9 Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes For All That Extra Turkey

Thanksgiving has passed and it was wonderful, but now you have ten extra pounds of turkey meat sitting in your fridge or freezer that you don’t know what to do with. Don’t fret, we have you covered. Here are nine Thanksgiving leftover recipes to help you spice up your post-Thanksgiving meal calendar.

Thanksgiving Dinner Sandwiches

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

This is one of the classic Thanksgiving leftover recipes. It’s all of that Thanksgiving goodness wrapped into one sandwich. Of course, there are things you can leave out if you prefer not to have them in your sandwich. Overall, this customizable thanksgiving leftover recipe is a great way to finish off your turkey.

Turkey Cranberry Sliders

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 package Hawaiian Sweet Rolls (12 count)
• 3 cups cooked turkey, diced or sliced
• 1 cup prepared cranberry sauce
• 6 slices of swiss cheese
• 4 Tablespoons of butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon poppy seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick foil, or prepare with baking spray.
2. Separate the Hawaiian Rolls (top and bottom portion) and place the bottom half of each roll into the prepared baking dish.
3. Layer with turkey, cranberry sauce, and cheese then place the top half of the rolls back on top.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, mustard, garlic powder, and poppy seeds.
5. Pour mixture over the top of the buns, and use a brush or spoon to spread evenly over the top.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
7. Remove the foil and bake for 3 more minutes, uncovered.
8. Serve immediately.

This recipe is great for kids because the sliders are small and easy to handle. Cranberry and turkey is a classic holiday flavor combination. It’s hard to go wrong with these ingredients.

Turkey Noodle Casserole

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 12-ounce pkg Egg Noodles, extra wide
• 3 cups leftover turkey, diced or shredded
• 1 cup leftover carrots, diced
• 2 12 ounce jars of turkey gravy
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Prepare egg noodles according to package directions. Drain and place back into a cooking pot.
3. Add into egg noodles: turkey, carrots, gravy, and seasonings. Stir to combine.
4. Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake approximately 15 minutes until heated through.

This is more a pasta dish than a casserole, but it looks tasty either way. This is a quick way to throw together a dinner with food that you already have in the fridge. This easy dish is a great way to make food that feeds a whole family.

Thanksgiving Pizza

Yield: 1 pizza

Ingredients

• Pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
• Brie Cheese
• Leftovers
  • Gravy
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Stuffing
  • Turkey
  •  Cranberry Sauce

Instructions

1. Lay pizza dough out and use gravy as the pizza sauce.
2. Layer all other toppings on the pizza in your desired order.
3. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Thanksgiving! On a pizza! Are you kidding me?! Pizza lovers everywhere must unite over this recipe. Every bite has the taste of a whole thanksgiving meal. Thanksgiving leftover recipes don’t get any better than this.

Turkey Salad

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups diced cooked turkey
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Start with cutting cooked turkey meat into cubes, or you can shred it.
2. Dice a couple of stalks of celery and transfer to a mixing bowl together with the chopped turkey.
3. Add cranberries to the bowl and stir in mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, parsley, sugar, and lemon juice; stir until everything is completely incorporated.
4. Taste and adjust accordingly. Depending on individual taste, you might want to add more mayonnaise to make it creamier.
5. Serve over buns or rolls. As a low carb option, leave out the bread and serve this turkey salad on lettuce leaves or over some fresh spring greens.

This is a twist on classic chicken salad sandwiches using turkey and cranberries instead of chicken. I personally like to serve my chicken/turkey salad on buttery croissants.

Related Link: Healthy Recipe Makeovers of Your Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Leftover Turkey Dinner Hash

Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon organic canola oil
• 1 cup leftover turkey (shredded, cooked chicken would work as well)
• 1/2 cup cooked Brussels sprouts (leaves separated)
• 1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes
• 1/2 cup cooked French beans (chopped, or green beans)
• 1/2 cup leftover stuffing
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
• 1/4 cup gravy
• 1–2 tablespoons sriracha
• Note: These are general guidelines. This is more a mash-up of leftovers than an actual recipe. So use what you have handy after your big turkey feast.

Instructions

1. Mix mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, green beans, stuffing, and shredded turkey in a bowl.
2. Form small patties of the mixture, about the size of your palm.
3. In a pan over med-high heat, heat the oil and add patties. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown on the outside and hot on the inside.
4. Serve with chopped chives, gravy, and a squirt of sriracha.

This hash looks delectable and is overall a pretty simple recipe. You basically just put all the ingredients you want to include in one place and cook it all together. As far as leftover recipes go, this one is quick and easy.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Quesadilla

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 whole-wheat wraps
• 2 cups turkey breast
• 1/2 cup cranberry sauce
• 2 cup shredded cheese I used cheddar, asiago, and pepper jack!
• 1/4 cup fresh sage chopped

Instructions

1. Spray a large skillet with olive oil and heat over medium heat
2. Place the first wrap in the bottom of the skillet and top with 1/4 cup cheese, 1/2 cup turkey, 1/4 cup cranberry sauce, 1/8 cup sage, another 1/4 cup cheese, and the second wrap. Grill for about 5 minutes on each side, or until melty and delicious.
3. Take off of heat and cut into fourths to serve. Repeat with other ingredients to make a second quesadilla.

If you are making your quesadillas in the microwave, I am here to ask you to please stop doing that. They taste so much better cooked on a skillet, grill, or in a pan. If your fridge is still full of thanksgiving leftovers but you are craving Mexican food, this might be a good compromise.

Mashed Potato and Stuffing Patties

Yield: 12-14 patties

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
• 2 cups leftover stuffing
• 2 cups leftover turkey, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons oil, canola, or vegetable

Turkey Cranberry and Brie Grilled Cheese

Yield: 1 serving