Thanksgiving 2013 in Review - Leftovers Redux

When it comes to holiday feasts, I'm mostly a traditionalist. This year, as in years past, I cooked up an entirely homemade feast of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, candied sweet potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts and squash, rolls, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. While I relished each bite freshly prepared, the leftovers might be better than the main event. I ate my fill at dinner time and picked at leftovers throughout the day on Thursday, but Friday when was the experimenting began.

Leftovers found a new fate as soon as I woke up Friday morning, starting with oatmeal with candied sweet potatoes (made with butter, maple syrup, and walnuts) and cranberry sauce.

Sweet potatoes, turkey, and cranberry sauce found their way into my lunch in the form of turkey fried rice with sweet potatoes, peas, and a cranberry teriyaki sauce. If hadn't eaten all the squash and Brussels sprouts the day before, I would have used them here in lieu of the peas I had to retrieve from the freezer.

Cocktail hour is a fine way to start Friday night, with cranberry sauce finding a purpose there as well. In a take on a smash cocktail, I combined gin, cranberry sauce, lemon juice, and simple syrup, topped with an optional splash of soda water.

With my appetite properly whetted, I moved on to the main course - a turkey and Gruyere melt with cranberry sauce, a side of gravy for dipping, and candied sweet potato hash.

Saturday's lunch was a slapdash shepherd's pie, a fine place to use up turkey and any lingering veggies, or a way to sneak some fresh ones in.

The last of the mashed potatoes were devoured in a hearty Sunday morning breakfast of potato pancakes, dunked in the last of the gravy, and scrambled eggs with veggies.

Lunch was a bit lighter fare, the penultimate bits of turkey added to a spinach salad of red onion, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and blue cheese, topped with a cranberry sauce vinaigrette, and accompanied by the last of the rolls.

Breakfast for dinner is in the works for tonight, the very last of turkey likely finding its way into a hearty clean-out-the-fridge hash or quinoa stir-fry, officially closing out Thanksgiving and helping me get ready for my next winter CSA delivery on Wednesday.

So tell me, how did you use your leftovers?

Mama Stamberg's Cranberry Relish

NPR nerds, this recipe is for you. Every year Susan Stamberg comes on the air to share her mother-in-law's recipe for cranberry relish. Although perhaps most closely associated with Susan Stamberg, this recipe is actually Craig Claiborne's was clipped from a 1959 issue of the New York Times by Stamberg's mother-in-law. I'm a huge fan of cranberry sauce and couldn't imagine Thanksgiving without it, but this list of ingredients is a strange enough combination to make even the biggest cranberry sauce fan pause for a second or two. But it's always gotten rave reviews so I decided this year, my second hosting a Thanksgiving meal, was the year to try it out.

With the first taste, I thought the relish was fine, but nothing special. But the more I ate, the more I loved it! I went back for a second helping of turkey in large part because I wanted to slather it with more cranberry relish. The horseradish flavor is strong, but is in nice balance with the rich sour cream and tart cranberries. I think I'll be making this more than just on Thanksgiving and looking to put my own little twist on this recipe.

Mama Stamberg's Cranberry Relish
via NPR, originally from the New York Times

2 cups whole raw cranberries, washed
1 small onion
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons horseradish from a jar ("red is a bit milder than white")

1. Grind the raw berries and onion together. ("I use an old-fashioned meat grinder," says Stamberg. "I'm sure there's a setting on the food processor that will give you a chunky grind — not a puree.")

2. Add everything else and mix. Put in a plastic container and freeze.

3. Early Thanksgiving morning, move it from freezer to refrigerator compartment to thaw. ("It should still have some little icy slivers left.") The relish will be thick, creamy, and shocking pink. ("OK, Pepto Bismol pink. It has a tangy taste that cuts through and perks up the turkey and gravy. Its also good on next-day turkey sandwiches, and with roast beef.")

Red Skin Potato Mash

Mashed potatoes are a staple of Thanksgiving. I usually have the usual russets or Yukon golds peeled, boiled, and mashed with butter and milk which are always good, but this year I wanted something just a bit more special. I had my choice of fingerlings, which are great for mashing, or red potatoes, which aren't quite as suited for mashing, but I think have a bit more flavor, from my CSA box. With copious amounts of milk and butter, these potatoes are unbelievably creamy, beautifully contrasted in texture by the potato skins and scallions. I typically don't make mashed potatoes this rich, but for a special occasion like Thanksgiving, they are absolutely perfect.


