At ReGrained, we’re big fans of Thanksgiving. Sure, time with family and friends is nice, but it’s all the edible upcycling that really gets us in the spirit! From green bean casserole & stuffing sandwiches to homemade turkey stock, the end of your Thanksgiving meal is the beginning of many a leftovers masterpiece. But just in case you’re fresh out of creativity from your show-stopping Turkey Day dish, we’ve asked ReGrained’s very own Commander-in-Chef, Phil Saneski, to do that part for you.
This post features:
- A Mushroom-Herb Stuffing to amaze your guests or show-up your potluck competition on the big day
- “Aged” Stuffing Waffles to transform any leftover stuffing into a breakfast that will ease your transition to next week’s post-holiday work week
- A must-make Cranberry Maple Chutney to reimagine the inevitable leftover cranberry sauce as the pièce de résistance on your leftovers sandwich
A word from Chef Phil:
“I really like the idea of making extra stuffing for Thanksgiving, not only because it’s my favorite part, given I eat it once a year, but also because you can use leftover ingredients like day-old bread and end-cuts/peels of vegetables to make it even more flavorful. So, I don’t feel guilty about prepping excess Thanksgiving stuffing, especially when I can “age” the stuffing, later use it as a waffle base and even freeze stuffing waffles for a quick morning bite. The taste reminds me of an okonomiyaki or a Korean scallion pancake. Browning the mushrooms really brings out the savory flavor.”
Mushroom-Herb Stuffing
3 pounds day-old bread, diced into 1-inch cubes and toasted
2 onion, finely chopped
4 ribs celery, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
1 cup mushrooms, roughly chopped (recommended: shitake and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms)
4 cloves garlic, grated
3/4-1 cup chopped fresh herbs like sage, parsley, chives, tarragon… whatever you have around
1 cup stock
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup butter
1 cup diced pancetta
3 eggs, beaten
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions:
1) Toast cubed day-old bread in the oven at 350 for 35-40 minutes
2) Simultaneously, melt butter with pancetta on a medium-heated cast iron skillet
3) Add onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms into skillet until lightly browned (10-15 minutes)
4) Whisk eggs with stock, grated garlic, and chopped fresh herbs to make your wet mixture
5) In a large bowl, toss toasted bread cubes with wet mixture
6) Deglaze the skillet with white wine, and add all ingredients to your large bowl
7) Put as much stuffing as you can into your turkey. The more you can fit, the juicer the turkey breast will be. Since the center of turkey (& poultry in general) is hollow, it cooks from two directions. The more you can stuff into the center during roasting, the more flavor you will give the turkey. The filler will protect the juiciness of the leanest part. You can bake your leftover stuffing in a square baking dish. From there, you can make “Aged” Stuffing Waffles.
–
“Aged” Stuffing Waffles
3 cups leftover stuffing, finely chopped or pulsed in a food processor
1 egg, beaten (or ½ cup mashed starch, like sweet potatoes or butternut squash)
½ cup crème fraiche
Chopped fresh herbs to taste, for freshness
Maple syrup to garnish
Directions:
1) Finely chop or pulse 3 cups of leftover stuffing in a food processor
2) In a large bowl, thoroughly combine stuffing, beaten egg (or ½ cup starch), crème fraiche and chopped fresh herbs
3) Place mixture onto hot waffle iron
4) Make sure the waffle edges are brown for maximum texture contrast
5) Garnish appropriately with maple syrup
Cranberry-Maple Chutney
One shallot, finely diced
2 cups leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Orange, juice and zest
Directions:
1) Heat diced shallot in a pan with a small amount of oil over medium heat until very soft (about 10 minutes, covered)
2) Add leftover cranberry sauce, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, orange juice and zest, cinnamon, and Dijon mustard to the heated pan
3) Simmer 7-8 minutes, or until desired viscosity
From all of us at ReGrained, we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving and a fun start to the Holiday season!