We spend months planning, weeks meal prepping, and sometimes days working in the kitchen to produce a Thanksgiving meal. Fortunately, the feast is almost always guaranteed to have leftovers. But by Cyber Monday, the turkey and stuffing have lost their appeal, and we can’t stomach the idea of another bite. As beloved as the holiday is, it isn’t over until all the leftovers are gone.
Enter to win a copy of Modern Comfort Cooking by Lauren Grier.
Well, this year, you may want to pause before you send your guests home with their own plates to reheat.
Lauren Grier, a Colorado-based cookbook author and owner of The Curious Plate, has you covered on how to use every last bit of those Thanksgiving leftovers. Gone are the days of throwing a slice of turkey and a scoop of mashed potatoes in the microwave oven for 30 seconds.
Delicious, quick, creative, and easy, these recipes prove you can make entire meals out of your leftovers and eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner — and the main ingredients are already in your fridge, cooked, and ready to be re-imagined.
Ingredients for the waffles
- 1 cup packaged waffle mix
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 cup leftover turkey, diced
- 1/4 cup carrots, diced
- 1/4 cup celery, diced
- 1/4 cup onion, diced
- leftover stuffing, garnish
- parsley, garnish
Ingredients for the fried egg
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Ingredients for the gravy
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Waffles: In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients.
Preheat a waffle maker. Ladle about 1/4 cup of the batter into the waffle maker and cook until golden brown. Repeat the process until all the batter has been used.
Fried egg: Preheat a skillet to medium heat. Add the olive oil and then crack 4 eggs into the skillet. Cook for a couple of minutes, carefully flip, and then cook until the desired consistency.
Gravy: In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and continue to whisk until the flour has cooked out and a roux forms (about a minute). Gradually pour in the milk and continue to whisk until thickened. Add a little salt and pepper.
To serve: Take a waffle and place it on a plate. Top with stuffing and the fried egg and pour gravy over top. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.
Photo and recipe courtesy of Lauren Grier, a Colorado-based cookbook author and owner of The Curious Plate.