Why I Love My Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe
It’s a playlist more than a recipe. Comforting Thanksgiving Leftovers turn into a warm and delicious porridge.
Porridge can be made from any grain: wheat, corn, rice, millet, oat, or sorghum, and can be flavored in any way. Around the world, porridge goes by many different names: Congee, Juk, Oatmeal, Gruel, Polenta, Grits, Atole, ragi, Risgrøt, Ka, and Garri. These are just the tip of the porridge offerings.
Besides comforting your soul, porridge is highly adaptable, and the perfect vehicle for leftovers, which, is what I have here. I am always looking for ways to use up leftovers, and my family is not big leftover eaters in the original form, and I do fall into that category myself. I enjoy new tastes and experiences throughout the week, so finding creative ways to use the bits and bobs in my fridge is one of my weekly challenges.
Make It Your Own
- Use whatever grain you have on hand
- rice
- cornmeal
- polenta
- millet
- buckwheat
- the list goes on…
- Change up your flavor boosters
- Make it vegetarian
- Make it sweet
- Spice it up
- Use up any veg you have on hand
- Really the skies the limit
Things You Need From Your Pantry
- Ground grain (some brands call it cereal)
- Stock, or leftover gravy
- Leftovers (meat, veg, etc)
- Garlic
- Calabrian chili oil if using
- Celery
- Onion
Things You May Need To Grab From The Store
- Hopefully, you are using up what you have on hand, but:
- Better Than Bouillion
- Fried chicken or other protein
- Vegetables
- Garlic
- Calabrian chili oil
- Chili Crisp
Thanksgiving Leftover Porridge
Course: EntreeCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes10
minutesComforting Thanksgiving Leftovers turn into a warm and delicious porridge.
Ingredients
- For the porridge
1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tsp
2 stalks celery, medium dice
1 garlic clove, minced
½ inch ginger, grated on Microplane
1 cup buckwheat cereal (ground buckwheat, or other ground grain)
½ tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
½ cup mirin
2 cups water, plus more as needed to adjust consistency
3 cups leftover gravy, or chicken stock
Leftover fried chicken, turkey, roasted chicken for garnish, measure with your heart
½ pound of Japanese turnips, halved
1-2 cups leftover green beans or other cooked vegetables, cut into bite-size pieces- For the topping
½ cup Calabrian chile oil
3 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
½ inch ginger, grated on Microplane
¼ cup furikake
½ tsp kosher salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a 4-quart Dutch oven, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add in the celery, garlic, and ginger, and saute until the celery softens, 3-4 minutes.
- Add the ground buckwheat and toast lightly, until the edges start to brown. Deglaze with mirin and water. Bring to a simmer stirring constantly so the buckwheat does not stick. Add the gravy or stock and stir to combine. Stirring often, bring to a simmer, and reduce the heat to low. Gently simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add green beans and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute to warm the green beans. Cover and turn the heat off and let the porridge rest for 5-10 minutes.
- While the porridge is cooking, place the fried chicken on a sheet pan and reheat in the oven. Toss the turnips with 1 tsp olive oil and season with salt. Place on a sheet pan and cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
- For the topping: heat the Calabrian Chili oil over medium heat and add the garlic and ginger. Cook gently until the garlic lightly browns. Add the furikake and salt, coat to combine. Turn off the heat and set aside for garnish.
- To serve: divide the porridge amongst 4 bowls top with shredded fried chicken, and roasted turnips, drizzle with the crispy topping and enjoy!
Notes
- If you are using leftover turkey or chicken, tear into bite size pieces and add to the porridge 2 minutes before the green beans. Alternatively, heat gently with some stock in a saucepan and serve separately.
