60 Recipes with Thanksgiving Leftovers: Best and Delicious Ideas
Here are 60 of the best recipes with Thanksgiving Leftovers to create delicious meals.
The best part of Thanksgiving dinner is the leftovers! Well, maybe the second best part is the food coma you get afterward. But after all that turkey, stuffing, and pie, you’re going to have a lot of leftovers.
Rather than eating them the same way for days on end, why not try some new recipes?
Altogether we’ve gathered 60 recipes that will help you use up your Thanksgiving leftovers in delicious ways. From breakfast to dinner to dessert, we’ve got great recipe ideas!
You can pull many of these easy recipes together very quickly, so there will be something delicious for dinner the next day after all of your Black Friday shopping.
Leftover Turkey Recipes
I love using up my Thanksgiving turkey leftovers in creative ways. There is no one perfect recipe but here are leftover ideas for that roasted turkey.
Obviously, we found recipes for making a leftover turkey pot pie to making a leftover Thanksgiving casserole. But you’ll also find some new favorite ways to incorporate turkey meat into some great options for appetizers, lunch, and dinner.
Additionally, there are many versions of healthy and hearty turkey pot pie. Subsequently, you can add in those leftover green beans and top it with biscuits, crescent rolls, or a buttery crust whichever suits your mood.
Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey in “Pies”
Turkey leftovers get transformed into this delicious Turkey & Leek Pie! This easy-to-make recipe can be made using leftover chicken as well and is sure to please the whole family.
This Turkey Shepherd’s Pie recipe is the perfect way to use up leftover Turkey meat from Thanksgiving or Christmas roast dinner.
This hearty, comforting Turkey Pot Pie recipe is easy to make and the perfect way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey. It’s made with chunks of turkey, peas, and carrots in a creamy herb-flavored sauce wrapped in a flaky pie crust.
Turkey Casserole Recipes with Thanksgiving Leftovers
Easy Turkey Casserole – A cheesy casserole filled with turkey and vegetables and topped with crunchy, French-fried onions!
This family favorite Tater Tot Turkey Casserole is loaded with tater tots, ground turkey, and veggies in one dish or skillet for an easy weeknight dinner recipe. Use your leftover Thanksgiving turkey by substituting it for the ground turkey in this hot dish casserole!
Turkey Ranch Mac-n-cheese is a great way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers. Leftover turkey is great for sandwiches and soups, but wouldn’t it be nice to try something different?
Not Your Typical Turkey
This authentic Turkey Cacciatore recipe is easy to make in under an hour. It includes simple ingredients like lean turkey (use those turkey leftovers!), mushrooms, olives, and tomatoes.
A dish of Turkey Croquettes is rarely made at home. But at diners that serve turkey every day, it’s the perfect way to use the leftover turkey.
Chicken rillettes is a real French classic. They can also be made with turkey or any other kind of poultry. This recipe is a very easy way of using up some leftover roasted chicken or turkey.
This Turkey Cranberry Salad is a healthy way to use leftover turkey. The recipe is free from gluten and dairy and uses only a little of the natural sweeteners.
This is a quick recipe that uses leftover turkey meat. Red pesto, Parmesan and chili flakes make this leftover Turkey Pasta a tasty lunch or dinner!
This Turkey Thai Curry is the perfect weeknight meal that is a delicious way for using up that leftover turkey. A 20-minute savory dinner dish that you can have ready to serve your family in a hurry.
Tex-Mex Inspired Recipes with Thanksgiving Leftovers
This is a delicious Low Carb Turkey Casserole with cauliflower, cheddar cheese, jalapeno, and Mexican spices. This keto turkey casserole is a comforting meal that takes advantage of the leftover turkey from your holiday feasts.
Thanksgiving turkey leftovers get a lightened lift when you turn them into Leftover Turkey Tacos accompanied with lettuce or other greens.
