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52 Ideas For Thanksgiving Leftovers That Go Beyond Simple Sandwiches

Though of course we've got a classic Thanksgiving sandwich here too!

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thanksgiving cobb salad with shredded turkey, sweet potatoes, bacon, hardboiled eggs, blue cheese, pecans, and cranberries
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE

It should come as no surprise that our favorite part about Thanksgiving is the leftovers. Luckily for us, no matter how hard we try, whether we're having a big family feast, a smaller dinner for two, or a celebration that falls somewhere in between, we're always left with more food than we known what to do with. If this sounds familiar to you, don't just reheat them to eat as-is again and again (or eating cold straight from the fridge, no judgment). Instead, check out these innovative recipes that will give your leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce new life. From soups to casseroles to apps, we've rounded up 52 ways to use ALL your leftover Thanksgiving food. You might just look forward to some of these as much as Thanksgiving dinner itself. 😉

Though we’re all about getting creative with our leftovers, there is one standby we make year after year—the Thanksgiving sandwich. It’s proof you can shove pretty much any aspect of your dinner between two slices of bread, and it’ll turn out perfect, whether you’re eating it to fuel you through Black Friday or are taking it to work the following Monday.

As perfect as it is, though, the sandwich does have its limits. It’s not great for serving a crowd (of lingering family, perhaps?), can be a little one-note, and doesn’t do much for providing the comfort we all need after the busy holiday. Instead, try turning your leftovers into a casserole, like our turkey divan, our chicken stuffing casserole, or our turkey pot pie; a soup, like our turkey noodle soup, our leftover turkey & wild rice soup, or our homemade turkey stock (made from your turkey carcass); or something lighter or more flavorful than before, like our Kung Pao turkey, our Thanksgiving leftover salad, or our Sichuan mouthwatering turkey.

We’ve also got some recipes here that are perfect if you’re having multiple Thanksgiving celebrations this year (like a work potluck or a Friendsgiving on top of your main dinner). Make the staples for the first dinner, then volunteer to bring apps for the next one. Our fried mashed potato balls, our cocktail meatballs, our Thanksgiving ring, or our turkey & stuffing meatballs are all wonderful, and no one will notice (or care) that they’re made from leftovers.

1

Thanksgiving Potato Skins

potato skins stuffed with mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, and topped with cranberry sauce
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Preparing these potato skins is simple, and since you've already done the bulk of the Thanksgiving cooking—or received a generous takeout container of leftovers—all you need for this recipe is a few additional pantry staples: potatoes and cheddar cheese.

Get the Thanksgiving Potato Skins recipe.

2

Thanksgiving Leftover Tacos

thanksgiving leftover tacos
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: Taylor Ann SPENCER

People love the heralded Thanksgiving sandwich, but there’s something about using a tortilla (see our Thanksgiving Crunchwrap) that takes Turkey Day leftovers to a whole new level. Especially when you top that with turkey that has been made brand-new in a pseudo-mole sauce spiked with gravy, chipotle chiles, and dark chocolate.

Get the Thanksgiving Leftover Tacos recipe.

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3

Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole

casserole dish layered with mashed potatoes, stuffing, and dolloped with cranberry sauce
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

We've perfected the classic Thanksgiving sandwich, and have created our fair share of creative leftover variations (Thanksgiving crunchwrap and Thanksgiving leftover tacos, we're looking at you), but this cozy casserole just might be our new go-to way to enjoy the holiday leftovers.

Get the Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole recipe.

4

Thanksgiving Cobb Salad

thanksgiving cobb salad with shredded turkey, sweet potatoes, bacon, hardboiled eggs, blue cheese, pecans, and cranberries
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE

There are two types of Thanksgiving leftover lovers: those that just want to eat Thanksgiving dinner all over again, and those that love to reinvent them into something fresh and new. Whichever camp you fall in, this Cobb salad is for you. Thanksgiving superstars turkey, sweet potatoes, pecans, and cranberries meet Cobb salad stalwarts bacon, blue cheese, and hard-boiled eggs for a fresh take on leftovers that still hits those holiday dinner notes.

Get the Thanksgiving Cobb Salad recipe.

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5

Cranberry-Glazed Turkey Meatballs

turkey meatballs covered in a red cranberry glaze
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

This herby, savory-sweet dish is basically Thanksgiving in meatball form. With a sweet and tangy glaze made with cranberry sauce and thyme- and sage-speckled turkey meatballs, all you need is a scoop of fluffy mashed potatoes for cozy, autumnal bliss that makes those leftovers really sparkle.

Get the Cranberry-Glazed Turkey Meatballs recipe.

6

Cranberry Brie Turkey Melts

cranberry brie turkey melts with garlic honey butter
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Since Thanksgiving isn’t a holiday that screams cheese, we’ve made it our mission to focus on incorporating it into our leftovers, like in this sandwich that features rustic slices of artisan bread, tangy cranberry sauce, creamy buttery brie, and a mound of garlicky leftover turkey. 😍Get the Cranberry Brie Turkey Melts recipe.

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7

Sausage Stuffing Bites With Cranberry Sauce

sausage stuffing bites with cranberry sauce
PHOTO: MURRAY HALL; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Some people love a classic homemade turkey stuffing, while others prefer a cornbread stuffing, sausage or oyster stuffing, or a vegetarian cranberry stuffing. The only thing better than any of these stuffing recipes? MORE. STUFFING. Enter a bite-sized, stuffing-centered appetizer with a tangy, three-ingredient dipping sauce. Not just for Thanksgiving, these savory bites are perfect for any fall or winter gathering.

