12 Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes: Re-Purposing That Turkey Into Even BETTER Meals
Despite eating more than you normally do at the Thanksgiving table, leftovers are inevitable. The abundance of the feast translates into a bounty of Thanksgiving leftovers, particularly of turkey, cranberry relish, and mashed potatoes. Instead of eating them as they are, encourage yourself to create more inspired dishes, using the following 12 Thanksgiving leftover recipes as inspiration!
12 Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes
1. Turkey Stock
Turkey is perhaps the most common among Thanksgiving leftovers. With all those bones, tissues, and uneaten meat left, make a stock that you can freeze and use all year round.
Take a few slices of turkey and pair it with the likes of basil pesto, Swiss cheese, tomatoes, avocados, and bacon. The result? Need I answer?
3. Turkey Soup
Soup is an easy way to use turkey leftovers to their fullest. It also makes for a welcome light meal in the aftermath of excess often characteristic of Thanksgiving dinner.
4. Turkey Hash
It’s the day after Thanksgiving and what do you wake up to? More turkey! This wholesome breakfast or brunch centerpiece also features leftover roasted Brussels sprouts and gravy!
Turkey is the perfect complement to these quesadillas. All you need are a few more ingredients – cheddar cheese, flour tortillas, green chilies, and vegetable oil – and you’ve got yourself an easy-to-make, ooey-gooey delicious meal.
6. Peanut Butter and Cranberry Relish Sandwich
Leftover relish is the perfect stand-in for regular jelly in a PB&J sandwich. It also makes the sandwich a lot more unique and festive. You don’t need a recipe that spells out how to put this one together. Simply slather one side of two bread slices with peanut butter and cranberry relish, respectively. Place the peanut butter and cranberry relish sides together, slice the sandwich, and enjoy.
Cranberry relish isn’t just for spreading – it’s also for sprucing up otherwise uninspired recipes. Cranberry relish adds a tangy and tart twist to your morning muffins recipe.
Stack cranberry relish in a parfait cup with Greek yogurt, walnuts, and honey. You can enjoy the parfait for breakfast or as a cool and light snack. Use sugar-free relish if possible in order to cut down on the white sugar calories and empty nutrition.
Turn creamy mashed potatoes into bite-sized delights with this fun recipe. Mixed with cheese and baked in a mini muffin tray, these mashed potato puffs are then garnished with chives and enjoyed aside sour cream. Yum!
10. Mashed Potato Stuffed Mushrooms
Mushrooms are the perfect vessel for consuming mashed potatoes. They hold their own and balance the creamy lightness of the potatoes with an earthy and a dense base.
11. Mashed Potato Scallion Cakes
These pancake-like cakes are a savory alternative to your usually sweet breakfast. Scallions offer a more complex and crave-worthy flavor to the dish.
Turn mashed potatoes into an even heartier dish with this recipe. The mashed potatoes are mixed with cream, butter, and salt and pepper and then scooped over a ground meat filling. After baking, the mashed potatoes reveal a crisp surface and a decadent center.
Related on Organic Authority
Thanksgiving Meal Leftovers: 5 Tips for Safe and Tasty Food Storage
Turkey Leftovers for Thanksgiving and Beyond
Gobble Up Food Waste: 10 Ways to Use Your Leftover Turkey
Roasted Turkey Image, Turkey Soup Image, Baked Cranberry Muffins Image, Cottage Pie Image from Shutterstock
