How to Use Thanksgiving Leftovers (50+ Simple Recipes!)

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year — in part because I love all the leftover food! I’ve amassed a pretty impressive list of ideas on how to use Thanksgiving leftovers, and I’m sharing more than 50 SIMPLE recipes in today’s post!

Now you have no excuses! Don’t let your delicious Thanksgiving leftovers go to waste! 

PRO TIP: I’d highly suggest roasting your turkey breast DOWN — it’s SO juicy and flavorful!

How To Use Up Leftover Punch or Juice

• Freeze for smoothies
• Make homemade Juice Pops
• Freeze it in ice cube trays and use it to add flavor to other beverages later on, or use it to chill (without watering down) punch the next time you make it.

How To Use Up Leftover Soda

• Here’s a post with a bunch of ideas for flat soda (and make sure to read the comments for more ideas too)

How To Use Up Leftover Fruit

• Freeze for smoothies
• Make Fruit Pizza
• Mix in a can of peach pie filling and make a whole new fruit salad
• Use leftover cranberry for this delicious slow-cooker pork recipe
• Add leftover cranberry relish to ham or turkey sandwiches as a little extra kick
• Use leftover applesauce to replace the oil in cake, brownie, or muffin recipes

How To Use Up Leftover Veggies

• Add some milk, cheese, and spices for this yummy vegetable chowder
• Make vegetable beef soup
• Add some cream cheese and Ritz cracker crumbs to make this creamy vegetable bake
• Use leftover broccoli for cheese broccoli soup or chicken broccoli rice casserole
• Use any leftover corn for this delicious semi-homemade cornbread
• Pretty much any other soups, stews, casserole, etc.

How To Use Up Leftover Potatoes

• Cheesy Mashed Potato Soup
• These delicious potato rolls (seriously, they are SO good!)
• Make shepherd’s pie (I recently made this with leftover pulled pork and it was amazing!)
• Use leftover baked potatoes for this delicious side dish
• Top leftover mashed potatoes with cheese and bake them for a super simple side dish.
• Chop up baked or boiled potatoes into bite-size pieces and use for soups, stews, or pot pie
• Make delicious fried potatoes from leftover baked potatoes

How To Use Up Leftover Stuffing

• We love this yummy chicken and stuffing (or turkey and stuffing) casserole.

How To Use Up Leftover Chicken or Turkey

You can use chicken or turkey for any of the recipes listed below.

• Chicken/Turkey Pot Pie (I make this EVERY year after Thanksgiving!)
• Chicken, Broccoli, Rice Casserole 
• Chicken Enchiladas
• Chicken Fajitas
• Crispy Cheddar Chicken Bake
• Chicken Lasagna
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Chicken Vegetable Bake
• Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
• Creamy Chicken Packets
• Creamed Turkey/Chicken Sandwiches (slow cooker)
• Chicken and Rice Soup
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Turkey or Chicken and Wild Rice Stew
• Turkey or Chicken Spaghetti
• Turkey or Chicken Salad
• Turkey Tortilla Bake
• Hot Turkey Sandwiches (a good way to use up leftover mashed potatoes and gravy too)
• Chop it up into bite-size pieces and freeze in 2 c. portions for casseroles and soups later in the year

NOTE: here’s my amazing tip for shredding boatloads of leftover chicken or turkey in seconds!

How To Use Up Leftover Broth and/or Gravy

• Use the broth in soups or stews
• Use the gravy for hot chicken or turkey sandwiches as mentioned above.
• Freeze it in 1 or 2 c. portions for easy use later

How To Use Up Leftover Rolls

• Make baked ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch or dinner (any type of roll will work with this recipe)
• Make pizza sliders!
• Make homemade croutons or bread crumbs
• Freeze them to make this stuffing recipe later in the year

How To Use Up Leftover Desserts

• Eat them!
• Make cake pops from leftover cake
• Enjoy these delicious truffles (made from leftover cookies, brownies, or bars)
• Make up some goodie bags for your guests or neighbors
• Freeze them for later. (You’d be surprised how well baked goods freeze — even frosted cakes, cupcakes, brownies, bars, muffins, cookies, fudge, cream pies, etc.)

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Hopefully this gives you a few creative ideas to use up some of your leftovers!

What are your favorite ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers?