In a previous post, I shared many ideas for turning Thanksgiving leftovers into delicious salads, sandwiches, soups, and more. Let’s go further with more ideas that turn remaining Thanksgiving ingredients into something new. With these simple tips, you can create new recipes and dishes using leftovers and spare ingredients.
Herbs
Thanksgiving dishes often require a lot of herbs, so you may still have some on hand after the holiday. If you have leftover sage, use it to bring this seasonal acorn squash dish together. Or try it (or another fresh herb) in this recipe for Pumpkin Sage Muffins, which will also use up the extra can of pureed pumpkin you bought. And when your family is tired of turkey, use leftover herbs for this simple roast.
Turkey
It’s always delicious to turn leftover turkey into a perfect sandwich. One favorite is turkey, sharp cheddar, lettuce, and cranberry mayo (made from a bit of leftover cranberry sauce and mayonnaise). You can also use leftover turkey to create something entirely new. You won’t even recognize your Thanksgiving turkey if you use it for this Turkey Vatapa. Or prepare this Easy Leftover Turkey Chili. It uses up turkey along with other Thanksgiving staples (onions, sour cream, and celery).
Produce
Root vegetables will last quite a while, but you’ll need to either use or freeze more perishable vegetables fairly quickly. Thankfully, there are a wide variety of vegetable recipes to enjoy in the days following the holiday. Use up celery (and many other ingredients you likely have on hand) for Cream of Celery Soup. This gluten-free, vegetarian Vegetable Quiche also makes use of several fresh vegetables. It’s perfect to serve overnight guests, and you can round out their meal with this Cranberry Smoothie.
Mashed Potatoes
There are several ways to enjoy leftover mashed potatoes. Recreate them as savory veggie patties (delicious fresh and also freezer-friendly). Or combine them with a bit of cornstarch and egg along with seasonings and herbs to create pan-fried potato pancakes. If traditional pancakes (with a twist) are preferred, try these Sweet Potato Whole Grain Pancakes. You can also feed the crowd with a mashed potato bar complete with an assortment of toppings (including other leftovers!).
Six Extra Tips
- Scoop leftover stuffing into a muffin tin and freeze in a freezer bag. Defrost individual muffins as needed for sides at future meals.
- Use pie crust for pot pie, quiche, and other make-ahead dishes.
- Make soup! Soups use up many veggies, herbs, broth, and other ingredients you may have available. This Wild Mushroom Soup is no exception.
- Add leftover pumpkin to chili, batters, oatmeal, smoothies, and more to give them an antioxidant boost.
- Use leftover gravy as a side for this Pot Roast. (Bonus: You’ll also use up a bunch of veggies and herbs.)
- Make your own herb-infused oil and use it for a variety of dishes, including savory Herbed Popcorn.