Thankful for Leftovers

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by Hannah (BitterSweet)
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Hyper-abundance is the name of the game for this all-American holiday we have rounding the corner, just one week away now. If you don’t have guests stuffed to bursting and still mountains of uneaten food after the whole ordeal, you’ve simply failed as a Thanksgiving day host. Or so the unspoken wisdom goes, compelling well-meaning mothers and wives to believe that 3+ pounds of food per person is a safe bet for menu planning purposes. It’s simply part of tradition, and honestly, though I may sound appalled by the extreme measures, it’s the waste that bothers me, not the extra edibles themselves. Thanksgiving leftovers are quite possibly the best thing about the 4th Thursday in November, having aged to perfection like a fine wine.

Not to mention, fewer pesky relatives to detract from the food, and more freedom to use it in “unconventional” ways. For all the complaints of how boring and static the menu is, should the cook dare change it up and try to foist a festive Thanksgiving quiche onto unsuspecting guests, the backlash may be felt the entire holiday season, if not the whole proceeding year.

The day after, or perhaps the day after that if you’re the type with family that likes to stick around, once the dust has settled, it’s time to use or lose those valuable leftovers. Easier is better after slaving over the original meal in the first place, so an all-inclusive meal like quiche sounded too appealing for me to resist. The beauty of this is that absolutely anything can be tucked away into that “eggy” chickpea mixture, so no matter what you still have on hand, it can find a welcoming home here. …Just don’t try to hide any marshmallow-topped potato abomination within the depths of an honest savory quiche; it’s a gross misuse of vegan marshmallows from the start, and just plain wrong. Not that I have strong opinions about such things. (Does anyone still make those disturbing casseroles anymore? Please tell me they’ve gone the way of aspic and other unfavorable culinary atrocities.)

…As I was saying, don’t be afraid to mix it up and use any veg or protein you have leftover after the big feast. I suppose I may have been a bit over zealous in my attempts to use all of my extra holiday savories, ending up with more filling than could reasonably fit inside a humble pie shell, but not to worry; This dilemma is easily remedied by baking the excess filling in lightly greased little ramekins, as individual, crustless portions.

So while most of America is thinking about what to serve and how to get it on the table one week from today, I’m focused squarely on the aftermath, knowing that even better delights are still in store.

Yield: Serves 12 – 14

Thanksgiving Quiche

Thanksgiving Quiche

Repurpose your Thanksgiving leftovers into a brunch centerpiece that's even grander than the main event! The beauty of this is that absolutely anything can be tucked away into that “eggy” chickpea mixture, so no matter what you still have on hand, it can find a welcoming home here.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Additional Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 9-Inch Pie Crust
  • 1 Cup Diced Vegan “Turkey,” Seitan, or Tempeh, Diced or Shredded
  • 1/2 Cup Green Beans or Brussels Sprouts, Chopped into Bite-Sized Pieces
  • 1 Cup Roasted Butternut Squash, Pumpkin, or Potatoes, Cubed
  • 1/2 Cup Roughly Chopped Cremini or Button Mushrooms
  • 1 Stalk Celery, Finely Diced
  • 1/2 Small Leek, Cleaned, Greens Removed, and Thinly Sliced
  • 3 – 5 Cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 1 Cup Garbanzo Bean Flour
  • 2 Tablespoon Potato Starch or Cornstarch
  • 4 Teaspoons Nutritional Yeast
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Dried Sage, Powdered
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Paprika
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1 Cup Vegetable Stock or Water
  • 3/4 Cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
  • 1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
  • 2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard
  • 1/4 Cup Raw Pepitas (Optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and have your pie crust at the ready.
  2. First prepare your protein and veggies as indicated in the ingredient list, straight through to the garlic, and mix them all together in a large bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the chickpea/garbanzo flour, potato starch, nooch, salt, herbs, spices, and baking powder. Pour in the vegetable stock or water, non-dairy milk, pumpkin puree, oil, soy sauce, and mustard, and whisk until smooth. It should be about the consistency of pancake batter.
  4. Pour this batter into your bowl of prepared veggies, and stir gently to combine but not smash any of the ingredients. Transfer the whole mixture into your waiting pie crust, and if there’s extra, pour it into lightly greased 4-ounce ramekins. Lightly tap the pan(s) on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Place quiche and ramekins if using on a baking sheet to make them easier to transport into and out of the oven. Sprinkle the top(s) with pepitas, if desired.
  5. Bake the quiche for 45 – 55 minutes, until the filling appears set and it’s lightly golden brown on top. Keep a close eye on the little ramekins, and expect them to be done closer to 30 minutes or so in; be prepared to pull them so that they don’t over-bake. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. (The leftovers also taste great cold, in my opinion!)
  6. Serve with cranberry sauce or gravy, if desired.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

