Thanksgiving Leftovers Gnocchi
Thanksgiving is over, the bells of Christmas time are ringing, and it’s time to think about what to do with all of those leftovers that the massive feast accumulates. There are tons of ways that you can utilize Thanksgiving leftovers from simple things like turkey sandwiches and soup to something more complex like a turkey pot pie or Sheppard's pie.
But I wanted to do something different this year, I wanted to see if you can take leftover mashed potatoes and turn them into gnocchi, which I’ll serve with some veggies, a stock made from the carved turkey carcass, and of course some of the leftover turkey itself!
And hey, if you’re a ham family then this would also work great with ham as well.
Let’s do it!
Serves 4
For the Gnocchi:
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes (Even better if it’s garlic mashed potatoes like I do)
2 large eggs
up to 4 cups flour
Salt for the cooking water
For Serving:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 medium parsnips, peeled and finely chopped
2 large celery stalks, finely chopped
2 tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp flour
2 cups turkey or chicken stock
2 cups chopped leftover turkey (White meat, dark meat, or a mix)
Salt and pepper
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving
4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
To make the gnocchi, dump the leftover mashed potatoes into a bowl and mix in the eggs to combine. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until you get a soft dough that doesn’t stick to your fingers easily, you may not need the full 4 cups of flour.
Dump the dough onto a well floured surface and knead for about 2 minutes, or until smooth. Divide the dough into 8 portions and roll each portion into a 1/2 inch thick log. Cut each dough log into 1/2-inch pieces and dust each piece with flour.
Bring a wide saucepan of salted water to a simmer. Add the gnocchi, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until the gnocchi floats to the surface of the water.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, parsnip, and celery, then cook for about 5 minutes, or until the veggies begin to brown. Once the veggies are browned, add the thyme and garlic, then cook until fragrant.
Drain the gnocchi and add to the pan, then toss to combine. Sprinkle the flour over everything and cook for another 30 seconds to cook out the raw flour taste, then add the turkey stock.
Bring the stock to a boil, then let it simmer for a few minutes, or until it begins to thicken into almost a gravy texture. Finally, stir in the chopped turkey and cook for another minute to heat up the meat. Taste and season the liquid with salt and pepper, then serve, topping with Parmigiano and parsley.