Turkey Enchiladas are a cheesy baked Mexican-inspired rolled tortilla dish made with leftover turkey, salsa, and a three-cheese blend. They are the perfect way to use up leftover turkey!
When you think of Turkey Nachos, you usually think of ground turkey, which works great, too. But this nacho recipe uses your leftover Thanksgiving turkey in a way that doesn’t scream “leftovers”.
Turkey Mole is the best way to use up leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner. This rich and decadent sauce when mixed with turkey is transformed into something simply amazing.
Mashed Potato Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers
Just between us, I double my mashed potato recipe to make sure I have enough for those at my Thanksgiving meal. They are everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving side dish so I always want to make sure I have enough of this best comfort food for leftover mashed potatoes recipes.
Here are some ways to put them to good use beyond the standard potato balls. You could also use sweet potatoes in some of these recipes for a slightly sweet flavor profile.
Also, there is nothing wrong with making a delicious potato soup with a dollop of sour cream and green onion garnish, but don’t leftover mashed potato pancakes sound more creative? Additionally, Potato Waffles make an entrance here for another delicious Thanksgiving leftovers breakfast idea.
Golden brown mashed potato cakes can be a perfect dish for the main course or served on the side next to leftover turkey and green bean casserole. They are delicious and a bit easier to make than potato croquettes.
This Pesto Potato Biscuit recipe produces healthy vegan biscuits that are soft, fluffy, and flavor-packed. These yeast-free biscuits are a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes or utilize basil from your garden.
This Chocolate Mashed Potato Cake recipe takes leftover mashed potatoes and turns them into a moist chocolate cake that’s so light and fluffy.
Breakfast Ideas with Leftover Mashed Potatoes
If you have leftover mashed potatoes, you will want to make these Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes. Creamy mashed potatoes are loaded up with bacon, cheese, peppers, and onions, and then fried up for some added crispiness.
You’ve made potato pancakes before, but these Leftover Mashed Potato Waffles and Gravy are a new leftover mashed potatoes recipe that’ll be sure to give new life to those leftovers.
Southern Mashed Potato Pancakes, made with leftover mashed potatoes. This versatile recipe can be prepared for breakfast (as a replacement for hash browns), as an appetizer, side dish, or snack.
Creative Ideas for Cranberry Sauce
So, here are some delicious recipes with Thanksgiving leftover cranberry sauce!
You can repurpose leftover cranberry sauce or cranberry relish in so many ways! You can make a delicious spread with cranberry and cream cheese and use it on bagels. Add a simple side of fresh fruit and breakfast is complete!
Another delicious way to use up cranberry sauce is to make a dazzling cranberry vinaigrette dressing by swapping the Dijon mustard out for your leftover cranberry sauce in this salad dressing recipe.
Further, one simple idea is to simply spoon the leftover cranberry sauce on top of vanilla ice cream!
This easy-to-make recipe for Cranberry Bars is a delicious way to use up leftover cranberry sauce! They’re so good, you’ll want to whip up some sauce just to have an excuse to make them.
Apple Cranberry Quesadillas are a great use for your Thanksgiving leftovers! Apple pie filling, cranberry sauce, pecans, and jack cheese combine for a delicious treat.
Combining leftover cranberry sauce with cream cheese, chopped walnuts, and honey makes an easy, no-frills breakfast spread. And is a clever way to repurpose that Thanksgiving leftover cranberry sauce!
Using up leftover cranberry sauce with this Sparkling Cranberry Champagne and Tequila Cocktail.
Use up your leftover cranberry sauce with these Cinnamon Roll Waffles with Maple Cranberry Sauce! With a cinnamon swirl, a touch of sweetness from the maple, and tart berries, this is a dish you won’t soon forget.
And Cranberry Breads
Make the best use of leftover cranberry sauce and whip up these easy Cranberry Sauce Muffins! Not only are these muffins delicious, but they also whip up in one bowl.
This Cranberry Quick Bread recipe uses up leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving.
