Six recipes to get through your Thanksgiving leftovers

Graphic by Aljohn Campana

By Destiny Caster

Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not, this is the time of year when food is one of the most important parts of the holidays. And if you celebrate Black Friday, you will need fuel before braving against the crowds of elbowing and ankle biters racing to buy discounted items. While the “traditional” Thanksgiving dinner spread consists of a massive turkey, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and dinner rolls, not everyone cooks the “traditional” dinner spread. With all of that said, there was much consideration of what the optimal leftover recipe could be. However, in the end, I compiled multiple recipes to cater to the diverse spreads that can be had during Thanksgiving dinner.

*Note: These recipes will also have vegan alternatives.

Pumpkin Pie Holiday Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3 tablespoons ground flax seeds (or chia seeds)
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ baking powder
• 2 cups milk of choice
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup maple syrup, or to taste
• 2 ½ cups leftover chopped pumpkin pie (or other flavors, highly recommend apple pie), approximately 3-4 slices

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375℉. Chop 3-4 slices of leftover pie to make 2 ½ cups of chopped pie.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Now add the wet ingredients and stir well. Adjust sweetener to taste. Fold in 2 cups of chopped pie gently. Crumble the remaining ½ cup of pie on top for a “streusel.”
3. Pour into a greased casserole dish and bake at 375℉ for 30 minutes.
4. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup and almond milk. Add whipped cream of choice to garnish if desired.

Cranberry-Pecan Yogurt Parfaits

This is a leftover rendition of the original recipe because we are all about not wasting the delicious Thanksgiving leftovers that we will be forced to eat for 2 weeks after. You can click the link above for the original recipe with a homemade cranberry compote.

Ingredients:

Quick Pecan Granola

• ½ cup raw pecan halves roughly chopped
• ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 ½ teaspoon butter or coconut oil, melted
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt

Parfaits

• 4 cups yogurt of choice (e.g., coconut, cashew, etc.) *
• ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• 2 kiwis peeled and diced
• 1 ½ cup leftover cranberry sauce

Steps:

For the Quick Pecan Granola

1. Add all the granola ingredients to a medium mixing bowl and toss to coat, ensuring that every bit is coated. Spread the mixture into an even layer in the lined tray.
2. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until wafting a rich toasted scent. Let cool on the tray.
3. Store at room temperature in an airtight glass jar until ready to assemble.

To Assemble the Parfaits

1. While the granola is cooling, gather and prepare the yogurt, pomegranate seeds, and kiwi.
2. Layer the yogurt and compote in 4 small jars or glasses. Top with the crumble, pomegranate seeds, and kiwi. Serve immediately.

Stuffing Fried Rice:

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooled cooked short-grain white rice (from 1½ cups uncooked rice)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 large egg or 3 tablespoons of Just Egg
• ¼ cup sliced garlic chives or regular chives, plus more for serving
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons (or more) mushroom soy sauce or 1 tablespoon of regular soy sauce
• 8 cups 2-inch cubes of leftover stuffing
• 1 3.5 ounce package oyster mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces

Steps:

1. Break apart rice with your hands so there are no large clumps. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add egg or Just Egg and cook, breaking it up into small clumps until it is mostly set.
3. Add rice and toss to distribute the egg. Drizzle another tablespoon of oil around the edge of the pan until the rice begins to crisp up.
4. Add ¼ cup of chives and ½ teaspoon of coriander to rice and cook, tossing occasionally until rice is heated through and crisp in spots.
5. Add soy sauce and toss to combine; taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Transfer rice to a plate and set aside.
6. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Cook stuffing, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over.
7.  Add mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are softened. Return fried rice to skillet and toss to combine. Serve topped with more chives and coriander.

Vegan Pozole Rojo

*Note: For a version of this recipe that includes turkey, replace the vegetable broth with lightly salted turkey stock or chicken broth. Cook the onion and bay leaf until soft and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add 2 cups strained chile liquid, hominy, 1 ½ to 2 pounds raw boneless turkey thighs (cut into 8-ounce pieces), salt and 4 cups turkey stock. Cook, covered, at a swift boil for 30 minutes. Remove turkey pieces, partially cover the pot, and cook pozole for 15 minutes. When the turkey is cool enough to handle, shred turkey meat; discard or slice the skin. Add turkey to pot, let stand 10 minutes, and serve.

