What to Do With Leftover Thanksgiving Food

While reliving the big family feast the day after Thanksgiving is fun, getting creative with your leftovers is a great way to shake up the long holiday weekend. Whether you want to make a delicious fall breakfast, a transformative dinner or quick snacks, the leftover Thanksgiving food ideas are endless! Here are 14 dishes you can try this year. 

1. Leftover Turkey and Stuffing Reubens 

Leftover turkey and stuffing reubens can be a classic favorite after Thanksgiving as an at-home lunchtime meal. This dish involves buttering bread slices and topping them with Russian dressing, stuffing, cheese, sliced turkey and more cheese before placing them on the stove or in the oven to cook until golden brown. Feel free to season the sandwiches as you like. Salt and pepper usually do the trick. 

2. Mashed Potato Pizza 

This pizza uses mashed potatoes instead of the usual tomato sauce base. It's topped with mozzarella, leek, basil, bacon bits and garlic. Be sure to fry the bacon in a pan until short of being crisp. You should then drizzle oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on the dough before putting it in the oven to cook. Top the base with all your ingredients and place it in the oven again to finish.

3. Turkey and Stuffing Quiche 

This recipe uses leftover turkey and stuffing as the filling for a delicious quiche. Bake your crust as you usually would before placing chopped leftover turkey and crumbled leftover stuffing in the par-baked shell. Sprinkle some cheddar and parsley and pour some custard on the top before placing it in the oven to bake. This custard can be made with eggs, half-and-half, salt, pepper and nutmeg. 

4. Friendsgiving Nachos 

If you're having a Friendsgiving celebration after Thanksgiving, these nachos are a great way to put those leftovers to use. This recipe requires laying a bed of nacho chips in a baking tray. Dollop a few spoonfuls of mashed potatoes over the chips and sprinkle with shredded turkey, leftover stuffing, brussel sprouts and cheddar. Bake this in the oven until the cheese has melted. Top this off with some cranberry sauce, sour cream, cilantro and jalapenos. 

5. Pumpkin Mac and Cheese 

Extra pumpkin puree from Thanksgiving can be an excellent ingredient for a creamy mac and cheese dish. The rich, cheesy sauce includes butter, grated onion, flour, nutmeg, salt, pepper, cayenne, mustard, milk, pumpkin puree and shredded cheese. This is then mixed with pasta and topped with toasted panko bread crumbs and crumbled sage. 

6. Mashed Potato Pancakes 

This savory pancake is a delightful crispy treat that only takes a few steps. Simply mix your mashed potatoes with flour, egg, cheese, finely chopped green onion, salt and pepper. Shape your mixture into portions the size of pancakes and cover each with panko bread crumbs before frying them in a pan until golden brown. Serve these while they're hot with a refreshing sour cream dip. 

7. Stuffing Waffles 

Waffles made with leftover stuffing make for a great dinner or daytime snack. Mix your stuffing together with parsley and eggs and cook in a waffle iron until crispy and golden. Top this with mashed potatoes, gravy and some cranberry sauce. Before you know it, this filling, savory dish might become your next post-Thanksgiving go-to recipe. 

8. Pumpkin Spice Latte Overnight Oats 

This overnight oats recipe is a rich and delicious breakfast idea for the days following Thanksgiving. The only leftover ingredient you need is pumpkin puree. You'll mix this with milk, oats, chia seeds, maple syrup, brown sugar, espresso powder, vanilla and pie spice. Allow these ingredients to soak for a few hours or overnight and a dollop with yogurt before serving. Overnight oats can typically last in the fridge for three to five days when kept in an airtight container. 

9. Butternut Squash Lasagna 

If you served butternut squash as a side for your Thanksgiving meal, you can use the extras to make a creamy sauce for a fall lasagna. The roasted butternut squash sauce includes sage leaves, butternut squash, salt, pepper and olive oil blended until smooth. This is layered with lasagna sheets, leftover Thanksgiving meat, mozzarella slices and a spinach, cottage cheese and parmesan mixture.

10. Leftover Brussels Sprout Hash 

Repurpose your Thanksgiving vegetables and ham with a breakfast hash. This crispy and flavorful breakfast idea involves roasting Brussels sprouts, ham, garlic and shredded sweet potatoes in a sheet pan until they are crisp and caramelized. Top this with a runny fried egg for a more filling meal. 

11. Leftover Chicken or Turkey Enchiladas 

Whether you make it with leftover chicken or turkey, enchiladas are a great family dinner option your family will love. The tortillas are filled with a mixture of shredded chicken or turkey, tomato-based enchilada sauce and cheese. You can pack these in a baking dish and top them with the enchilada sauce and more cheese. Bake in the oven until the cheese melts, then top with chopped tomato, cilantro, jalapeno slices and a dollop of sour cream. 

12. Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole 

This casserole dish includes leftover turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans and gravy. First, cook leftover vegetables and shredded turkey into a broth and milk-based gravy. Then, layer them however you prefer. For example, you might want the turkey mixture at the bottom, topped with mashed potatoes, cheese and then stuffing. Or you might prefer the bottom layer to be the stuffing, with the turkey mixture poured over and mashed potatoes and cheese on the top. Pop this in the oven and top the casserole with some gravy or cranberry sauce. 

13. Leftover Turkey Salad 

If you're looking for something light, a Thanksgiving leftover salad can be a great simple lunch recipe. Mix lettuce, leftover veggies, turkey slices, toasted stuffing and dried cranberries in a bowl, and you're ready to go! You can enhance the salad by making a vinaigrette. This is a mixture of cranberry sauce, orange juice, honey, oil, vinegar, thyme, salt and red pepper flakes. 

14. Turkey Noodle Soup 

Spice up the traditional chicken noodle soup by adding some shredded turkey pieces instead. For a really flavorful blend, it helps to make homemade turkey broth with leftover turkey bones. Otherwise, a low-sodium chicken broth will still do the trick. 

Simply cook celery, carrots, onions and leeks in a pot with some seasoning until soft. Then, add your broth, water, red pepper flakes, oregano and egg noodles. Boil until the noodles are cooked before adding shredded leftover turkey. 

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