Thanksgiving leftover recipes: Turkey tacos, herbed stuffing soup, apple pie cake

Thanksgiving leftover recipes: Turkey tacos, herbed stuffing soup, apple pie cake

Chef George Duran shared three unique dishes to transform leftovers.

ByKelly McCarthy

November 25, 2023, 5:16 AM

If Thursday left you feeling thankful — emphasis on the full — and your feast yielded ample Thanksgiving leftovers here are a couple of recipes to transform the turkey, stuffing and pie into fresh and delicious new dishes.

Chef George Duran joined “Good Morning America” on Saturday to share his three favorite uses for leftovers.

Check out his full recipes below for Thanksgiving tacos, turkey soup with stuffing balls, and a cake made from leftover pie.

Thanksgiving Leftover Tacos

Ingredients3/4 cups leftover turkey, pulledLeftover mashed potatoesLeftover stuffingGravyCranberry sauce4 corn or flour tortillas1 cup grated Tex-Mex cheese mix

Directions

Pre-heat all of your leftover ingredients, except the cranberry sauce, and set them aside.

Preheat a nonstick griddle or saute pan on medium heat and then disperse cheese throughout evenly. Once the cheese is melted and bubbling, add your corn or flour tortillas. Allow cheese to crisp on the tortillas.

Build your tacos with the leftover ingredients as you prefer and top with cranberry sauce.

Serve with a small bowl of warm gravy to dip in. Makes 4 tacos.

Editor’s Picks

These cranberry chutney and brie quesadillas are the perfect use of Thanksgiving leftovers

This turkey soup recipe makes the most of all your Thanksgiving leftovers

This cranbirdy taco has all the Thanksgiving ingredients wrapped in a tortilla

Herbed Thanksgiving Leftover Soup

Ingredients2 cups leftover stuffing2 eggs, beaten1/2 cup matzo meal or breadcrumbs2 tablespoons butter1/2 cup finely chopped onions1/2 cup finely chopped celery1/2 cup finely chopped carrots3 cubes Dorot Gardens Frozen Garlic3 cubes Dorot Gardens Frozen Basil3 cubes Dorot Gardens Frozen Cilantro5 cups chicken stock1 cup leftover cooked turkey, choppedSalt and pepper

Directions

Mix stuffing with beaten eggs and matzo meal until combined. Use wet hands to form golf ball-sized balls and refrigerate covered for about an hour.

In the meantime, saute onions, celery and carrots with butter in a large sauce pan for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add frozen garlic, basil and cilantro, and cook until dissolved. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a simmer.

Gently add stuffing balls to soup and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes until fully cooked. Add chopped turkey and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6.

Leftover Pie Invisible Apple Cake

Ingredients1 large slice leftover pie of your choice3 eggs2/3 cup milk, plus more if needed3 tablespoons butter, melted1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/2 cup flour1/2 cup sugar, plus more for topping1 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt4-5 apples, peeled and cored and sliced very thinly

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper to help you remove the cake easily.

Place all of the ingredients except the apples in a blender and blend until smooth. It should be a like a thin batter consistency. Add more milk if needed.

Place sliced apples in a bowl and pour batter on top. Gently mix the batter without breaking the slices of apple and then carefully arrange them in the loaf pan.

Sprinkle with sugar on top and bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from pan and slicing.

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Recipes reprinted with permission courtesy of George Duran.