Even if you didn't include scores of vegetables in your Thanksgiving dishes, there's no reason you can't up your family's after-feast nutrition profile by stuffing leftovers full of compatible, seasonal vegetables.

They will innovatively fill up your dinners, deliciously and memorably so that, without even trying, sweets and other treats will take up less of your family's thoughts. Though nutritious, these, too, are delights, like the sweet potato-puff appetizer and carrot cream cheese-icing pumpkin pie dessert that follow.

If you broke the bank for the Thanksgiving feast, you don't have to worry about stretching the budget even more for gourmet leftovers. Since you will be incorporating seasonal produce items, chances are they will be on sale and among the most economical in the supermarket.

SWEET POTATO APPETIZERS THAT SWEETEN THE APPETITE

Mince broccoli and saute in olive oil with minced onions and garlic. Gently mix with leftover sweet potato casserole and place in thawed puff pastry sheets cut to fit in the compartments of a mini-muffin tin that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake according to puff pastry package instructions and serve warm.

SUPER SOUP STUFFED WITH VEGETABLES

If you have a leftover potato dish from your holiday feast, add roasted seasoned root vegetables. When they are done roasting, puree the extra vegetables, along with the leftover potatoes, in a strong blender or food processor with a small amount of almond milk (which tastes like cream without almost all of the fat and calories). Taste to adjust seasoning if needed (that had been included in your original potato dish), reheat briefly in a soup pot and serve hot.

CREATIVE CORNBREAD

Cornbread is an indulgent treat that you may have enjoyed for Thanksgiving. It's often made just with cornmeal. Increase the fiber, nutrients and flavor by placing in a skillet over medium-low heat olive oil, fresh corn or thawed, drained frozen corn, small amounts of diced garlic and diced onions. Saute until cooked, but not overdone, and spoon on top of the cornbread that was covered while reheating.

CARROT COUP FOR PIES

Puree cooked or raw carrots and blend, along with ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and a natural, sugar-free sweetener like stevia, into low-fat cream cheese. Use this as a frosting for leftover pumpkin pie.

Health Magazine (Health.com) published these recipes from blogger/healthful farmer Andrea Bemis (DishingUpTheDirt.com). Adapted as they are below, they would make great uses for leftover corn or sweet potatoes, and incorporate even more vegetables into the mix than the original holiday dishes.

SWEET POTATO AND KALE PIZZA

Leftover sweet potato dish equaling 1 medium sweet potato or 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1 / 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 / 8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 (21-ounce) package prepared whole-wheat pizza dough

1 bunch curly kale, stemmed and torn into bite-sized pieces

1 / 4 cup crumbled goat cheese

2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan

1 tablespoon crushed walnuts

Yields 6 servings.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

If using fresh sweet potato, boil in a large pot of water. Cook potato in water until fork-tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and let cool 5 minutes.

In a food processor, pulse potato (either from the leftover sweet potato dish or freshly made), 1 tablespoon of the oil, red pepper and a pinch of salt until sauce is smooth.

Roll out dough until 1 / 4 inch thick. Spread potato sauce evenly over dough. Toss kale in remaining 1 / 2 tablespoon oil; top pizza with goat cheese, kale and Parmesan.

Bake until crust is golden, 10 to 15 minutes, sprinkling on walnuts in final 2 minutes.

CORN FRITTERS WITH ZUCCHINI SALSA

1 1 / 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise

1 1 / 2 cups diced zucchini

1 medium red onion, diced, divided

3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 jalapeno chile, seeded and diced

1 / 2 teaspoon sea salt, divided

1 1 / 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Nonstick cooking spray (preferably olive oil-flavored)

1 / 2 cup chopped cilantro, divided

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 / 2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 / 4 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

Leftover corn dish equaling 2 cups corn kernels or 2 cups corn kernels (thawed if frozen)

Yields 4 servings.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a bowl, combine tomatoes, zucchini, 1 / 2 of the onion, garlic, jalapeno, 1 / 4 teaspoon salt and oil; toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet coated with the nonstick cooking spray; roast, turning once, until tomatoes and zucchini are light brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Toss with 1 / 4 cup cilantro and 1 tablespoon juice; set aside.

In a second bowl, combine flour, cumin, baking powder and remaining 1 / 4 teaspoon salt. Add egg, remaining 1 tablespoon juice and 1 / 2 cup water; stir until smooth. Add corn and remaining 1 / 2 onion and 1 / 4 cup cilantro.

Coat a large frying pan with the nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Form 1 / 4 cup corn mixture into a patty; repeat with remaining corn mixture to form 12 patties. Working in batches of 3 and coating pan with nonstick cooking spray as needed (always by first turning off heat and removing pan from burner and then replacing once nonstick cooking spray has been used), cook patties, turning once, until brown, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Divide patties and salsa among 4 plates.

Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Corn fritters are a good way to use up leftover Thanksgiving corn.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "Cooks' Books" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.