Leftover Makeover

by Matt Dye

After the Thanksgiving feast has ended and life begins to find its way back to normal, many of us are left with a plethora of leftovers and no idea what to do with them. (You can only make so many turkey sandwiches.) Luckily, the culinary students at SOWELA have recipe ideas that will turn your leftovers into new gastronomic adventures. 

Turkey Stock 

The first thing to do, according to Cody Fontenot, is take your turkey bones and create a stock you can freeze and use throughout the year. (If you’ve never known what to do with the turkey neck, if nothing else, it’s great for stock.) Add the bones and any other small bits of meat you haven’t found a use for into a big pot. Throw some chopped onions, carrots and celery in for flavor, season with a little pepper, and sprinkle with fresh parsley or thyme. Then, add enough water to cover your mixture. 

Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer for three hours. When the time is up, carefully pour your liquid through a strainer into a jar or storage container. You may want to separate the amount in multiple containers. 

After T-Day Puff Pastry 

If you want to create something that incorporates more leftovers than just turkey, try Lauren May’s After T-Day Puff Pastry. You’ll need either a package of puff pastry or crescent rolls. First, coat a baking sheet with a thin layer of oil to keep things from sticking. Then line out your dough around the pan. Layer in mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, and/or cranberry sauce and wrap everything up tightly, either as one big pastry or as individual bite size treats. 

Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until your outer crust has gone golden brown. Let the pastry cool, serve with a side of gravy as a dipping sauce, and you have a perfect weekend treat. 

Turkey Day Croquettes 

Another fun, bite-sized way to repurpose leftovers comes from Kayla Fusilier, who suggests creating her Turkey Day Croquettes. Take your leftover stuffing and dry it out in the oven. Once dried, put it into your food processor to make a panko type breading. Then, take your mashed potatoes and create golf ball sized balls with your leftover turkey, green bean casserole or whatever you’d like to have rolled in the middle. Once packed and rolled, dip the balls in an egg wash and then in your stuffing. Fry in some oil on a skillet. 

When the balls turn golden brown, transfer them onto a paper towel. Serve with a choice of dipping sauces, from gravy to a cranberry sauce, or even a little sweet and sour. 

Sweet Potato Cupcakes 

Looking for a dessert? Kayla recommends Sweet Potato Cupcakes, an easy treat. Grab a box of vanilla or spiced cake mix and follow the directions while mixing in your leftover sweet potato casserole. Then, spread your mix into a muffin pan with liners and bake at 350 degrees until they rise. Finally, top them with marshmallow fluff and give them a slight torch on the top.