As I sit down to enjoy some pizza this evening, I am thankful that I don’t have a refrigerator full of leftover turkey to choke down. It’s one of the many benefits of going to somebody else’s house for Thanksgiving dinner.
Others may enjoy that week or so of turkey sandwiches following Thanksgiving dinner. But enduring years of Sahara-dry Thanksgiving turkeys has made me appreciate not having Tupperware containers filled with dry white meat in the fridge the next day...and the day after that...and the day after that... There are only so many ways and so many combinations one can concoct to make a dry turkey edible, and they all seem to involve overwhelming it with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and other leftover sides. I’ve long argued that the sides are what make Thanksgiving—the turkey is the undeserving star of the show, while the stuffing and cranberry sauce and corn pudding and did I mention the stuffing are the true unsung heroes of “Turkey Day.” It is also true when it comes to Thanksgiving leftovers. When it comes time to choke down that dry-ass turkey after everybody has gone home, it falls once again to the sides to save the day. Maybe some stuffing and cranberry sauce layered inside that otherwise dreadful turkey sandwich. And if the sides aren’t there anymore to save you, maybe putting that turkey in a pot pie or a casserole will make you forget how much you really wish Obama had pardoned your turkey.
I’ve seen a range of leftover ideas on my Facebook feed, from the standard turkey sandwiches to mashed potato muffins (!!!). My personal favorite way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers is my family’s traditional post-Thanksgiving casserole. Just layers of stuffing, turkey, and gravy until a casserole dish is filled—baked until brown and bubbly. Of course, we never had leftover stuffing or gravy, so my mom would have to make more just for the casserole, demonstrating once again the lengths to which we’ll go to make that damn leftover bird edible. I’m happy not to have leftovers in the fridge, but I do have to admit that I’m missing that post-Thanksgiving casserole right about now...
Do you have Thanksgiving leftovers? If so, how do you like to eat them? Any favorite leftovers recipes? What do you want to kibitz about tonight?