14

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 206Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 231mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 10g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

© Hannah Kaminsky
Cuisine: American / Category: Main Dishes and Entrees

37 thoughts on “Thankful for Leftovers”

  2. Wow, I love this idea! I’m going to have to use it at work, I think :) It’s like the day-after Thanksgiving sandwich with pizzaz!

  3. Gotta love when you can throw everything together to make something new and exciting! Just used up a leftover lentil side dish and formed them into patties with some panko, another new meal with leftovers!

  4. Fantastically creative as usual! I’m doing a leftovers feature (just photo and recipe link) on Thanksgiving and this is DEFINITELY going in. I just love what you come up with Hannah!

  8. It’s definitely true that leftovers are THE best part of Thanksgiving! I really hope I get some this year. This is such a delicious use of them and I think I might make this even if I don’t get any!

  9. After stuffing myself silly on Thanksgiving, I usually want to eat lightly on the day after Thanksgiving and then return to heartier food on either Saturday or Sunday. This would be perfect for when my hearty food appetite returns and I love how leftovers of all types unified within this one awesome quiche!

  12. This is the greatest recipe ever!! I am serious! We always have leftovers and quiche (vegan quiche) is a favorite. I never had the real thing, but I imagine it nasty like scrambled eggs.. eeeewwwww.. Sorry bout that ramble. You are the best! Thank you so much for this fantabulous recipe!!! Happy Thanksgiving!

  16. Hmm… coming froma non-Thanksgiving country, I’m not going to have any leftovers with which to make this right now…. but I figure this post will come in handy at Christmas-time! :)

  18. A nice change to the pot pie, though I will be making pot pie from leftovers as it is the monkey’s favorite food and it will be his birthday. It’s just gorgeous!

  24. I think leftovers are perhaps the best part of Thanksgiving. For one thing, you don’t have to cook if you don’t want to! OR…you can make something delicious from the leftovers. It’s win-win!

  25. I like the idea of throwing leftovers into a quiche! Almost everything goes well with an eggy batter. LOL

  27. Oh man does this look good. Wish I’d planned to bring this to my bf’s thanksgiving. They’re big meat-eaters so I usually subsist on the side veggies and mashed potatoes. I’ve already got my hands full with a cake and bread though. Happy early Thanksgiving!

  30. Hannah,

    Does the bitterness of the chickpea flour carry over into the finished product? While I will happily consume chickpea flour when toasted, “raw” it is just WAY too overpowering for me to stomach. I’m worried that in such a large amount, the chickpea flour will overwhelm the other flavors. With the fairly long cook time, I’m wondering if that is enough to mellow the flavor of the flour?

      1. Thanks so much, Hannah; the quiche is on the menu for tonight!
        I was just going over the instructions, and you mention adding the salt, but it seems to have been omitted from the ingredient listing. I’m assuming it’s somewhere in between 1/2 – 1 tsp, but I’d like to know for sure, so can you check what the actual amount is supposed to be?

        TIA!

      2. Salt is a very subjective thing, so I have a hard to suggesting measurements… Especially since I rarely measure it myself. 1/2 teaspoon is likely a good amount in this case though. Enjoy!

  31. I made this tonight for my Gratitude Dinner with my kids and others. It was absolutely wonderful! I used a sautee of leeks, shiitake shrooms, and spinach as the veggies, over the protein and the squash. Everyone, even the picky eater, raved about how good this was! thanks so much for this great recipe!

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