Go Ahead: Make Their Day If You Want A Special Thanksgiving, Make Enough Leftovers For Everyone

It never fails. Millions of guests at Thanksgiving dinners this year will return home after a long day of indulging, and then it will hit them - the devastating realization that they have no leftovers.

No turkey sandwiches. No spare stuffing to nibble on. No turkey carcass from which to pick succulent midnight bites. No pumpkin pie for breakfast.

I don’t like to put my guests through that kind of deprivation. In fact, the last time I hosted the holiday dinner, I decided to go all out. And as a result, I almost went out of my mind.

It took me a week to prepare and cook that dinner. I painstakingly planned the dishes, prepared written menus, tied them in beautiful velvet ribbons, decorated the house and slam-cooked nine courses - everything from scratch.

We started with appetizers of minigreen onion biscuits topped with smoked salmon, pickled onions and horseradish cream cheese. We went on to hot, freshly baked caramelized onion and sage butterflake rolls.

Celery root salad tossed with creamy tangerine dressing and toasted hazelnuts was mounded atop winter greens drizzled with cranberry vinaigrette.

Willapa Bay oysters on the half-shell, topped with pink peppercorn and shallot mignonette, rested upon pine boughs.

More followed: roast turkey, morel mushroom gravy, savory sourdough stuffing, pickled Brussels sprouts and baby carrots, homemade vanilla bean ice cream, pies, cakes, miniature cookies with coffee.

Was I crazy? Yes!

Was it good? Yes!

Would I ever do it again? No!

But probably the most memorable part was that I had baked big loaves of yeasty, fluffy white bread for sandwiches. Everyone left my home happy, with individual bags of turkey trimmings and turkey sandwiches piled high. Now that is something I would do again.

And it’s easy to do with the recipes below. Unless you have an army coming for your holiday dinner, these recipes will leave you with enough to make all your guests little snacks to go.

For your menu, stick to basic recipes, plus one or two unusual dishes for a little variety. Here are a few thoughts and tips:

The salad: Not many people load up on green salad on festive occasions, but this salad of seasonal greens, spicy walnuts and apples, dressed with cranberry vinaigrette, will have them returning for seconds. It’s a bright and colorful salad that makes use of traditional Thanksgiving ingredients in a nontraditional way. It also makes a great salad to serve later if you toss in pieces of leftover turkey.

The recipe can be multiplied to the amount needed and the dressing can be made up to five days in advance. The cranberries, by the way, are a natural emulsifier, so the oil and vinegar hold together longer.

The stuffing: Use a good, hearty bread and not “air bread” if you want to have nice, moist stuffing with lots of texture. The recipe below can be made a day in advance and then baked the day of the party. There’ll be plenty left over for guests to take home along with turkey sandwiches, or you can freeze leftovers for future meals.

The gravy: Some diners regard this as one of the most important dishes on the table. Allow 1/2 cup to 1 cup per person, depending on whether they are drizzlers or drenchers.

Below is a turkey stock recipe for the gravy, which can be made three days before the big feast. Then just whisk in all those turkey drippings at the last minute, skimming off the fat first. The recipe makes 10 cups, but can be doubled.

The mashed potatoes: In this case, it’s Confetti Garlic Whipped Potatoes. Be sure to use russets; they make for very fluffy mashed potatoes.

In the morning, get all your kitchen helpers together and set them on a peeling mission. That way, the 10 pounds will go fast. Cut potatoes in half, or thirds if they’re really big, but don’t cut them smaller because you’ll just boil away most of the flavor.

Place them in a big pan of cold salted water and set the pan on the back burner until about 1 hour before dinner. Then all you have to do is turn on the burner and you’re on your way.

These potatoes have tiny diced pieces of carrots, leeks and celery, lightly sauteed and folded in to add texture and crunch. The recipe makes 24 cups and can be doubled or halved as needed. Remember to mash or whip the potatoes immediately while they are still very hot. Cooled-off potatoes turn gluey.

Prepare as much of the meal in advance as possible; the holidays can be stressful enough. Have guests help by bringing desserts, cookies and breads, and you’ll have time to enjoy this festive occasion along with them.

Winter Greens with Spicy Walnuts, Apples and Cranberry Vinaigrette

Adapted from “Pacific Northwest: The Beautiful Cookbook” (Collins Publishers), this is a bright, festive salad to serve during the holidays. Add smoked chicken or leftover turkey for a light meal after the big feast. If crisp, the refreshing Asian pear apple (a cross between an apple and a pear) makes an excellent alternative to the apple.

Cranberry Vinaigrette:

2/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup orange juice

3/4 cup oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

Spicy Walnuts:

1-1/2 teaspoons butter, melted

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Salad:

1 head butter lettuce, leaves washed and separated

4 cups mixed winter greens (such as kale, curly endive, romaine), washed and torn

1 red apple, cored and sliced into 1/8-inch wedges

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

To prepare vinaigrette, combine cranberries, sugar and vinegar in small saucepan and cook over medium heat until cranberries pop, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Puree cranberry mixture in blender.

