Raise your hand if you make certain dishes for Thanksgiving just so you’ll have them for leftovers. Yes, buying a huge turkey to feed six counts. Guilty as charged.
But even if you live for leftover turkey sandwiches and carrot pudding, you’ve probably faced that Thanksgiving fatigue that hits a few days in, where you just reach your limit – even for Mom’s stuffing. But here at the Culinary Institute of America, we hate thinking about good food going to waste, so hang on to the rest of that turkey, and let’s talk.
One of the primary reasons we get sick of those leftovers is because no matter how you shape it, you’re still just eating turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. On a sandwich, in a bowl, stacked on a fork straight from the fridge – it’s all the same. The key to enjoying that Thanksgiving bounty for days (or weeks!) is to make each dish fresh.
Don’t just make turkey soup with leftover turkey bones. Make turkey tortilla soup, loaded with tomatoes, cilantro, and creamy queso fresco. And sure, roasted vegetables are a great leftover side dish, but chop them up with some leftover giblets (you did save the giblets, right!?) and a runny egg for a new take on brunch hash.
Even stuffing can take on a new life. Form it into a patty and griddle it, then-you guessed it-put an egg on it! And your mashed potatoes, veggies and gravy come together with some ground lamb for a 10-minute shepherd’s pie. But what about the turkey?