A cold, mayo-slathered turkey sandwich? Toss it in the trash!
A microwaved glob of days-old stuffing? You can do better!
Give your Thanksgiving leftovers a glow-up instead.
That’s the advice from cooking expert Dan Souza, chief content officer at America’s Test Kitchen, for the post-holiday period when your refrigerator bursts with containers of holiday has-beens.
“I feel like most people love Thanksgiving largely for the leftovers. The meal itself is beloved, but then I know in my family, the first sandwich is being made three hours after the meal,” the gastronomy guru recently told The Post from his Boston home.
Not that Souza, 42 — who shares delicious dish dalliances on the organization’s namesake PBS series — is flatly opposed to repurposed fowl sammies. Just make the turkey trot.
“I like to set a challenge for myself of using as many things as possible in my leftover sandwiches,” he said, zhuzhing them up with slider-ready dinner rolls, chopped Brussels sprouts, a “rich spread” of gravy blended with mayonnaise, a hint of vinegar and a slather of cranberry sauce.
“Every bite reminds you of the meal before and time with family and everything,” Souza, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, told The Post. “It kind of hits all the notes.”
But he also has other inspired ways to make your leftovers pop, he revealed to The Post.
Don’t waffle on this hack
Souza’s first secret is to pull out, of all things, your waffle iron.
“If you don’t have a waffle iron, you should have one because they’re just so versatile and cool,” he said.
“One of my favorite hacks is to take the stuffing, put a little butter in [the iron] and basically turn your leftover stuffing into a waffle,” Souza said of his fresh fry. “All the craggy bits are tons of surface area and get super, super crispy, but still kind of custardy and soft inside. You can use that as bread for a sandwich, which is, like, over-the-top wonderful. Or you just eat it as it is, or with a little maple syrup or something — that’s so nice.”
A ’berry good time to dress things up
It’s an age-old question: Which is better — canned or homemade cranberry sauce?
Souza, who said he’s “nostalgic” and “always has canned on the table,” said the metal-encased, ribbed variety as “a great base” for a salad dressing.
“The day after Thanksgiving, you’re probably looking for something green and a little bit of crunch and freshness because Thanksgiving is a pretty soft, beige meal for the most part,” he explained.
That canned cran is a perfect greens garnish, Souza said, if you whisk in vinegar, shallots, mustard and olive oil.
Let’s talk (more) turkey
America’s Test Kitchen recently published a recipe collection, “America’s Test Kitchen 25th Anniversary Cookbook: 500 Recipes That Changed the Way America Cooks,” for its quarter-century birthday.
Below, Souza revealed four of the book’s tantalizing treats for your post-Thanksgiving table.
Spicy Turkey Nachos
“The day after, you probably don’t want a big cooking project, and nachos are so fun,” Souza said. “It’s a great way to just gather folks around and have something that everyone’s going to love.”
Plus, since turkey is “pretty mild,” this dish’s trio of poblano peppers spices it up.
“You’re getting kind of a full range of flavors and textures. It’s a little bit dialed up from your average cheese-only nachos,” he said. Plus, the one-pan effort will feed a crowd of holiday hangers-on.
- 3 poblano chiles
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 ½ cups leftover turkey meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 (16-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 8 cups tortilla chips (about 6 ounces)
- 2 scallions, sliced thin
- 4 cups pepper Jack cheese, shredded
Adjust oven rack to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat broiler. Place poblanos on rimmed baking sheet and broil on upper-middle rack until skin is charred, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer poblanos to large bowl and wrap tightly with plastic. When cool enough to handle poblanos, peel, seed and chop. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees.
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook garlic, chili powder, oregano and cumin until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, stir in turkey, beans and lime juice.
Arrange half of chips evenly in 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Top with half of turkey mixture, half of scallions, half of chopped poblanos and half of cheese. Repeat. Transfer nachos to lower-middle rack and bake until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Serve.
Leftover Mashed Potato Tots
A spud doesn’t have to be a dud, said Souza, whose tot-al makeover of a kids’ lunch staple boasts creativity.
“Picture, you know, crispy on the outside and then really soft and mashed potato-y on the inside,” Souza said.
The tater twist is more of a time suck and “not in the category of, like, ‘I’m tired from the day before and I don’t want to do any cooking,’” Souza warned. But the final product is one uber tuber.
