Thanksgiving on a biscuit: how we enjoyed the leftovers this morning (photo © Mason Dixie Foods).

Here’s what we created for breakfast with the Thanksgiving leftovers: a turkey biscuit sandwich!

1. TOP the bottom layer of a biscuit with mashed potatoes.

2. ADD a layer of stuffing.

3. NEXT, the turkey.

4. THEN, cranberry sauce (the photo shows cranberry jelly sliced from a can. We had homemade cranberry-orange relish.

5. TOP with the other biscuit half.

6. DIG in.

If you have leftover gravy, use it to create a turkey French Dip sandwich.
 
 
WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE PIZZA?

You can put the same ingredients on pizza dough instead of a biscuit.

Check out our selection of Thanksgiving leftovers recipes, including pizzas.
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SANDWICHES
 
> THE HISTORY OF SANDWICHES

Thanksgiving dinner hasn’t even been served yet, but we’re already planning tomorrow’s dinner with the leftovers: Thanksgiving Leftovers Pizza. We’ve enjoyed leftovers pizza recipes before. Here are some of our favorite Thanksgiving leftovers recipes, including the conventional and the not-so-obvious (this year’s leftovers pizza recipe is below:
 
 
MORE THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS RECIPES

 
Thanksgiving Leftovers Pizza Recipes

 
 
RECIPE: THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS PIZZA

It doesn’t matter if you no longer have leftover turkey. Use whatever you have to top the pizza crust. If you want meat, use bacon or whatever you have.

Prep time is 20 minutes, cook time is 45 minutes.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Place the crust on a pizza pan or atop a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Top with a layer of mashed potatoes, then a layer of stuffing

2. SPRINKLE the turkey and vegetables atop the stuffing layer. Bake until the crust is baked and the toppings are warmed through, 12-15 minutes. While the pizza is cooking…

3. WARM up the cranberry sauce and gravy. Pass them at the table, so people can add what they prefer to the top of their pizza.

3. REMOVE the pizza from the oven and garnish with herbs. Serve with the cranberry sauce and gravy.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF PIZZA

> THE HISTORY OF THE TURKEY

[1] Mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, carrots (photo © Reynolds Kitchen).

[2] Mashed potatoes and corn, plus whatever else you have. Here’s the recipe (photo © The Baker Chick).

[3] Butternut squash pizza with sage. Here’s the recipe (photo © DeLallo).

[1] Super Gold Medal winner: Queen Bee Porcini (all photos © Beehive Cheese).

[2] Gold medalist: Red Butte Hatch Chile.

[3] Silver medal: Promontory cheddar.

[4] Silver medal: Seahive, rubbed with Redmond Real Salt and local wildflower honey

[5] Another silver: Teahive, cheddar rubbed with Earl Grey tea.

[6] Bronze award: Pour Me A Slice, cheddar infused with Basil Hayden bourbon whiskey.

[7] For a cheese lover: A gift box of Beehive’s award-winning cheddars.

Last week we reported on the top 10 winners at the World Cheese Awards.

It is with American pride that we present the winner in the Best American Cheese category at the 2021 World Cheese Awards: Queen Bee Porcini from Beehive Cheese Company.
 
 
QUEEN BEE PORCINI, A CHEDDAR FIT FOR A QUEEN

Described by Beehive as a “savory cheddar fit for a queen,” the Super Gold-winning cheese is hand-rubbed with porcini mushroom dust to impart earthy, umami notes throughout the paste* of the cheese.

A new cheese, only released earlier this year, Queen Bee Porcini achieved the highest possible rating during the first round of judging.

Beehive Cheese Company is one of our favorite cheese producers. It’s located Uintah, Utah, a town at the mouth of Weber Canyon, in a valley between the forested Wasatch Mountains in Ogden, Utah.

It’s 5 miles south of Ogden and 25 miles north of Salt Lake City.

By the way, Utah is the Beehive State†.

While Queen Bee Porcini stood in the crowd of great American cheeses entered into the competition, it was just one of seven medals won this year by Beehive.

Beehive Cheese Company also landed one Gold, three Silver, and two Bronze awards for their other cheddar cheeses.

Cheddar, by the way, has been known as the “cheese of monarchs.” It dates to the 12th century when, in 1170, Henry II of England declared cheddar the best cheese in England and purchased more than five tons of it.

Beehive cheddars took home seven medals at the 2021-2022 World Cheese Awards: Super Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

 
Congratulations to the Beehive team!

American cheeses won a total of one Super Gold (Queen Bee Porcini), nine Gold, 18 Silver and 30 Bronze at the World Cheese Awards.

