Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes (2024)

Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes – Transform your Thanksgiving Leftovers into a delicious pasta dinner, soup, appetizer, or just a snack!Use your remaining turkey, mashed potatoes, and squash to cook up some of our favorite comfort foods.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes (1)

Thanksgivingdinner is the meal that keeps on giving, day after day. (Thank goodness!!) For that reason, my advice is to take theseleftoverrecipes and use up your mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and turkey, in the most delicious ways.

By the way, HELLO and Happy Black Fridaaaaay! How was your Thanksgiving? Any arguments, hugs, proposals?! DO tell! AND, yes, I AM shouting. I am excited for all of us because, A) we’re shopping and B) we’re about to enjoy Thanksgiving Leftovers for 3 days! I live for this.

First, let’s start with taking care of that leftover TURKEY.

    Turkey Corn Chowder

    This is just a one-pot, 30-minute-deal meal, with rave reviews. Make this delicious and hearty, quick-cooking chowder, loaded with turkey and corn, asap.

    Leftover Turkey Soup Recipe with Orzo and Spinach

    Delicious and hearty soup loaded with tomatoes, spinach, orzo pasta, and turkey meat. Make a pot of this healthy and easy soup with your Thanksgiving leftovers.

    Leftover Turkey Salad Sandwiches

    Make these crunchy and delicious turkey salad sandwiches with leftover Thanksgiving turkey, dried cranberries, and celery.

    Ground Turkey Black Bean Enchiladas

    Loaded with turkey and black beans, these saucy, cheesy enchiladas are super easy to make and are always everyone’sfavorite! Use shredded turkey meat in place of ground turkey.

    Turkey Tetrazzini with Fettuccine

    This is my husband’s favorite. The dude couldn’t care less for turkey meat, but toss it in with some creamy pasta, and he’s all in, head first.

    Turkey Casserole and Wild Rice Casserole

    Hearty and flavorful Turkey Casserole prepared with a wild rice blend, mushrooms, cream, and melty cheese. It’s easy, it’s delicious, and it’s one of the best meals to create with those Thanksgiving leftovers.

    Turkey Frittata

    This simple Leftover Turkey Frittata with spinach and mozzarella is easy to make, is gluten-free, and bursting with an abundance of flavors.

    Moving on along to our super favorite side dish: leftover CRANBERRY SAUCE

    Cranberry Turkey Quesadillas

    This recipe combines both, sweet, tart cranberry sauce and tender turkey meat tucked inside melty, cheesy quesadillas. Kids love ’em!

    Pumpkin Pancakes with Cranberry Maple Syrup

    What do you think about having some Pumpkin Pancakes topped with an awesome Cranberry Maple Syrup?? They are SO GOOD!

    Also, here’s a perfect appetizer to serve with some of that cranberry sauce:

    Cranberry Sauce Topped Baked Brie!

    In fact, I served this yesterday right after dinner with the few tablespoons of sauce that was left-over. Honestly, it was gone a minute or two after I set it on the table.

    Finally, what are we going to do with those leftover MASHED POTATOES?!

    Cheesy Potato Waffles

    Delicious, cheesy, and savory waffles prepared with Thanksgiving leftover mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese.

    Spinach and Garlic Potato Patties

    Made with a mixture of mashed potatoes, spinach, and garlic, I bet you these patties will make it to your weekly meal rotation, scouts Honor.

    Got some Mashed Sweet Potatoes to take care of?! I’m looking at this Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

    This will be tomorrow’s din din, and I am really looking forward to it. It’s just layers of meat and veggies topped with sweet potato mash. In.credible!

    Are you dealing with a surplus of butternut squash?!

    You need to try this Crock Pot Butternut Squash with Apples side dish! OR, this Butternut Squash and Spinach Pie.

    Butternut Squash Soup

    Simply the BEST EVER Butternut Squash Soup! With just a tad bit of tweaking – adding your leftover cooked squash at the end of the sauté part instead of the beginning – you’ll be just a few ingredients away from this incredibly delicious, comforting, and healthy soup.

    I think that should just about cover it. Right? If you have any other ideas OR if you need help with anything else, please leave me a comment! I’m pretty sure we can find something in the thousand recipes that I’ve shared with you these past 6+ years. 😀

    Have a great weekend ahead, don’t spend all your money, and remember to eat all of the above. It’s the Holidays – wear your stretchy pants. XO

    ENJOY!

    Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes (17)

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    Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes (2024)

    FAQs

    What is made from Thanksgiving leftovers? ›

    Instead, try turning your leftovers into a casserole, like our turkey divan, our chicken stuffing casserole, or our turkey pot pie; a soup, like our turkey noodle soup, our leftover turkey & wild rice soup, or our homemade turkey stock (made from your turkey carcass); or something lighter or more flavorful than before, ...

