The day after Thanksgiving often means a refrigerator full of containers, but local home cooks, chefs and local kitchens say leftovers can be more than eating cold turkey out of Tupperware. Dozens of locals shared their favorite ways to turn Turkey Day scraps into brand new meals, ranging from enchiladas to chow mein to homemade bone broth.
The Times-Call put together a list of some of the most inventive dishes Longmont residents say they’ll be cooking up this weekend from their Thanksgiving leftovers.
Turkey enchiladas from Tiffany Leever
Longmont resident Tiffany Leever transforms her Thanksgiving turkey into a pan of baked enchiladas. She mixes shredded turkey with cheese, onion, olives and enchilada sauce; dips softened corn tortillas in the warmed sauce; rolls them up and bakes until the cheese melts and the top bubbles. Leever said she uses whatever cheese she has on hand, whether cheddar, colby, colby-jack or cheddar-jack, making this an easy way to use up more than just the leftover turkey in your fridge.
Angie Spuzak’s leftover turkey bone broth and turkey tacos
Longmont-based personal chef, nutrition consultant and blogger Angie Spuzak grew up in Poland, where nothing from the holiday table went to waste. Today, she uses her family’s philosophy of wasting nothing to turn her leftover turkey carcass into a nourishing broth every year. She starts by placing the turkey carcass in a large pot, covering it with water and adding a splash of apple cider vinegar. The mixture goes to a boil, then simmers gently for up to 48 hours. About six hours before the end of cooking, she adds aromatics: onions, carrots, celery, garlic or leeks; and herbs such as thyme, sage and rosemary. Once done, the broth is strained and cooled, then stored in jars to be used later in soups, sauces, or winter meals. In the freezer, the broth can last for weeks.
Spuzak also uses leftover turkey to make bright, 30-minute tacos. She shreds or chops three cups of leftover turkey, tosses it with spices, then warms it in a skillet with a little oil and a spoonful of salsa verde so the meat stays juicy. Warm tortillas get filled with the turkey mixture, then topped with pico de gallo, chopped jalapeños, green onion, cilantro, a squeeze of lime and more salsa. Spuzak said this transforms the often dry, boring post-Thanksgiving turkey into a fresh, zest-filled meal that tastes nothing like leftovers.
Cultivate Kitchen Co.’s waste-free cooking ideas
Katrina High, local chef and co-owner of Cultivate Kitchen Co., a health-centered meal pick-up, catering and personal chef service that delivers to Longmont, Louisville, Broomfield and surrounding areas, said their kitchen is passionate about eliminating food waste, a commitment that recently earned them the Sage Award for Sustainability. High shared several ways her team repurposes extras from their Thanksgiving prepared meals.
Their leftover creations include mixing cranberry sauce with barbecue sauce and chipotle for a smoky topping, freezing diced turkey to later use in jalapeño-turkey-cheddar frittatas or coconut curries, turning stuffing into fritters or folding it into chicken meatballs, and substituting pumpkin puree for tomato paste in sauces. Cranberry sauce or leftover pumpkin can be stirred into overnight oats, and mashed potatoes can thicken soups like chowder or baked-potato soup, High said.
High said her team “loves reinventing leftovers,” and the long list of options shows how flexible the holiday’s ingredients can be.
Urban Field Pizza & Market’s Thanksgiving Pizza
At Urban Field Pizza & Market on Main Street in Longmont, leftovers take the form of a seasonal pizza that combines classic Thanksgiving flavors with the restaurant’s signature crust. The pizza is made with gravy, roasted turkey, cheese, stuffing, onion and cranberry sauce. Urban Field’s owner, Lindsey Beddard, described it as “amazing,” and customers can still grab it through the end of November.
Turkey chow mein from Erica West
For a fast weeknight dish, Longmont local Erica West prepares a turkey-and-vegetable chow mein. She stir-fries vegetables such as snow peas, carrots, asparagus, baby corn and water chestnuts, adds leftover shredded turkey and tosses everything in a soy-based sauce thickened with broth and cornstarch. Served over rice and topped with crunchy chow mein noodles, it offers a lighter, fresher contrast to traditional Thanksgiving fare.
Stuffing waffles and potato cakes from Debra Lowrie
Longmonter Debra Lowrie turns her stuffing into waffles crisped in a waffle iron before topping them with thin slices of turkey, gravy and cranberry mayo for an open-faced sandwich. She also repurposes leftover mashed potatoes into cheesy potato cakes served with scrambled eggs. These breakfast-friendly ideas use up sides that often linger in the fridge the longest.
Monte Cristo paninis by Catie Michman
If you’re looking to elevate your standard turkey sandwich, Longmont local Catie Michman said one of her family’s favorite day-after dishes is a sourdough panini built with mild cheese, leftover turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce; a combination she said is similar to a Monte Cristo. Her family also uses their homemade orange-cranberry sauce in simple holiday cocktails, mixing it into bellinis in place of peach puree for a seasonal twist.
Shadow Tuttle’s turkey hash and two dressings
Longmont resident Shadow Tuttle makes a hearty turkey hash by combining cubed turkey, leftover dressings, gravy and a little water to reach the consistency she wants. She serves it alongside fried mashed-potato cakes and cranberry sauce. Tuttle also described making two kinds of dressing: a “dry” version stuffed inside the bird and a “wet” one baked with celery, onions, sage and giblet broth. She said the hash is a longtime favorite.
Gnocchi, turkey à la king and home-canned meals from Tia Dawn Cakerice
Former chef and Longmont local Tia Dawn Cakerice offered several ways she turns leftovers into meals that last long beyond the holiday weekend. She makes mashed potato gnocchi by mixing potatoes with flour or starch and an egg, then rolling and slicing the dough into pieces that can be boiled and quickly pan-fried. She serves the gnocchi with a creamy gravy sauce, shredded turkey and fried sage leaves. Sweet-potato gnocchi get topped with brown butter, candied or buttered pecans and fresh cranberries.
Cakerice also makes turkey à la king and turkey pastina soup, both of which she cans so her family can eat them year-round or give them to people in need. “With things going the way they are in the world, I wish more people would learn how to can leftovers, as it cuts down on food waste and is a brilliant thing in general to know how to do,” Cakerice said. She added that canning leftovers creates “an awesome, shelf-stable meal made with love” for neighbors and families.
Re-created ‘Tom Biscuits’ from Biscuits at Mike’s
For those who didn’t get one of Biscuits at Mike’s once-a-year “Tom biscuits” on Thanksgiving morning, home cooks can approximate the idea using leftover cornbread stuffing biscuits, smoked turkey, cranberries and gravy. Employee Lyn Schuman Simuns described the dish as “Thanksgiving in a biscuit,” making it an easy way to recreate the food truck’s holiday special at home.
Staying safe with leftovers
Whether your leftovers end up in tacos, pot pies, sandwiches or soups, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment offers several reminders for storing and reheating holiday food safely. According to a news release from the agency, the following leftover safety tips should be closely followed:
• Refrigerate leftovers within two hours after cooking.
• Store leftovers in shallow containers to speed cooling.
• Eat refrigerated leftovers within three to four days.
• Reheat foods to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Freeze portions you won’t use soon.
• When in doubt, throw it out.