It’s coming. A day when most of us gather around a table filled with dishes like turkey and ham and cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes. Green Bean Casserole. Sweet Potato Casserole. Mac and cheese. Soft, warm rolls. All those side dishes. And all those Thanksgiving leftovers. Ahhh.
But there will be leftovers when the stuffing is done in the mouth. And you will be tired of food.
What am I supposed to do with all these leftovers?! you will think I can not eat the same food five days in a row! And you don’t have to. Because we’re here to help with Work Week Lunch! These recipes will transform your Thanksgiving leftovers so they’re not just appetizing, but downright delicious.
Before we dig into these creative solutions for your Thanksgiving leftovers and tips for preserving them, I just want to acknowledge the elephant in the room, so to speak: Thanksgiving, for many of us, brings conflicting emotions. Its noble purpose is admirable: we should all practice gratitude and regularly eat delicious meals with the ones we love. But for some, reuniting with extended or even immediate family can be impossible, painful and/or traumatic. I want to acknowledge and send some love to those people.
Thanksgiving is a painful reminder that the United States, as a country, is built on stolen land. I’m going to write a fun recipe roundup, but I can’t leave out the fact that Native Americans have historically been oppressed and ignored in this country. It’s important to remember the true history of Thanksgiving as we enjoy our feast and transform leftovers into whole new meals.
Tips for Preserving Thanksgiving Leftovers
Here’s some quick information on storing all the leftovers you need to maximize your life in the fridge and freezer. Of course, you’ll want all of these in airtight containers in the fridge.
- Cooked turkey: It can be frozen for up to a year if wrapped tightly to avoid freezer burn. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Mashed Potatoes and Potato Casserole Can be frozen for up to 6 months. They freeze best with a good amount of fat (butter/oil). Keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Staffing: Can be frozen for up to one year. It works best if you freeze it in small portions. Keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Gravy: Freeze in an ice cube tray for up to a year. Frozen gravy would be a great way to fix accidentally overcooked meat! Keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Green Vegetable Casserole: Try eating them! They do not freeze well. Keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Cranberry Sauce: Good for up to a year in the fridge and up to 5 days in the freezer.
- Breads and Rolls: Freeze them! They all freeze well and are easy to revive after freezing.
- Dessert: Try to finish them. Most of them keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
For storing Thanksgiving leftovers, I recommend these oven-safe glass containers.
These 28-ounce glass jars are great for small portions! This pack of four is currently $24.99.
And for larger portions, I recommend this 36 oz oven-safe container.
29 Easy and Delicious Recipes That Will Transform Your Thanksgiving Leftovers
1. Thai Coconut Turkey Soup – A year on the table
I’m obsessed with this recipe for a few reasons. First and foremost, it’s winter, or as I like to call it: soup season. Now is the time to eat so much soup! And any iteration of a Thai coconut soup (a version of tom kha gai, usually made with chicken) will absolutely leave you and your taste buds very warm and fuzzy. Also — I have a possibly scandalous confession. Growing up, I didn’t like Thanksgiving turkey! It was always too dry and putting it in a soup solved that problem.
2. Next-Day Thanksgiving Pastries – The Walks of Life
Here at WWL, we’re always about meal prep, and these are super prep-friendly — easy to pack into a container or grab on the way out the door. I also think it would work well and still be delicious with any dough, including more plain breads. Puff pastry is delicious but not the easiest to find/make! Either way, a big chef’s kiss for this work of Thanksgiving genius. This will transform your Thanksgiving leftovers in no time.
3. Thanksgiving Leftovers Lasagna – Delish
Lasagna is such a satisfying dish, and one of my absolute favorites. As my family collectively realized that none of us like turkey, I suggested making lasagna for Thanksgiving instead. Anyway, this is your Thanksgiving plate, but in lasagna form. And I firmly believe everything is better in lasagna form. It’s also easy to slice and — you guessed it — pack up for meal prep. You can substitute turkey with your main dish in this recipe. Unless your main dish was lasagna? Oh… meta.
