Thanksgiving dinner tends to be a huge affair, complete with roast turkey, dressing and all the trimmings. Although many people look forward to “day after” turkey sandwiches, they’re still left with the question of what to do with the rest of the turkey and sides. The answer is to transform your leftovers into interesting new dishes, like a savory brunch strata, a pastry-wrapped Wellington and even a citrus-glazed sweet dessert.
The Thanksgiving Strata blends the technique of an Italian strata with the ingredients of a traditional Thanksgiving menu. It creates a savory casserole from turkey and day-old bread, mixing eggs and cheese with side dishes like mashed potatoes, greens and dressing. You can build your Thanksgiving Strata as you pack up your Thanksgiving leftovers, then refrigerate overnight. It will be ready for the oven as a perfect day-after brunch dish.
Thanksgiving Wellington wraps the entire Thanksgiving dinner in a buttery puff pastry, which is then baked to perfection. Since all of the contents are already made, this elegant recipe is deceptively easy to make. Plan ahead by keeping a box of puff pastry in the freezer.
And no leftover Thanksgiving dinner would be complete without dessert. The Cranberry Pecan Bread Pudding combines day-old dinner rolls and cranberry sauce with rich cream, brown sugar and spices, and is topped with a sweet-tart Citrus Glaze. Once you give these recipes a try, you’ll never look at Thanksgiving leftovers the same way again.
RECIPES
Enjoy your Thanksgiving leftovers an entirely new way with these savory and sweet recipes. Thanksgiving leftovers stored in airtight containers will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Thanksgiving Strata
This casserole gives Thanksgiving leftovers new life with the addition of eggs, cream and fresh herbs. The key to making this dish a real winner is using a good balance of savory and sweet leftovers. It can be made a day ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container before baking. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before placing it into the hot oven.
3 tablespoons salted butter, softened, divided
6 eggs
1 cup whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary or sage, rough chopped
2 cups (2-inch) cubed day-old dinner rolls, baguette or sourdough bread
4 cups leftover turkey dressing or stuffing, broken into small pieces
¾ cup (1/2-inch cubed) leftover turkey
½ cup cooked string beans or greens, drained
½ cup baked sweet potatoes or squash, diced
½ cup cooked peas, drained
1 cup mashed potatoes
½ cup shredded cheese, such as gouda or mild cheddar cheese
1 cup gravy, heated, for serving
½ cup cranberry sauce, for serving
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Grease the sides and bottom of a 3-quart or 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with 2 tablespoons butter. Grease a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to cover the dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Set both aside.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cream, salt and chopped herbs until well combined.
Add the cubed bread, stirring gently to coat with the egg mixture. Let sit 10 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the egg mixture.
Stir in the dressing, turkey, string beans, sweet potatoes and peas until just mixed.
Spread mixture into the buttered casserole dish and cover with mashed potatoes.
Cover with buttered foil and let the strata sit for 15 minutes before baking.
Place the covered casserole in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown.
Serve with gravy and cranberry sauce.
Serves 8.
Per serving: 546 calories (percent of calories from fat, 53), 21 grams protein, 43 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 32 grams total fat (13 grams saturated), 211 milligrams cholesterol, 1,041 milligrams sodium.
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Thanksgiving Wellingtons
Everyone who enjoys a traditional Thanksgiving dinner will fall in love with this play on a beef Wellington. Leftover Thanksgiving dinner gets a new look layered, wrapped in puff pastry and baked until golden brown.
The Wellingtons are assembled, wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for a couple of hours or overnight, then baked and enjoyed with a side of gravy and cranberry sauce.
All-purpose flour, up to 6 tablespoons, if needed
4 (10-by-15-inch) sheets puff pastry, chilled
2 cups chilled mashed potatoes, squash or sweet potatoes, divided
2 cups chilled sauteed mushrooms, divided
2 cup chilled cooked peas, drained, divided
4 cups chilled cooked turkey, diced, divided
2 cups chilled prepared dressing or stuffing, divided
1 large egg
2 tablespoons cream or half-and-half
2 cups gravy, heated, for serving
1 cup cranberry sauce, for serving
To assemble:
Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
If puff pastry sheets are thicker than 1/4-inch thick, sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour on a clean work surface. Place 1 sheet of puff pastry on the floured surface and dust the top with 1 tablespoon flour. Use a rolling pin to roll out the puff pastry until the pastry is 1/4-inch thick. If the pastry sticks to the rolling pin, sprinkle additional flour, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the dough is no longer sticky.
