For a post-Thanksgiving feast, the Scotto family of New York restaurant Fresco by Scotto recommends turning those leftovers into delicious dishes like rice balls with stuffing, salmon croquettes with lemon pepper sauce, a turkey Bolognese or a crisp made from leftover fruit.
Check out the Scotto family whipping up these dishes on TODAY:
Rice balls with mozzarella, Romano cheese and sausage stuffing
Ingredients
- 4 cups leftover stuffing
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup grated Romano cheese
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed
- 1 cup dried seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 cups frying oil
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Salt to taste
Procedure
1. To make rice balls: In a medium bowl, mix together stuffing, 2 eggs, Romano cheese, salt, and pepper.
2. To assemble rice balls: Place 2 tablespoons of the rice mixture in your hand and insert a cube of mozzarella and a teaspoon of the meat mixture into the center. Roll into a ball and repeat to form the remaining rice balls.
3. To cook rice balls: In a small bowl, beat 1 egg to form an egg wash. Dip each rice ball in the egg wash and then roll in the bread crumbs. Heat about 1½-inches of oil to 325°F in an 8- or 10-inch skillet. Fry the rice balls about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Makes 8-12 rice balls.
Salmon Croquettes with Lemon Caper Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked salmon, diced
- 1 cup cooked mashed sweet potatoes
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon drained bottled capers
- Salt and pepper
Procedure
1. In a large bowl, add salmon, sweet potatoes, salt and pepper, 1 beaten egg, mix thoroughly and form into oblong croquettes.
2. In a second bowl add the flour, and in a third bowl the beaten eggs, and finally in a fourth bowl add the bread crumbs.
3. Dip croquettes into flour, beaten egg mixture, then the bread crumbs, and set aside.
4. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over low to medium heat and fry croquettes, turning occasionally until golden brown. Transfer salmon croquettes to a platter, set aside and keep warm, and loosely covered.
5. In the same skillet, add the remaining butter, wine, and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, and stir in the capers and parsley, remove from heat and drizzle croquettes with lemon caper sauce and serve. Makes 6-8 servings.
Rigatoni with turkey Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 large bulb fennel, coarsely chopped
- 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 pound medium diced leftover white and dark turkey
- 1 large can (28 ounces) Italian Plum Tomatoes
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cups canned chicken broth
- 1 pound uncooked rigatoni pasta
- ¼ cup butter Parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Procedure
1. In a food processor, grind the onion, fennel, and carrot until fine.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the ground vegetables, pepper flakes, and garlic and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the moisture evaporates, stirring occasionally.
3. Add plum tomatoes, white wine and stock to the saucepan. Stir to mix and simmer over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1½ hours or until the sauce thickens and is reduced by one quarter then add the turkey and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions, until al dente. 5. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Stir in the butter, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve. Makes 4 servings.
Apple, Pear, Cranberry and Pecan Crisp
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened; more for the pan
- 3 ounces (2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 3 medium apples, halved, pitted, and sliced
- ½ inch thick 3 medium pears, halved, pitted, and sliced ½ inch thick
- ½ cup cranberries
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- Vanilla gelato, 1 scoop per serving
Procedure
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch square baking pan.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1/8 tsp. of the salt. With your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture readily clumps together when pressed. Mix in the pecans.
3. In a large bowl, toss the apples, pears and cranberries. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar with the cornstarch, nutmeg, and the remaining 1/8 tsp. salt and toss this mixture with the fruit.
4. Spread the fruit into the prepared baking pan. Pressing the streusel into small lumps, sprinkle it over the fruit. Bake until the fruit is bubbling in the center and the topping is crisp and well browned, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool slightly, top with vanilla gelato and serve warm. Makes 6 servings.