I don’t even know how this became a tradition, but three Thanksgivings ago, we made Holiday Leftover Eggrolls. It sounds really weird, and yet they are delicious. You can make them and eat them immediately or make them ahead of time and freeze them for later.
The only things you’ll need aside from leftovers is egg roll wrappers and vegetable oil. You can find them at pretty much any grocery store, and they’re inexpensive.
Ingredients
Egg Roll Wrappers
Vegetable Oil
Turkey (or Ham)
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Cranberry Sauce
Gravy
Instructions
In a saucepan, heat vegetable oil to the temperature discussed on the egg roll wrapper packaging.
In another saucepan, heat gravy and water to make it liquid again.
In the middle of the wrapper layer mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and turkey.
Fold wrapper like instructed on the package.
Once the oil is heated to the required temperature you can put the egg rolls in the oil. Cook for three minutes or until golden brown. Rotate when one side is golden. They will float.
You can also wrap them in tin foil and freeze for a later date. They will take a little longer to fry, but you can fry them frozen.
When done, place on a plate covered in paper towels. Let cool for one minute.
Shrimp and grits is a southern staple. Depending on the region and the chef, the recipe varies drastically. Some sauces are similar to etoufee, a broth, a red sauce, or something in between. I like to make mine with a tomatoey, chickeny broth. I like to saturate the grits with as much cheddar cheese as physically possible because cheese is delicious. I’ve made this for friends and all over the country. As my grandpa would say, it’s a solid B+, which is high praise, and he requests it every time I visit.
This is one of my favorite dishes to eat and make for people I love.
Ingredients
Shrimp (raw)
Scallops (raw) (Optional)
Mushrooms (Optional)
Brussel Sprouts (Optional)
Artichokes (Optional)
Bell Pepper (Optional
Garlic
Onion
3 large Tomatoes or 8 oz package of cherry tomatoes
Bay Leaf
3 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Turmeric
1 tbs. Honey
Olive Oil
1 cup Grits or Yellow Cornmeal
½ cup Milk
1 tbs Butter
1 ½ cup Water
1 cup Cheddar Cheese (or more to taste)
Salt/Pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°
Chop mushrooms/bell peppers into bite sized pieces. Half brussel sprouts and artichokes. Place on a cookie sheet and coat veggies with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 15 minutes or until browned.
Chop onions and garlic. Cook in sauce pan with 2 tbs. olive oil until translucent. Add in cumin, chili powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper. You can add more or less spices depending on your tastes.
Chop tomatoes if using large/Toss in whole cherry tomatoes into the pan with the garlic and onions. Add one tbs. of water. Cover and let simmer for five minutes.
In medium saucepan bring water, milk, butter to a boil. Slowly add grits or yellow cornmeal, whisking constantly to avoid clumps. Let mixture come to a boil. Then, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir often to avoid burning.
Tomatoes should reduce and have a decent amount of liquid being very saucy. Add ½ cup water and stir to mix.
Make sure to be checking grits. When the liquid is almost gone….
Add shrimp and scallops to tomato mixture. Cover. Shrimp and scallops should be thoroughly cooked in five minutes.
Stir cheese into grits. Cover and set aside.
When shrimp and scallops are done, add the roasted veggies to the tomato/shrimp/scallop sauce.
To Eat Place grits in a bowl or plate, then ladle a generous portion of the shrimp/scallops/veggies tomato sauce on top. You can garnish with green onions or chives. Dig in!!!
Variation You can always add in some andouille sausage to give it a NOLA kick or just add some extra yum.
I also love playing with the veggies you use. You can use as many or as few kinds of veggies as you want. In my opinion, the more the better!