Among these include Golds for Crater Lake Blue Cheese from Rogue Creamery (a Nibble Top Pick), Griffin from Sweet Grass Dairy, and Queen Anne’s Lace from Tulip Tree Creamery.

We look forward to tasting all of the winners.
 
 
BEEHIVE CHEESE GIFTS

So what do you get a cheese lover who merits a selection of international award winners?

A gift box of Beehive Cheese!

All of Beehive’s cheeses can be purchased at BEEHIVECHEESE.COM, as well as Utah retailers.

Here’s where you can find Queen Bee Porcini. It’s also available at Sprouts Markets nationally.

Gift or not, a selection of these award winners should be on every cheese lover’s bucket list.
 
 
ABOUT THE WORLD CHEESE AWARDS

The 33rd edition of the World Cheese Awards in 2021 was bigger and more international than ever before. For the first time, entries exceeded 4,000.

The competing cheeses represented 45 different countries, including recent additions such as India, Japan, and Colombia, as well as established cheesemaking nations such as France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

All entries were judged in a single day, as 250 experts from 38 different countries considered their appearance, texture, aroma, and flavor.

Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Super Gold accolades were awarded during the morning session, and the Super Golds were reassessed to find this year’s Top 16.

The International Super Jury, featuring the great and good of the global cheese community, then debated the best cheeses on the planet in front of a live audience, before crowning this year’s World Champion Cheese.
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHEESE
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHEDDAR CHEESE
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF CHEESE
 
________________

*The paste is the portion of the cheese underneath the rind, the interior body. While the rinds on certain cheeses are edible, 100% of the paste is edible.

There are different types of pastes, described by their texture, density, and color (soft, hard, semihard, semisoft, dry, moist, crumbly, etc.).

When milk is too low in beta carotene, producing pale cheese, the vegetable dye annatto can be added to the curds to give the paste more color.

†Utah’s state nickname is The Beehive State. The beehive is a symbol of hard work and industry, and the hive is Utah’s official state emblem. It appears on Utah’s flag and state seal. The state insect of Utah is the honeybee.

The state motto is also simply one word: Industry. Here’s more about state nicknames and symbols.

Looking for a cranberry cocktail for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Eve?

The mixologists at Tommy Bahama restaurants created these tasty drinks that.

The cocktail, which they call Happy Huladays, is a refreshing combination of seasonal flavors that tickle the taste buds.

We call it “Happy Holidays,” because most of us won’t be celebrating in the tropics (so don’t rub it in, Tommy!).

The rum-based cocktail is finished with a dash of Prosecco for a sparkling touch.

The cranberry ginger syrup, easy to make, can also be used:

 
You can make it days in advance, and you may want to make a double batch.

(Note that is recipe is for one drink. Use this converter tool to multiply the portions).
 
 
RECIPE: TOMMY BAHAMA HAPPY HOLIDAYS COCKTAIL

Ingredients Per Drink

 
For The Cranberry Ginger Syrup

 
For The Garnish

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the cranberry-ginger syrup. Combine the ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Leave 1 piece of ginger in the mix and then cool.

2. BLEND in a food processor to integrate the cranberries, transfer them to a container, and store them in the fridge until needed. Do not strain.

3. MAKE the cocktail. Add all ingredients except the Prosecco in a mixing glass. Shake with ice. Add the Prosecco and gently strain into a glass.

4. GARNISH with a cranberry and mint sprig and enjoy!
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF CRANBERRIES
 
 
MORE CRANBERRY COCKTAIL RECIPES

[1] Happy Holidays cranberry cocktail from Tommy Bahama (both photos © Tommy Bahama).

[2] Another view of Happy Huladays, with a mont sprig.

[3] Or, switch to vodka or gin for an easy Cranberry Martini, shown here with a rosemary sprig. Here’s the recipe.

[4] Cranberry Sangria (photo © McCormick).

5] Cranberry Mimosa (photo © Ocean Spray).

[1] Each flavor is heavenly: We set them up in a buffet line, just us and a spoon (all photos © Beckon Ice Cream).

[2] A coupe of Beckon’s Peanut Butter Cup, with swirls of PB and flecks of chocolate. We added a few mini peanut butter cups for garnish (slice them in half).

[3] Sea Salt Chocolate Chip is delicious on its own, or with chocolate chip cookies. We made chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches (pure comfort food!).

[4] A Saturday night at home with a pint of Cookies & Sweet Cream.

[5] A double affogato: espresso poured over Beckon’s espresso ice cream, instead of the standard vanilla ice cream.

[6] Beckon is available at Whole Foods stores nationwide.

[7] Limited edition Crushed Candy Cane Brownie will only be around for a couple of months. Stock up!

[8] Turn any flavor into a sundae or a banana split.

[9] Get one of every flavor!

