THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS

You can turn your Thanksgiving leftovers into foods like a pot pie, sandwich, or waffles!

Special Equipment List

Waffle iron (for leftover waffles)

Ramekins or small dishes (for leftover pot pies)


Ingredients

For the Leftover Waffles

  • For the Stuffing Waffle:

    • Leftover stuffing (as much as you can press into your waffle iron)

  • For the Mashed Potato Waffle (1 waffle):

    • 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

    • 3 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

    • 1 egg

  • For the Sweet Potato Waffle:

    • 2 cups leftover sweet potatoes

    • 1 egg

    • 2 Tbsp all purpose flour

For the Leftovers Sandwich

  • 1 leftover turkey breast, with skin

  • 3 slices white bread 

  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil

  • 1 Tbsp butter

  • Leftover stuffing

  • Leftover mashed potatoes

  • Leftover cranberry sauce

  • Leftover gravy

  • Leftover sweet potatoes

For the Turkey Pot Pie

  • Leftover turkey, shredded

  • Roasted potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces

  • Assorted leftover vegetables, chopped

  • 3 cups gravy

  • ½ cup chicken stock

  • 1 sheet puff pastry

  • 1 egg, beaten

  • Flaky sea salt


Method

Leftover Waffles

  1. Preheat your waffle iron and spray with cooking spray.

  2. To make a stuffing waffle, spread a layer of stuffing onto the bottom plate of the waffle iron. Press down and cook as normal.

  3. To make a mashed potato waffle, combine 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes with 1 beaten egg and 3 ounces of grated cheddar cheese. Pour mixture onto waffle iron and cook as normal.

  4. To make a sweet potato waffle, combine 2 cups leftover sweet potatoes with 1 beaten egg and 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour. Pour mixture onto waffle iron and cook as normal.

  5. I recommend serving the waffles with leftover turkey and cranberry sauce, topped with some gravy.

Leftover Sandwich

  1. Remove the skin from the turkey breast. Fry the skin in 1 Tbsp vegetable oil until dark brown and crisp. You can use a heavy-bottomed saucepan to help flatten the skin if needed.

  2. Next, prepare your bread. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 slices of white bread and toast only one side - trust me!

  3. Place the third slice of bread into the hot gravy to soak.

  4. Assemble the sandwich on a wire rack to prevent toast sweat.

  5. With toast side up, start assembling. First, do a layer of sliced turkey, then a thin layer of stuffing (pressed into a patty).

  6. Top the stuffing with a layer of cranberry sauce. On top of that, put your slice of gravy-soaked bread.

  7. Top the “moistmaker” with more turkey, more stuffing, and more cranberry sauce.

  8. On the final slice of bread, smear the toasted side with a little leftover sweet potatoes.

  9. Top the sandwich with the final piece of bread (white side up). Skewer both sides and cut in half. Look at what you’ve accomplished!

Turkey Pot Pie

  1. Chop and prepare your fillings. You can use leftover shredded turkey along with whatever veggies you have on hand.

  2. Thin your gravy (3 cups) with ½ cup of chicken stock.

  3. Add the turkey and vegetables to the gravy and stir to combine.

  4. Defrost a sheet of puff pastry. Lightly flour it and roll it out until no folds remain.

  5. Cut rounds out of the pastry - about half an inch larger than the diameter of your intended pot pie vessel - I use ramekins.

  6. Fill ramekins to about half an inch from the top to account for bubbling.

  7. Top each ramekin with a round of puff pastry and press to seal.

  8. If you want to freeze them, wrap each ramekin in plastic wrap twice and then foil once.

  9. If you want to cook immediately, brush the tops of puff pastry with 1 beaten egg. Top with flaky sea salt.

  10. Bake at 375°F for 40-60 minutes, depending on the size of your cooking dish.