They told us what comfort foods they’ll be serving for Turkey Day. Now they’re telling us what they’ll be doing with the leftovers, too. From samosas to fritters, these chefs’ leftover creations are bold and inventive. If they feel out of reach, just put everything in a blender and call it a leftover smoothie!*
*Actually, that smoothie thing kind of works with pumpkin pie and some almond milk!
Chuck Abair, barcito
For a fun deviation from potato pancakes, we’d recommend ñoquis instead! For every four cups of mashed potatoes, add one cup of potato flour, and six egg yolks. Specs may vary depending on how thick your mashed potatoes are. These little dumplings can be seared right on the griddle, no boiling necessary. Can be served like any pasta, with a hearty bolognese, or as we serve them at the restaurant—with a pistachio pesto.
Bryan Forgione, Buddy V’s Ristorante
I like to use turkey, stuffing, braised red cabbage, roasted veggies, fontina cheese and cranberry relish. Pile your leftovers together in between a great ciabatta roll and either bake it in the oven or throw it on the panini press. Heat up a side of gravy for dunking each bite, sit back in a quiet place and fall into a peaceful food coma… wake up and repeat.
Dalton Wilson, DW Bistro
I love soups. My favorite is New Mexican cream of green chili soup, with leftover turkey, Yukon gold potatoes, corn, and chopped green chilis. I also love Polenta cornbread stuffing casserole with chopped jerk roasted turkey, chopped yellow onions, fresh chopped herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, parsley; and white wine.
John Kunkel, 50 Eggs Inc.
I like creating brunch for the family the next day. Start with a twist on the traditional eggs Benedict, use leftover stuffing topped with a slice of turkey, a poached egg and then drizzled with gravy. A simple turkey hash, with all your leftover vegetables diced up and sautéed over potatoes. Cranberry “Pop Tarts” are a great way to use all that leftover cranberry sauce, and for some sweetness, use leftover pumpkin puree and add it to your favorite cinnamon bun recipe!
And of course no brunch is complete without a deliciously spicy Bloody Mary garnished with crispy bacon, olives and pickled okra.
Pawan Mahendro, Badmaash
Thanksgiving Samosas! A versatile Indian staple, you can stuff samosas with just about anything to create a delicious, cross-cultural mashup—including Thanksgiving leftovers! These are a great way to use up all the extra turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, etc.
Harold Marmulstein, Salty Sow
Turn your Thanksgiving feast into fritters without ever leaving the house. This recipe is easy enough to put you back on the couch in no time. Use your leftover stuffing, turkey with barley and thyme to create the base of your fritters. Flour, egg wash and breadcrumbs will get them nice and fried. Use cranberry sauce, sour cream and mayo for your dip.
Trish Tracey, Myriad Gastro Pub
My version of the leftover turkey sandwich, must be a huge Dagwood! I like to make it hot and cold. Griddle the bread (sourdough is my preference). Smear plenty of mayo on each side, cold turkey, stuffing, warm gravy, cold cranberry sauce. Then CHOW DOWN!
