Delicious Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas
What to make with Thanksgiving Leftovers
The best part about Thanksgiving dinner to me are the LEFTOVERS. Leftover turkey, leftover stuffing, leftover mashed potatoes and gravy, leftover cranberry sauce. If you're like me, there's probably enough to feed your family for at least several more days, however, they're gonna get bored with the same thing day in and out.
Here's some of my favorite ways to transform your Thanksgiving leftovers into something completely different, starting with leftover turkey ideas.
Once you've picked away at the carcass, use the leftover bones, skin and any other remnants to make your own homemade turkey stock. This rich, velvety stock is like liquid gold and makes the best soups and stews. We love that this recipe uses up every last drop of your holiday bird.
Transform turkey leftovers with the Southwestern flavors in this simple casserole. This recipe uses a chili and cumin spiked sauce, diced Hatch chiles, tomatoes, plenty of cheese and chunks of leftover turkey tossed with tender pasta in a baked hot dish that tastes nothing like Thanksgiving. The buttered breadcrumb topping adds just the right crunch.
You won't recognize your turkey leftovers in these breakfast sliders. Topped with scrambled eggs, melty cheese, proscuitto, mashed avocado and a thick slice of ripe tomato, this is the post-Thanksgiving breakfast that dreams are made of. Use those soft Hawaiian rolls and bake these like a casserole in the oven. Our tasters DEVOURED them.
Turn your leftover roasted root vegetables into a creamy, luxurious soup for lunches or light dinners. This delicious blend can be made with a variety of root vegetables, squash, and aromatics. Check out the recipe for our favorites as well as veggies to avoid.
Kids love this classic leftover turkey alphabet soup. It's filled with fresh veggies, big chunks of turkey and tender alphabet pasta. Want to go all the way? Sprinkle a few fried oyster crackers over the top and serve it with a grilled cheese!
This thick, creamy turkey bean soup is healthy and flavorful. Made with dried white beans and the turkey carcass it makes a big pot of delicious soup that's great for lunches or an easy supper with one of your leftover Thanksgiving rolls.
This is less of a recipe and more of a "hangry breakfast idea" but it SO WORKS! Use leftover Thanksgiving stuffing to create a crusty hash by crisping it in a skillet with a little olive oil. Top the hash with a sunny side up egg and bask in the glory of this simple breakfast. Best with a bloody mary or bubbly prosecco beverage.
Our family loves pot pies, especially when they're topped with flaky biscuits. This turkey pot pie is made in a large casserole dish with a savory turkey and vegetable filling, plenty of saucy gravy and the best buttery, pepper-spiked biscuits. Use frozen pearl onions - or toss in any leftover onions and veggies from your holiday meal.
This creamy turkey vegetable soup isn't overly indulgent with just enough heavy cream to give the homemade turkey broth a velvety mouth feel. We love this leftover turkey soup with mushrooms, potato, carrots and green beans. A bit of fresh tarragon and other herbs brighten the flavors.
I could eat this ham and vegetable soup every day because the flavors and textures make me crave bite after bite. Use leftover Thanksgiving ham, add some barley for heft and stir in a fresh, herbal pistou just before enjoying a bowl. Try this with a crusty piece of bread and glass of wine for a simple, delicious dinner.
If noodles are your thing, this Tuscan inspired turkey tortellini soup with pillows of cheese stuffed pasta is a real treat. Serve this easy soup with freshly grated parmesan cheese and hot popovers.
What do you do with leftover cranberry sauce? How about making a coffee cake the next day? If you're hosting family for Thanksgiving WEEKEND, you'll love being able to put leftover cranberry sauce to good use in this moist, sweet tart coffee cake. This one has a white chocolate "glaze" and toasted almonds, but you can use a simple powdered sugar glaze too.
For feeding friends and family the day after Thanksgiving, use up leftover ham with these amazing Angel Flake biscuits and apricot butter. The yeasty rolls are soft, flaky and buttery and contain no salt -- that's what the ham is for! We like to have these for special weekend brunches and no one can resist these bite-sized temptations.
We rarely run into an occasion where there's leftover mashed potatoes, except perhaps at Thanksgiving when we might have over-estimated everyone's appetites. Turn those humble spuds into a decadent potato and blue cheese soufflé to serve with something completely different -- like a good filet mignon with bordelaise sauce. Why not celebrate the whole holiday weekend, right?!
Does your family celebrate Thanksgiving with turkey AND ham? Then this is what to do with leftover ham and ham bones! Classic split pea soup. It's creamy, flavorful and this is actually one of the most popular recipes here at Garlic & Zest.
What if you've got more pumpkin pie filling than pies? How about making leftover pumpkin custard brûlées? This simple baked custard with crackly caramelized sugar top is festive and delicious.
If you're looking for healthy recipes to use up your leftover holiday ham, this quinoa, black bean and smoky green chile soup is always a hit. It's easy to make with canned beans and everyday veggies.
Use chunks of leftover Thanksgiving ham and any leftover veggies along with smoky Hatch chiles in this savory, Southwestern hot dish. It has tender shell-shaped pasta and an irresistible buttered breadcrumb topping. Great with a chilled glass of white wine.
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