We probably all have our own post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich ritual.
It may be the classic: slices of turkey stacked atop gravy-smeared bread with a dollop of cranberry sauce and a spoonful of leftover dressing. It may be as simple as turkey, mayo and spongy white bread.
My ritual dispenses with the bread; instead I enjoy strands of breast meat dipped into a jar of Duke’s mayonnaise.
Many enjoy this ritual sandwich after raiding the refrigerator late at night. As Sam Sifton, a former New York Times restaurant critic who has written a new cookbook, “Thanksgiving: How to Cook it Well,” says, “You have to eat it barefoot in the kitchen and there cannot be much light.”
We share Sifton’s recipe for the classic turkey sandwich that he calls “simplicity itself.” We also tapped cooking school instructors from Morrisville to Charlotte for their advice on how to elevate the leftover turkey sandwich. Their suggestions call for avocados, roasted red peppers and a family recipe for uncooked cranberry pecan relish.
In case there’s a lot of leftover turkey and dressing, we share recipes for a breakfast dish with baked eggs nestled in leftover dressing and a comforting pasta dish with turkey, mushrooms and capers.
We’re also sharing the Butterball hotline (800-288-8372) to ensure a bird so delicious it just might be impossible to wait until midnight to savor a sandwich by the light of the refrigerator.
For a printable version of the recipes, click the links:
Uncooked Cranberry Pecan Relish
Pasta Shells with Turkey, Mushrooms and Capers
Weigl: 919-829-4848
