Executive Chef Marc Boussarie of The Counter Cutom Built Burgers is an expert in creating fun and exciting twists on America's favorite food, the burger. This year he is sharing his phenomenal recipe for the Thanksgiving leftover burger. Chef Boussarie turns good old leftovers into a turkey patty layered with gourmet toppings. If you make one of these after Thanksgiving, your family and friends won't be accepting the standard turkey sandwich anymore.
1. Cranberry sauce. Cranberries are sweet and tart at the same time and make an excellent unique sauce. Add some orange juice and a little mustard with a mayonnaise or a yogurt base to create a tart and creamy sauce for the “leftover burger.”
2. Chopped turkey meat. Chop up the leftover turkey meat, dark and white finely. Mix with a panache – leftover bread soaked in milk to soften then strain out any milk. Add an egg to bind all ingredients together and form patties.
Optional: Crispy skin mix in: Take any leftover skin and crisp it up in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until very crispy. Let cool to room temperature and then chop it up and add to the turkey mixture for texture and extra flavor.
3. Stuffing Buns. Mold the leftover stuffing with your hands to resemble a slice of bread or bun, approximately 1/2 inch thick. Once molded, place in a sauté pan on medium-low heat with olive oil and slowly sear both sides until it crisps up, almost like toast. This will be an open-faced burger. Alternatively, King’s Hawaiian Rolls make great leftover slider buns.
4. Mashed Potato / Sweet Potato Fries. Take cold mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes and with a rolling pin, slowly roll the mashed potato until you it is 1/2 inch thick. Cut French Fry stick sized pieces with the mashed potato. Gently dip/roll in flour and cover all potato sticks. Dredge the pieces in egg and then place in Italian bread crumbs. Fry in canola oil at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown.
5. Assemble. Place “Stuffing toast” on the plate, spread cranberry cream sauce, and add some lettuce, I prefer baby arugula. Place the seared turkey burger on top and finish with a light drizzle of leftover gravy. Add cheese if you’d like, a good white cheddar or gruyere would pair well. Serve with side of mashed potato fries.
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