Red Skin Potato Mash
from Food and Wine

6 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 2-inch chunks
Salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups warmed milk
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Freshly ground pepper

1. Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Add a large pinch of salt and boil, uncovered, over moderately high heat, until fork tender, about 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot.

2. Shake the pot over moderately high heat to dry the potatoes. Off the heat, lightly mash the potatoes. Add the butter and milk and mash until incorporated. Stir in the scallions, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Cranberry Turkey Nachos

While I always have a piece of turkey at Thanksgiving dinner, I'm actually a way bigger fan turkey as leftovers. I always have cold turkey sandwiches and maybe make some soup or casserole, but decided to get a little more creative this year with part of the leftovers. Continuing the tradition my dad and I started when I was a very little girl, I have a Packer snack with each Packer game, the first bite of which must be taken when the kicker's foot hits the ball on the initial kickoff. (Yes, I do enforce this rule, sometimes much to the dismay of those watching the game with me). With Thanksgiving leftovers I couldn't justify buying something for a Packer snack, so I needed to make something special with the leftover turkey. My first thought was nachos since I had tortilla chips, onions, salsa, and (plentiful) cheese, but then the creative juices started flowing and I came up with these cranberry turkey nachos. Cranberries and turkey go perfectly together and I'm a huge fan of Muenster and red onion grilled cheese sandwiches, so throwing those ingredients together with some sour cream and a tiny punch of horseradish was easy. If you're in the mood for conventional nachos this isn't likely to satisfy your craving, but are immensely satisfying if you're looking for something a bit different, and all of your taste buds with savory, sweet, tart, and tangy flavors. Not in the mood for nachos? This would also make a fantastic panini.

Cranberry Turkey Nachos
serves 1-2

1/2 c. coarsely chopped fresh cranberries
1 t. sugar (or to taste)
1/2 cup chopped cooked turkey
1/4 c. finely diced red onion
1/4 c. low fat sour cream
1/2 t. prepared horseradish
1/4 c. shredded Muenster cheese (or another good melting cheese)
1.5 oz. thick tortilla chips (I really like Frontera)

1. Toss chopped cranberries and sugar in a small bowl. Taste one the cranberries and add more sugar if needed. Set aside and allow to macerate while you prepare the other ingredients.

2. Combine turkey, onion, sour cream, and horseradish in a medium bowl and stir well to combine. Add the cranberries and stir until everything is evenly distributed.

3. Place tortilla chips on a plate or serving dish and top with the turkey mixture. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top and melt either under the broiler (make sure you are using an oven safe dish) or in the microwave. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. Although I like to experiment when cooking and baking, for holidays I'm mostly a traditionalist, so when I was looking for a pumpkin pie recipe for the Thanksgiving meal I was hosting, I went right for the trusty red-and-white checked wisdom that is the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. There's a reason that book has been an indispensable kitchen resource for so many people, all the way from 1950s housewives to avid home cooks today.

Pumpkin pie is extremely easy to make with one exception-getting the pie from the counter to the oven without spilling the custard filling. Better Homes and Gardens recommends putting the pie shell on the oven rack and carefully filling the shell; I prefer to set the pie plate on a baking sheet, fill the shell, and very carefully transfer the pie to the oven so the oven temperature doesn't drop too much. Use whatever method works best for you, but I prefer having the pie on the cookie sheet so I can easily rotate it, ensuring even cooking.

Pumpkin Pie
from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook
serves 8

1 9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought
1 15-ounce can pumpkin (about 1 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup half-and-half, light cream, and milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare and roll out pastry for a single-crust pie. Line a 9-inch piece plate with the pastry circle and trim. Crimp edge as desired.

2. For filling, in a bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add eggs; beat lightly with a fork until combined. Gradually add half-and-half; stir until just combined.

3. Place the pastry-lined pie plate on the oven rack. Carefully pour the filling into pastry shell. To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of the pie with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Bake about 25 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill within 2 hours.