I love Thanksgiving and look forward to it all year, not only because it’s a wonderful day with family, but because I get to eat so many of my favorite foods in one meal. And perhaps the best part of all is that there are often so many leftovers, I don’t have to cook again for a good long while (hallelujah!). That said, even the biggest Turkey Day feast fans get tired of leftovers by Day 3. As the days wear on, you’ll want to have some leftover turkey recipes that aren’t just sandwiches in your arsenal. Chances are you got tired of those on Day 2.
Holiday Leftovers Wreath
Take your turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce up in some crescent roll dough and bake — that’s Budget Bytes’ idea to use up your leftovers. Add your remaining gravy to the center, cut, and dunk!
Air Fryer Thanksgiving Egg Rolls
Pretty much any food combo that’s already yummy somehow tastes even better as an egg roll. Dinners Done Quick’s recipe will teach you how to turn turkey and your favorite sides into a delicious, golden appetizer the next day.
Leftover Stuffing Muffins
Stuffing, turkey, a little bit of spinach, and plenty of eggs will get you these delicious stuffing muffins, courtesy of Budget Bytes. They’re an easy on-the-go breakfast or quickly reheatable lunch that’s reminiscent of Thanksgiving, but different enough to feel new.
Leftover Turkey Salad
Chicken salad fans, guess what? You can just sub in turkey instead of chicken to make your favorite wraps and sammies. All The Healthy Things’ recipe is herby and crunchy thanks to all the fresh dill, celery, diced red onions, and those leftover pecans from that pie you baked.
Soulful Leftover Turkey & Rice Soup
Simply LaKita is an expert at comfort food recipes, so I trust her leftover turkey and rice soup is every bit as smoky, cozy, and hug-in-a-bowl-worthy as she describes. Serve it with the remaining rolls and butter from dinner and no one will be disappointed.
Turkey Pot Pie
Thanksgiving food is so good because it’s nostalgic and comforting. If you want to keep that feeling going, turning your leftovers into a turkey pot pie à la Princess Pinky Girl’s recipe is perfect. What could be better on a cold evening with a cozy new Christmas movie cued up?
Thanksgiving Potato Skins
I would never think to put my Thanksgiving leftovers on top of potato skins, but Budget Bytes is just a genius like that. You might have a few little potatoes left over from mashing all their friends. This recipe will help you turn them into a yummy appetizer for football Sunday, topped with turkey remnants, cranberries, stuffing, and cheese.
Turkey Nachos
Here, Dinners Done Quick’s recipe reminds us that you can honestly make sheet pan nachos out of anything, including your leftover turkey, cranberries, and corn. With a few extra fixings, like pickled onions and banana peppers, they’ll taste like a totally fresh dish.
Leftover Turkey Enchiladas
Again, cooked turkey can be subbed into pretty much any recipe that normally calls for chicken. Damn Delicious’ turkey enchiladas are proof. They’ll help you empty your fridge of all that white meat, and if you’re someone who thinks turkey leans too dry, enchilada sauce and cheese will take care of that for you.
Turkey Casserole
Princess Pinky Girl’s leftover turkey casserole only takes 10 minutes to prep and 40 minutes in the oven. It serves six as written, but would be easy enough to double if you have enough turkey to use up and your (hungry) guests are still in town.
Leftover Thanksgiving Sliders
Sliders are technically a sandwich, sure, but these are not two simple pieces of white bread with turkey and cranberry sauce in between. No, Damn Delicious’ sliders are oven-baked little morsels layered with turkey, cranberry relish, and cheese, but you could absolutely add your favorite sides on top too.
I can feel the tryptophan kicking in already! Who’s ready for Thanksgiving leftovers and a nap?
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