It’s the day after Thanksgiving and, being the gracious and well-prepared host you were, you have a fridge full of leftovers. While those easy side dishes and the turkey you prepped the day before are perfectly good heated up on a plate, or even eaten cold, straight out of the tupperware, many of our best Thanksgiving recipes can also double as a new dish the following day. Turn your mashed potatoes into fudge brownies, or use your leftover turkey for a bubbly, cheesy casserole. Never fear you’ve made too much food for your feast, because with our best Thanksgiving leftover recipes, you can make Thanksgiving the holiday that keeps on giving.
Make turkey pasta
Turkey Tetrazzini
And if you have roasted broccoli or Brussels sprouts, throw those in too. Because tetrazzini never goes out of style.
Or cheesy turkey enchiladas
Chicken Enchiladas in Tomatillo-Cream Sauce (Enchiladas Suizas)
Just replace the shredded chicken with turkey.
Whip up some congee
Turkey Congee
Let’s say, hypothetically, that you drank too much last night. This comforting porridge is how to fix it.
Have yourself a hot brown
Turkey a little dry? Drown it in cheese sauce.
Whip up a pumpkin soup
Caribbean Pumpkin Soup
This spicy take on your leftover squash makes a quick weeknight meal.
Start your morning with a hash
Todd’s Turkey Hash
Practically ready as soon as you roll out of bed.
Or start it with pancakes
Shopsin’s Pumpkin Pancakes
Because the only thing better than a regular pancake is a pumpkin pancake.
Do a turkey sandwich the Salvadoran way
Salvadoran Turkey Sandwich (Panes con Pavo)
Make this slightly spicy sandwich if you want something that tastes nothing like Thanksgiving.
Make a bread with your cranberries
Apple Cider Levain Loaf
This is a great way to use up leftover apple cider and cranberries.
Or make a bread with your pumpkin
Pumpkin Bread (Fein Tau Weiyema)
Use leftover butternut, acorn, or pumpkin squash purée.
Throw it all in a soup pot
It comes together in a snap.
Make a dessert
Apple and Cranberry Upside-Down Cakes
Even better when your dessert is upside down.
De-stress with a drink
Kentucky Christmas
Leftover cranberry sauce works wonders in a festive bourbon cocktail.
Don’t forget about the leftover gravy
Noodles and Gravy
This is pure Midwestern comfort food.
Transform Your Mashed Potatoes Into Brownies
Mashed Potato Fudge
Your mashed potatoes will go from savory to sweet in an instant.
Mash Your Potatoes Into A Salad
Jude’s Perfect Potato Salad
This concoction is the perfect lunch for the day after Thanksgiving.
Sprinkle Squash On Your Pizza
Butternut Squash and Smoked Mozzarella Pizza
This is a tasty way to use up leftover squash.