Photo by Sarah Finnegan.
Joe Resha combines two favorite Thanksgiving dishes into one leftover meal.
Thanksgiving is a holiday beloved by many for its abundance of comfort foods, but some are left year after year wondering what to do with all that leftover turkey.
Joe Resha, chef and owner of JoJo’s on Broadway, has been cooking his whole life and has been operating JoJo’s since April 2012.
“I kind of joke and say that it’s a love-hate relationship,” he said about his career in the kitchen, because there is a lot to running a restaurant that can be difficult at times.
But when customers enjoy the end result, it all seems worth it.
“Nothing makes you happier than to send somebody out a plate of food, and the plate comes back absolutely empty,” he said.
For his Thanksgiving leftovers, Resha said there are several dishes he learned from his family and has enjoyed over the years, including combining leftover vegetables such as green beans and tomatoes over rice.
“You’re still doing your leftovers, but it’s not like you’re re-doing Thanksgiving dinner,” he said.
His go-to dish, however, combines two other Thanksgiving classics: turkey and dressing — known to those outside of the South as “stuffing.”
“It doesn’t really have a name,” he said with a laugh, but said it was a staple for his family growing up.
“That was always one of our after-Thanksgiving ones,” he said.
The resulting dish, Resha said, can be eaten as-is with cranberries and gravy, or put between a couple slices of bread for a unique sandwich.
Turkey and Dressing Leftover Bake
Recipe:
►Leftover turkey
►Leftover dressing
►One to two tablespoons of water
►Cranberries or cranberry sauce (optional)
►Leftover gravy (optional)
Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Shred leftover turkey into bite-size pieces.
3. Combine turkey and leftover dressing, adding water if mixture is too dry.
4. Spread evenly into a baking dish.
5. Bake until golden brown and serve immediately, adding toppings if desired.
