Creative ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers, according to local chefs

For Oaxaca-born Alam Mendez, Thanksgiving wasn’t a holiday he celebrated growing up. Even so, after moving to the United States, he found comfort and familiarity with the ingredients typically used at the holiday table.

Mendez is the chef and owner of Apapacho Taqueria, located inside Northeast D.C.’s La Cosecha food hall. Alongside his wife, Elisa Reyna, Mendez formerly worked at D.C.’s Maiz64 and Old Town Alexandria, Virginia’s Urbano 116.

With his current venture, he’s bringing authentic Mexican dishes to the District including al pastor, carne asada and barbacoa. While turkey isn’t on the menu, Mendez said he has a special place in his heart for it.

“My mom’s turkey is something that I miss a lot now that I’m not living in Oaxaca with them,” he said. “My family loves turkey on Christmas, and the leftovers of Christmas are like my favorite part of the year.”

So, don’t feel guilty about having eyes bigger than your stomach. WTOP has reached out to local chefs for ideas on how to creatively reuse leftovers after Thanksgiving.

First, Mendez said that he often makes tortas out of leftover turkey. A torta is a Mexican sandwich made with a crusty bread, traditionally a bolillo. But, Mendez said, a French baguette or a sourdough roll also work with a variety of fillings. After reheating the turkey and buttering the bread, Mendez said he adds sliced avocado and lettuce.

“It’s very simple, very tasty. It’s, to me, something that I can eat four days in a row of leftovers, if there is a lot of them,” he told WTOP.

Another turkey preparation is to add shredded turkey into tamales. Mendez said it’s a “longer process” compared to the torta, but “it’s also really tasty.”

Paul Taylor and Sherra Kurtz, co-owners of sandwich shop and cocktail bar Your Only Friend, spoke to WTOP about how they get creative with Thanksgiving leftovers. At their Mt. Vernon Triangle restaurant, they serve a Thanksgiving sandwich that is generous in turkey, stuffing and cranberries.

The chefs also recommended creating turkey burgers with stuffing blended into the burger — sort of like a meatball. Taylor and Kurtz said creating a savory waffle with stuffing is also a worthy pursuit. Home cooks can make a McMuffin-like sandwich by using the stuffing-waffle-bread concoction as end slices for a sandwich with leftover turkey in between.

“My favorite thing is the next day when you get up, (is starting to use) those things. Like the savory breakfast dishes and things like that, where you take stuffing and use it in a breakfast capacity,” Kurtz said.

Later in the day, people can also mix a little whiskey with the leftover gravy for a cheeky indulgence.

On how to heat up the leftovers, Taylor and Kurtz said to avoid the microwave. Instead, put those casseroles back in a preheated oven after letting them come up to room temperature. Before taking them out of the oven, put them briefly under the broiler.

“Look, it took so long to make it the day of Thanksgiving, or the day before Thanksgiving. Don’t go so quickly into throwing it (in the microwave),” Taylor said.

When it comes to what makes Thanksgiving special, though, it’s not the food, but the company you keep. For more reporting on Thanksgiving, check out WTOP for more local coverage.