It’s the day after Thanksgiving, and you’ve still got endless amounts of turkey on hand. Here are some ideas to turn those Turkey Day leftovers into delicious next-day dishes.
Turkey
Pot Pie
Use a prepared pie crust to make the ultimate comfort food dish using shredded turkey and veggies like peas, carrots and potatoes.
Elevated Turkey Sandwich
Turkey sandwiches can be as gourmet as you want them to. Try a combo of turkey, arugula, brie and apples for a salty-sweet balance.
Frittata
Breakfast is served! Use leftover turkey in an egg skillet and add your favorite cheese (and veggies) for a flavorful breakfast.
Noodle Soup
Swap chicken for turkey to make this classic noodle soup. It’s warm, comforting and perfect for the cooler nights.
Panini
You can use several leftovers — turkey, cranberry sauce and gravy — in this super-stuffed grilled sandwich.
Shepherd’s Pie
A traditional shepherd’s pie is usually made with ground beef or lamb, but this turkey version is a little lighter.
BLT Salad
Add turkey (instead of chicken) to a BLT salad. Or, you can enjoy this in sandwich form.
Chili
Make your favorite chili recipe even more robust by adding turkey.
Stuffing
Waffles
Use leftover stuffing as waffle batter and top off your breakfast with a scoop of mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce.
Arancini
These deep-fried fritters are sure to be a hit. Use an ice cream scoop to roll stuffing into balls, then dip in flour, egg wash and panko. Fry in neutral oil and enjoy while hot.
Stuffed Mushrooms
Fill portobello mushrooms with leftover stuffing and top with grated Parmesan cheese for an easy appetizer.
Quiche
Combine turkey, stuffing and cheddar to make a buttery quiche, which can be served as breakfast or lunch.
Patties
Use a cookie cutter to make stuffing patties, and butter in a skillet to fry them. Add to any sandwich, croissant or slice of bread to take Thanksgiving leftovers to the next level.
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Potato Pizza
Consider this a fun twist on a white pizza. With potatoes as the tomato sauce, it’s a full-on carb fest. Simply add garlic, basil, mozzarella and any preferred toppings.
Potato Cakes
Use mashed potatoes to make crispy potato cakes. Feeling extra? Make an eggs Benedict using these potato cakes instead of typical English muffins.
Soup
You can easily make baked potato soup out of leftover mashed potatoes. You’ll just need butter, flour, onions and milk (bacon and cheddar optional).
Pumpkin Pie
S’mores
Tired of pumpkin pie in its traditional form? Make s’mores with a square-shaped piece of pie sandwiched between two graham crackers, a marshmallow and a piece of melted chocolate for the ultimate treat.
Smoothies
Store leftover pumpkin pie filling in the freezer to whip up a pumpkin smoothie when the weather gets warmer.
Ravioli
Turn extra pumpkin purée into something savory by stuffing into wonton wrappers to make pumpkin ravioli.
Pumpkin-Chocolate Brownies
Have leftover pumpkin pie filling? Combine with chocolate chips and your favorite brownie recipe to create an entirely new dessert.
Other Sides
Mac and Cheese
Roasted butternut squash is a cozy, comforting fall side dish, but you can turn leftovers into a base for a delectable macaroni and cheese.
Cranberry Brie Bites
Combine leftover cranberry with melty brie and puff pastry to make this craveable holiday appetizer. Or, you can do a baked brie with gooey cranberry topping.
Oatmeal
Use leftover cranberry sauce as an oatmeal topping, and add some walnuts or pecans for texture.
