Cook once, eat twice! It's all about practical cooking as Alex Guarnaschelli hosts a look back at some of The Kitchen's best recipes that use leftovers in simple, creative ways. Alex makes Braised Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes and Olives then turns it into a Mediterranean Pasta. Katie Lee Biegel gives leftovers a makeover with her Freezer Fix Shepherd's Pie, and Geoffrey Zakarian uses leftover pork for his Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe. Then, Sunny Anderson whips up an Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup, Geoffrey transforms leftover mashed potatoes into crispy Pierogies with Sour Cream Dip, and Jeff Mauro works his magic with leftover rice to make Carbonara Arancini.
In this supersized episode, Rahm Fama tracks down El-Gigante, an infamous burrito layered with 8 pounds of meat, 1 pound of rice, and 1 pound of beans then slathered with a hearty meat sauce and cheese at Amigos Mexican Restaurant in Kansas City, Mo. He then makes a stop at Cowtown Diner in Fort Worth, Texas, where a team of hungry football players tackles “The Full of Bull,” a 64-ounce chicken-fried steak topped with 6 pounds of rich, buttery mashed potatoes. With barely room for more, Rahm visits Giant Burger in Springfield, Ore., where they flip up juicy 5-pound patties.
Ina Garten's favorite part of Thanksgiving is the sides, and she is sharing past classics and new favorites. There's Mushroom and Leek Bread Pudding, Homemade Gravy and Cranberry Fruit Conserve. She has new ideas for sprouts, sauteed, roasted, shredded and taste-tested by Bobby Flay, and Ina makes the best Haricots Verts with Dill and Hazelnuts. Then, there's amazing Celery Root and Apple Puree and Classic Mashed Potatoes with Three Variations, and Root Vegetable Gratin is make-ahead and marvelous. For roasted vegetables, Ina's got cauliflower, carrots, kale and a new favorite, Roasted Broccolini with Cheddar. Plus, Nigella Lawson, Chef Marcus Samuelsson, Jennifer Garner and Chef Massimo Bottura share their must-have Thanksgiving dishes. Forget the turkey -- Thanksgiving dinner is all about the sides.