Cambridge chef shares secrets to transforming Thanksgiving leftovers

From turkey ramen to crunch wraps, these tricks will take your holiday scraps to the next level.

SOMETHING YOUR FAMILY WON’T BE ABLE TO RESIST, LOOK INTO THAT CAMERA AND TELL EVERYBODY WHO YOU ARE. HI, CHEF. WILL GILSON HERE AT OUR RESTAURANT PURITAN AND COMPANY IN CAMBRIDGE. YOU HAVE REINVENTED THE LEFTOVER. TALK TO ME. I’M GOING TO SHOW YOU SOME CREATIVE WAYS THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT EVERYBODY’S THINKING. TO TRY TO USE ALL PARTS OF WHAT’S LEFT OVER FROM THANKSGIVING. I LOVE THIS. SO THESE ARE JUST MEATBALLS. AND WHAT WE’RE GOING TO DO IS WE’RE GOING TO ADD IN A LITTLE BIT OF THE LEFTOVER GRAVY. AND SO NOW YOU’RE GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF THE JELLIED CRANBERRY SAUCE HERE. RIGHT. THIS IS BRILLIANT. SO YOU JUST PUT THE JELLIED CRANBERRY SAUCE IN HERE A LITTLE BIT MORE TART. LOVE IT. RIGHT. AND SO THIS IS GOING TO MAKE A PRETTY AWESOME MEATBALL. EVERYBODY LOVES THE THANKSGIVING SANDWICH RIGHT. SO WE’VE GOT GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE. WE’VE GOT SOME STUFFING SOME MASHED POTATOES AND SOME TURKEY. WE’RE GONNA TAKE THE MEAT. WE’RE GONNA PUT IT INSIDE OF THIS LARGE TORTILLA. THEN WE’RE GOING TO TAKE SOME OF OUR MASHED POTATOES IN THE SANDWICH, IN THE SANDWICH GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE. CHEF IN THE SANDWICH, STUFFING IN THE SANDWICH. AND THIS IS WHAT WE’RE GONNA DO. WE’RE GONNA TURN THIS INTO A CRUNCHWRAP. WE’RE GONNA PUT SOME TORTILLA CHIPS IN THERE, AND THEN WE’RE GONNA FRY IT RIGHT HERE IN THE PAN, RIGHT? AND GET THIS REALLY NICE AND TOASTY, BASICALLY LIKE A CRISPY BURRITO OF ALL YOUR THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS. THAT IS AWESOME. SO WE’RE GOING TO MAKE A RACHEL SANDWICH. SO WE’VE GOT OUR THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING RIGHT HERE OKAY OKAY. NOW WE’VE GOT OUR TURKEY MEAT RIGHT HERE. THROW THAT TURKEY MEAT INTO THE SANDWICH. THIS IS SOME LEFTOVER BRUSSELS SPROUTS. WE TURN THIS INTO THE SLAW. RIGHT. SO SOME PICKLED ONIONS SOME SHREDDED CARROTS. JUST A LITTLE BIT OF MAYONNAISE. AND THIS BECOMES OUR COLESLAW. OH, WE CAN PUT THIS IN THE PAN AND WE’RE GONNA GET THIS REALLY NICE AND TOASTED UP. SO IF YOU TRUST ME, YOU ARE LEGIT. THESE ARE GREEN ENCHILADAS, LEFTOVER DARK MEAT. TAKE THAT. WE COOK THAT WITH A LITTLE BIT OF GREEN CHILI SAUCE, SOME CILANTRO, SOME CUMIN, SOME ROASTED ONIONS. ALL INSIDE. ROLL THIS UP WITH THE CHEESE. TOP IT OFF WITH SOME MORE OF THAT GREEN CHILI SAUCE. PUT THAT IN THE OVEN AND LOOK AT THAT. CAN WE CUT ONE. YEAH. LET’S CUT ONE OPEN. IF YOU WANT TO TRY SOME OF THIS IT’S A LITTLE SPICY. JUST LETTING YOU KNOW HOW ABOUT WE MAKE RAMEN RIGHT. RAMEN. SO TURKEY STOCK COOKED IT DOWN. WE’VE ADDED A LITTLE BIT OF SOY SAUCE TO THAT. COOKED OUR NOODLES INTO IT. RIGHT. THAT IS SO SMART. SO WE’VE GOT OUR RAMEN NOODLES HERE. BUT HERE WE GO. WE’RE JUST GOING TO POUR OUR SUPER RICH TURKEY BROTH IN THERE. LOOK AT HOW RICH THAT IS. THAT IS. RIGHT. BEAUTIFUL. SO IF IT’S REAL COLD RIGHT AFTER THANKSGIVING, YOU’RE LOOKING FOR SOME WAY TO WARM YOU UP. PUT THAT TURKEY RAMEN TOGETHER. IT’S REALLY UNIQUE AND VERY SMART. WELL, I’M THANKFUL FOR YOUR CREATIVITY. WE DON’T WASTE, YOU KNOW, THERE’S SO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE HUNGRY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A WAY THAT WE CAN USE WHAT’S LEFT OVER TO IF WE CAN’T MAKE OUR TABLE LONGER, AT LEAST WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE FOOD THAT WE EAT GOES TO THE RIGHT PLACES. THAT’S BEAUTIFUL. THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Cambridge chef shares secrets to transforming Thanksgiving leftovers

From turkey ramen to crunch wraps, these tricks will take your holiday scraps to the next level.

Updated: 11:00 PM EST Nov 26, 2025

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Turning leftovers into the main event after Thanksgiving does not have to be a chore. NewsCenter 5’s Maria Stephanos headed into the kitchen with Will Gilson, chef and owner of Puritan & Company in Cambridge, for some can’t-miss secrets for transforming those scraps into something your family will not be able to resist.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. —

Turning leftovers into the main event after Thanksgiving does not have to be a chore.

NewsCenter 5’s Maria Stephanos headed into the kitchen with Will Gilson, chef and owner of Puritan & Company in Cambridge, for some can’t-miss secrets for transforming those scraps into something your family will not be able to resist.