Use up your leftover cranberry sauce in this sweet treat. Make it into a delicious Cranberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake!
Additionally, this Cranberry Sauce Quick Bread uses homemade cranberry sauce and is gluten-free, vegan, allergy-free, and perfect for breakfast, brunch, a snack, or dessert!
Recipes with Thanksgiving Leftovers: The Stuffing Section
The whole family can enjoy these ideas for extra stuffing. It’s not just for side dishes anymore! Go ahead and top those savory stuffing waffles with a fried egg for a great way to enjoy an easy meal at any time.
These Vegetarian Walnut Sausage and Stuffing Balls are the perfect Thanksgiving or holiday appetizer recipe. They’re full of holiday flavor, easy to make, can be frozen, and are a great way to use up leftover stuffing!
If you wonder what to do with your leftover Thanksgiving stuffing or dressing, these Leftover Stuffing Waffles are the answer and can be topped with an egg or even leftover turkey or gravy.
So, wondering what to make with leftover stuffing? Make these Leftover Stuffing Dumplings for soup!
Delicious Pumpkin Recipes
Looking for a fun way to use up pumpkin pie or extra pumpkin puree? You can certainly use leftover sweet potato casserole in these drinks and desserts as well.
First, are you looking for a tasty pumpkin pie smoothie? This pumpkin spice protein shake is so yummy and full of nutrition.
Second, use up leftover pumpkin puree in this Chinese Pumpkin Cake recipe.
Finally, what do you use leftover pumpkin pie for? A Pumpkin Milkshake is a clear answer!
All-in-One Recipes with Thanksgiving Leftovers
These Thanksgiving leftover recipes are great because they are an easy way to use up so much food.
Beyond the typical recipe that makes one big Thanksgiving leftover casserole, we have empanadas, tacos, and gravy balls that take your leftover turkey day extra food from “not again” to amazing!
Surprisingly, these may very well become your new favorite recipes.
These Turkey Dinner Tacos are super easy to make and are lighter than a big old sandwich.
Use up your post-holiday leftovers with these Thanksgiving Leftovers Gravy Balls! Savory turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes wrapped together in a ball with gravy for dipping.
Wondering what to do with leftover turkey breast the day after Thanksgiving? This EASY Turkey Crostini recipe is made with leftover turkey, brie, bread, and cranberry sauce! It’s like the perfect Thanksgiving meal in one bite!
Bake up these Recipes with Thanksgiving Leftovers
A unique take inspired by a popular Indian tea time snack – Thanksgiving leftovers Bread Rolls.
Make Turkey Empanadas after Thanksgiving. Use this leftovers recipe, and add ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, or dressing/stuffing, and more.
Thanksgiving in a Blanket is the most genius way to eat leftovers as it combines shredded turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce all wrapped in a crescent roll for a simple and delicious way to enjoy your Thanksgiving leftovers the next day!
Leftover Turkey Turnovers are perfect to use all that leftover turkey and stuffing.
Satisfying Soup Recipes with Thanksgiving Leftovers
Get your pressure cooker, slow cooker, or instant pot out and make up some of these new ideas for a delicious soup.
Unquestionably, the best thing about soups is you can use all sorts of holiday leftovers in them. You can add any leftover vegetables to a simple soup and make it a hearty dish. Soups are, in my opinion, the best way to use up all the leftovers from your turkey dinner.
Also, don’t forget, you can make a big batch of stock with the carcass! Take your favorite turkey or chicken stock recipe and cook it up using the turkey carcass. Also, freeze some of the stock in ice cube trays or quart-size bags to use at a later date.
A favorite leftover turkey recipe is this warm and comforting White Bean Leftover Turkey Chili! It’s creamy (without cream), flavorful, and can be on the table in just a little over 30 minutes!
This delicious, hearty, and easy leftover Turkey Soup with potatoes and mushrooms is topped with a generous amount of cheese and served with crusty bread on the side.
