E
very time I mention it, it surprises me that people have not heard of the (in my heart at least) more popular holiday I like to call “Second Thanksgiving.” In our house, this holiday falls on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. Family obligations are complete, people have come and gone, football is still underway (although we’re more a Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter marathon household), and people are still in a celebratory mood, what with two more days to be gluttons. We still want to celebrate with our chosen family, our orphaned friends, and neighbors. So, we declared a new event: Second Thanksgiving Open House. But while we might still be ready to eat our way through this weekend of food, what most of us don’t want to consider is the leftovers. I know you do it too: we give those Tupperware or Pyrex items languishing in the fridge the side-eye. We see you there, but we all wish you’d disappear. Our thinking was, Why do Second Thanksgiving from scratch? We all have an abundance. Now maybe it’s just me, but I’m just not a leftover type of gal. I’d rather make a new frittata, casserole, or soup with leftovers than eat it in its original form. I don’t know where this quirk came from, but it runs deep.
Years ago, I tried my hand at turning all the First Thanksgiving dishes into something new: turkey tetrazzini, bone broth which then gets a soup reboot, potato pancakes, fried mashed potato balls stuffed with green beans and cheese, turkey pot-pie — the list is practically endless. So, taking into consideration my quirk and the desire to not be wasteful, we got together and decided that Second Thanksgiving would be built solely on leftovers, and everyone was to contribute. That way, the hostess is not overwhelmed. Here are the top dishes that make an appearance almost every year. Last year, I didn’t do the cranberry baked brie, and I thought I’d have a revolt on my hands! But again, this is about getting everyone into the game, and to be creative and inventive. We use what we have (with some additions) to come together to celebrate one another over a meal we all made, and continue to show our gratitude that we have such abundance and love in our lives. When it comes down to it, those are pretty much my core values: love of food, love of family and friends, and love of community.
November 2018 | 33
