Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes

These Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes creatively transform your leftover turkey and side dishes into a delicious new creation!

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• Thanksgiving Leftovers
• Leftover Turkey Recipes
• Leftover Mashed Potatoes
• Leftover Cranberry Sauce Recipes
• Leftover Stuffing Recipes
• Leftover Sweet Potato Recipes
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Thanksgiving Leftovers

While I absolutely love Thanksgiving Dinner, I truly look forward to the leftovers.

I am not talking about heating a plate of leftover turkey and mashed potatoes, I am talking about taking that leftover turkey and mashed potatoes and transforming it into a completely new dish.

Because just like many of you, I do NOT want to eat the same thing over and over again.

The recipes I am sharing with you today take your classic Thanksgiving leftovers and turn them into a delicious new creation with minimal effort. Because after a big feast, we don't want to spend hours in the kitchen AGAIN!

Leftover Turkey Recipes

Whether you have leftover roasted turkey, brined turkey, or Instant Pot turkey breast, these recipes prove that while turkey sandwiches are delicious, there are a lot more delicious ways to use leftover turkey.

• Turkey Tetrazzini: There could not be a more classic Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe than Turkey Tetrazzini! This creamy comforting casserole is made with a simple homemade mushroom cream sauce that ensures even dried-out leftover turkey will be delicious.
• Copycat Panera Turkey Sandwich: We can't talk about leftover turkey, without mentioning a turkey sandwich. But there is NOTHING boring about this sandwich. Roasted turkey, sharp cheddar, and thin apple slices are piled on top of Cranberry Walnut Bread for the BEST turkey sandwich you have.
• Leftover Turkey Soup: If you are looking for a completely different flavor profile from Thanksgiving dinner, this recipe for turkey soup is JUST what you are looking for. It comes together with only a few minutes of prep and features a richly spiced, creamy tomato broth, black beans, corn, and green peppers for a soup filled with southwestern flavors.
• Thanksgiving Pizza: If you like BBQ Chicken Pizza, you will love this spin made with leftover turkey and cranberry sauce. It is a little sweet, a little spicy, and incredibly tasty!
• Thanksgiving Turkey Quesadilla: Spread a tortilla with leftover cranberry sauce, and top it with leftover turkey and shredded cheese to make a cheesy turkey quesadilla. This is one of my favorite, simple ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers.
• Turkey and Rice Casserole: Replace the shredded chicken with leftover turkey and enjoy a creamy, cheesy, hearty rice casserole.
• Turkey Club Wraps: Swap out the deli turkey meat for thinly sliced or shredded turkey and this wrap and enjoy a tasty lunch the day after Thanksgiving.
• Thanksgiving Egg Rolls: Now, this fun handheld recipe uses it all! Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy! And hands down is one of the most fun recipes to use up those Thanksgiving leftovers.

Leftover Mashed Potatoes

I inevitably make way too many mashed potatoes! Whether using my recipe for the Ultimate Mashed Potatoes, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, or Crockpot Mashed Potatoes, I often have more than my fair share of leftovers.

Not a problem when you can use leftover mashed potatoes in so many delicious recipes!

• Pierogi Lasagna: If you like pierogi, you will LOVE this Mashed Potato Lasagna! Layers of mashed potatoes between sheets of pasta and then covered in cheese--SO delicious!
• Thanksgiving Egg Rolls: Use turkey AND mashed potatoes in these delicious egg rolls.
• Tater Tot Casserole: Replace the tater tots with leftover mashed potatoes for a quick and easy version of Shepherd's Pie.
• Mashed Potato Cakes: This recipe for Taste of Lizzy's is a classic recipe for fried potato cakes made with leftover mashed potatoes.
• Potato Rolls: Use leftover mashed potatoes to make these light and fluffy Potato Rolls from Life Made Simple.

Leftover Cranberry Sauce Recipes

Cranberry Sauce often gets overlooked or tossed after Thanksgiving Day. But that should not be the case! There are so many delicious ways to use leftover cranberry sauce.

• Baked Brie: Top baked brie with a scoop of leftover cranberry sauce for a delicious, and festive appetizer.
• Sauce for Pancakes and Waffles: Warm 1 cup of leftover cranberry sauce up with ¼-1/2 cup maple syrup and use to serve over waffles or pancakes.
• Topping for Yogurt: Mix a couple of tablespoons of cranberry sauce into plain or vanilla yogurt and top with granola if desired, for a quick yogurt parfait.
• Turkey Quesadilla: Pair sharp cheese, turkey, and cranberry sauce together for a quick, yet tasty leftover Thanksgiving Quesadilla.
• BBQ Turkey Pizza: Mix together cranberry sauce with store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce for the base of the most delicious Turkey Pizza you have ever had!

Leftover Stuffing Recipes

• Thanksgiving Egg Rolls: I have to mention the egg rolls again, not only because they use leftover stuffing, but because they are just so good!
• Croutons: Leftover stuffing makes the MOST flavorful croutons ever! Break up leftover stuffing into small chunks and place onto a greased baking sheet in a single layer. Broil for 2-3 minutes per side until golden. Use the stuffing croutons to add a punch of flavor to your salad.
• Swedish Meatballs: Swedish Meatballs are a great recipe to use leftover stuffing. In place of the bread slices and milk, use 1 cup of leftover stuffing. In fact, the stuffing is packed with tremendous flavor, making the meatballs some of the best you have ever had.

Leftover Sweet Potato Recipes

Whether you have leftover Sweet Potato Casserole or leftover Mashed Sweet Potatoes, these recipes give sweet potatoes a new life.

No leftover sweet potatoes? Use leftover pumpkin pie or pumpkin puree.

• Sweet Potato Waffles: Omit the cinnamon and nutmeg and replace the 2 cups of sweet potato puree with 2 cups of leftover sweet potato casserole--streusel and all! The batter is blended together to create spiced, tender waffles that are so fabulous! These waffles are delicious topped with cranberry sauce or homemade applesauce as well.
• Sweet Potato Pancakes: If waffles aren't your thing, try out these Sweet Potato Pancakes instead! Use the sweet potato casserole or mashed sweet potatoes to replace the sweet potato puree. And once again, these pancakes are delicious topped with cranberry sauce or applesauce.
• Sweet Potato Smoothie: Use sweet potato casserole or leftover pumpkin pie to make a quick smoothie that is the perfect treat!
• Hidden Veggie Quesadilla: Use leftover mashed sweet potatoes or some leftover Baked Butternut Squash to add little veggies to a cheese quesadilla. It is a simple "mom-hack" I use all the time to get in a few extra veggies in my kids' diet.

I hope these Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes gave you the inspiration to put your leftovers to good use! If you have any other creative ideas for leftovers, I would love for you to share them with us all below in the comments.