VT professor shares how to transform Thanksgiving leftovers into new dishes

BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - Thanksgiving has come and gone but your family may still have a few leftovers from Thursday’s feast. The Associate Professor of Practice at Virginia Tech, Davis Yanisko, is sharing recipes to turn those leftovers into new dishes your loved ones will have an appetite for after Thanksgiving.

Yanisko is taking brunch to a whole new level with a stuffing waffle topped with turkey hash and fried egg, and who can forget about the gravy?

“I have my broken up leftover stuffing and my waffle maker is prepared. We’re going to carefully mound this into our waffle maker,” said Yanisko.

“Who doesn’t love stuffing by itself, but then you turn it into a waffle. Does it give it a different flavor or textural?” asked WDBJ7s Tynisha Jackson.

“The flavor is there from whatever you used in it and then the textural difference is all the crispiness from the waffle maker. I’m a stuffing fan and I like the crispy bits more than I like the interior. So if you like those bits, then it’s a win-win,” said Yanisko.

Yanisko then tops the waffle with turkey hash that is made from leftover turkey with turkey stock and herbs. Another option is to top the waffle with a chicken pot pie mix made from leftover vegetables.

Next up, Yanisko is baking up an upside-down cranberry sauce cake.

“My first step here is going to be to spread about a can worth of cranberry sauce at the bottom of my pan. I have my batter ingredients; flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, some seasoning, salt and sugar. In my liquid mixture; eggs, milk, lemon juice and olive oil. This is an olive oil cake,” said Yanisko.

Once both the batter and liquid ingredients are mixed, spread it out into a parchment-lined pan. Place the pan in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. You now have a new desert to add to your dinner table.

How to store leftovers

“One thing I always do is make a delicious turkey stock from the leftover carcass(es) from Thanksgiving day. It will add great flavor to anything. I also stick to classic turkey pot pie, utilizing turkey stock and leftover turkey and vegetables,” said Yanisko. “Keeping puff pastry in your freezer will speed up the process when you want another turkey pot pie. I have also made cottage pie as well using the turkey pie mixture and leftover mashed potatoes as the topping, instead of a pie crust.”

Here is Yanisko’s turkey stock recipe:

Ingredients:

• Turkey carcass
• 4 to 6 oz. vegetable trimmings such as onions, celery, carrot, shallot, and garlic
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. black peppercorns

Instructions:

• Arrange turkey carcass(es) in a stock pot deep enough to hold the turkey, vegetables, and water to cover.
• Once the carcass is in the pot, cover with cold water by 2 inches.
• Put the pot on a burner set to medium-high heat. You want to bring this to a boil.
• Once a boil is reached, turn the heat to low. Using a ladle or large spoon, remove any foam and grease that has risen to the surface.
• Add your vegetable trimmings, herbs, and peppercorns. You only need a few ounces here A splash or two of leftover white wine wouldn’t hurt at this point, either
• The stock needs to simmer — very slowly — for about an hour. There should barely be any bubbling. You can monitor it throughout its cooking time and ladle off accumulated foam or fat that has risen while the stock cooks.
• Once an hour is up, taste the stock. It should be rich in roasted turkey flavor. If it isn’t, allow it to cook longer
• Once you are satisfied with the flavor, shut off the heat and let the stock rest for 10 minutes before you strain it.
• Once you are ready to strain, place a large container under a sieve or colander and pour or ladle the stock through the sieve and into the container. Refrigerate.

“I like to make multiple 1-quart containers of stocks for convenience and to keep some in the refrigerator and some in the freezer,” said Yanisko.