A couple Thanksgivings ago, I introduced you to the Pancake Turkey.  This year, I’d like you to meet Pancake Turkey II, a variation on the concept of pancake turkeys.  I’ll also introduce you to a special, new Thanksgiving friend… the Fruit Turkey. If that’s not enough… new for Thanksgiving 2014, I will show you the rare and exotic Muffins Turkey.

This (above) is the first pancake turkey I ever made. For this gobbler, you need a pancake mix (or homemade pancake batter), a banana, candy corn, a chocolate chip or a raisin and a maraschino cherry or a small dollop of red jam.  You can get complete instructions right here.

This is my latest attempt at the craft of pancake turkeys.  This one has a little more dimension.  To make this guy, you need pancakes, a banana, raisins, sliced almonds and a cashew.

Making the body is just a matter of making one normal pancake and one that’s vaguely phallic.  Slice the banana and you’re ready to go.

Now, this handsome follow is a rare, endangered fruit turkey.  He’s endangered because I’m seriously about to eat him.  Fortunately, you can help repopulate the fruit turkey population with a pear, an apple, an orange, 2 mini-chocolate chips, a raisin and a cashew.

What should I name my fruit turkey?  Your comments are welcome below.

Here’s a pair of exotic Muffin Turkeys.  You can make these with any muffins.  You’ll need some grapes, candy corn (wedged into the grape) and some red and green apple slices.  A toothpick is used to attach the grape head to the muffin body.  I made eyes with icing and chocolate sprinkles.  You could also just dab on some chocolate sauce or peanut butter.  The muffins I used for these turkeys were Apple Bran Muffins.

That concludes today’s lesson in the art of breakfast turkeys.  All that’s left to say is “Happy Thanksgiving!”  I hope it’s your best one ever!

Further Reading:

Turning Thanksgiving Leftovers Into Great Breakfasts

It’s there for every Thanksgiving dinner and it’s there after every Thanksgiving dinner.  It’s the one holiday staple you can count on being in your refrigerator the next day.  The concept of having cranberry sauce with meat and potatoes is cemented in our holiday traditions.  It’s on the table.  It’s pretty.  But, it’s often unused.  Maybe it’s a matter of tradition not keeping up with tastes.  I’ll have gravy on my turkey and potatoes for Thanksgiving.  If I want a berry compote with my meat, I’ll go to IKEA later.

You know what I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving? Leftover cranberry sauce!  I’ve begun watching it during holiday dinners – eyeing it like the last piece of of chocolate in the box – hoping that nobody takes too much.  Because I know… cranberry sauce is better for breakfast than it is for dinner.  There are few hard truths you can rely on in this life.  That’s one of them.

So whether you’re reading this the day after a holiday or you’re finally ready to use that can that’s been in your cupboard for two years… get ready.  These are the 10 best ways to use cranberry sauce for breakfast.

#1. Swirl it into your oatmeal.

#2. Put it on pancakes. (Recipe: Cranberry Sauce Pancake Topping)

#3. Put it in pancakes. (Recipe: Cranberry Sauce Pancakes)

#4. Mix it with cream cheese to make a tasty topping for toast.

#5. Use it to make a smoothie. (Recipe: Cranberry Sauce Smoothie)

#6. Fill a crepe with cranberry sauce.  For really good crepes, try combining it with either Nutella or Neufchâtel cheese.

#7. Chuck it in a muffin. (Recipe: Cranberry Thanksgiving Muffins)

#8. Make a cranberry sauce coffee cake. (Recipe: Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake)

#9. Use it like jam and have it with peanut butter.  Try a simple peanut butter and cranberry sauce sandwich.  Or get creative with a flour tortilla and make Cranberry Sauce And Peanut Butter Pinwheels.  (Related Recipe:  Peanut Butter Pinwheels)

#10. Mix it with chopped apple, orange segments and pineapple for a morning fruit bowl.  It doesn’t look pretty (thus the missing picture), but it sure tastes great.

If you have more ideas, please let me know. Happy Thanksgiving!

More cranberry recipes: Cranberries Recipes at MrBreakfast.com