Lovin’ leftovers

Published 3:51 pm Monday, November 28, 2011

The countdown day to the Thanksgiving Day feast is over. The 364-day wait was well worth it as many Teche Area families gather with families and friends today to enjoy a table filled with their favorite holiday dishes.

But with the same anticipation of the Thanksgiving feast, comes the big question – what to do with leftovers? With a little culinary creativity, those post-holiday recipes can be turned into savory meals that will keep the flavor of the holiday going for several days after the celebration.

Leftover turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, glazed ham and cranberry sauce can be transformed into delectable meals that will be welcomed by family members.

Pat Grisaffe, a regular contributor to The Daily Iberian / Cajun Sugar Co-op Cajun / Creole Cookbook and a cookbook cookoff winner, is always looking for a quick and easy meal to prepare. For Grisaffe, Thanksgiving leftovers are the answer after a hectic and busy week preparing for the big day.

Grisaffe, a real estate agent, said she welcomes any recipe that affords her the time to prepare a hearty meal without a lot of effort.

One of Grisaffe’s favorite recipes she prepares after the holidays is a penne pasta casserole made with leftover turkey or chicken.

“It’s a quick recipe to prepare anytime. If you don’t have any leftover turkey or chicken, a pre-baked rotisserie chicken can be used. Just pull the skin off first. This dish goes well with a green salad or spinach salad,” she said.

Try a different sandwich combination by turning leftover turkey and stuffing into a super sandwich by layering whole grain bread with leftover turkey, leftover prepared stuffing, cranberry sauce and sliced apples.

Looking for something on the lighter side for the next day’s lunch? Leftover turkey, cranberry sauce or relish, combine with diced pear and chopped pecans on a bed of romaine lettuce and baby spinach leaves are a winning combination. The salad is fast and easy to prepare making it a great lunch to bring along to work.

Jolene Benoit, a Cajun/Creole Cookbook contributor, uses leftover turkey to prepare one of her favorite lunches, Spicy Turkey Salad Served in a Tomato Shell.

“This is one way to use the leftover turkey and it is a light meal after the big traditional holiday feast,” said Benoit.

If there is leftover ham from the Thanksgiving meal, Benoit said it can be served for breakfast the next morning with grits.

Turkey turnovers prepared with leftover turkey, broccoli and cheddar cheese combined with a fresh green salad make a light-hearted lunch that is tasty and quick to prepare.

Leftovers from all four holiday favorites – turkey, prepared stuffing, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes can be combined together to prepare a bubbly, hot casserole that will have family members asking for seconds.

Grisaffe and Benoit agree the best gumbo of the year can be made right after the holidays, using leftover turkey.

“Turkey gives the gumbo a rich flavor. It has so much more flavor than a chicken gumbo,” said Grisaffe.

Once the meat and skin are pulled off of the Thanksgiving bird, Grisaffe said she adds the bones to the pot while the roux is cooking to enhance the flavor. The pre-cooked meat is added to the gumbo the last 30 minutes of cooking and is topped with green onions before serving.

“My family always looks forward to Turkey gumbo. We never get tired of it,” said Benoit.

If there is leftover ham from the Thanksgiving meal, Benoit said it can be served for breakfast the next morning with grits.

Suzanne Hartwell’s “Cranberry Chicken” recipe featured in the 2011 Cajun / Creole Cookbook offers a tasty recipe to use leftover can cranberry sauce and a combination of a few other ingredients found in the pantry to give a different twist to baked chicken. Hartwell noted it was a dish that her grandmother made during the holidays when she had a lot of company.