Guide to Thanksgiving Leftovers

Half the fun of a big Thanksgiving buffet is the next day’s leftovers. Besides the must-have turkey and cranberry sandwich, we’ve gathered some of our favorite recipes to showcase the traditional Thanksgiving dishes in a new light. We promise, you’ll be glad you roasted an extra-large turkey this year!

 

 

Your leftover cranberry sauce makes the perfect topping for French toast in this fall-themed Challah French Toast with Cranberry-Apple Compote. Even if your sauce recipe uses oranges instead of apples, or is a slightly different consistency, it will still work here — just sweeten to taste if necessary.

 

For a savory start to your day, try creating an herbed hash with your cooked turkey in these Nested Eggs — they’re perfect for when you have guests in town.

 

 

Top a salad with cooked turkey for a satisfying entree — it’s delicious on top of a fattoush or Cobb salad. Alternatively, mix turkey and dried cranberries with a creamy combination of yogurt and mayonnaise with this Turkey Salad with Cranberries and Celery. It’s the post-Thanksgiving answer to classic chicken salad with raisins, perfect for filling a sandwich or topping a bed of greens.

 

 

Cooked turkey can be added to almost any soup in place of chicken for a quick, hearty main course. We love this Turkey Mulligatawny Soup, incorporating Indian flavors like curry and cilantro, and a simple chunky white chili will please most crowds with a side of cornbread. Better yet, use all of your turkey leftovers — meat, gravy and stock — for this Day-After-Thanksgiving Cranberry Bean Soup.

 

You can also turn your mashed potatoes into a creamy potato soup — just add stock, water or milk and simmer until you reach the desired consistency. Roasted sweet potatoes will make a great soup, too; use this recipe as a guide.

 

 

Use up leftover turkey in a tangle of egg noodles, mushrooms and cheesy sauce in this Turkey Tetrazzini. It’s the perfect one-pot meal, and may even become a holiday weekend tradition. Substitute turkey for chicken in a potpie, the ultimate comfort food (and we won’t tell if you use a store-bought pastry). Toss leftover veggies like Brussels sprouts and winter squash in a risotto — let this recipe be your guide.

 

Find more ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers here.