Leftover cranberry sauce and turkey are transformed into the perfect sweet and spicy base for a BBQ Turkey Pizza. This creative Thanksgiving Pizza recipe is the tastiest way to reinvent leftovers.
While there is nothing wrong with Roast Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, and Sweet Potato Casserole, transforming those leftovers into something new and interesting. like this BBQ Pizza, is what makes my taste buds most excited.
Pizza is a Friday night tradition in our house.
To me, pizza is a fabulous way to re-purpose leftovers. You can take a few leftovers and transform them into a filling and fun dinner for your family.
And with Thanksgiving being on a Thursday and pizza night being on a Friday, a Leftover Thanksgiving pizza just makes sense.
My spin on a BBQ Chicken Pizza is the ULTIMATE way to recreate leftovers!
Leftover cranberry sauce makes a perfect base for a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce. And that BBQ sauce becomes the perfect topping for a Turkey Pizza.
How to make Thanksgiving Pizza
- Prepare the cranberry BBQ sauce by combining leftover cranberry sauce, with barbecue sauce, and chipotle peppers in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Roll out a homemade pizza crust or store-bought crust into a 12-inch circle.
- Spread cranberry barbecue sauce evenly over crust.
- Spread leftover turkey, evenly over the sauce.
- Top generously with shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
- Bake at 425 degrees until cheese is melted and crust is browned.
Notes On Thanksgiving Pizza
- You can use store-bought pizza dough in place of homemade dough.
- Both leftover chicken and turkey work in this recipe for BBQ Pizza.
- If you don't have leftover cranberry sauce or barbecue sauce make your own in one step by combining ½ cup fresh cranberries, ½ cup tomato sauce, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, and 1 tablespoon Chipolte sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce and cook for 20 minutes, or until reduced.
- An even easier short-cut to making Cranberry BBQ Sauce is to simmer ½ cup fresh cranberries, 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce together until cranberries have burst--about 20 minutes.
- You can also just omit the cranberries and use your favorite barbecue sauce for a BBQ Chicken or Turkey Pizza.
- Cheddar cheese, Colby jack, sharp white cheddar, and even Gouda cheese are great options for the cheese on this pizza.
- You can make this BBQ Chicken Pizza, gluten-free by using this Gluten-Free Pizza Crust from Gluten-Free on a Shoestring.
More Leftover Thanksgiving Recipes
- Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Waffles
- Thanksgiving Egg Rolls
- Pierogi Lasagna
- Southwest Turkey Soup
- Copycat Panera Roasted Turkey, Apple, and Cheddar Sandwich
Thanksgiving Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 pound Pizza Dough
- ¼ cup leftover cranberry sauce
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce
- 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobe sauce
- 1 cup leftover diced chicken or turkey
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Combine leftover cranberry sauce, barbecue sauce, and the chipotle together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-inch circle. Top with dough with a thin layer of the prepared cranberry barbecue sauce. Cover the sauce with a layer of leftover shredded turkey and then generously top with the shredded cheese.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is browned.
Notes
Nutrition
Karly
I LOVE this! Such a good idea to mesh the cranberry and bbq flavors- but on a pizza?! Genius.
Kristen Chidsey
Isn't it a fun mash-up?
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook
I'm now regretting that we didn't have cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving...
Kristen Chidsey
LOL!!! Next year for sure!! Of maybe you need to make some sauce now 😉
Eileen
Turning leftovers into pizza topping is genius!
Kristen Chidsey
It is pretty fun and tasty!
Michelle
I'm collecting recipes for my turkey leftovers...this looks wonderful! I'll use chicken when we run out, but I'm going to enjoy the turkey while it lasts!
Kristen Chidsey
I am going to enjoy the turkey as well while it lasts! Enjoy this recipe Michelle. The BBQ suace is so fun!
Caroline
You know, I'd been thinking about making a cranberry BBQ sauce but not to then go with leftover turkey on a pizza - love this idea!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks Caroline! I am so happy I inspired you to think of a new way to use your sauce 🙂
Hezzi-D
This sounds amazing! I would never have thought to repurpose cranberry sauce into a pizza sauce and top it with turkey! Love this idea!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks Hezzi! It is a great way to use up more than one leftover 🙂
Liz
What a fabulous pizza! I think this could be a new post-Thanksgiving tradition!!
Kristen Chidsey
I think it SHOULD be a new post-Thanksgiving tradition!
Cindy Kerschner
Love that smoky flavor!