4. The best Thanksgiving leftover wraps
These genius wraps combine all of our favorite leftovers into one convenient hand-held snack. You make these wraps after you make a turkey soup or casserole. Or maybe you skip those options and go straight to this twist because the novelty factor alone is exciting.
5. Easy Sweet Potato Pancakes — Worktop
I never thought of making pancakes out of Thanksgiving leftovers. It’s genius! I love that this Thanksgiving staple can be transformed into a yummy breakfast. And the marshmallow sauce is a perfect companion!
6. ‘Thanks for the rest of the turkey’ in Jambalaya — Food52
Another genius recipe I never thought of. I love how a few simple spices can transform those classic Thanksgiving flavors (which, while delicious, you’re probably a little tired of) into something completely different. And the easy one-pot situation makes it a really sexy option for someone who’s spent the last three days cooking up a storm and making more labor-intensive meals. Food-prep-ability cannot be overstated!
7. Cranberry Shortbread Bars – Life is made sweeter
It’s always a great idea to have your dessert ready, so you’re ready to satisfy those cravings when they hit. These cranberry bars, based on a lemon bar recipe, are super prep-friendly with super simple ingredients. And they pack a lot of tang, which I appreciate.
8. Leftover Green Bean Casserole Frittata – Kim Lust
I made green bean casserole for the first time last year, and wow. Would highly recommend it. This recipe gives you a very specific ingredient list for your green bean casserole, but I’m pretty sure this frittata will be amazing no matter what brand of green beans you use. I think “when in doubt, add eggs” is a simple rule to follow in cooking and life, and I can’t imagine a better way to improve an already incredible dish.
9. Thanksgiving Türkiye Ramen – Oaks of Life
Fact: You can transform almost any food into a bowl of ramen. Especially at Thanksgiving, when you can use leftover turkey bones for broth. Yum! Fill your bowl with homemade bone broth, your favorite ramen noodles, and leftover vegetables from your Thanksgiving feast. Add eggs and bam to your ramen! Thanks Ramen.
10. Healthy Türkiye Quinoa Bowl – Delicious little bites
Looking for something a little more healthy after your Thanksgiving feast? Pile the leftovers on top of a bed of quinoa or your favorite grain. It also prepares the perfect lunch!
11. Vegan Thanksgiving Leftover Poutine – Sweet Simple Vegan
Leftover gravy + a pile of fries = Thanksgiving poutine! This Canadian-inspired dish is an absolutely delicious and creative way to use up leftover gravy.
12. Remaining Stuffing Muffins – Heat handle
Fun fact about stuffing: You can mold it into almost anything, even muffins! Bake them with cheese, an egg and herbs and you’re good to go.
13. Thanksgiving Fried Rice – Bon Appetit
14. Apple Pie Milkshake – Delish
15. Meal Prep Roasted Veggie Sandwiches
Yes, you can prepare sandwiches! this Roasted Veggie Sandwich Recipe Was created for lunch prep and is very customizable. Ingredients include beets, sweet potatoes, zucchini, micro greens and a delicious spread between two slices of your favorite sandwich bread.
16. Sweet Potato Casserole Muffins – Magnolia Day
17. Türkiye Bolognese – Endless food
The best Thanksgiving leftover ideas from the WWL community:
18. Thanksgiving Leftover Shepherd’s Pie
19. Turkey Cranberry White Cheddar Quesadillas
20. Thanksgiving Leftover Breakfast Hash Meal Prep Ideas
21. Türkiye and Thanksgiving Leftovers Pot Pie
22. Thanksgiving Empanadas
23. Stuffing egg cups
24. Thanksgiving Egg Rolls
25. Leftover Türkiye Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
26. Türkiye Taquitos
27. Leftover Pie Smoothies
28. Easy Baked Frittata: Last Chance for Your Unused Vegetables (Recipe Template)
29. Leftover Breakfast Burrito
If you enjoyed this post, go ahead and save it to your Holiday Meal Prep board for next time!
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