We are pleased to introduce Food Comics from The Chopping Block where our resident Cartoonist Tom O'Brien illustrates his cooking adventures. Here, he shows us two ways to utilize all of your Thanksgiving leftovers with a classic sandwich and innovative hand pie.
/OBrien_turkey_sandwich_and_pies_page1_v2.jpg?width=600&name=OBrien_turkey_sandwich_and_pies_page1_v2.jpg "Hello food Fans. I've just woken up from my thanksgiving food coma, and I'm finally ready to eat again. This time around I'm going to tell you about two of my favorite uses for leftovers. First up is a classic. Thanksgiving leftover sandwich. This one is easy as pie. Well, easier, actually. Feel free to put whatever leftovers you want on here, but my favorite version is: Thick sliced bakery bread Turkey cranberry sauce stuffing gravy mayo Now, this might give some of you math class flash backs, but order matters. You want to move from most liquid to most. I recommend, spreading mayo on the bread, then pile on the insides as follows: turkey, stuffing, gravy, then cranberry sauce. The stuffing should absorb most of the liquid, keeping your bread from getting soggy. I also like my fillings hot, but you don't need to if you'd rather keep everything cold. Now, if you're willing to put a little extra effort in, this next recipe is actually easy as pie.")
/OBrien_turkey_sandwich_and_pies_page2_v2.jpg?width=600&name=OBrien_turkey_sandwich_and_pies_page2_v2.jpg "Thanksgiving leftover hand pies This is a great way to use all of your leftovers. It takes a little prep, so you'll want to have: Turkey, shredded pie dough 1 egg beaten gravy any other leftovers you want Preheat your oven to 425. Roll your dough out so that its nice and thin. You can use a boxed dough, or you can head over to the Chopping Blocks YouTube page for a video on how to make your own. From the rolled dough, cut as many 3 inch circles of dough as you can get. Fell free to reball, and roll the excess. You might get a few more crusts. Next, combine your leftovers and the shredded turkey in a large mixing bowl. I'd stay away from stuffing here, but mash potatoes, green bean casserole and turnips are all great here. Place a spoonful of the mixture on each circle of dough, slightly off center. Next fold the dough over, making a half circle filled with your filling mixture. Crimp the edges with a fork, and brush the tops with the egg. I also like to sprinkle a little rosemary on top of the handpies. Place on a lined sheet tray. A silpat comes in hand here. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the pies are golden brown. Eat as is, or with gravy.")
Want to learn more pie-making techniques? Don't miss our Pie & Tart Boot Camp coming up at the Merchandise Mart in January. You'll learn how to make the perfect pie dough I mentioned above and put it to use in Chicken Pot Pie, Banana Cream Pie, Mini Chocolate-Pecan Pies and Apple Ginger Galette.
