What To Do with Your Thanksgiving Leftovers

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I’m sure you have an abundance of food. Turkey meat, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and turkey stuffing — and you don’t know what to do with them. It is challenging to come up with a simple recipe that you can whip up in a few minutes. I’m sure you are still tired from all that cooking and prepping the day before. So, here are a few recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers that you definitely must try!

Your family will enjoy the leftovers without thinking that they ARE leftovers. You won’t even need to spend too much time in the kitchen. Cooking a simple meal with  leftovers would require your creativity. Don’t worry, you don’t need to run to the supermarket to get additional ingredients — you already have them in your pantry!

Let’s get started then…

The Best Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers

Delicious Leftover Stuffing Waffles

Let’s start with breakfast. I know you’re still sleepy but you must have breakfast, and so does your family. This waffle recipe is also good for brunch especially if you still have that hang over. Gather up your leftover stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce and start cooking!

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil, for the waffle iron
• 4 1/2 cups crumbled leftover stuffing
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes, warm
• 1/2 cup leftover gravy, warm
• 1/4 cup leftover cranberry sauce

Step by Step

1. Grease your waffle iron with some olive oil or cooking spray. Preheat it to medium high.
2. In a bowl, combine the leftover stuffing, eggs, and parsley. Pour the mixture evenly into the waffle iron. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until the waffle can easily be lifted.
3. Serve with a scoop of mashed potatoes, gravy, and a dollop of cranberry sauce.

Note: If you don’t have a waffle iron, you can cook it as you would cook pancakes.

Sumptuous Leftover Turkey Sandwich

This turkey sandwich is also perfect for a light lunch. I’m sure you’re still full from all those food you ate last night. Instead of letting the food go to waste, why not make sandwiches out of them. You can even serve them for snacks later on and I’m sure your family won’t mind. To make this sandwich, you would need to prepare the leftover stuffing the night before so it’s ready the next day.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
• 4 cups leftover stuffing
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup homemade, canned or jarred cranberry sauce
• 1 cup shredded dark-meat turkey
• ½ cup leftover gravy
• 4 teaspoons neutral oil
• 1 cup sliced turkey breast
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• slices of sandwich bread

Step by Step

1. Grab your small quarter size baking pan and grease it with oil or cooking spray. Spread a sheet of parchment paper on the baking pan and evenly press the leftover stuffing into the pan. Make sure the stuffing is even as you will use this as patties. Cover with parchment paper on top and chill overnight.
2. The next day, melt some butter. Slice the turkey breasts just think enough for a sandwich. Bring out the chilled stuffing, remove the parchment paper and place a cooling rack over it. Season the sliced turkey breasts with salt and water. Arrange on the cooling rack and brush with melted butter on both sides.
3. Cook in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes.
4. Shred some dark turkey meat. In a small saucepan, combine the shredded dark meat and gravy. Stir occasionally and warm through.
5. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of mayo with 1/2 cup of cranberry sauce.
6. Slice the baked stuffing into small squares.
7. Assemble your sandwiches by spreading cranberry mayo then layering the stuffing and turkey breast, the top off with the dark meat gravy. Serve with the warmed leftover side dishes such as mashed potatoes and veggies.

Leftover Turkey Quiche

What better way to use up all those leftovers than to throw them all in one delicious quiche? This Turkey Stuffing Quiche will leave you with no more leftovers in a few minutes!

Ingredients

• One 9-inch frozen pie shell

Filling:

• 1 cup crumbled leftover stuffing
• 1 cup chopped leftover turkey
• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar
• 1/4 cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Custard:

• 1 1/4 cups half-and-half
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Step by Step

1. Bake the pie crust according to package directions.
2. Mix the stuffing and shredded turkey meat, season with salt and pepper, and evenly spread it on the pie crust. Top it off with grated cheddar and parsley.
3. Make the custard by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the filling.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes. Let it cool for 30 minutes before serving.

The Verdict on Leftovers

So, just take your pic from the recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers above and I’m sure you and your family will enjoy these leftovers. You will realize that all your efforts had paid off and you were also able to save your budget. All you have to do is be creative with the ingredients. The great thing about these recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers is that you can mix and match the ingredients or substitute them with whatever you have on hand.

Don’t forget to share these recipes with your friends. You can even create your own recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers and share them with us. I’m sure they will appreciate it!