Last week I had the pleasure of attending Sargento Cheese small bites event hosted by Portia Young (formerly WISN12 news). The star of the event was cheese of course and Chef Tony prepared a sandwich stuffed with Thanksgiving leftovers, topped with cheese, and grilled to perfection. The sandwich was served with a side of gravy to dunk in and it was too delicious to not share the recipe with you today.
Thanksgiving is next weekend and I know you are planning to prepare a full spread, so I wanted to also share a few ways to enjoy the leftovers. The leftovers are the best part because the juices and seasonings are marinated, and they can be added to other things to make a new dish. So do not toss anything, just pack them up and place them in the fridge or freezer to enjoy at any time.
The first item you can try is Turkey soup/stew by adding chopped turkey or chicken, some left over vegetables, add a few more onions, chicken broth, and egg noodles or any shape. Most of the time no additional seasoning is needed or measurements just use your eye.
Another great idea is to make Turkey salad, which is served cold and can be eaten with bread or crackers. Add diced turkey, chopped onions, celery, miracle whip, mustard, salt and pepper and a pinch or two of sugar. Feeling fancy? Add green grapes and pecans then serve chilled.
Turkey pot pie is my favorite leftover idea! I make this many ways, but I will give you the effortless way today. Add about 2 tablespoons of butter and onions to a skillet, cook until tender the add a few Spoonfuls of flour, stir until combined and add a cup of chicken broth, cup of whole milk, season to taste and add diced turkey, peas and carrots, the pour in a pie crust and top with another crust, split the top and bake until golden brown.
Now for the Thanksgiving Leftover grilled cheese, use 2 slices of sourdough bread, cheddar cheese, sliced turkey or chicken sweet potatoes, dressing or stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, or any other leftovers you may have. Layer bread with cheese, add filling and top with more cheese, spread outside of bread with butter and grill to perfection, serve with a side of gravy for dipping. See video below to get a step-by-step guide to create this masterpiece.
Happy Turkey Day!