It’s almost time to unveil my Mr. and Mrs. Pilgrim salt and pepper shakers. This has become a ritual as I remove them from their cardboard box home where they reside in the small cabinet above the refrigerator throughout the rest of the year. I’ve written before about how I think they come out of the cabinet with a gleam in their eyes, ready to serve with stories to tell about Thanksgivings past.
I’ve heard about one family’s tradition in which the mom wears a pilgrim dress and hat all day. It sounds quirky, but even as her children are all grown, they enjoy it, and I’m sure it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it! I feel it’s important to keep these traditions alive this year and every year, and maybe even start some new ones.
I’m reminded each Thanksgiving about the way my grandmother would sit at the table dicing celery and onions, and how she liked the crispy edges of the dressing, and put “hens” in the top of the roaster she made dressing in so we’d have plenty of poultry if the turkey ran out.
I’m grateful every day of the year for God, my family, the opportunities I have to write about food and develop recipes, and for you who read these stories and recipes. We are blessed for what we have, and when we can, let’s share those blessings.
I’ve got an idea for you that will have your Thanksgiving leftovers tasting like another celebration. You may have seen the popular way to create sliders by slicing a group of dinner rolls in half like one big sandwich. Or maybe you’ve seen the rolls stuffed from the top with sloppy Joe mix, leftover spaghetti, or casserole. Of course I had to try the trend with my favorite leftovers – Thanksgiving leftovers! Anything goes, you can use green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, you name it.
This recipe is how I practiced making stuffed sliders recently. But I can’t imagine they could be bad stuffed with any of our favorite leftovers. Top them off with a sprinkling of cheese, or some remnants of fresh herbs.
Note: If your family is like mine, you might not have a large number of leftover dinner rolls, so a package of brown-and-serve rolls will work perfectly well for this recipe.
Here’s wishing you and yours a very happy and tasty Thanksgiving. Enjoy food made fresh!
Stuffed Dinner Roll Thanksgiving Sliders
1 dozen dinner rolls (leftover rolls that are already baked, or brown-and-serve rolls)
1 cup Thanksgiving leftovers, such as:
• ¼ cup dressing or stuffing
• ¼ cup gravy
• ¼ cup diced turkey
• ¼ cup mashed potatoes
12 small pats of butter and a sprinkling of fresh herbs, or grated cheese of your choice Salt and pepper, optional
Salt and pepper, optional
Whittle out a hole in the top of each roll with a paring knife that will hold about 4 teaspoons of leftovers. Discard the portions you remove, or save them to make croutons.
Preheat oven to 400° F.
The rolls will brown quickly, so it is necessary to reheat the leftover ingredients you have chosen to stuff the rolls with, if they are cold. Heat them in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Next, spoon 1 teaspoon of dressing or stuffing into the hole of each roll and press down with the back of the spoon to pack it in. Next, add a teaspoon of gravy, followed by a teaspoon of bits of turkey, then the top layer will be a teaspoon of mashed potatoes, pressed on with the back of the spoon.
Place a pat of butter atop each stuffed roll and sprinkle on a few chopped fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper if desired. (You may use grated cheese in place of butter, herbs and seasoning).
Place stuffed sliders onto a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 1 dozen.
Angelina LaRue, author of “The Whole Enchilada: Fresh and Nutritious Southwestern Cuisine,” grew up at White River Lake, lives in Idalou and writes a weekly food column for local newspapers.
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