking about how to creatively turn this overabundance of Thanksgiving leftovers into new meals for the week ahead.

Recently, however, I’ve changed my thinking altogether, and now focus on transforming the Thanksgiving meal itself into a dinner that is easy to prepare and limits the amount of leftovers. Let’s face it, when cooking for two even four people few of us want to spend a day or more in the kitchen. While one solution is eating out, many people miss the smells and sounds of a bustling kitchen on Thanksgiving morning.

Three tips to speed things up 

To help appease the traditionalists as well as those looking to mingle with guests without spending hours at the stovetop, try some of this chef’s favorite shortcuts.

•  To save time on the turkey preparation, look for roasted turkey breast, available at most supermarket delis. A pound of it, sliced, goes a long way if accompanied by other dishes. Serve it with cranberry-orange relish, now sold in jars.

•  For easy vegetables, use frozen green beans but prepare with a touch of olive oil and sliced almonds for the special occasion.

•  To hasten stuffing preparation, I—reluctantly—recommend a modest serving of prepared mix, combined with lots of sautéed onions and celery. Add cooked chestnuts, which also are available in jars, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the depth of flavor.

A great day-after dish 

For those unwilling to sacrifice a more traditional feast or those who relish utilizing leftovers, enjoy one of my favorite day-after dishes. This two-potato, apple and cranberry hash is flavored with stuffing seasoning and highlights the best of Thanksgiving’s flavors.

Although this recipe calls for mashing fresh potatoes, leftover mashed potatoes can be substituted. Enjoy it with turkey on Friday, then accompanied by a poached egg over the weekend.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving with Sweet Potato, Apple and Cranberry Hashbrowns!

Nubella tip: Find your favorite Thanksgiving meals in Nubella's 6,000-plus Recipe Database and Healthy Cooking Center, such as more than 51 cranberry concoctions, more than 170 turkey dishes, and more than 40 sweet-potato recipes.

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