5 Delicious Things To Do With Thanksgiving Leftovers

​Gathering with the family and toasting to all the things we’re thankful for is just one of the many reasons we enjoy this low-pressure, not-worrying-about-presents holiday. The short work week, traditional food, annual football games and colossal leftovers are also reasons to celebrate this random November Thursday in America. In preparation for the mounds of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and other traditional favorites lurking in your refrigerator the day after, here’s a list of some fantastic things to create with those infamous and delicious leftovers.

1) The Moistmaker

The sandwich to crush all other sandwiches with its awesomeness, it’s made of all the lovely turkey trimmings, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, a slathering of green bean casserole, if you like, and a piece of bread soaked in gravy placed in the middle for the triple decker monster.

Add ham and a fried egg if you’re feeling famished. Note: use plain old white bread for best results and be prepared to fork it for the stuff that falls out when you take your first couple bites. We’re getting moist just thinking about it (with drool, you pervert).

2) Faux Breakfast Sausage

Take any type of dressing, cornbread or otherwise, add a tinge of turkey or chicken broth if it’s dried out from the previous day, an egg and mix well, form into patties and pan fry in a small amount of oil or butter. Allow the patties to form a nice crust on both sides and make sure the heat is around medium to make sure the middle of the patties are also heated through as the outside becomes crispy and browned.

Poach or fry some eggs, place on top of your faux sausage patties and keep the yolk runny if you like that sort of thing. Toss a little gravy on top and you have your own version of eggs benedict. If you want, just use the patties in place of sausage on your breakfast plate as well.

3) Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Because this one’s a little more complicated, we’ll actually give you the recipe. It’ll help you rid yourself of some of those mashed or roasted sweet potatoes and help impress your friends and family in the process. Toss them in some cinnamon, honey and butter and you’ve got a gourmet side dish.

Recipe from allrecipes.com:
2 (8 ounce) sweet potatoes, boiled or roasted
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour

Press the cooked sweet potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl, or mash them thoroughly. Blend in the garlic, salt, nutmeg, and egg. Mix in the flour a little at a time until you have soft dough. Use more or less flour as needed.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. While you wait for the water, make the gnocchi. On a floured surface, roll the dough out in several long snakes, and cut into 1-inch sections. Drop the pieces into the boiling water, and allow them to cook until they float to the surface. Remove the floating pieces with a slotted spoon, and keep warm in a serving dish.

4) Turkey Egg Rolls

By day two or three of turkey leftovers, sometimes you’re ready to give up and toss those remaining drumsticks and breast meat overboard. When you reach that point, it’s time to pull out this deep-fried wonder of a recipe.

Buy some egg roll wrappers (see these for example). Chop up some turkey and mix it with green beans, cabbage or any other sort of savory veggie you’ve got in the house or left over. You can throw in some mashed potatoes for texture as well. Place all your goodies (minus the wrappers) in the food processor and pulse until the mixture is coarse. Place the mixture in the egg roll wrappers according to the directions on the package and deep fry until golden and crisp.

Make a dipping sauce of cranberry, soy and ginger or just use the leftover gravy and you’ve got yourself something new from something old.

5) Turkey Pineapple Curry

Want to escape the drab grayness of your Thanksgiving food hangover? Grab a can of pineapple and escape to the land of exotic beaches and impoverished natives of the Caribbean with this pick-me-up curry.

Recipe from about.com:
1 onion, chopped
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
4 cups turkey or chicken broth
3 cups cooked cubed turkey
8 oz. can pineapple tidbits, drained

In a large skillet cook onion in butter until soft. Sprinkle in flour, curry powder and salt. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add broth and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Add turkey and pineapple and heat until mixture is hot. Serve over hot rice cooked in coconut milk.