Turkey Barley Soup is a great way to use leftover turkey. It takes just 20 minutes to make, it’s nutritious, and it’s the best turkey soup ever!
This leftover turkey soup is topped with croutons made from leftover stuffing.
Loaded with turkey, Cajun sausage, and veggies in a tasty broth. This easy Turkey Gumbo recipe is the perfect way to use your leftover turkey from the holidays!
This super easy Turkey Tortilla Soup is loaded with tons of Mexican flavor and goes great with leftover roasted Thanksgiving turkey! Ready in just 30 minutes, you can’t go wrong with this day-after-holiday recipe.
Gotta Have That Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup
This Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup recipe is a great way to use up leftover turkey. It’s a hearty soup that’s perfect for weeknight dinners any time of the year.
Here is another turkey noodle soup recipe is delicious and hearty. It is the perfect meal to make with your leftover Thanksgiving turkey!
Finally, this Asian Chicken / Turkey Noodle soup uses leftover cooked chicken or Turkey. Throw in some veggies to turn your leftovers into a brand-new meal!
Terrific Turkey Sandwiches
Generally, sandwiches may just be the easiest way to use up leftovers. They are a perfect way to provide a quick, portable, and go-to bite my family loves. But they don’t have to be boring!
Of course, we have the classic turkey sandwich, but we also have sliders, paninis, and even leftover turkey salad recipes to pique your tastebud interest.
Turkey Apple Panini topped with crisp apples, sweet apple butter, slightly salty bacon, and sliced turkey on sourdough bread is the perfect way to use up your leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwich – soft and delicious tomato basil bread, smoked turkey, smoked Gouda cheese, smoked bacon, crispy lettuce, and juicy tomatoes with a signature sauce. Use leftover turkey in place of sliced.
Leftover Turkey Sandwiches are a Thanksgiving staple! They’re perfect for lunch the next day and can be made to fit anyone’s tastes.
This Turkey Banh Mi sandwich is packed with flavor! But what sets this apart from a regular leftover turkey sandwich, is the inclusion of pickled carrots, fresh coriander, fiery red chili (leave out for the kids’ sandwich!), and a tangy salty sauce drizzled over the top of everything.
These easy and delicious Turkey Salad Sandwiches are perfect for your Thanksgiving leftovers!
Some Turkey Sliders to Savor
These Turkey Stuffed Cranberry Sliders are so simple, and you can use the leftovers right from your Thanksgiving dinner, or pick up some sliced turkey breast and a box of stuffing if you simply can’t resist!
Deliciously creative, these Thanksgiving Sliders give leftovers of turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce a place to land, sandwiched between sweet Hawaiian rolls and drizzled with a buttery and savory glaze, all baked to irresistible perfection.
Bonus Recipe
Thanksgiving Leftover Breakfast Casserole
This (fairly) healthy breakfast option is called Southwest Style Thanksgiving Breakfast Leftover Casserole and is a perfect way, and one of the easiest ways, to use up leftovers from your Thanksgiving day meal. The great thing is your friends and family will not realize they are eating leftovers again!
I think this casserole is a great dish to share at breakfast, brunch, lunch, or even dinner! This easy recipe can be changed to your liking to use up even more of your Thanksgiving dinner leftovers.
Try These Recipes with Thanksgiving Leftovers
Basically, don’t let your Thanksgiving leftovers go to waste! Whether you’re looking for a way to change up your breakfast routine or want some new ideas for dinner, we’ve got great ideas and recipes with Thanksgiving leftovers!
These recipes are sure to please even the pickiest of eaters, and they’ll help you use up all of those Thanksgiving leftovers. So what are you waiting for?
Finally, try out some of these recipes and enjoy your food in new and exciting ways. Let me know how it goes in the comments below or on the blog’s social media pages. I can’t wait to hear about your culinary creations this holiday season!
Cheers Y’all!
SHARED WITH…
- Between Naps on the Porch, Metamorphosis Monday #721
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