Waste Not, Want Not

Now that all the turkey and trimmings have been devoured, the burning question is, “What to do with all those leftovers?” The obvious choice, of course, is to make a good, old-fashioned Dagwood, piled high with thick, juicy slices of turkey meat, a mountain of cranberry relish and stuffing, and, what the heck, even a smidgen of mashed potatoes and gravy.

For those of us who want to be a little more creative, a few of our local chefs have offered up their favorite post-Thanksgiving Day recipes. And with that extra day off, why not get a little busy in the kitchen with friends and family? You’ve got nothing to lose but your waist.
 

Turkey Spring Rolls

By Chef Carlo DeMarco of 333 Belrose in Radnor and Firecreek Restaurant and Bar in Downingtown

Ingredients (quantities are per spring roll):
• 2 oz. leftover turkey meat
• 1 oz. leftover stuffing
• 1 oz. leftover cranberry sauce
• Leftover gravy (for dipping)
• Spring roll wrappers, available in the produce section of some grocery stores or at an Asian market

Directions:
• Shred the leftover turkey and put it inside the wrapper, combined with the stuffing and cranberry sauce. 
• Turn the sides of the wrapper in, and roll it into a log shape.
• Seal the edges with water. Get a large pot and fill with oil. Deep-fry the spring rolls at 350 degrees until golden brown and crispy. 
• If you prefer, brush the outsides of the spring rolls with oil, and put them on a baking sheet and in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
• Allow the spring rolls to cool, and serve with a big boat of turkey-gravy dipping sauce.
 

BBQ Turkey & Pepper Jack on Brioche with Brussels Sprouts Slaw

By Andrew Masciangelo of Savona in Gulph Mills

Ingredients:
• Leftover turkey
• 1 large onion
• 16 oz. ketchup
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Brioche rolls
• Pepper jack cheese
 
Directions:
• Take all the meat off the turkey and set aside. 
• Smoke a large onion with hickory wood chips.
• Dice the onion. 
• In a saucepot, add the onion, ketchup, chili powder, white vinegar and brown sugar. Let simmer for 20 minutes. 
• Add the sauce and turkey meat to a Crock-Pot, and cook on low for 4 hours.
• Serve on brioche rolls with pepper jack cheese and Brussels sprouts slaw (recipe below) on the side.

Slaw ingredients:
• 2 lbs. Brussels sprouts
• 1 large carrot
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 tbsp. whole grain mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
 
Directions:
• On a mandolin, shave the raw Brussels sprouts and grate the carrot. 
• Place Brussels sprouts, carrots and red onion in a bowl. 
• In another bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Fold the mixture into the vegetables.
 

Turkey Pot Pie with Dill Biscuit Topping

By Executive Chef Thomas Groff of Dettera in Ambler

Ingredients (makes 8-10 portion-sized servings):
• 4 oz. unsalted butter
• 2 large onion, diced
• 4 stalks of celery, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp. fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp. dried dill
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 cup of flour
• 4 cups of turkey stock from boiled carcass (see below)
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 3 lbs. of torn cooked turkey meat
• 1 cups sautéed slice mushrooms
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 10-ounce bag of frozen peas
• 1 tbsp. of chopped fresh parsley
• 1 bunch of sliced scallions
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
• Place butter into a large saucepan to melt on medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, celery, carrots, red pepper, thyme, dill and bay leaves. Turn down the heat to medium-low, and let them cook and soften for about 15 minutes.
• Add flour, turn up the heat to medium, and stir constantly to mix the flour. Allow the flour to cook off for about 5 minutes.
• Add stock and cream, and bring the heat back up to high. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat back down to medium, stir constantly, and allow the sauce to simmer until it thickens to a consistency of a creamed soup.
• Remove the bay leaves.
• Add mushrooms, corn and peas; stir in to incorporate and heat through.
• Add turkey meat, stir to mix in, and then mix in parsley and scallions.
• Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Reserve, off of heat.
 
Stock ingredients:
• Carcass and skin from a 12- to 14-pound roast turkey
• 10 cups water

Sour Cream Biscuit Dough ingredients:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup frozen butter cut to 1/4-inch dice
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:
• Sift flour, measure, and sift again with baking powder and salt; blend in butter.
• Add sour cream and half-and-half. Knead several times on a lightly floured surface. Do not over mix.
• Pat dough out, cut into diamonds or rounds, and place over chicken or drop dough onto turkey pot pie by tablespoons.
 

Hot Turkey Brown

Also by Thomas Groff

Ingredients (makes two hot turkey browns):
• 2 oz. whole butter
• 2 oz. all-purpose flour
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated Reggiano Parmesan, plus 1 tbsp. for garnish
• 2 egg yolks
• 14 oz. sliced, roasted turkey breast
• 2 slices of Texas Toast (crust trimmed)
• 4 slices of crispy bacon
• 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced in half
• Paprika
• Parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
• Melt butter in a two-quart saucepan, and slowly whisk in flour until combined and forming a thick paste (roux). Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.
• Whisk heavy cream into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat, and slowly whisk in Parmesan cheese and egg yolks until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• For each hot brown, place one slice of toast in an oven-safe dish and cover with 7 ounces of turkey.
• Take the two halves of Roma tomato and set them alongside the base of the turkey and toast.
• Next, pour one half of the Mornay sauce to completely cover the dish. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.
• Place the entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top, sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.
 

Turkey Wellington

By Michael Falcone of Funky Lil’ Kitchen in Pottstown

Ingredients (serves 4):
• 2 sheets thawed puff pastry
• 1 sheet parchment or wax paper
• 1 lb. turkey
• 4 tsp. whole-grain mustard
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 1/2 can jellied cranberry, sliced into 4 pieces
• 8 oz. mashed potatoes
• 8 oz. stuffing
• 1 egg beaten
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups gravy

Directions:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Lay parchment or wax paper on a work surface to prevent pastry from sticking.
• Unfold puff pastry sheets onto the work surface side-by-side, with creases facing north and south, and cut each sheet in half vertically.
• Place 4 ounces of turkey onto the center of each puff pastry sheet, and lightly season with salt and pepper.
• Spread 1 ounce of mustard onto the turkey, followed by one piece of cheese on each and one slice of jellied cranberry.
• Continue layering with 2 ounces of mashed potatoes on each, followed by 2 ounces of stuffing.
• Starting with the puff pastry end closest to you, fold it over the ingredients, then bring the top section of the puff pastry up, overlapping the pastry sheet just enough to keep it closed.
• Fold over each side of the puff pastry just slightly, and pinch it closed with fingers to keep ingredients from spilling out.
• Take a knife and, on top of each puff pastry envelope, make two small Xs as vent holes.
• Brush each pastry top with some of the beaten egg, and season with garlic and onion powder.
• Place pastry onto ungreased sheet pan, and cook in the center of the oven for 30 minutes.
• Heat the gravy during the last 5 minutes of cooking, remove the pastry from the oven, plate it, and evenly distribute the gravy over or on the side of the Wellington. Serve.