by Erin Tarr
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: Thanksgiving Leftovers
Your assignment should you choose to accept it: Re-purpose remaining turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce from the Thanksgiving Feast (in an appetizing way) so it can be consumed, prior to growing mold.
If you are expecting a variety of gourmet, post-Thanksgiving leftover meal ideas, you obviously don’t know me that well. AND, if you are the type of person who enjoys creating new dishes, combining interesting flavors, and reinventing the entire ordeal in unique and original ways (which necessitates an even longer shopping list and more hours on your feet, likely AFTER you have already shopped/planned and cooked for over 48 hours) you are plucking the wrong turkey (so to speak).
If, on the other hand, you are a mom like me, that just wants your kitchen (and your fridge) to return to normalcy after everyone in your house has gorged themselves silly at your Thanksgiving feast… my ideas are for you.
The main goal of each of these “recipes” is to simply get rid of the most amount of food in the least amount of time possible. Listed from the least complicated to the most….here we go!
LEFTOVER SANDWICH
First and foremost there is the classic after Thanksgiving sandwich – which would not be complete without Monica’s signature “moist maker.” Yes, I am referring to Monica Geller from Friends as if she were a real person, maybe even my close acquaintance (is that wrong?). If you have no idea what I am talking about – check out Season 5, Episode 9 The One with Ross’s Sandwich.
The primary attraction of this sandwich is a gravy soaked piece of bread in the middle of the sandwich… the moist maker. Apart from the moist maker, there are two other keys to this sandwich. Key #1: An excellent bread choice (I recommend something from one of our excellent local bakeries); Key #2: layering (lots of layers, it’s a little messy, how big is too big to fit your mouth around? etc.).
I personally think the above picture captures the essence of this sandwich so well, it’s almost poetic. The true beauty of this “recipe” is that each person designs their perfect sandwich with the ratios and proportions to their specific liking – so the chef can take it easy.
LEFTOVER CASSEROLE
Although I love a good after-Thanksgiving sandwich as much as the next gal, the main drawback for me is in regards to the jigsaw puzzle of Tupperware containers are not eradicated from my fridge quickly enough with this alternative. So, bring on the casserole dishes!
First, grease a casserole dish that will fit the amount of leftovers you have, layering the leftovers like lasagna in the following order: Stuffing on the bottom, then turkey, followed by mashed potatoes (and noodles? where my noodle folks at?), with gravy poured over the top. You could also spoon green bean casserole over potatoes and gravy and top with French Fried Onions, if you so choose.
Heat in a 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes. Voila! Five separate leftover dishes become one within your fridge!
LEFTOVER HASH
Last, but not least, we have the leftover hash…this takes slightly more skill than the previous two recipes, so if you are an aspiring TOP CHEF… this one is for you.
The point of a hash is to crisp the ingredients, combining the same flavors with a new texture. You start by sautéing (fancy word for “heat up in a frying pan quickly“) some oil and onion. As with the casserole, at this point, the layering begins. With this recipe however, you start with turkey pieces, spreading them evenly around the pan, heating the layer of turkey completely through before adding a layer of stuffing.
Make sure to add thin layers of each leftover and heat thoroughly before adding a thin layer of the next (to avoid a soggy hash). The mashed potato layer is the trickiest. The best method is to make small potato balls and sprinkle them around the pan – this way they will heat quickly and spread evenly.
Once all the layers are in the pan and heated through, stir everything together, adding vegetable oil spray to the sides of the pan (if needed) to keep it from sticking.
If this is a leftover breakfast meal, you can also add eggs on top (covering the pan until the eggs cook completely), finishing off with a little cheese. I personally wouldn’t add cranberries, but to each his own.
As always, should you or any of your sous chefs be caught serving the leftovers, chambanamoms will disavow any knowledge of your actions.
Erin (Trent) Tarr made the three hour drive from Southern Illinois to Champaign in 1997 to attend the University of Illinois and never left. Mother of three beautiful girls, she is currently the owner of Be the Benchmark and also works at the University of Illinois. She enjoys reading non-fiction, listening to leadership podcasts, singing, taking pictures of her kids, and blogging at www.erintarr.com. You can often find her (with kids in tow) at Champaign Centennial sporting events where her beloved husband, Adam, works as an Athletic Trainer.