Pour puree into medium bowl and whisk in mustard and orange juice. Gradually whisk in oil a little at a time. Dressing should become smooth and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until needed.

To prepare spicy walnuts, combine butter, cayenne, cinnamon, honey, salt and walnuts in small skillet and toss well to coat. Cook over medium heat until nuts are lightly browned. Remove from heat and let cool, stirring frequently to keep nuts from sticking together.

To assemble salad, arrange lettuce leaves on individual salad plates. Combine greens, apple and walnuts in bowl. Toss with enough cranberry vinaigrette to coat lightly. Divide among plates. Top with red onion and pass extra vinaigrette on the side.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Savory Sage Dressing

Be sure to use hearty, firm-style bread, not fluffy “air bread.” This recipe makes plenty for leftovers and to pile high on turkey sandwiches.

3 gallons (1/2-inch-dice) bread cubes (French baguette, country French, sourdough, etc.)

2 very large onions, diced (about 6 cups)

1 bunch celery, diced (about 5 cups)

4 cups chopped mushrooms (about 3/4 pound)

1/4 cup finely chopped garlic

3 cups (6 sticks) butter or margarine

4 large eggs

1 bunch parsley, finely chopped

1 bunch green onions, finely sliced

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons rubbed dried sage

1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon celery seed

About 6 cups chicken or turkey stock, depending on how much the bread absorbs (if using canned broth, be sure to use low-salt type or adjust salt in recipe)

Leave bread cubes out overnight to dry, or lightly dry out in warm oven.

Saute onions, celery, mushrooms and garlic in butter in very large pan, such as Dutch oven or soup kettle, over medium to medium-high heat. When vegetables are tender, remove from heat and let cool.

Whisk eggs in large bowl and mix in sauteed vegetable mixture, parsley, green onions, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, poultry seasoning and celery seed. Lightly mix in bread cubes, then gradually add stock. (You may need more or less stock depending on how much bread absorbs. Dressing should be very moist.)

Lightly butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray 1 or 2 (9- by 13-inch) baking pans. Divide stuffing into pans (or use 1 pan and stuff remainder in turkey just before baking). Loosely cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees 40 to 45 minutes or until hot in center.

Remove foil and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer to brown top. (Cooking time may vary depending on pan size and oven.)

Yield: 32 cups.

Old-Fashioned Turkey Mushroom Gravy

Cook the rich turkey broth and make this gravy a couple of days ahead to save yourself precious holiday time.

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 pound (4 cups) thinly sliced mushrooms, optional

1-1/4 cups flour

10 cups rich turkey broth (recipe follows)

2 teaspoons salt or to taste

1/2 teaspoon white pepper or to taste

Melt butter in large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add rosemary and mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat about 2 minutes. Add flour and stir vigorously until combined and smooth. Cook about 1 minute.

Add broth all at once, whisking vigorously. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, about 10 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Yield: 10 cups (20 generous 1/2-cup servings).

Turkey Broth

2 large turkey legs or thighs (about 3-1/2 pounds)

1 medium yellow onion, unpeeled, coarsely chopped

1 large or 2 medium carrots, cut into large chunks

Up to 2 cups mushroom stems (if you have them)

4 stalks celery, cut into chunks

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup white wine

12 cups water

Place turkey pieces on roasting pan and roast at 400 degrees oven 45 minutes or until skin is golden brown. Place turkey pieces in 8-quart pan. Add onion, carrots, mushroom stems, celery, thyme and bay leaf.

Immediately deglaze roasting pan with wine, scraping pan well to loosen browned bits. Add wine mixture to pan with turkey along with 12 cups water. Cook over medium-high heat to rapid simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer 45 to 60 minutes. Strain broth (discard solids) and skim off any fat. (Most of flavor will have cooked out of turkey. However, meat can be removed from bones and reserved for another use.)

Yield: About 10 cups broth.

Confetti Garlic Whipped Potatoes

10 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2 or 1/3’s depending on size

2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/4 cup finely minced fresh garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup very finely diced carrots

1/2 cup very finely diced celery

1/2 cup very finely diced leeks

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives or parsley

Place potatoes in very large pan and cover with salted water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook on low heat until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Test potatoes to be sure they’re tender all the way through.

Meanwhile, combine milk, pepper, 1-1/2 cups butter, garlic and salt in small pan. Place over low heat and heat until butter is melted and milk is warm. Do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

Place remaining 2 tablespoons butter in separate small pan along with carrots, celery and leeks. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until just warmed and slightly tender.

When potatoes are cooked, drain them well in large colander. Return them to pan. Shake pan over low heat about 30 seconds to dry out remaining water. Remove from heat.

Add half of hot milk mixture. (Both potatoes and liquid must be hot.) With heavy-duty whisk or masher, mash potatoes. Add remaining milk mixture and whip potatoes until fluffy.

Mix in 3/4 of sauteed vegetable mixture. Mound potatoes in large warm bowl. Sprinkle with remaining vegetables and minced chives.

Yield: 24 (1-cup) servings.

MEMO: Kathy Casey is a Seattle food writer and chef.