10 Creative Ideas for Thanksgiving Leftovers

Secretly, we all know why we make our Thanksgiving feasts so massive: we want the leftovers! Roasted turkey, vegetables and cranberry sauce are just as delicious and comforting today as they were yesterday. Here are some creative ways to mix them up with new flavors and ingredients.

Turkey Salad with Treviso, Apple and Grapes The diverse flavors of this exceptionally colorful salad are bound together with an easy-to-make Parmesan dressing. Treviso is a cousin of the more common deep burgundy, sphere-shaped Chioggia radicchio. It is typically lighter colored and slightly more bitter and is an ideal counterpoint to the sweet grapes and crunchy apples used here.

Farro Salad with Turkey and Roasted Squash In this grain-based salad, sweet-and-sour dried cranberries contrast with smoked turkey and earthy butternut squash.

Italian Loaf with Turkey, White Cheddar and Cranberry Sauce Ciabatta or focaccia makes an ideal backdrop for this flavorful sandwich, prepared with leftover roast turkey and cranberry sauce. Using a whole loaf makes quick work of serving a crowd.

Classic Cobb Salad This traditional salad has a little bit of everything: turkey, avocado, bacon, hard-boiled eggs and blue cheese. Give it a try when you’re ready for a break from stuffing and cranberries.

Turkey Tetrazzini This retro casserole uses up leftover turkey in a tangle of egg noodles, button mushrooms and cheesy sauce—with delicious results. Baked in one pan, or divided into individual ramekins, it’s sure to become an annual post-holiday tradition.

Chipotle Tortilla Soup with Turkey and Lime This soup gets a kick from chipotle chilies in adobo—dried, smoked jalapeños in a tomato-vinegar sauce. It’s great for out-of-town guests; just make a big pot, and set up a toppings bar.

Wheat Berries with Roasted Parsnips, Butternut Squash and Dried Cranberries Chances are you have some roasted vegetables on hand, whether winter squash, root vegetables or broccoli. Toss them with cooked grains, dried cranberries and fresh herbs, and you have a healthy, colorful dish in no time.

Individual Turkey Pot Pies Leftover turkey from the Thanksgiving feast can be the basis of many great meals. If you remembered to make some extra dough when assembling your Thanksgiving pies, the dish will come together even more quickly. If you didn’t, you can use purchased pie dough or even prepared puff pastry if you don’t want to make the dough from scratch.

Pot Pie with Mushrooms & Thyme This 5-star chicken recipe is perhaps better suited to turkey as it takes a full 8 cups of cubed meat. Scented with herbs, studded with mushrroms and pearl onions, it’s no wonder this fragrant pie is one of our most popular recipes.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Panini Relive Thanksgiving dinner with this impressive toasted sandwich, which contains leftover turkey and many of our favorite Thanksgiving sides. Feel free, of course, to improvise based on whatever you find in your fridge the weekend after the big celebration.

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