- April 24, 2024
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Let’s be honest, a lot of work goes into making a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, which takes about 20 minutes to eat.
Then, after finishing dinner, you look at a mountain of leftovers. Do you have to eat the same dinner for three more consecutive nights?
Not if you are like some of the East County area's top chefs. They don't just reheat those leftovers. They repurpose them.
Polo Grill and Bar proprietor chef Tommy Klauber said you don't have to cringe when you hear the term “leftover.”
“In cooking we try to utilize everything,” Klauber said. “I say get playful with your leftovers and your taste buds may guide you to a new recipe that can be handed down for generations.”
Chef Julie Deffense has more leftovers than most as she hosts more than 30 people on Thanksgiving Day.
“We always have leftovers on purpose,” she said. “Everyone loves to make something the next day with what’s left over, whether it’s a veggie omelet with Brussels sprouts and other vegetables, a big turkey sandwich with stuffing, salad and cranberry sauce or completely reinventing a post-Thanksgiving dinner with a sweet potato crumble pie and baked brie with cranberry chutney."
East County chefs volunteered some of their favorite recipes to help you make the most of your Thanksgiving leftovers.
Polo Grill & Bar Executive Chef Jaryd Hearn shared one of his favorite ways to recycle the big three of turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes.
Mix the turkey, stuffing, mashed potato, cheese, sage and eggs well and refrigerate three hours. Create log shapes from about 3/4 cup of mixture. Then gently drop onto the counter to flatten the bottom (about 1-inch tall and 1-inch in diameter).
Later, roll the croquettes in flour, then bread crumbs. Fry in oil in deep skillet over medium heat until golden brown on all sides, about 10-15 minutes. Pour leftover gravy over croquettes.
GreyHawk Landing's Paulette Stern presented another take on turkey. "What I like about the recipe is the fact that there is pasta in it. As far as I'm concerned, anything with pasta makes it better. I don't love turkey, so this recipe makes it palatable for me."
Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, coat a skillet with oil and put over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic, cook, stirring until translucent about three minutes.
Then add the mushrooms and saute for three to five minutes until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mushrooms to a glass bowl. Grate in the zest of a lemon, then cover with plastic wrap to infuse the flavor and set aside. Heat the chicken broth in a medium saucepan. Melt butter in the skillet and stir in the flour to make a roux. Stir constantly for three minutes.
Afterward,whisk in the warm stock and stir vigorously to avoid lumps. Continue for five minutes until the sauce is thickened and smooth. Add the egg, milk, reserved mushrooms and turkey. Cook and stir until heated through (do not let boil). Fold in the cooked noodles and mix. Spoon the mixture into a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking pan and smooth out with a spoon. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
Finally, bake in a preheated 350 F oven, until sauce bubbles and a top crust has formed, about 20-30 minutes. Garnish with toasted almonds before serving.
GreyHawk Landing chef Julie Leydon uses smaller pot pie crusts to create individual serving delights. The finished product can be frozen so her daughters can heat and eat at a later time.
Heat oven to 400 F. and line all pie dishes with prepared pie crusts. In a large bowl, stir corn, peas, green beans and carrots together. Stir vegetable mixture, turkey, gravy, potatoes, yams, bacon bits, parsley, sage, thyme and black pepper together in a large bow.
Then divide turkey mixture evenly between the prepared pie dishes. Place remaining crusts over the top of each pie, trimming pastry to fit. Crimp and pinch the edges together to seal. Cut four slits in the top of each pie. Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl and brush egg mixture over the top of each pie. Fold a strip of aluminum foil around the outer edges of each pie crust.
Finally, bake in the preheated oven until browned and heated through, about 45 minutes. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
The Ranch Grill Chef Jason Revell gives the post-Thanksgiving meal an entirely different look.
In a large saucepan, heat up oil, peppers, onions and tomatoes. Saute until soft, about five minutes. Add enchilada sauce and chipotle peppers. Cook until about reduced by one-fourth. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro, salt and pepper for taste.
In a bowl, mix together turkey, avocado, sour cream and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Lay out tortilla shells and fill them with the mixture. Roll them tightly and place them in a backing dish. Ladle a small amount of the sauce over the enchiladas and then cover with foil.
Finally, bake in a 350 F oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place desired amount for serving on a plate. Ladle a small amount of sauce directly over the top of the enchiladas, along with additional cheese. Garnish with a cilantro sprig.
Tara Golf and Country Executive Chef Tod Hess said he loves the presentation of this recipe. "It's very easy to make using your leftover bread and your family will think you’re the greatest chef."
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13-by-9-by-2-inch pan. Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl. Add vanilla. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes.
In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter and pecans. Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.
For the sauce: Mix together the granulated sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together until the sugar is melted. Add the brandy, stirring well. Pour over bread pudding. Serve warm or cold.
University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee Culinary Innovation Lab instructor Julie Deffense, owner of Julie Deffense Artistry, loves her sweet potato pie recipe because it is based on a combination of three recipes by her grandmother, Sylvia Weller. "She was one of the biggest inspirations in my world of baking and making her recipes is a way to keep her by my side even though she is no longer here with me in person,” Deffense said.
Heat oven to 350 F. To make crust, place crust ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it is the consistency of wet sand. Put the mixture into the pie pan and use your fingers to press the crust up the sides and across the bottom of the pan evenly. Bake for approximately 10 minutes until it starts to turn golden brown.
Later, remove from oven and set on a cooling rack until cool. To make the filling: Whisk filling ingredients together in a large bowl just until combined. Set aside. In a food processor, add crumble ingredients and pulse until large crumbs form. Do not over pulse. In a food processor, add all ingredients and pulse until large crumbs form. Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust and sprinkle the crumble on top. Place on top of a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
Finally, bake for 1 hour, until the crust is baked and the center if the pie starts to solidify. Set the pie on a rack to cool, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
