Mia Hamm shares the unique way her mom used Thanksgiving leftovers: 'Turkey burritos were a big thing in our family'

Because food connects us all, Yahoo Life is serving up a heaping plateful of table talk with people who are passionate about what's on their menu in Deglazed, a series about food.

Mia Hamm may be one of the most well-known female athletes of all time. The two-time Olympic gold medalist made waves during the early ’90s, but long before she became the face of the Women's United Soccer Association or a soccer icon, she recalls time spent growing up around great food with global inspiration.

"I was very young [when] we moved [to Florence, Italy]," Hamm tells Yahoo Life, explaining her mom learned to make some incredible pasta sauces during their time there. "I will never eat jarred pesto sauce — my mom makes some amazing pesto. I watch her every time she makes it and I think I'm doing the exact same thing [when I make pesto], but hers is always better."

Pesto isn't the only sauce Hamm's mom has perfected. "She makes an amazing ragù sauce — an amazing red sauce — it's just simple," she says. "I just think about so many of the things I love to eat — it's because of the people [my parents] met during their time over there."

Of course, in addition to Italian staples and sauces that Hamm and her family eat year-round, the holidays have also always been a time to dig into the family food traditions.

"[At Thanksgiving], everything was homemade from the pies, to certain stuffings," says Hamm. "And then at Christmas, because my parents had lived in Italy when I was younger, we would have ham and turkey and then they would make tortellini after, and that was a big thing."

With so much food on the table, Hamm's mom ensured none of the holiday meals went to waste, fostering another generational family tradition. "After Thanksgiving dinner — my mom is the oldest of 11 kids and so her mom — you know how turkeys are always half off the day after Thanksgiving? Her mom would go and buy turkeys," says Hamm, "and make different leftovers with turkey, and one of the things she would do were turkey burritos. Those were a big thing in our family that we still do."

According to Hamm, a turkey burrito uses mainly canned ingredients like canned tomatoes, chiles and broth. The turkey is added to tortillas and then the stew-like mixture of canned goods is added to burritos to be enjoyed as an easy and inexpensive post-holiday meal. They're even perfect to be wrapped and frozen, as they keep for months in the freezer.

"I love it," says the 50-year-old athlete. "If you're at our house, there's an assembly line with my sisters and my brother. Everyone has a job to do."

Hamm's career went past the soccer field as she became a part of ’90s and 2000s pop culture, thanks to placements like a 1999 Gatorade commercial with Michael Jordan and endorsement deals with brands like Pepsi and Nike. Still she recalls before a big game, simple foods helped her to be ready for action on the field.

On Hamm's plate before a game were steamed vegetables, carbohydrates like potatoes and pasta and a protein. But her go-to pre-game snack was an all-American staple. "A simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich," she shares, "because I knew it wouldn't upset my stomach and it had some simple carbohydrates and some protein and some complex carbohydrates."

Today, the mother of three spends her time making sure she and her kids are fueled to do their best each day. Hamm chatted with Yahoo Life on behalf of her partnership with GoGo Squeez, something her family was already buying on their weekly grocery run.

"When [GoGo Squeez] came to me, my agent was like, 'Do you know this product? Do you use it?' and I started laughing," says Hamm. "My son — every day in his lunch, there's a GoGo Squeez. He's really particular about his fruit, and this is a great alternative for him."

To Hamm, the partnership makes sense, as it's something she and her family love. Plus, the product is the official fruit snack of the U.S. Soccer Federation. Hamm shares that beyond the ways she and her family enjoy the product at home, it feels good to be working with a brand that so closely aligns with things she's passionate about.

"I love that they're … talking about parents and kids squeezing out their best and celebrating the everyday wins these kids have — the importance of celebrating them as people," she says. "I know being a parent, your kids want to make you proud and they're trying hard each and every day to make a difference. To acknowledge that, that's always important."

While Hamm may be one of the world's most famous athletes, at heart, she's still just a woman who loves her family — and of course, an indulgent snack food.

"My vice is chips and salsa," she says. "I could have just had dinner, and if I go over to a friend's house and they have chips and salsa, I have to eat it. I just have to. And it's not one of those things where I can just have one — the better the salsa, the more I want."

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