A big Thanksgiving feast means more Thanksgiving leftovers than you can dream of! Before you know it, everyone will be complaining about eating turkey days after Turkey Day. If you need some yummy recipes to put the kibosh on all the complaining, the perfect solution is right here with these 17 creative ways to use your Thanksgiving leftovers!
1. Cream of Turkey and Wild Rice Soup: This recipe is a great way to get rid of some of your turkey. It’s also a delicious, healthier twist on your classic creamy turkey and wild rice soup. (via Eating Well)
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2. Roasted Turkey Lasagna: The perfect dish to make the day after Thanksgiving. It’s a crowd pleaser and a comfort food, and since it’s lasagna, it’s pretty easy! (via Food Network)
3. Nouveau Nicoise Salad: To get rid of your leftover green beans, just make this yummy salad! It’s quick and easy too. Just add a can of tuna (or turkey!) to make it into a main course meal. (via Eating Well)
>> Read more: 12 Healthy Salads That Actually Fill You Up
4. Sweet Potato Fritters with Smokey Pinto Beans: You already have the sweet potatoes made for this recipe, so you can skip the first two steps! The sweet potato fritters have a crispy crust with a tender, soft middle. (via Eating Well)
5. Turkey and Leek Shepherd’s Pie: Shepherd’s Pie was originally created to use up leftovers, so use this recipe with your leftover turkey, veggies and mashed potatoes. It’ll combine everything for a creative second meal. (via Eating Well)
6. Thanksgiving Pizza: This recipe is an ingenious pizza that will have people coming back for more. It uses mashed potatoes and cheese for the sauce with rolled up stuffing balls and shredded turkey meat as toppings. Then you can even drizzle gravy or cranberry sauce on top! (via Food Network)
7. Mushroom, Turkey and Potato Pie: This dish requires you to just throw in all your leftover foods like turkey, mashed potatoes and green beans. It only takes 30 minutes to make this great comfort dish. (via Oprah)
8. Tacos de Papa: These potato tacos are a great alternative for making an after Thanksgiving meal, instead of those plain sandwiches. It uses tortillas and mashed potatoes with some cabbage thrown on top. You can always consider putting in turkey and covering it in gravy instead! (via SweetLifeBake)
9. Leftover Turkey Chili: Try putting your leftover roast turkey in this chili! It uses fire-roasted tomatoes to give it that toasty flavor. Serve it by ladling over leftover mashed potatoes! (via Food Network)
>> Read more: 6 Chili Recipes to Keep You Warm
10. Turkey Panini: A simple twist off of a turkey sandwich is this delicious panini. It uses not only your leftover turkey but leftover cranberry sauce and gravy. You may even want to have this panini the next day (and the next day) until all your turkey is gone! (via Food Network)
11. Turkey Pho: After having traditional Thanksgiving meals for so long, you might want to try a completely different cultural food for your leftover turkey. This recipe uses chicken broth, turkey, turkey bones, vegetable and spices to create a flavorful Vietnamese pho dish. You can even use the entire leftover turkey carcass in this dish! (via Food Network)
12. Turkey Casserole: A very easy and fast way to make a leftover turkey dinner, this is the easiest dinner on this list — you don’t even need to bake it! (via Parenting)
13. Potato Cakes: This recipe is a great way to use up your mashed potatoes. You just need to make them into patties, dredge them in flour and cook them in a skillet. (via Parenting)
14. Crispy Turkey Tostadas: This easy dinner option uses shredded leftover turkey on top of homemade tostadas. To make the tostadas, all you need are corn tortillas. (via Eating Well)
15. Mashed Potato and Turkey Soup:Usually potato and turkey soups are boring, much like a turkey sandwich, but not this one! This hearty soup uses up your leftover mashed potatoes and turkey. After 20 minutes and some curry powder to spice it up, get ready for a great meal. (via Oprah)
>> Read more: Soup’s On: 50 Healthy Soups
16. Roll-ups with Polenta: These roll-ups are easy to make and still healthy. It calls for rolling your leftover turkey with prosciutto and cheese, plus a sprinkle of breadcrumbs. (via Parenting)
17. Turkey Tetrazzini: Be sure that you add the lemon zest and lemon juice to help lighten up the sauce. Don’t be surprised if it all disappears! (via Food Network)
