5 Ideas for What to Do with Those Thanksgiving Leftovers

No one likes food to go to waste — especially on Thanksgiving (when we all worked so hard to prep, baste, bake, and cook it.)

But what can you do with two pounds of leftover turkey, a full can of cranberry sauce, and that entire pot of mashed potatoes once you’ve cleared the table? While you probably won’t want a repeat meal every day for the next week, there are some creative ways you can put those leftovers to good use and avoid unnecessary waste.

Want to do just that? Try one of these chef-approved ideas:

1. Make a casserole.

Lovingly called the “TLC,” the Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole is the easiest way to make use of those remnant food items. Just mix your stuffing, turkey, cranberries, and leftover veggies with some butter, milk, and eggs, and then bake. Soon enough, you’ve got yourself an entirely new meal. Here’s a recipe if you need some help getting started. 

2. Use it for a decadent quesadilla.

You can also use those leftovers for a creative and zesty quesadilla. It’s incredibly fast and easy to make, and the only additional ingredients you’ll need are some cheese, tortillas, and a little sage (and maybe a little dipping sauce, too — gravy, perhaps?)

3. Ramp up your sandwich game.

Thanksgiving leftovers make for the best sandwiches. Layer the turkey with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, corn, or any other combination of ingredients you can think up. You really can’t go wrong between two slices of bread.

4. Fry up your potatoes.

Did you make mashed potatoes or sweet potato casserole? Then these fried potato balls are a must. You can even load them up with cheese, bacon, and green onions to give them that rich, baked potato taste.

5. Whip up a frittata or omelet.

Put those leftovers toward a delicious, morning-after breakfast for the whole family. That could mean putting the turkey, potatoes, and veggies into a nice omelet, mixing them up in a frittata, or just tossing them into a good old egg scramble. You really can’t go wrong.

The bottom line

Those Thanksgiving items don’t have to go to waste. Get creative, work them into upcoming meals and snacks, and they’ll be gone in no time.