Some ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers

This Thanksgiving, think about your turkey dinner leftovers before they’re left over.

You’ll likely have leftovers, whether your spread is throwback- large or scaled- down out of caution or necessity. But some last- minute planning can shrewdly stretch those leftovers in this atypical year when we’ve had to respect tight grocery budgets or lean pantries and our best culinary friend, the freezer.

Some Turkey Day foods can become “leftovers,” in a manner of thinking, even before the main event. For example, if you still have vegetables to prep or peel — potatoes, carrots, celery stalks, mushrooms and any member of the allium family such as onions ( of whatever color), shallots, garlic

or scallions — keep back the peelings, stems, root ends, even the onion skins to use in sage ways after tomorrow.

Collected and stored in the freezer, these are a perfect base for vegetable stock, itself useful in many recipes such as soups, stews, deglazing skillets, poaching fish, cooking rice and pasta, and so on. When you find a turkey carcass or breastbone on the kitchen counter this coming weekend, add it to these peelings for an even richer broth. ( It ought to be a byword in any cook’s kitchen never to throw away bones of any sort.)

You also can turn those ofttossed potato peels into crisp chips. Coat them with some fruity olive oil, kosher salt and generous grindings of black pepper and roast them on a sheet pan in a 400- degree oven for around 10 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness, stirring up once halfway. Want to flavor them like the fellas who kettle? Sprinkle on some barbecue powder or paprika, sweet or hot, or crushed dried green herbs such as thyme or rosemary and you’re there.

Of course, one way to guarantee lots of leftovers is simply to cook them; that is, prepare more food for Thanksgiving dinner than you had in mind, whether it’s for a gathering of whatever

When you find a turkey carcass or breastbone on the kitchen counter this coming weekend, add it to vegetable peelings for a richer broth. ( It ought to be a byword in any cook’s kitchen never to throw away bones of any sort.)

size that your local government allows or a more calibrated one. Then apply your creativity to manage all that’s left over.

One angle is to combine two or more leftovers into an additional new thing. For instance, mashed potatoes reconfigured with the addition of already- cooked Brussels sprouts ( today’s recipe) is a take on the Irish dish called colcannon. In Ireland, cooks use cabbage for colcannon; but that’s what Brussels sprouts are, wee cabbages. They fit.

Or purée a green vegetable such as broccoli ( you might even consider broccoli stems from your pre- Thanksgiving prep, cooked down with some onion and garlic) with leftover mashed potatoes moistened with some stock into a warm and verdant version of vichyssoise. If your leftover turkey gravy is more like a jus, you might use that instead of, or in addition to, the stock.

More leftover mashed potatoes ( am I lobbying for a mess of mashed?), combined with some flour, egg yolk and seasoning from the pantry, make for a delicious Duchess potato casserole, piped into a buttered gratin dish ( use a sturdy zip bag with the corner cut off). Or roll the same combo into a few dozen gnocchi that can be boiled in the pasta way. Or further flavor the same combo with grated cheese and some sweated diced onion and pat it into pancakes of a sort, crisped nicely in a skillet.

Leftover stuffing combined with leftover gravy and a few eggs makes a breakfast strata. Make muffins with more leftover stuffing combined with chopped turkey and a leafy green such as spinach, moistened with eggs and cream.

I very much like leftover cranberry sauce ( either the jelly or chunky sort) mixed in with barbecue sauce or some select

Asian hot chile sauces. It’s a sweet- hot combo that’s deliciously versatile. Leftover turkey gravy makes any cooked pasta a sort of stroganoff.

And, finally, there is the Canadian gift of poutine: Slosh that leftover gravy over whatever French fries you bring home and sprinkle on some grated cheese. Leftovers need never be left out.

Colcannon from Leftovers

Normally, this dish is prepared with fresh ingredients ( such as uncooked potatoes and raw cabbage, leeks or kale), not from those alreadyprepared. You readily will find recipes for that form of colcannon online or from Irish cookery books. This is colcannon assembled from American Thanksgiving Day dinner leftovers, making of some good things something perhaps even better. Makes 6- 10 portions, but may be easily halved or doubled.

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, in 2 parts, both room temperature 1 medium leek, white and light green part only, cleaned and finely sliced ( see note)

2 cups leftover Brussels sprouts, however prepared, sliced then chopped roughly

4 cups leftover mashed white potatoes L cup buttermilk or vegetable broth,

warmed

Fine- grained sea or kosher salt and

freshly ground black pepper

Fresh flat- leaf parsley, chopped, for

garnish

Directions

Over medium heat and in a pot that will accommodate all the ingredients, melt one part of the butter and sauté in it the leek until it is soft and translucent, 6- 7 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts and stir in well.

Add the mashed potatoes and stir to heat through. Then add the buttermilk or broth, a tablespoon or two at a time, until the colcannon reaches the texture and consistency you prefer. ( That will depend on the beginning moisture content of the mashed potatoes; you may need very little liquid or the whole amount stipulated.)

Salt and pepper liberally and stir well to combine and heat thoroughly one last time. Serve in a large warmed bowl with a hollow on the top of the colcannon into which you have placed the second part of the butter to melt. A good amount of butter is expected in each scoop of colcannon.

Note: You may omit the leek, if you wish, or substitute for it 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced.