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45 Delicious Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes

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August 18, 2022 By Lisa Sharp 4 Comments

Don’t throw out your Thanksgiving leftovers. Save them to create these Thanksgiving leftover recipes. There are so many delicious options you will enjoy unique dishes for days!

Americans throw away around 200 million pounds of edible turkey meat at Thanksgiving, that’s about 35 percent of edible turkey meat. That’s around $282 million worth of meat! And think of all the sides that are wasted as well.

Considering the history of Thanksgiving and how starvation and lack of food played such a big role, it’s almost ironic how many Thanksgiving leftovers we now waste.

Reducing food waste is something I’m always working on. I feel such guilt when I waste food considering the resources and money needed for that food, plus knowing so many are going hungry.

We spend a lot of money on Thanksgiving and soon Christmas will be here, this isn’t a time to be wasteful. When you instead use Thanksgiving leftover recipes you save money and get to enjoy the delicious food longer.

Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting you eat the same meal for days. There are great ways to use your Thanksgiving leftovers in new and delicious ways.

Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes

Leftover Turkey

Use these delicious turkey recipes to use up all of that turkey meat you have leftover. These recipes can also be used with chicken and some can use ham.

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pesto Panini

Photo Credit: damndelicious.net

This loaded panini is one of the perfect ways to use up your leftover Thanksgiving turkey!

Easy Turkey Pot Pie Recipe

This simple pot pie can use leftover turkey, chicken, or ham. Be sure to throw in some leftover veggies as well.

SAVORY CREPES with THANKSGIVING TURKEY & STUFFING

Photo Credit: butterwithasideofbread.com

Looking for a breakfast that not only tastes great but also helps to clear out some of the Thanksgiving leftovers in the fridge? These Savory Crepes with Turkey and Stuffing are fantastic additions to the menu!

Thanksgiving Leftovers Crescent Dough Bombs

Photo Credit: www.sizzlingeats.com

Need an easy recipe to use up some of your Thanksgiving leftovers? These Thanksgiving Crescent Dough Bombs are the perfect baked lunch or appetizer recipe to use up leftover turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and sweet potato casserole.

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pizza

Photo Credit: www.bakedbyrachel.com

Homemade pizza crust topped off with mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, and more!

Leftover Turkey Recipe

Photo Credit: cookthestory.com

This Leftover Turkey Pho Recipe is ready in under 15 minutes but you’d never know it. It has a huge depth of flavor, just like traditional Pho.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Quiche Recipe

Photo Credit: www.sizzlingeats.com

This Thanksgiving Leftovers Quiche recipe features cooked leftovers from a turkey holiday dinner. The addition of sweet potato casserole and cranberry sauce makes this quiche both sweet and savory.

Leftover Turkey-Cranberry Monte Cristo Sandwiches

Photo Credit: noblepig.com

Leftover turkey becomes next-level deliciousness with these Leftover Turkey-Cranberry Monte Cristo Sandwiches. 

Turkey Enchiladas

Photo Credit: www.lecremedelacrumb.com

Easy cheesy turkey and black bean enchiladas! Perfect for using up leftover turkey!

Crockpot Turkey Chili Recipe 

Photo Credit: www.passionforsavings.com

This crockpot turkey chili is a really easy way to use up some leftovers without much cooking involved.

Turkey Corn Chowder Recipe

Photo Credit: www.cookincanuck.com

This turkey corn chowder recipe is my family’s favorite leftovers recipe. It’s hearty, satisfying, and healthy.

Thanksgiving Monte Cristo with Apricot Cranberry Dipping Sauce

Photo Credit: lifewithdee.com

Tired of turkey sandwiches or simply want to take it to a new level, try this Thanksgiving Monte Cristo. Add an apricot cranberry dipping sauce and you’ve got something truly special.

Cheese Waffles With Creamed Ham 

You can make these delicious waffles with ham, turkey, or chicken!

Turkey Tetrazzini

Photo Credit: www.julieseatsandtreats.com

Your family will love this turkey tetrazzini recipe using up your leftover turkey.

Leftover Mashed Potatoes

Not sure how to use mashed potato leftovers? Try these delicious recipes.

Homemade Gnocchi

Photo Credit: www.theartofdoingstuff.com

You'll want to make extra mashed potatoes to be sure you have some leftovers to make this homemade gnocchi.

Cheesy Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes

Photo Credit: www.justataste.com

Transform spare spuds into this quick and easy recipe for Cheesy Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes!

Mashed Potato Soup

Photo Credit: www.katiescucina.com

Mashed Potato Soup is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. This quick-cooking soup comes together in 30 minutes with just 6 ingredients. Even better, your family will never know they are eating the leftover mashed potatoes!

Mom's Potato Rolls

Photo Credit: laurenslatest.com

Potato rolls are fluffy, soft, slightly sweet, and nearly perfect in every way! Plus, if you have leftover mashed potatoes, this is a great way to get rid of them!

Fried Mashed Potato Balls

Photo Credit: www.mantitlement.com

These Fried Mashed Potato Balls are super creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside! A perfect appetizer recipe for using up leftover mashed potatoes!

Easy Shepherd's Pie

Photo Credit: www.fivehearthome.com

Easy Shepherd's Pie is a one-pan skillet dinner loaded with savory ground beef and colorful veggies. And it's the perfect recipe for using up those leftover mashed potatoes!

Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes + Apple Syrup

Photo Credit: mytherapistcooks.com

A perfect sweet+savory use for leftover mashed potatoes. These cakes fry quickly and the apple syrup is done by the time the potatoes are!

Loaded Mashed Potato Bake 

Photo Credit: foxeslovelemons.com

This Loaded Mashed Potato Bake casserole is the most delicious way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. It’s loaded with bacon, cheese, and sour cream!

Pierogi Lasagna Rolls

Photo Credit: ourtableforseven.com

Lasagna rolls stuffed with mashed potatoes and cheese! Comfort food at its best.

Leftover Sweet Potatoes

While sweet potatoes can be used in some of the mashed potato recipes these recipes are made just for sweet potatoes and are so good!

Sweet Potato Pancakes 

Photo Credit: www.seriouseats.com

Leftover mashed sweet potatoes are not easy to reheat and serve without turning them too dry or worse, scorching them on the bottom of a pan. Instead of trying, use them as the base for moist, tender, and delicious pancakes for breakfast.

Sweet Potato Biscuits Recipe

Photo Credit: homecookingmemories.com

Looking for Thanksgiving leftover recipes? This easy Sweet Potato Biscuits recipe uses leftover sweet potato casserole – even if you make it with marshmallows on top!

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Photo Credit: thelemonbowl.com

Shepherd’s pie gets a flavorful twist with whipped sweet potatoes scented with maple and orange zest. Comfort food you can feel good about eating.

Sweet Potato Spudnuts

Photo Credit: www.spoonforkbacon.com

Sweet Potato Spudnuts or Potato donuts are the lightest and fluffiest donuts you may ever eat. 

Spiced Cornmeal Sweet Potato Waffles

Photo Credit: brooklynsupper.com

Make breakfast wonderful with this delicious sweet potato waffle recipe made with aromatic spices, cubed sweet potatoes, and nutty cornmeal. 

Sweet Potato Croquettes 

Photo Credit: whiteonricecouple.com

Crispy and flavorful, these sweet potato croquettes are a great way to enjoy this popular tuber. Kids love snacking on these! Think of them as a sweet potato hash brown. 

Sweet Potato Rolls

Photo Credit: numstheword.com

These rolls are a great way to use up old sweet potatoes or new sweet potatoes.

Leftover Stuffing/Dressing

No matter if you call it dressing or stuffing these are great ways to use up any you have leftover.

Mashed Potato & Stuffing Patties 

Photo Credit: pocketchangegourmet.com

These Mashed Potato and Stuffing Patties are the perfect recipe to use up not only stuffing but also mashed potatoes.

Leftover Stuffin' Muffins

Photo Credit: www.budgetbytes.com

These great little muffins are a super flexible way to combine your leftovers into a “new” meal and avoid Thanksgiving burnout.

Leftover Stuffing Waffles

Photo Credit: www.justataste.com

Transform leftover stuffing into Leftover Stuffing Waffles! This favorite Thanksgiving side gets repurposed into a hot, crispy canvas perfect for topping with cranberry sauce, gravy or even a fried egg.

Turkey & Stuffing Turnovers

Photo Credit: www.afamilyfeast.com

Turkey & Stuffing Turnovers are a delicious (and easy!) way to use your Thanksgiving dinner leftovers to create a second meal your family will love!

Leftover Stuffing and Chorizo Egg Cups

Photo Credit: unihomemaker.com

If you’re looking for new ways to make eggs, you’ll want to check this recipe out. You'll also be able to use up some leftover stuffing.

Stuffing Frittata

Photo Credit: mylastbite.wordpress.com

The perfect post-Thanksgiving brunch recipe.

Turkey, Stuffing and Cranberry Sausage Rolls

Photo Credit: culinaryginger.com

Turkey, Stuffing and Cranberry Sausage Rolls are a great use of Thanksgiving & Christmas turkey leftovers all rolled up in flaky puff pastry.

Leftover Cranberry Sauce

It doesn't matter if it's homemade cranberry sauce or store-bought, these recipes are great for using any you have leftover.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Danish Recipe

These cranberry cream cheese danishes are made using crescent roll dough making them easy to whip up.

Vintage Cranberry Banana Bread

This vintage recipe makes a delicious and unique banana bread using leftover cranberry sauce.

Vintage Cranberry Glazed Ham Recipe

Leftover cranberry sauce makes an amazing glaze for ham and is so easy to make.

Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies With Almond Glaze 

Photo Credit: lovelylittlekitchen.com

If you do, these cranberry thumbprint cookies are perfect for that last bit of cranberry sauce that didn’t get gobbled up.  

Leftover Cranberry Sauce and Apple Crisp

Photo Credit: www.justataste.com

This quick and easy recipe stars a simple crisp topping crumbled over green apple splices tossed with leftover cranberry sauce.

Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake (with Coffee Glaze)

Photo Credit: foodmeanderings.com

This delicious cake is an amazing way to use up any leftover cranberry sauce.

Cranberry Pecan Crusted Salmon

Photo Credit: peasandcrayons.com

Snag some yummy leftover cranberry sauce to whip up this sweet + savory salmon! This Cranberry Pecan Crusted Salmon makes a perfect post-Thanksgiving lunch or dinner!

Cranberry Balsamic Glazed Cauliflower Wings

Photo Credit: cupcakesandkalechips.com

Cranberry Balsamic Cauliflower Wings are great gluten-free appetizers for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or a tasty veggie side dish any time. 

Cranberry Sauce Grilled Cheese

Photo Credit: www.kelseysappleaday.com

This grilled cheese is like that brie en croûte appetizer everyone always loves, but you get your own entire sandwich.  Gooey, melty cheese, perfectly toasted bread, and sweet-tart cranberry sauce–it’s just so right.

Get a Christmas Planner

christmas planner ad

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to start planning for Christmas. One of the easiest ways to do that is with my Christmas planner.

It’s a digital download so you can start using it right away! It’s also undated so you can use it year after year without having to buy anything new.

More Holiday Recipes

The Santa Clause Inspired Hot Cocoa Recipe

The Santa Clause Inspired Hot Cocoa Recipe

family watching christmas movie

The Best Family Christmas Movies and Treats

Very simple and delicious cranberry cream cheese danishes. They use leftover cranberry sauce and Immaculate Baking Company organic crescent rolls so they are done in no time. #ad #OrganicHolidayBaking #ImmaculateBaking @ImmaculateBakes

Cranberry Cream Cheese Danish Recipe

Snickerdoodle recipe, holiday cookies, easy snickerdoodles

Easy Snickerdoodle Recipe

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Filed Under: Holidays, Cooking, Recipes, Thanksgiving

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Green Bean says

    November 23, 2015 at 1:22 pm

    Totally pinning this! Always looking for ways to reduce holiday food waste. Some of these potato recipes look delicious!

    Reply
  2. anna@greentalk says

    November 23, 2015 at 4:22 pm

    Mashed potato soup? Wow. These are fantastic recipes. Sharing as well.

    Reply
  3. Betsy (Eco-novice) says

    November 23, 2015 at 5:56 pm

    Wow, stuffing waffles! So many of these recipes look AMAZING.

    Reply
  4. Hannah @ Eat, Drink, and Save Money says

    November 23, 2015 at 8:32 pm

    Thanks for featuring my cranberry salsa! These are all amazing ideas.

    Reply

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Welcome to my blog! My name is Lisa and I'm the Retro Housewife trying to live a greener life. I share my love of all things vintage, homemaking and green living here on the blog. To read more, click here.

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