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Happy Thanksgiving! Though if you’re reading this on Thanksgiving Day itself, you probably have some last-minute gap in your holiday dinner. Not to worry — so did I, and I’ll tell you what I did.
Here in Canada, Thanksgiving comes in October. This year, unfortunately, it also came just after I’d been sick for several days. I had the turkey, cranberries, stuffing ingredients, and sweet potatoes, not to mention (almost) everything for pumpkin pie — but I hadn’t been able to go out for fresh vegetables, and everyone else was too busy. So there I was on the morning of the big day, with no fresh vegetables in the house except half a bag of salad spinach.
I knew a few things: My family was not really going to miss having a lot of vegetables. Spinach, in spite of its reputation as something kids are forced to eat for their health, shows up as part of a dip at lots of holiday buffets. And I had some leftover pie crust dough, which otherwise was going to end up either drying out in the fridge or being fried up as a very unhealthy snack.
So we had spinach pinwheels at Thanksgiving dinner, and everyone who tried them liked them. If they’re not exactly what you need right now, maybe they’ll inspire you to use what you’ve got in a new, special way. Anyway, there are plenty of Thanksgiving dinner emergency articles out there, so best of luck. Come back tomorrow to see what to do with your leftovers.
- ½ (four-serving) bag fresh salad spinach, chopped medium fine
- 1 top crust pie dough
- creamy salad dressing for spreading
- Parmesan cheese for sprinkling
- Roll out the dough into a rectangle if you can — if not, just flatten it.
- Brush with a little salad dressing, just enough for a thin coat.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, again just a thin layer.
- Top with the spinach, leaving an inch at one edge uncovered.
- Roll up the dough, finishing at the uncovered end, which you should pinch in slightly to seal. Don’t be afraid of crushing the spinach, it’ll cook down anyway.
- Cut the roll into ½ inch slices.
- The ones at each end will probably be messy; eat them before anyone can see them.
- Lay slices flat on a greased pan or cookie sheet.
- Cook in the oven with your turkey for 15-20 minutes.
- Otherwise, try 400℉ for 10-15 minutes.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Use cream cheese instead of salad dressing, cheddar or another cheese instead of Parmesan, other vegetables (finely chopped or puréed) instead of spinach, even pizza or bread dough instead of pie crust.
