Got leftovers? We've got recipes

 Thanksgiving dinner puts a lot of pressure on a cook.

But it's nothing compared with Thanksgiving leftovers.

Of course, you can just reheat and re-serve the whole meal over and over until the stuffing starts drying out and cracking. But a good cook is supposed to spend the Friday after Thanksgiving doing something wizardly with all those leftovers, right? Take the remains of the holiday and turn them into something supremely special, perhaps a turkey pot pie with a flaky homemade crust, with lovingly hand-crimped edges. Or a turkey mole. And it's a given that A Real Cook makes a rich turkey soup with a stock that was hours in the making.

But what if you'd rather be shopping? We've got some quick and easy recipes to empty out the fridge -- as well as a few more complex dishes if you are so inspired:

Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times

Thanksgiving countdown: Scalloped oysters

How about something that's different -- yet still a classic -- this holiday? Here's your recipe for scalloped oysters.

-- Rene Lynch
On Twitter @renelynch 

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Photo credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times

 

Thanksgiving countdown: whole-grain mustard rolls

These rolls can be prepared up to three days in advance  -- or you can make them right now, and freeze them until Turkey Day. Here's the recipe:

And don't forget the butter.

-- Rene Lynch
On Twitter @renelynch 

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This Thanksgiving, let someone else do the cooking

More recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen

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Photo credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times 

Movie popcorn equals three Quarter Pounders with butter?

Would you order three Quarter Pounders just for yourself -- or for your kid -- and then slather the buns with 12 pats of butter and wash 'em down with some sugary pop?

Well, that's what you are doing when you settle in with a popcorn and a soda at one movie theater chain. A study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest found that a medium popcorn at this chain contained a whopping 1,200 calories, 60 grams of saturated fat and 980 milligrams of sodium.

1,200 calories? That's an entire day's caloric allotment for some.  

Even worse: That's the calorie count without the "buttery" topping. Find out which chain, and see if your local movie theater was included in the study:

Does this make you mad?

-- Rene Lynch

Photo: Matthew Staver / Bloomberg

Pumpkin shortage could mean empty shelves after Thanksgiving

Someone needs to break the bad news to Times Test Kitchen Manager (and pumpkin lover) Noelle Carter:

Mother Nature may have sneaked off with a sought-after slice of Thanksgiving.

Recent heavy rains in the Midwest are putting pumpkin pie in short supply this holiday season. On Tuesday, food giant Nestle, which controls about 85% of the pumpkin crop for canning, issued a rare apology and said that rain appeared to have destroyed what remained of a small harvest this year and that it expected to stop shipping the holiday staple by Thanksgiving. Read more here:

-- Rene Lynch

Photo caption: Nestle has forecast a shortage of canned pumpkin as recent heavy rains in the Midwest have damaged much of the crop, including in Morton, Ill. Credit: Adam Gerik / Nestle 

 

Thanksgiving countdown: We've got classics, dinner to go, pie and the turkey readers love

Happy Thanksgiving!

OK, the big day is still a week away, but there's little time to waste. And we've got everything you need to make this the best turkey day ever:

-- North, South, East and West -- we all celebrate Thanksgiving. But we don't all celebrate it in the same way: Take a tour of some classic holiday dishes from across the nation, including scalloped oysters. (This dish was initially greeted with skepticism by some in The Times Test Kitchen. But that was before the first bite. Everyone who tried it went back for seconds....and fifths.)

-- Thanksgiving is all about tradition, and Times Food Editor Russ Parsons has one of his own: Writing about the dry-brined "Judy Bird." It's more of a technique than a recipe, and it yields what many say is the juiciest, tastiest turkey EVER. Is it any wonder that readers go nuts for it? So much so  that this recipe has its own list of frequently asked questions.

-- We all know that Times Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter is crazy about bacon. Turns out she's crazy about pumkins too. (She decorated her desk for the holiday with baby pumpkins.) So what's the logical next step? A pumpkin pie made with a bacon-and-bourbon pie crust. Plus: Pumpkins and squash come in so many varieties. Take a tour of this photo gallery and see how many you can identify.

-- Just interested in eating this holiday? Leave the cooking to someone else. Here's our list of places to dine out -- and take out -- this Thanksgiving.

-- Not sure what you want? Browse this, calorie free: 97 of our best Thanksgiving recipes

-- Still want more? Check out www.latimes.com/Thanksgiving

-- Rene Lynch

Photo: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

Thanksgiving countdown: A quick and easy holiday starter

Some good choices for a Thanksgiving cheese platter (from top, clockwise): Trail Head cow's milk Washington; Hook's Cheddar; Rogue River Blue; Vella Dry Hack; Jasper Hills Farm Constant Bliss; Sally Jackson; Grayson; and finally, Truffle Tremor.

Click here for help planning your own holiday platter.

-- Rene Lynch

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This Thanksgiving, let someone else do the cooking

Join us on Twitter @latimesfood and Facebook at facebook.com/latimesfood

Photo credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times 

Cookalong -- and dine late -- with Chef Gordon Ramsay

Chef Gordon Ramsay is inviting himself over to your house for dinner.

And you're doing the cooking.

The "Hell's Kitchen" overlord launches a new special  Dec. 15 on Fox -- "Gordon Ramsay: Cookalong Live." The audience is invited to do just that. Patterned after Ramsay's UK show, the Michelin-honored chef will walk viewers through a three-course meal for four that they will prepare within one hour's time. (If your knife skills aren't up to par, don't worry. Chef Ramsay can't throw you out of your own kitchen.)

So what do you think? Game or lame?

Details, and your shopping list, here

--Rene Lynch
On Twitter @renelynch

Photo credit: Fox

Today only: Free flatbread lunch at Jamba Juice (and some fine print)

Today, your meal could be on Jamba Juice. The chain's giving away free food as part of a promotion for its California Flatbreads, which come in four flavors: Tomo Artichoko, Smokehouse Chicken, MediterraneYum and Four Cheesy.

So what's the catch? First, not all outlets are participating -- just the ones that offer flatbreads -- so you might want to look up your local Jamba Juice here and check before you head out. Second: Only the first 150 people will get the freebie. Third: The giveaway won't start until 2 p.m. and runs until 5.

But still ... it's hard to beat the price tag: Free.

Another highlight: The flatbreads are all less than 330 calories, with no preservatives, no artificial flavors, no trans fats and, if you care about such things, no high fructose corn syrup.

Have you tried the flatbreads? Which flavor do you suggest? I think I need to round up three friends and try them all.

-- Rene Lynch

Photo: Smokehouse Chicken flatbread. Credit: Jamba Juice

Thanksgiving countdown: Pumpkin pie ice cream with pecan praline

The only thing better than pumpkin pie ice cream to finish off the Thanksgiving meal? Pumpkin pie ice cream with pecan praline. (Bonus: You can make it ahead.) Here's your recipe.

-- Rene Lynch

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PHOTO GALLERY: A Thanksgiving feast for the eyes

Favorite Thanksgiving Day recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen

This Thanksgiving, let someone else do the cooking

Join us on Twitter @latimesfood and Facebook at facebook.com/latimesfood