Thanksgiving Leftover Tacos

With the holidays come family traditions, cozy celebrations and a boatload of leftovers. To avoid eating cold turkey sandwiches for a week straight, consider this recipe for Thanksgiving leftover tacos, which are equal parts resourceful, creative and drool-worthy. They're filled with all the usual suspects, but with a few tweaks for easier digestion.

Instead of a traditional tortilla, the recipe suggests crafting crispy leftover mashed potato shells with the help of a few pantry staples and a muffin tin. Once they're ready, you can fill them with spare turkey, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce. The spuds are arguably the most important part, since you can substitute any of the other fillings in the off-season (for instance, use shredded rotisserie chicken instead of turkey).

That said, the recipe as its written requires a bit of forethought. To make the seasonal staples gut-friendly, we suggest using gluten-free, unseasoned stuffing, low-FODMAP gravy without alliums and mashed potatoes made with lactose-free milk and extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter. Of course, you don't need to follow these specifications to make a leftover taco, but the recipe will be easier on your stomach if you do.

Want more gut-friendly inspo?  Explore the full collection of recipes from  The Uninterrupted Plate  series here.

Nonstick cooking spray

3 cups mashed potatoes (made with lactose-free milk and extra-virgin olive oil)

1 large egg

1 tablespoon gluten-free flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 cups roasted turkey or chicken, shredded

1 cup gluten-free, unseasoned stuffing

½ cup gravy (without onion or garlic)

1 tablespoon cranberry sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut 4-by-4-inch parchment paper squares, then lightly grease them with cooking spray.

2. Mix the mashed potatoes with the egg, flour, salt and pepper.

3. Spread the mixture into rounds on the parchment squares, then place them on a baking sheet and bake until golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

4. Cool for a few minutes, then lightly press the bottom of a muffin pan to form each piece into a shell. Cool them completely so they hold their shape.

5. Fill each shell with turkey, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce to your liking, then serve.

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