The turkey sandwich and beyond

Despite the pandemic, it was a full-on feast: turkey, stuffing, cranberry-something, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, two or three kinds of pie. Now that the pressure on your diaphragm has finally subsided, it’s time to seriously contemplate the leftovers. Not sure you’re up to it? Not to worry

If the holiday was a little stressful and you’re looking for comfort food, S. Irene Virbila provides a pot-pie tutorial in “Turkey pot pie, an easy second act.” In “The turkey sandwich reinvented,” Betty Hallock shares how chefs around the country built post-Thanksgiving turkey sammies.

If you want a little more to chew on than a sandwich, chef Thomas Keller of the French Laundry and Bouchon and chef Evan Klieman, the 27-year veteran of AngeliCaffe and host of KCRW-FM’s “Good Food,” have shared some of their chef’s wisdom as it applies to Thanksgiving leftovers. A few years ago, while exploring Thanksgiving leftovers, Keller challenged Times readers to extend their reach with leftover-based dishes. He discusses three recipes as springboards for creativity: turkey casserole, stuffing pain perdu (French toast) and a Thai-style turkey soup.

In “How to make the most of your Thanksgiving leftovers,” Klieman walks us through her thinking. She notes that the best time to plan for repurposing leftovers is when planning your initial menu and shopping lists. (Make note for next year.) Among other things, she suggests that stacking your menu with ingredients you love will make you more inclined to actually use the leftovers. She then rattles off a dozen next uses for some basic Thanksgiving meal components. There is probably at least one idea there that you can use today.

Time
45 minutes

Yields
Serves 8

Time
Active work time: 30 minutes
Total preparation time: 1 hour

Yields
Serves 8

Time
Total time: 4 to 7 hours for stock, about 1 1/2 hours for gumbo

Yields
Serves 8 to 10

Time
1 hour

Yields
Serves 4

Time
3 hours

Yields
Serves 6 to 8

Time
1 hour 30 minutes

Yields
Serves 4 to 6