    How many days after Thanksgiving can you eat leftovers? ›

    How long do the turkey and trimmings stay safe in the refrigerator or freezer? The answer is simple: leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days. This means you have until the Monday after Thanksgiving to eat all those delicious leftovers or place them in the freezer to enjoy later.

    What should you do with leftovers from Thanksgiving that has sat out for longer than 2 hours? ›

    If foods have been left out for more than two hours, discard items to prevent foodborne illness.

    How do I get the most out of my leftovers? ›

    Here are some ideas to help with that:
    1. Rice + veggies + eggs = fried rice.
    2. Roast chicken leftovers = chicken salad.
    3. Turn soup into a casserole.
    4. Turn leftovers into tacos or burritos.
    5. Make a pizza.
    6. Whip up a frittata or quiche.
    7. Combine veggies, starch, and protein for a hash.
    Oct 23, 2023

    What are 4 commonly consumed foods at Thanksgiving other than turkey? ›

    Cornish game hen, goose, duck, ham, beef, salmon, and mushroom recipes make worthy centerpieces for holiday meals.

    What foods make great leftovers? ›

    • Meatloaf. Though meatloaf is often restricted to the weeknight dinner table, it is a powerhouse leftover. ...
    • Lasagna. Sure, there's nothing better than lasagna coming out of the oven hot with bubbling cheese. ...
    • Pulled Pork. ...
    • Beef Stew. ...
    • Chili. ...
    • Frittatas, Quiches and Tarts.

    What is the 2 2 2 rule for leftovers? ›

    Non-profit organisation Love Food, Hate Waste recommends the 2:2:2 rule. Two hours to get them in the fridge. Two days to eat them once they're in there. Or freeze them for up to two months.

    Can you eat stuffing after 5 days? ›

    If stuffing is prepared ahead of time, it must be either frozen or cooked immediately. To use cooked stuffing later, cool in shallow containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours. Use it within 3 to 4 days.

    Can I eat cooked turkey after 5 days? ›

    USDA recommends using cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. Turkey can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer.

    What are the rules for leftovers? ›

    Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within two hours of preparation (or one hour on days over 90º F) to reduce the chance of bacteria growing. Any perishable foods sitting out at room temperature for longer than two hours should be discarded. Leftovers can also be immediately frozen for reheating later.

    What leftovers last the longest? ›

    How Long to Store Leftovers
    Type of FoodFridgeFreezer
    Fried chicken3 to 4 days4 months
    Rotisserie chicken3 to 4 days4 months
    Deli meat3 to 5 days1 month
    Egg casseroles3 to 4 days2 to 3 months
    25 more rows
    Jan 29, 2024

    Can you eat leftover Thanksgiving turkey cold? ›

    Remember, every time they're removed from the refrigerator, it gives pathogens an opportunity to grow. Your leftover turkey sandwich is fine cold, if you cooked it properly the first time.

    How to make leftovers taste better? ›

    1. First things first — don't reheat your food in the microwave. ...
    2. If you do choose to microwave your food, make sure to store leftovers in high-quality containers. ...
    3. To avoid dryness, add moisture to your leftovers before heating them up. ...
    4. GIve your leftovers an extra kick of flavor by adding spices.
    Nov 25, 2020

    How to get creative with leftovers? ›

    Think “ingredients,” not “leftovers.”

    Turn extra pasta or cooked vegetables into a frittata. Blend cooked vegetables with a can of whole tomatoes and create a veggie-packed sauce for pasta. Create burritos with leftover cooked rice, meat and vegetables, and top them with sour cream and salsa.

    What is the leftovers strategy? ›

    For quicker cooling, separate big amounts of leftovers into shallow 2-inch containers and cut large pieces of food into smaller pieces. Food should always be covered or in a storage container with a lid sealed to slow the growth of bacteria.

    What invention was the result of Thanksgiving leftovers? ›

    TV dinners were invented thanks to Thanksgiving leftovers, and 22 other delicious Thanksgiving food facts.

    Do Americans prefer Thanksgiving leftovers? ›

    I'm the leftover king in our house, so I indulged on Mr. Turkey and sides for several more meals, none quite as good as the first, in my opinion. Apparently I'm in the minority, as this poll reported that 80 percent of Americans prefer the leftover version.

    What is the day after Thanksgiving usually called? ›

    Black Friday, the day following Thanksgiving, has evolved into one of the busiest shopping days in the United States. Contrary to popular belief that the term originated from businesses going from "in the red" to "in the black" in profits after Thanksgiving, it actually traces back to 1960s Philadelphia.

    What are 3 foods that are eaten on Thanksgiving? ›

    Millions of people across the United States will sit down to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including turkey, potatoes, squash, corn, and cranberries.

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