- 2 pounds russet potatoes (3 to 4 large potatoes), rinsed and peeled
- 6 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
- 2 tablespoons instant mashed potato flakes
Before you begin: The instant mashed potato flakes absorb excess water in the potatoes, creating a firm, moldable texture and providing insurance against blowouts during frying. If you don’t have potato flakes, you can substitute 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. The oil-blanching technique is used in the classic recipe for French fries. Frying the potatoes first at a low temperature allows the potato starch to dissolve at the surface, causing the cell walls to stick together and form a thick layer. The second fry at a higher temperature turns that layer into a porous, crispy crust. We recommend dunking these in gravy and cranberry sauce or stuffing them in the ultimate turkey sandwich.
Shred potatoes on large holes of box grater. Set fine-mesh strainer over large, deep heatproof bowl. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over high heat to 325 degrees F/163 degrees C. Fry shredded potatoes until softened but not browned, about 1 minute, stirring frequently. Immediately drain potatoes in prepared strainer; let potatoes drain for 1 minute, then transfer to large bowl and let cool for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour. Transfer oil back to Dutch oven.
Stir mashed potatoes and potato flakes together in microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave until hot and steaming, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and let cool for at least 15 minutes.
Place 12- by 16-inch piece of parchment on cutting board. Spread 1 cup blanched shredded potatoes into even 3½ by 16-inch strip on bottom half of prepared parchment; press with spatula to flatten and remove gaps between potato pieces.
Portion mashed potato mixture into 21 pieces (½ ounce each) and form into ¾-inch wide, 1-inch tall cylinders.
Following this video, place 7 potato cylinders on bottom edge of shredded potato sheet, leaving ½ inch between each cylinder. Lift bottom edge of parchment and roll tightly over mashed potato cylinders, forming log. (If you have ever rolled sushi (or seen sushi rolled), it’s exactly the same technique.) Smooth and tighten log, working from center out to edges of parchment. Continue rolling and tightening until log is uniform. Unroll parchment and slide potato log onto cutting board. Feel for gaps between tots and, using sharp knife, cut at gaps. Using your hands, seal ends of tots and tighten into compact cylinders; set aside on baking sheet or large plate. Repeat rolling process two more times with remaining shredded potatoes and remaining mashed potato mixture. (At this point, formed tots can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours; do not store in refrigerator overnight or freeze, as tots may then burst when fried.)
Heat oil in Dutch oven over high heat to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C. Add one-third of tots and fry until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain oil temperature of 325 degrees F/160 degrees C and stirring occasionally to prevent tots from sticking to bottom. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate and season with salt to taste. Return oil to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C and repeat with remaining tots in 2 batches. Serve immediately.
Turkey Orzo Soup with Kale and Chickpeas
“Everyone does something with the turkey, turkey bones and making stock. And I love turkey soup — it is just a little bit richer than chicken soup,” Souza said.
This recipe is a “slightly more elevated” combo, he added.
“Turkey and rice is kind of classic. This is a little bit of a spin on that. I love the texture of it, and then the chickpeas give you fiber and richness and sort of meatiness in there, too. One of my faves.”
- 2 tablespoons turkey fat
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- 8 cups turkey stock
- 3 ounces curly kale, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (6 cups)
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
- ½ cup orzo
- 2 cups shredded turkey
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
Heat fat in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin and coriander and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add stock; increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Stir in kale, chickpeas and orzo; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes.
Add turkey and cook until orzo and kale are tender, about 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Turkey Green Chile Turkey Enchiladas
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 thinly sliced onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 2 cups leftover turkey meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1 (16-ounce) can green enchilada sauce
- 12 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook onion until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and taco seasoning and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, stir in turkey, corn and ¾ cup enchilada sauce.
Spray tortillas on both sides with cooking spray and arrange on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until tortillas are warm and pliable, about 2 minutes. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, arrange ¼ cup turkey mixture in center of tortilla and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cheese. Roll tortilla and transfer, seam-side down, to 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Whisk sour cream and remaining enchilada sauce in bowl. Bake enchiladas until lightly browned around edges, about 10 minutes. Spoon sour cream mixture over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve.
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