Ingredients:

• 8 guajillo chiles (about 1 ½ ounces)
• 4 California chiles (dried Anaheim chiles) (about 1 ounce)
• 4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1 ½ pound fresh oyster mushrooms or lion’s mane mushrooms, trimmed and roughly chopped or torn (about 8 cups)
• 1 medium-sized white or yellow onion (about 9 ounces), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 1 ½ cups)
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 5 medium garlic cloves
• 5 cups drained and rinsed canned white hominy (from 4 [15.5-ounce] cans)
• 1 ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt, plus more to taste
• 6 to 8 cups vegetable broth (such as Zoup!), divided
• 5 cups thinly shredded green cabbage (from 1 small head of cabbage)
• 8 medium radishes (about 5 ounces), thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
• 4 limes, cut into wedges
• 2 cups chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems)

Steps:

1. Trim stems from chiles; cut chiles lengthwise but not all the way through and remove seeds. Transfer chiles to a small saucepan and add 4 cups water. Bring to a boil over high; boil until softened, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
2. While chiles cook, heat avocado oil in a 6-quart pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add mushrooms, onion and bay leaves, and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent and mushrooms start releasing liquid, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Drain chiles, reserving 2 cups of soaking liquid. Place chiles, reserved soaking liquid, and garlic in a high-powered blender. Secure the lid on the blender and remove the centerpiece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over the opening. Process chile mixture until smooth, about 45 seconds.
4. Pour the chile mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer directly into the mushroom mixture in the pot; discard strained solids. Add hominy, salt and 6 cups broth; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high; reduce heat to medium. Cover the pot and boil the pozole undisturbed for 35 minutes. Season with additional salt to taste; add up to the remaining 2 cups of broth if the pozole is too thick. Cover and continue cooking pozole over medium, undisturbed, for 10 minutes.
5. Remove pot from heat, and let pozole rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve with cabbage, radishes, lime wedges, cilantro and chips or tortillas.

Cranberry and Orange Mulled Wine

*Note: This recipe is intended for people of legal drinking age. We will provide the non-alcoholic version. Please drink responsibly.

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of red wine (substitute alcohol for 3 cups of cranberry juice)
• 1 ½ cups brandy (substitute alcohol for 1 ½ cups of pomegranate juice)
• 1 cup cranberry juice
• 5 tablespoons honey
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• ½ cup cranberries
• 18 whole cloves
• 2 oranges, sliced and pierced with 3 cloves each

Steps:

1. Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Once the mixture is brought to a boil, bring it down to a simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Serve and enjoy!

Thanksgiving Leftovers Crunchwrap Supreme with Gravy Mayo

Ingredients:

Thanksgiving Leftovers Crunchwrap Supreme

• ¼ cup shredded gouda cheese (or substitute another mild cheese or non-dairy cheese)
• 3 ounces of leftover turkey, shredded (or substitute for tofurkey)
• 2 tablespoons of gravy mayo (or more, I will not judge)
• ¼ cup of any flavor of potato chips
• ¼ cup of leftover mashed potatoes
• 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce
• ¼ cup of leftover stuffing
• 1 burrito size tortilla

Gravy Mayo

• ½ cup mayonnaise (or Vegenaise)
• 2 tablespoons white miso
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup chilled leftover gravy
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Steps:

1. Warm up leftovers in the oven or microwave.
2. Lay out your tortilla. Add the cheese in a small ring in the center of the tortilla. Place shredded turkey or tofurkey pieces on top. Drizzle with gravy mayo, then add a layer of potato chips.
3. Add the mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and stuffing.
4. Then, to fold into the crunchwrap, start with the bottom of the tortilla and fold the edge up to the center of the fillings. Keep folding as tight as possible as you work around the tortilla.
5. Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Place the crunchwrap seam-side down onto the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.
6. Flip over and cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
7. Serve immediately.

Gravy Mayo

1. Vigorously whisk mayonnaise, miso, and lemon juice in a medium bowl, breaking up miso with a whisk until almost completely smooth. Add gravy and vigorously whisk, breaking up lumps, until almost completely smooth. Stir in chives and thyme, and season with salt and pepper.