No one really likes to waste food, so it’s important to find ways of maximizing your leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner. There will be different ways you can utilize the leftover foods from your holiday feast in this blog post. Some of these ideas involve cooking to incorporate the flavor and texture of turkey into other dishes, while others require no cooking at all!
Contents
Turkey Sandwiches
You don’t have to cook anything new for your Thanksgiving leftovers! You can make a great turkey sandwich with the leftover turkey meat, cheese slices (your favorite kind), and leftover rolls. Just toast each roll, then layer them up with any leftovers you want to add! You can add leftover mashed potatoes inside these sandwiches along with gravy for an extra kick!
Buffalo Turkey Dip
This buffalo turkey dip is the perfect way to use up your leftover turkey. Combine two cups of shredded turkey with one-fourth cup ranch dressing, half a tablespoon of hot sauce, and top it off with three tablespoons worth of blue cheese crumbles or gorgonzola cheese if you prefer. Bake in an oven for about ten minutes, then serve warm alongside crackers! Buffalo turkey dip is also a great way to get your kids interested in eating more vegetables since they can dip veggies in it instead of crackers.
Sweet Potato Casserole
To make this delicious sweet potato casserole, add one teaspoon worth of pumpkin pie spice, some coconut milk, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste, then mix thoroughly until everything’s creamy smooth. Add about half a cup each (or more depending on how big the bowl is) into ramekins or baking dishes, then top with crushed pecans mixed with melted butter before baking in an oven for only ten minutes at most! These make great individual servings, so you can even serve them alongside other Thanksgiving leftovers like cranberry sauce too! There doesn’t have to be turkey involved for you to enjoy some Thanksgiving leftovers!
Turkey Quesadilla
Here’s another simple dish to make with your Thanksgiving leftovers! Add some cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or pepper jack are all great choices) and cooked turkey meat sliced into strips to a tortilla. Then, fold it over before flipping one side onto the other. Cook on a skillet until both sides turn golden brown and serve hot alongside salsa if desired! Lastly, you don’t have to use just tortillas! You can make a Thanksgiving quesadilla with pita bread, too, for an added crunch.
Turkey Casserole
This turkey casserole is a perfect way to use up any canned cranberry sauce you have leftover from last night. Combine one can of cream of mushroom soup along with two cups worth of shredded meat and heat it in the microwave for about five minutes or until heated through completely. Add some garlic powder, salt, pepper, thyme leaves (optional), and parsley flakes if desired as well before mixing with cooked noodles. Transfer this mixture into your baking dish, and then top off with crushed crackers mixed with melted butter before cooking at a low temperature until it turns golden brown!
Pumpkin Pie Shake
You should use up leftover pumpkin pie somehow too! All you have to do is blend one cup of vanilla ice cream with half a can of coconut milk, some leftover pumpkin pie, and about three tablespoons worth of maple syrup before adding whipped cream on top. If you want this shake even sweeter, then add another tablespoon or two of maple syrup while keeping the ratio at around fifty percent ice cream/fifty percent liquids; otherwise, it’ll end up tasting watered down.
Mini Turkey Pot Pie
If you’re looking for a way to put your food into cute little portions, then these mini turkey pot pies are perfect. This recipe is easy so that anyone can make it in no time at all! The most challenging part about this dish is cutting the pie crust in circles large enough to fit on top of each individual ramekin or cupcake tray if you don’t have any ramekins available. Place two tablespoons of leftover mashed potatoes inside each cup before filling with hot turkey gravy (you’ll need one-fourth cup per serving). Next, add some veggies like peas, corn kernels, broccoli florets, sliced carrot, or chopped spinach leaves, and then top each cup with a circle cut out from your pie crust. Bake in an oven until the pastry is golden brown and serve hot!
Conclusion
You can do many different things with your leftovers, so don’t throw them out if you can help it! Even making simple recipes like this is a great way to stretch your dollar. You’ll be surprised at how many different meals you can make with the same ingredients by just changing up their appearance or portions slightly. Enjoy these Thanksgiving leftover ideas and happy cooking, everyone!
