Much Ado About Stuffing

What to do with your Thanksgiving leftovers, as recommended by local chefs.

There are two types of people when it comes to Thanksgiving leftovers: Those who can eat the same heated-up meal for a week on repeat, and those who need a remainders refresh. If you’re of the latter and looking for some fresh inspo for your food, well, refresh… we’ve gotcha covered. We tapped local chefs for their creative solutions for Thanksgiving #leftoverlife. Stay hungry! 

Ashley Christensen | AC Restaurants

“I really love soup, so that’s always a natural fit for me to put leftovers to good use. I take all of the carved-up turkey bones and drippings from the pan and make a nice, rich, roasted stock by covering the bones with water and tossing in whatever mirepoix veg has survived the holiday in my fridge. I make a soup with this stock and some remaining turkey meat, leftover braised greens (usually collards in our house on Thanksgiving), and a can of the Muir Glen organic diced fire-roasted tomatoes (juice and all). Super simple and really foolproof. You can also throw some beans or pasta into this to bulk it up into a heavier experience, but after the decadence of Thanksgiving, I prefer the lighter route.

Another idea: We always serve a delicious cornbread dressing at our Thanksgiving, based on my mom’s grandma’s recipe. It’s really delicious day-of on its own, but I like to flex it into a post-Thanksgiving baked oyster. I work it (from fridge temp) into a crumbled texture, and I mix in a little sausage or bacon with one egg. Then I spoon that onto freshly shucked oysters on the half-shell and bake them at 400 for about 8–10 minutes. It makes a great game-day snack for what is usually the post-Thanksgiving football showdown between UNC and my alma mater, NC State (GO PACK!!! 🐺).”

Sean Fowler | Mandolin

“Thanksgiving stuffing crabcakes: Use leftover stuffing/dressing with lump crabmeat and mayo to bind. Make patties, pan-sear and finish in the oven.”

Sunny Gerhart | St. Roch

“Smoked turkey and sausage jambalaya”

Cheetie Kumar | Ajja

“My favorite Thanksgiving leftover hack is thanks to my mother-in-law. She always made these crusty little ‘balls’ from leftover dressing. I embellished them a little. 

Take leftover dressing/stuffing and mix in one egg and a little melted butter. With a small scoop or a large spoon, flatten a little disc onto your palm, put a small piece of sharp cheese (cheddar or aged provolone etc) in the center and roll into a ball. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet or a sprayed mini-muffin tin and bake at 350 until crusty on the outside and hot and set on the inside. Serve while still hot with cranberry sauce and some spiced nuts. So delicious!”

Kyle Teears | The Willard

“Make green bean casserole risotto. This is a lot of fun because risotto is a lovely dish—and a perfect outlet for using your leftover green bean casserole, an otherwise unused leftover side dish. I have purposely omitted salt as most people use a can of cream of mushroom soup which can be salty. But, if you taste your risotto at the 25-minute mark and it needs seasoning, by all means, add a pinch of salt. You can also add other leftovers if you have some, such as asparagus, mushrooms, bacon or ham pieces, etc. Don’t forget to have fun and cook with your heart.

Start by cooking 2 cups of Arborio rice over medium-high heat in 1/4 cup olive oil for about 5 minutes. The edges of the rice should be translucent. Add 1 cup of white wine (whatever you have leftover from the night before will be fine). Allow most of the wine to evaporate, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in warm water half a cup at a time (if you have vegetable or chicken stock left, use it up). Keep adding water/stock every couple of minutes and stir constantly. If the liquid is evaporating too quickly reduce heat to medium-low. After around 25 minutes, check the consistency of the rice. It should be al dente. Stir in 2 cups of your leftover green bean casserole. If you have less than that don’t worry, you’ll be just fine. Cook for another 5 minutes, remove from heat, and stir in 4 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup of Parmesan or pecorino gradually. There you go! Now you have a delicious risotto for dinner.

Preeti Waas | Cheeni Indian Food Emporium

“I make a cranberry chutney with fresh ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and oranges for Thanksgiving, and my favorite thing to do is make turnovers with it the next morning for breakfast. Fill an all-butter puff pastry with whipped cream cheese and cranberry chutney, brush with egg wash, and bake at 410 degrees. Serve warm.”

Luis Zouain | Madre

“Make some turkey dumplings! Shred the leftover meat and mix with gravy—add some chopped veggies in there too if you have any. If you’re too lazy you can buy the dough already done and assemble at least 25. Pan-sear and finish them up with a flour wash in the bottom of the pan to create a crusty situation. Make a spicy cranberry dipping sauce and you’re ready to go!”