Turn Thanksgiving leftovers into new meals

Thanksgiving was indeed a feast, but now the fridge is overloaded with leftovers. What happens to them?

Do they go in the trash or the freezer? Instead of selecting one of those options, why not bring the leftover turkey back to the table in a few different forms? Leftover mashed potatoes make for tasty potato croquettes as do sweet potatoes. Dressing or stuffing leftovers can be used to make waffles topped with sausage gravy and sunny-side-up eggs as seen on “Today” recently.

My late mother-in-law made a huge pot of gumbo the day before Thanksgiving and served it as the soup course. After lunch, the gumbo, properly cooled, of course, went into airtight freezer containers to reappear for Christmas lunch with rice, potato salad, a fruit salad and garlic bread. Not even a spoonful was left.

Restaurants and chef associations are trying ways to reduce food wastes. Some are partnering with homeless shelters to use perfectly good leftover foods.

Wise home cooks, too, are trying to reduce wastes to whittle the food budget, but also to help reduce methane in landfills that is caused by rotting food.

A family of four discards about $1,600 worth of produce each year. Americans waste about 1 pound of food per person day or overall about 150,000 tons daily.

One reason there is so much waste in the home kitchen is that families do not like leftovers. Years ago, grandparents or great-grandparents who went through the Depression wasted little. Food was hard to come by, and they were thankful to have enough.

Today, bruised produce or less than perfect-looking veggies get tossed even though they are perfectly good to eat.

How many have heard the cries, “Not that again: or “Oh, I’m not eating that?”

A creative cook will find ways to make those leftovers and bruised fruits and veggies taste like new dishes. Bruised apples can be peeled and made into slow-cooker applesauce. Root veggies take on new life by roasting them in the oven with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Bananas that have spots or are turning brown make the best banana bread.

Before tossing Thanksgiving leftovers, take time to see how those leftovers can be reworked. Perhaps that day-old bread pudding can be made into waffles.

Here are two breakfast ideas. Biloxian Georgia Nagorka turns leftover turkey into a flavorful omelet that is easy to do. Were too many sweet potatoes cooked? Jeana Weiss of Hancock County and her friend Beki Brown Morgan turn them into sweet potato biscuits.

Make those leftovers into planned-overs with these recipes.

SWEET POTATO BISCUITS

2 cups all-purpose flour

5 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups mashed, cooked sweet potatoes

1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening

3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Fold in sweet potatoes and shortening. Blend in just enough milk to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly. Roll out to a 1/2-inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter. Place rounds on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve hot with butter.

— Submitted by Jeana Weiss and Beki Brown Morgan in Women of Wisdom’s “Recipe for Life” cookbook

GEORGIA’S TURKEY OMELET

6 eggs

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

2 tablespoons onion, chopped fine

Mushrooms, sliced

Cooked turkey pieces, chopped bite size

1 tablespoon milk

Salt and pepper

Melt butter in skillet and sauté turkey, onions and mushrooms until turkey is hot. Beat eggs and milk in bowl, then pour over turkey mixture in skillet. Turn stove to low and cover skillet with lid. When eggs on top are done, your omelet with be cooked through and should be fluffy. Slice like a pie and serve. Makes up to 8 servings. May add shredded cheese over top when done.

— Submitted by Georgia Nagorka for Women of Wisdom’s “Recipe for Life” cookbook

LEFTOVER STUFFING WAFFLES WITH SAUSAGE GRAVY AND FRIED EGGS

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 pound breakfast sausage

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Hot sauce to taste

1/4 cup coffee

2 quarts leftover dressing or stuffing

4 eggs

1 cup chicken stock

8 fried eggs

Place 4-quart sauce pot over medium heat and add the vegetable oil.

Add in the sausage and break it up in the pan using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Brown the breakfast sausage and fully cook. Once the sausage is cooked, remove from the pan and reserve all the renderings.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and melt in the butter into the sausage renderings. Once the butter is fully melted but not brown, return the heat to medium and add in the flour and cook for about 8 minutes or until nutty and aromatic.

Gradually whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer to thicken. Once the milk has thickened return the sausage back to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Finish with hot sauce and coffee and keep warm until ready to serve.

Preheat waffle iron and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place the leftover stuffing into a mixing bowl with the eggs, chicken stock and mix to combine. Using your hands or spatula smash the stuffing together to break up the large pieces and allow it to sit for 5 minutes to soak up all the moisture.

Place the 2 cups of the stuffing batter onto the waffle iron and press down (the stuffing should reach the ends of the waffle iron to create a full waffle. Let the waffle cook for desired time to get the bread to become crispy.

Transfer the cooked stuffing waffle to a plate and cover with sausage gravy and top with two fried eggs and serve.

— From Matt Abdoo on “Today”