Thanksgiving Leftovers | Recipes

Egg Nests
Credit: Francine Zaslow At our house, we do a pretty traditional Thanksgiving: turkey and all the trimmings. We watch the big parade and football games with snacks and cocktails; then comes the feast, followed by a walk; then cleanup, pie, and finally a classic movie. I love the meal, and it’s always delicious, but truth be told, it’s the leftovers that really get me excited.

For me, the meal is more about ritual and tradition, the people with whom I’m sharing it, and the connections we’re making. My sister Sarah and I agree: The effort that goes into the cooking is all about the sandwich the next day–whole wheat bread (lightly toasted, thank you), sliced turkey meat, a bit of mayonnaise, some cranberry sauce, a little cheddar cheese, some lettuce, and a smear of stuffing, with some potato chips layered right into the sandwich. One year, a cousin (whose name I won’t mention here) ate the leftover stuffing for breakfast. All of it. Frankly, the holiday weekend was all but ruined (and we spurned her company …). We learned: We make extra stuffing, and we come up with alternatives for the leftovers.