Place 1 (1/4-inch-thick) pastry sheet on 1 parchment-lined sheet pan. Cover with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining sheets of puff pastry, using additional flour only as needed, stacking them one on top of another, with parchment paper between each layer and on top of the final puff pastry sheet. Chill for 30 minutes.
Place 1 sheet of chilled puff pastry and parchment paper on a work service, keeping the remaining sheets covered with parchment paper to prevent them from drying out.
Spread ½ cup mashed potatoes in the middle of the puff pastry, leaving an empty 2-inch border on all sides. Place ½ cup each of mushrooms and peas in an even layer on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle 1 cup diced turkey over the vegetables. Cover the turkey evenly with ½ cup dressing.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg and cream together. Brush the border of the puff pastry with the egg mixture.
Fold the right side of the puff pastry to the middle of the dressing. Fold the left side of the puff pastry to the middle, overlapping the right edge by 1/2 inch. Press the top and bottom edges to seal the Wellington.
Turn the Thanksgiving Wellington over onto the second parchment-lined sheet pan, seam-side down. Tuck the sealed top and bottom edges of the puff pastry under the Wellington. Brush off any excess flour. Brush the tops and sides of the puff pastry with the egg mixture. Cut five small slits in the top of the puff pastry to allow any steam to escape. You can also press a cookie cutter into the top to make a festive design.
Repeat with the remaining sheets of puff pastry and leftover ingredients to make a total of 4 Wellingtons. Do not overcrowd the Wellingtons on the sheet pan; use a second parchment-lined sheet pan if necessary to leave at least 4 inches between the Wellingtons.
Cover the sheet pan(s) with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight before baking.
To bake:
Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
Remove plastic wrap. Bake the Thanksgiving Wellingtons on the parchment-lined sheet pan(s) for 10 minutes, until golden brown.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Tent the sheet pan(s) with aluminum foil to protect the pastry from over-browning. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Remove from the oven and rest 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with hot gravy and cranberry sauce.
Makes 4 Wellingtons, each serves 2.
Per serving (without dusting flour, including gravy and cranberry sauce): 869 calories (percent of calories from fat, 46), 34 grams protein, 83 grams carbohydrates, 18 grams total sugars, 6 grams fiber, 45 grams total fat (20 grams saturated), 95 milligrams cholesterol, 1,300 milligrams sodium.
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Cranberry Pecan Bread Pudding with Citrus Glaze
Bread pudding is an ideal way to use up leftover rolls. The addition of cranberry sauce and pecans speaks to the warm, comforting flavors of the holidays.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups half-and-half
16 day-old dinner rolls, cut into ¾-inch cubes, about 8 cups
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup cranberry sauce
Citrus Glaze (see recipe)
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2-inch casserole dish with butter. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla until well combined. Whisk in half-and-half.
Using a rubber scraper, stir in bread cubes, ½ cup at a time. Stir in the pecans. Fold in the cranberry sauce. (If using jelled cranberry sauce, cut the sauce into ½-inch cubes before adding). Let the mixture rest at room temperature for 30 minutes so that the bread absorbs the egg mixture.
Pour the mixture into the buttered pan and cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil. Bake until the bread pudding is set in the center, about 50 minutes.
Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve warm with Citrus Glaze.
Serves 8.
Per serving (including 1/4 cup glaze): 664 calories (percent of calories from fat, 44), 11 grams protein, 85 grams carbohydrates, 63 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 33 grams total fat (15 grams saturated), 151 milligrams cholesterol, 349 milligrams sodium.
Citrus Glaze
Vibrant, sweet and tangy best describe this glaze. It adds an extra pop of flavor to holiday desserts like cakes, tarts and warm bread pudding.
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
In a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the orange juice, lemon juice and sugar. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is simmering, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until butter is melted and well combined. Serve warm over Cranberry Pecan Bread Pudding.
Makes about 2 cups.
Per 1/4 cup serving: 192 calories (percent of calories from fat, 39), trace protein, 30 grams carbohydrates, 28 grams total sugars, trace fiber, 9 grams total fat (5 grams saturated), 23 milligrams cholesterol, 69 milligrams sodium.
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