When you write about food, it’s easy to fall in love with one product and another. Our latest heartthrob is Beckon lactose-free ice cream. But before you turn away, let us hasten to tell you that Beckon just happens to be lactose-free. It tastes like any other superpremium ice cream, with outstanding flavor and creaminess. The removal of lactose has no impact on the taste. All it does is neutralize the lactose that causes digestive problems for some people (more about that in a minute).

Plus, Beckon is the first-ever clean label, premium, lactose-free dairy ice cream on the market.

If you love ice cream, read on.
 
 
BECKON IS GREAT ICE CREAM FOR EVERYONE

Yes, Beckon ice cream is unbelievably delicious, and it’s surprisingly lactose-free.

We say “surprisingly,” because anyone tasting it would simply think that it was a superpremium ice cream.

That’s because some people don’t realize that lactose-free ice cream tastes like any other ice cream. Premium lactose-free ice cream tastes like regular premium ice cream, superpremium lactose-free tastes like regular superpremium brands.

The lactose is neutralized with the addition of the lactase enzyme. Our bodies naturally produce lactase, which breaks down the lactose sugar found in dairy. People who are lactose-intolerant don’t produce enough of the enzyme; hence, their digestive problems when they eat dairy.

A whopping 36% of Americans are lactose intolerant* to some degree (we are one of them).

We had previously survived on Lactaid ice cream, and were grateful for it (and took a lot of Lactaid pills before we ate conventional brands). But Lactaid can’t hold a candle to Beckon, a very creamy, drool-worthy, superpremium brand.

Eating lactose-free contributes to easier digestion for everyone. The brand is considered low FODMAP† diet-friendly.
 
 
SUPERPREMIUM ICE CREAM

The brand calls itself “premium” ice cream, but we call it “superpremium.”

What is superpremium ice cream?

Here are the FDA’s Standards of Identity‡ for ice cream:

 
The higher the milkfat, the creamier the ice cream. The creaminess is also what is called “mouthfeel.”

You couldn’t ask for creamier than Beckon ice cream.

Beckon is also wonderfully flavor forward. This means that there is a depth of the featured flavor (very vanilla, very chocolatey, very minty). Some superpremium brands feature creaminess at the expense of the flavor. Not Beckon!

Beckon ice cream does a faultless job, using all of the same ingredients as traditional ice cream (milk, cream, eggs, and sugar, plus vanilla extract, espresso, and mix-ins like chocolate chips and peanut butter swirls).

 
 
BECKON ICE CREAM FLAVORS

Beckon’s luscious lineup includes:

 
Flavors are available in 16-ounce pints (SRP $5.99) and 32-ounce quarts ($8.99), plus 3.5-ounce Snack Cups in Dark Chocolate Brownie, Mint Chip, and Vanilla (each cup has tasty toppings like cookie crumbs or sprinkles underneath the lid).

Beckon uses really simple ingredients with a clean label.

You won’t find any of the gums, artificial stabilizers, or corn syrup found in many other ice creams.
 
 
MORE ABOUT BECKON ICE CREAM

Beckon co-founders Katy Flannery, who is lactose-intolerant, and Gwen Gwen Burlingame, who is a “sympathetic sweet tooth,” have created the first-ever clean label premium lactose-free dairy ice cream on the market.

It is also an exceptionally delicious ice cream—for everyone!

Thank you, ladies and your team. We are grateful for the result of your labors.
 
 
GET YOUR BECKON ICE CREAM

Beckon is currently available nationwide at Whole Foods Market, as well as many other regional and independent retailers throughout the country.

Here’s a store locator.

Here’s where to buy it online, including Amazon Prime Now, Fresh Direct, GoPuff and Instacart.

Beckon is available nationwide at Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, and other select retailers, as well from the brand directly at BeckonIceCream.com.

For more information head to BeckonIceCream.com or follow @BeckonIceCream.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF ICE CREAM
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ICE CREAM & FROZEN DESSERTS
 
 
________________

*Lactose is the naturally-occurring sugar in milk. Our bodies produce an enzyme called lactase to break down that lactose so it can be easily absorbed during digestion. Millions of Americans don’t produce enough lactase, which breaks down the lactose to be easily digested. If you’re one of them, you have lactose intolerance.

Lactose intolerance is very common in adults, but rarely dangerous. About 30 million American adults have some degree of lactose intolerance by age 20 [source]. In the United States, about 36% of people have lactose malabsorption [source].

†FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, which are short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that the small intestine absorbs poorly. Some people experience digestive distress after eating them, such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, gas, and vomiting.

‡Standards of identity describe in detail what a food product must contain, how it must be proportioned and sometimes how it must be manufactured. Here’s more about it.