Ditch food waste this Thanksgiving with thoughtful leftovers recipes

Food waste is a tremendous problem. As everyone sits down at the Thanksgiving table, consider these thoughtful leftovers recipes.

Food waste, even at Thanksgiving, is a concern. Luckily thoughtful leftovers recipes can help reduce a lot of that food ending up in the trash. Don’t let that one dinner turn into years of waste in a landfill.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), six million turkeys each year are tossed at Thanksgiving. That number is insane. Even more concerning, that number doesn’t include all the side dishes associated with Thanksgiving feast. There needs to be a better solution.

Joel Gamoran, chef and host of A&E’s Scraps!, partnered with Morton’s Salt to create some delicious recipes that help to reduce Thanksgiving food waste. While leftovers might be delicious one day, the next day everyone is looking at those mashed potatoes with a little less excitement.

Ditch food waste this Thanksgiving with thoughtful leftovers recipes, Joel Gamoran pictured, photo provided by Morton’s Salt

These thoughtful leftovers recipes bring a new breath to those dishes. These ideas not only help to prevent food from going into the trash can, they also help reduce food costs. Thanksgiving dinner is a significant expense. Shouldn’t that money spent be put to good use?

When thinking about recipes that incorporate leftovers, the dish needs to work on a couple of levels. First, the dish needs to be easy. No one wants to create extra work. Second, and probably most important, that dish needs to be tasty. There is nothing worse than ruining a good memory of a holiday meal with a bad leftover recreation.

Chef Gamoran offered this recipe for leftover mashed potatoes. While everyone loves mashed potatoes, the consistency on day two (or three) isn’t quite the same. Those dreaded lumps appear or it just seems dry (no amount of gravy can save them). This particular recipe offers a warm, comforting recreations.

The Leftover Mashed Potato Soup offers some of that mashed potato decadence but doesn’t become too heavy. It is the right mix of satisfying yet not making you feel too guilty. Here’s how to make it.

More from Food & Culture

• Very Grinchmas Kit transforms the vibrant Who-ville world into gingerbread
• 4 Walmart holiday gifts that make the season merry and bright
• Christina Tosi says this holiday treat recipe is a modernized classic, interview
• Williams Sonoma celebrates Peppermint Bark 25 anniversary with new treats
• Kerwin Frost reimagines McDonald’s McNugget Buddies

"Leftover Mashed Potato SoupYield: About 1 quart, 4 (1-cup) servingsPreparation Time: 35 minutesThe Salt:The grains in Morton® Fine Sea Salt quickly dissolve in the warm broth and evenly spread flavor throughout the soup to ensure each spoonful is as tasty as the one before.Ingredients:2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil2 stalks celery, diced1 medium yellow onion, diced1 medium carrot or parsnip, diced¼ teaspoon Morton® Fine Sea Salt2 cups leftover mashed potatoes2 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable broth (or water)⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, divided (for garnish, optional)Directions:• Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the celery, onion and carrot (or parsnip). Season with ¼ teaspoon Morton® Fine Sea Salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until vegetables are soft.• Whisk in the leftover mashed potatoes, broth (or water) and black pepper. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.• Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chives, if using."

Leftover Pie and Ice Cream Sundaes with Salted Caramel Sauce, photo provided by Morton’s Salt

While side dishes are often the focus of leftovers recipes, desserts can be a huge food waste issue as well. Everyone looks at the huge dessert buffet table and starts salivating. Unfortunately, stomachs might not be big enough to handle all those sweets.

Since pie is often a favorite Thanksgiving dessert, reimagining that pie into another recipe is a must. Even the biggest pie fan wants pie, again, on day four.
Gamoran created a wonderful dessert recipe that keeps the essence of pie but adds a new dimension to its flavor.

The key to this recipe is the salted caramel sauce. Who doesn’t love salted caramel? That ingredient adds a depth of flavor to the sundaes. This recipe makes you throw calories to the wind.

Here’s how to make Leftover Pie and Ice Cream Sundaes with Salted Caramel Sauce

Live Feed

Guilty Eats

"Leftover Pie and Ice Cream Sundaes with Salted Caramel SauceYield: 4 sundaesPreparation Time: 20 minutesThe Salt:A little sweet and a little savory, in every bite. Morton® Fine Sea Salt blends quickly and evenly into the caramel for a rich, smooth sauce that dreams are made of. And finishing this sundae with Morton® Coarse Sea Salt brings a salty, deliciously unexpected pop of crunch and ensures the flavors of the leftover pie and ice cream shine through.Ingredients:4 slices leftover pie, broken into bite size pieces, about 1” each1 pint vanilla ice cream1 teaspoon Morton® Coarse Sea Salt, dividedFor the Salted Caramel Sauce:1/2 cup heavy cream4 tablespoons unsalted butter1 cup granulated sugar¼ teaspoon Morton® Fine Sea SaltDirections:• In a small saucepan, combine cream and butter. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.• In a medium saucepan, add the sugar and 3 tablespoons of water. Cook over high heat, swirling the pan occasionally (no stirring), until the color of dark amber, about 8 minutes.• Remove pan from heat. Slowly pour in the warm cream and butter while whisking (mixture will bubble). Continue to whisk until caramel is smooth and bubbles have subsided. Whisk in ¼ teaspoon Morton® Fine Sea Salt.• To assemble sundaes, layer the leftover pie, ice cream and caramel between 4 glasses or bowls. Sprinkle the top of each sundae with 1/4 teaspoon Morton® Fine Sea Salt. Serve immediately."

This Thanksgiving use thoughtful leftovers recipes to help reduce food waste. Everyone has many things to be grateful for. Let’s all be thankful for more conscious food choices.