Thanksgiving is all about the feast: savory stuffing, tangy cranberry sauce, luscious sweet potatoes, and of course, the star of the show, the succulent roasted turkey. But! What do you do with all of the Thanksgiving leftovers!! Let’s be honest, there are only so many turkey sandwiches that I can eat before boredom sets in.
Caleb and I love to make our version of the Capriotti’s Bobby AKA: “Thanksgiving in A Bun.” I love picking the best pieces of dark turkey meat, lathering cranberry sauce on a lightly toasted biscuit with a bit of mayo, and a scoop of stuffing! My mouth is watering right now. Oh, my!! It is so delish!!
Digging into the inevitably copious leftovers is a next-day indulgence that I would say sometimes tops the main meal! Thanksgiving leftovers do not have to add stress to your post-Thanksgiving meal!
I love being creative with our Thanksgiving leftovers and giving one or all of these inspired recipes a try! I am sure you and your family will thank you for making one or all of these Thanksgiving leftover dishes! Enjoy!! And, Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you!
1. Thanksgiving Leftovers Panini
Your basic turkey sandwich gets a delicious upgrade with crispy sourdough bread, melty Swiss cheese, and a touch of Dijon from Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman. No panini press? Use a grill pan or skillet and a second heavy pan to press your tasty sandwich.
2. Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Spinach, turkey, and cranberry sauce drizzled with tasty cinnamon tahini make these stuffed sweet potatoes from Eat the Gains Whole 30 and paleo approved! I need this in my life – not just around Thanksgiving, but all year round!!
3. Stuffing Waffles
A treat from Serious Eats; turn your leftover stuffing into crispy Belgian waffles. Make it sweet and savory with a dash of pure maple syrup, or go for it: sub these crispy delights for bread and dig into the best turkey sandwich ever. This idea is brilliant!
4. Fresh and Healthy Chopped Salad
After all the feasting, you’ll be craving a lighter option. Pepitas, goat cheese, and pomegranate seeds brighten up turkey and butternut squash in this fresh idea from Cookies & Cups.
5. Easy Turkey Quinoa Bowls
This good-for-you quinoa bowl from Delicious Little Bites is a snap with leftover turkey, cranberry, and sweet potatoes.
6. Three-Cheese Turkey, Cranberry, and Sage Quesadilla
A little bit of cheesy goodness turns your leftovers into ooey-gooey quesadillas from The Cookie Rookie. Yummo!!
7. Leftover Turkey and Stuffing Muffins
Turkey may get star billing but many would agree: it’s the stuffing we crave. Just a Taste has a great recipe for stuffing muffins that are topped with tangy cranberry sauce.
8. Thanksgiving Leftover Pop-Tarts
Forget the boring sandwich. The Butter Half created a kid-favorite flaky savory pastry stuffed with turkey, mashed potatoes stuffing, and cranberry sauce.
9. Skillet Chicken Pot Pie (Swap the Chicken for Turkey!)
So, Jess from Plays Well With Butter + also a dear friend, knows that I am the BIGGEST pot pie fan. So when she created an easy skillet version, I died and went to pot pie heaven! You can swap out the chicken with your leftover Thanksgiving day turkey to make Skillet Turkey Pot Pie! So genius!
10. Cran Sorbet
Thanksgiving is not complete without cranberry sauce, whether you opt for the old-school canned version or go gourmet with homemade. What to do with the predictable remainders? Why not transform them into a sweet frozen treat from the Cooking Channel. How fun! I love this idea for a Thanksgiving leftover – it is such a twist!
Lemme know what YOU like doing with your Thanksgiving Day Leftovers!
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