Consider Baking All Your Favorite Thanksgiving Leftovers Into One Delicious Loaf
Have too many Thanksgiving leftovers and don't want to spend all that time individually reheating them in the microwave? Here's an ingenious and fun food hack: Bake everything into one delicious savory loaf. The French dish gateaux sale, aka savory cake, inspired this food hack from Tasting Table's recipe developer, Tess Le Moing, who has whipped up a Thanksgiving-in-a-loaf bread recipe.
The idea is to fill a loaf or cake pan with batter and pieces of all your favorite Thanksgiving dishes to bake together. As such, this recipe can be made up of leftovers such as roasted sweet potatoes, green beans from casseroles, cranberries, turkey, ham, and cheese. Then flour, eggs, and broth are mixed into a cake-like batter to bind it all together. Including mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes in the mix will ensure the loaf is soft and moist, while the ham, cranberries, and beans add beautiful colors and textures. The result is a primarily savory loaf with a subtle sweetness. While each bite may seem like a mish-mash of flavors, we urge you to try it before you knock it. You just might find a delightful new way to enjoy your Thanksgiving leftovers.
According to Le Moing, this savory loaf is best when made a day ahead, as it "tastes better the longer it sits." She recommends storing it covered at room temperature and reheating slices in the oven or on a skillet with butter for a toasty, flavorful experience.
Enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner encore in every bite
The beautiful thing about this food hack is its versatility, so feel free to experiment with different leftover combinations, making each loaf a unique and delicious reflection of your holiday meal. Did you make roasted Brussels sprouts instead of green bean casserole this year? Add them to your savory Thanksgiving leftover loaf. If all the marshmallows have melted from your baked sweet potatoes, throw some fresh marshmallows into the loaf for a pop of sweetness. Sausage stuffing would be a fantastic meaty addition instead of ham or turkey.
Once you've decided which leftover dishes to include, it's time to combine them in a loaf pan. (A cake pan would work too.) Slicing through this aromatic stuffed loaf reveals a colorful tapestry of your now-transformed Thanksgiving leftovers. When ready to enjoy this dish, transfer a slice to a serving plate, then reheat leftover turkey gravy, if available. Drizzle that gravy over the slice and dig in. You can use a fork and knife or your bare hands to scoop up gravy with pieces of bread.
Honestly, what is better than reliving your Thanksgiving dinner in one compact bite while preventing food waste? An estimated 300 million pounds of food are expected to be wasted during this year's holiday feast. By finding innovative ways to use those leftovers, like this savory loaf, we're contributing to a more sustainable and responsible way of consuming food.