HOT TOM! LEFTOVERS - Sunny shares recipes galore on how to turn Thanksgiving leftovers into quick 'n easy spicy meals.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I bet your refrigerator looks like mine - crowded with plastic containers filled with leftovers: 10 pounds of remaining turkey from your 40-pounder, 2 quarts of cranberry sauce, a bag of fresh cranberries, baked potatoes, green beans, enough stuffing to pack another turkey, and probably other victuals already forgotten.
You can do one of four things with the extras: 1) Pitch it (2) Freeze it and throw the lot out next summer when you clean the fridge  (3) Leave it in the refrigerator until malodorous aroma takes over the kitchen or (4) Don't be wasteful, be inventive. I'm guessing you served not a lick of chile-infused dishes to your relatives visiting from Out East. Am I Right?  "Spicy" to them refers to radish curls, black pepper and paprika. (At least that's what I believed until I moved to chile country.) But you yourself must be hankering for the hot pod. Therefore, I encourage you select number 4 and create quick and easy chile dishes from the leftovers. Here's how:

Chorizo Stuffing Sandwich. In an iron skillet, saute hot chorizo until browned. Stir in prepared stuffing and heat until warm. (You select the chorizo and stuffing ratio.) Place the chorizo stuffing (about 1 cup per serving) on a warm and toasted whole wheat sub roll and scatter with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Enjoy. Optional: Add a slab or two of green chiles. Serve with sliced oranges and tortilla chips and salsa.

Tom's Chilewich Sandwich. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of minced serranos or yellow habaneros to one cup of stuffing. In a pan over low heat, warm the chile stuffing, stirring constantly. Warm turkey slices and place on a crispy luncheon bun. Top turkey with chile stuffing.

Stuffed Green Chile Bagel. Place one or two turkey slices and a couple of tablespoons of stuffing on a green chile bagel. Warm sandwich in microwave. Before serving, top the stuffing with cold cranberry sauce.

Southwest Hollandaise Sauce. Prepare a classic hollandaise sauce recipe stirring in 1 or 2 minced jalapenos. Serve over warm vegetables. Or, place bite size pieces of vegetables on an open-face toasted English muffin, spooning hollandaise sauce on top. Or, add a poached egg beneath the vegetables for The Best Chile Eggs Benedict.

Turkey Enchiladas. Substitute turkey for chicken when making enchiladas or any other chile dish that calls for chicken.

Hot Tom! Burrito. Mix bite-size pieces of turkey and cubes of baked potato with chopped chile, onions, salt and pepper to taste and place on a flour tortilla and roll. Smother with favorite cheese and microwave until warm. Top with cold cranberry sauce and a dollop (or two!) of sour cream.

Turkey Trot Omelet. Prepare your favorite omelet and stuff with turkey and the chile of your choice. Spoon cranberry salsa on top (recipe below).

Hot Baked Potato Topper. Slice a baked potato until almost cut in half. Top with turkey, chopped green chiles, onion and shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Heat in microwave until cheese melts.

Jalapeno Cranberry Salsa (adapted from Internet Meal-Master, 1996)

Mix together:

1 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries, chopped
4 green onions, minced
2 Jalapeno peppers, minces
2/3 cup sugar
1 T crushed dried mint
6 T Lime juice
1/4 t ground ginger

Chile Cranberry Salsa

Mix together:

2 T orange peel
2 cups fresh cranberries, minced
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 T cilantro, minced
1 T ginger root, minced
1 chile serrano (or favorite chile)
Salad oil to taste (optional)

Serve salsa over turkey or use as a refreshing dip for tortilla chips.

Tip from Rich McCormack, Poway, CA:

To keep cilantro fresh, pour water in a jar or tall drinking glass until it's about 1/2 full. Cut about 1/2 inch off the stem end of the bunch and place in jar or glass. Refrigerate.