Get the Sausage Stuffing Bites With Cranberry Sauce recipe.

8

Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread

cranberry cream cheese spread
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: SAM SENEVIRATNE

Our cranberry whipped feta dip rocked the Internet last year, so we’re coming back with a cranberry-topped whipped cream cheese spread—it's so luxurious, it's almost unreal. There are two easy parts to make this dip pop: the tangy sweet cranberry sauce finished with brandy, and a lemony whipped cream cheese layer.

Get the Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread recipe.

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9

Thanksgiving Egg Rolls

egg rolls stuffed with thanksgiving ingredients like cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mashed potatoes alongside a ramekin of gravy
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Leftovers have never been so exciting now that you can stuff all those potatoes, turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce in a crispy, crunchy egg roll wrapper. Serve these with gravy for one of the most ingenious uses for leftovers EVER.

Get the Thanksgiving Egg Rolls recipe.

10

Kalimotxo Cola Punch

cola and red wine punch with orange and lime slices
PHOTO: LINDA PUGLIESE; FOOD STYLING: BEN WEINER

This sangria upgrade is literally a little bit of this, a little bit of that with a top off of everyone's favorite soda—an ice cold Coca-Cola. The kalimotxo took the interweb by storm earlier this year, giving “sophisticated sangria” vibes as a composed cocktail. For this punch, grab that red wine you haven't finished and some Coca-Cola, and get ready for a crowd-pleaser.

Get the Kalimotxo Cola Punch recipe.

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11

Cranberry Turkey Sliders

sliders filled with sliced turkey, cranberry sauce, and cheese topped with a poppyseed butter topping
PHOTO: LINDA PUGLIESE; FOOD STYLING: BEN WEINER

These sliders are a great way to repurpose those Thanksgiving leftovers or use deli-style, oven-roasted turkey. It’s a tasty pairing using whole berry cranberry sauce, which is nicely offset by the creaminess of mild cheddar and the more distinct flavor of gouda. Safe to say, it’s a real GOUDA idea to make these sliders for out-of-town guests visiting for Thanksgiving or the holidays.

Get the Cranberry Turkey Sliders recipe.

12

Thanksgiving Ring

a ring of crescent dough surrounding traditional thanksgiving leftover ingredients like cranberry sauce and stuffing
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

Thanksgiving leftovers aren't regular leftovers, they're *cool* leftovers. Stuffed inside a crescent roll (well, basically a giant crescent roll) they're EVERYTHING.

Get the Thanksgiving Ring recipe.

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13

Thanksgiving Crunchwrap

thanksgiving crunchwrap
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Tired of the same ol' leftover Thanksgiving sandwich? This crunchwrap is the perfect way to shake things up. Don't have all the leftover ingredients? No worries! Just use what you've got. Pretty much everything short of pumpkin pie will work just fine. 😎

Get the Thanksgiving Crunchwrap recipe.

14

Cranberry Brie Grilled Cheese

grilled cheese with turkey, melty brie cheese, and cranberry sauce
PHOTO: LINDA PUGLIESE; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

You better brie-lieve you’re gonna love this sweet and cheesy grilled cheese sandwich. The combination of the tart cranberries paired with the luxuriously smooth, creamy-textured brie cheese sandwiched together with the buttery and crunchy bread will send your taste buds soaring. It’s the quintessential cozy comfort food served with a side of warming soup, and is the perfect way to use up any of those cranberry sauce leftovers.

Get the Cranberry Brie Grilled Cheese recipe.

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15

Potato Croquettes

potato croquettes
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: MARY RUPP

Potato croquettes are one of the most popular Spanish tapas (or small plates)—They’re a fantastic way to give day-old mashed potatoes a new life, and are the perfect bite-size appetizer for when you want something more exciting than potato chips that will still hit those same comfort food notes.

Get the Potato Croquettes recipe.

16

Turkey Noodle Soup

turkey noodle soup
Parker Feierbach

Chicken noodle soup is obviously our go-to. It's simple and fast and just so darn comforting. Turkey noodle soup is everything you love about the classic, with the addition of some leftover turkey. Honestly, this soup is reason enough to go out and buy yourself a turkey breast or two the rest of the year.

Get the Turkey Noodle Soup recipe.

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17

Perfect Thanksgiving Sandwich

thanksgiving sandwich
Parker Feierbach

Rule #1 for the day after Thanksgiving: NO COOKING. Seriously, with all of that leftover pickle-brined turkey and creamy mashed potatoes, it would be a crime not to make this sandwich.

Get the Perfect Thanksgiving Sandwich recipe.

18

Thanksgiving Leftover Salad

thanksgiving leftover salad
Parker Feierbach

We'll always love a leftover sandwich, but sometimes after the big day, we could use something a little lighter. Enter: this perfect salad. Leftover stuffing gets turned into irresistible croutons, and a vinaigrette is made from any remaining cranberry sauce. Feel free to add any leftover veggies from Thanksgiving too.

Get the Thanksgiving Leftover Salad recipe.

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19

Turkey Salad

turkey salad with celery, dill, and shallots
PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Making turkey salad is just as quick and easy as making chicken salad, tuna salad, or egg salad. And just like all those other salads, you can always add your favorite mix-ins to make this fit your taste. Just don't skip the not-so-secret ingredient that makes this exceptional: celery salt!

Get the Turkey Salad recipe.

20

Turkey Broth

turkey broth
PARKER FEIERBACH

Before you throw out those bones, make yourself some turkey stock! It'll come in handy the next time you want turkey noodle soup.

Get the Turkey Broth recipe.

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