Re-imagining our Thanksgiving Leftovers with OXO and Julia Turshen

OXO is a brand I’ve always loved and use all the time here on Magnolia Stripes (their cherry pitter is one of my favorite “new-to-me” tools featured in this recent bourbon cherries post), so I was over the moon to partner with them on this post. This post is sponsored, but all opinions are, of course, my own.

Thanksgiving is like the Super Bowl of entertaining. It’s when families, friends, and loved ones come together to break bread and share in laughter, memories, and one of the most important dinners of the year. Whether you’re celebrating with friends at Friendsgiving or sharing a first Thanksgiving with your in-laws (kids table and all), OXO has terrific tips to help you perfect your spread and embrace the spirit of the holiday all month long.

We all know that one of the best parts of Thanksgiving dinner (and Friendsgiving dinner for that matter) is the leftovers. Sometimes, a turkey and cranberry sandwich just isn’t enough though. Luckily, Julia Turshen’s new cookbook, Now & Again, is chock-full of new and creative ways to reinvent your Thanksgiving leftovers. The recipes are so simple to follow, and the results? Let’s just say they were a home run in our house!

We are a big squash family, so, I knew I had to try out Julia’s Radicchio + Roasted Squash Salad first (recipe reprinted with permission at the end of this post). I used a few of OXO’s fabulous products to recreate the dish with ease…

Tackling Butternut Squash

If you’ve ever cooked with squash, you know what a pain it can be sometimes. The tough outer skin and seed-filled middle take a little bit of wrangling, but they’re well worth the effort. The easiest way to cook with a tough squash (like butternut or acorn squash) is to poke a few holes in the squash and microwave it for about five minutes. Keep an eye on it as you want it to be soft enough to cut, but not so soft that it begins to cook.

Once it’s out of the microwave, slice off the top and the bottom of the squash to stabilize it while you peel. I used OXO’s Swivel Peeler, whose soft, over-sized handle made peeling this tough-skinned vegetable a breeze. It’s also a fabulous stocking stuffer for those of you starting your holiday shopping lists!

Making the Dressing

We’ve been making our own salad dressings at home ever since we returned from our trip to Tuscany. It’s the best way to control the ingredients you’re adding and how much sugar goes in. OXO’s Chef’s Squeeze Bottles are perfect for keeping all of the ingredients easily blended together – just a shake or two before you squeeze it onto your salads – and I love that they have attached lids so that you can store your salad dressing in the fridge for a few days. So. Easy.

Taking our Leftovers to Lunch

Since our days are pretty unpredictable, taking lunch to-go is something that Hubby and I prioritize. It’s also an easy way to cut out $12.00 of food that just isn’t always that good for you. There are of course exceptions to that, and we do enjoy work lunches and catching up with friends. For the most part, leftovers and healthy salads are our go-to’s though. I love OXO’s On-The-Go Lunch Container. It keeps your wet and dry ingredients safe and sound in the same container without risking a wilted salad or a soggy sandwich. No one wants that. This has quickly become one of my favorite products and I can’t wait to snag a few more for our daily lunches.

Saving your Herbs

We’ve talked about saving your leftover meals, but what about your leftover herbs? This always happens to me. I’ll buy a bunch of different herbs for a recipe and they won’t last or I’ll have so much left over, but no way to keep them fresh. I’ve tried everything from damp paper towels to attempting to just dry them out. That’s why I’m so excited about OXO’s Greensaver Herb Keeper. It controls humidity and makes sure your herbs stay hydrated and happy.

Measuring it all out

I, for one, did not realize for years that there are measuring cups for dry ingredients and measuring cups for wet ones. Luckily, OXO’s measuring cups have both wet and dry measurements. OXO’s cups, like this one I used for this recipe, have measurements that are easy to read from above and at eye level, so you can measure your wet and your dry ingredients in the same cup (just not at the same time, of course) easily and accurately. I have loads of different sizes of their measuring cups. In fact, I had OXO measuring cups long before Magnolia Stripes was even born! They’re essentials in my kitchen.

Julia’s radicchio and roasted squash salad was so delicious and so easy to make. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a new staple at our house. I loved how the bitter leaves were offset by the sweet butternut squash – and the sweet Dijon mustard salad dressing cut through everything with a bright, fresh flavor. Our grocery store apparently had a run on radicchio, so I had to substitute it out for purple cabbage, which still worked beautifully. This definitely needs to go on your “make ASAP” list, guys.

This recipe is reprinted from Now & Again by Julia Turshen with permission by Chronicle Books, 2018.

Radicchio + Roasted Squash Salad

SERVES 12

3 lb [1.3 kg] butternut squash, halved lengthwise, tough skin peeled and ends trimmed and discarded, seeded, and cut into 1-in [2.5-cm] pieces

¾ cup [180 ml] olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp honey or maple syrup

¼ cup [60 ml] apple cider vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

3 heads radicchio, each about ½ lb [230 g], cored and thinly sliced

Position one rack in the center of your oven and a second rack in the top third and preheat to 400°F [200°C]. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

Divide the squash evenly between the prepared pans, then drizzle each pan with 2 Tbsp of the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands to toss everything.

Roast the squash, stirring once or twice along the way and switching the pans between the racks and rotating them back to front halfway through the roasting, until softened and browned, about 30 minutes.

Set the squash aside to cool down a bit.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey, vinegar, and garlic. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the remaining ½ cup [120 ml] olive oil to make a dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the reserved squash and the radicchio to the bowl and use your hands to combine everything gently (messy, but fun).

Transfer the salad to a serving platter and serve immediately (or within a few hours; it holds well at room temperature).

Enjoy!

Outfit details in this post:

J. McLaughlin Carter Pant in Ivory (sized up to a size 6)

J. McLaughlin Arlette Turtleneck in Egret White (sized up to a size Medium)

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of OXO. Thank you, OXO, for sponsoring this post! All styling and opinions are my own, and I couldn’t be more thankful to the readers and brands that make Magnolia Stripes possible! This post also contains affiliate links, but all are tried and true Magnolia Stripes favorites.