Give your holiday extras a delicious encore with Thanksgiving leftover recipes! Discover leftover turkey ideas and satisfying meals worth saving room for!
These Thanksgiving leftover recipes turn turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and dinner rolls into meals with fresh flavors and plenty of crunch. Pull out a few containers, grab your favorite skillet, and give yesterday’s feast a delicious second act.
Before You Start
- Use leftovers that were refrigerated in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if temperatures were above 90°F.
- Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days, and reheat dishes containing them to 165°F in the center.
- For these recipes, plan around when your original leftovers were cooked, and freeze portions you cannot use within that window.
- Oven temperatures below are for a conventional oven, and cooking times are guides; thickness, moisture, and starting temperature can change how quickly a dish heats through.
Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes
1. Cranberry-Chipotle Turkey Taquitos with Lime Crema
Cranberry sauce becomes especially good company for turkey when you add smoky chipotle, a little cream cheese, and Monterey Jack, then roll everything into tortillas that bake until crisp around their edges.
Inside, you get tender turkey and a creamy, gently sweet filling with enough heat to keep every bite interesting.
Cool lime crema brings everything back into balance! My vote is to shred turkey quite finely here, because long strands can drag half your filling out with one enthusiastic bite.
Servings: 4, with 4 taquitos each
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 20 to 24 minutes
Total time: About 50 minutes
Leftovers used: Turkey and cranberry sauce
Ingredients
For the Taquitos:
- 2 cups finely shredded cooked turkey, about 10 ounces, with skin and bones removed
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup thick cranberry sauce, whole-berry or jellied
- ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack, about 2 ounces
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 scallions, finely sliced
- 16 small corn tortillas, about 6 inches across
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado or canola oil
- Salt, only if needed after tasting your filling
For the Lime Crema:
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons water, as needed
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
How to Make It
1. Heat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment rated for that temperature. Stir softened cream cheese, cranberry sauce, adobo sauce, and cumin together until mostly smooth, then fold in turkey, Monterey Jack, and scallions.
You want a thick mixture that stays on a spoon, so if your cranberry sauce has separated, spoon off watery liquid before measuring it. Taste before adding salt, since holiday turkey and cheese may already provide plenty.
2. Wrap four tortillas in a clean, damp kitchen towel and microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, checking that they bend easily without splitting. Keep them covered while you work, then warm another batch as needed.
Don’t skip this step, because warm corn tortillas roll much more easily! If one still cracks, give it another 10 seconds of gentle steaming rather than trying to persuade it with sheer determination.
3. Divide filling evenly among tortillas, using approximately 3 tablespoons per tortilla, and arrange it in a narrow line just below each center. Roll snugly without squeezing filling out through either end, then place each taquito seam-side down on your baking sheet with a little space around it.
Brush tops and sides lightly with oil; those thin patches of oil help create a crisp shell instead of a dry, dusty tortilla.
4. Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, turning taquitos carefully after about 12 minutes once their seams have set. Look for golden edges and firm, crisp shells, and check that filling in a taquito near the middle of your tray reaches 165°F (74°C). If tortillas are browning faster than filling heats, loosely cover with foil and continue baking until hot through.
5. Stir yogurt, lime juice, and salt together, adding water a tablespoon at a time until your crema falls from a spoon in a thick ribbon. Let taquitos stand for 3 minutes before serving, because molten cream cheese has absolutely no respect for enthusiasm, then drizzle lightly or serve crema alongside for dipping.
Serving Suggestions
Add shredded romaine, sliced radishes, and avocado tossed with lime juice. Keep crema on the side if people will be grazing, so those crisp shells stay crisp!
A useful little detail: If you want more heat, add 1 teaspoon finely minced chipotle pepper to your filling. Extra adobo sauce adds moisture as well as spice, so chopped pepper gives you more control.
2. Mashed Potato and Brussels Sprout Cakes with Apple-Mustard Cream
These potato cakes have a golden crust, a soft cheddar-speckled middle, and little browned pieces of Brussels sprouts tucked throughout. The apple-mustard cream is what makes them feel fresh: grated apple brings gentle sweetness, Dijon adds a sharp little nudge, and yogurt cuts through buttery mashed potatoes.
I would happily make these the main event for lunch, especially with a pile of peppery greens alongside!
Servings: 4, with 2 cakes each
Prep time: 15 minutes
Chill time: 10 minutes
Cook time: About 20 minutes
Total time: About 45 minutes
Leftovers used: Mashed potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts
Ingredients
For the Cakes:
- 2 cups cold, thick mashed potatoes, about 1 pound
- 1 cup finely chopped cooked Brussels sprouts, with any tough stem pieces removed
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar, about 2 ounces
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, plus up to 2 tablespoons if needed
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
- Salt, only if needed
For the Apple-Mustard Cream:
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup finely grated peeled apple, gently squeezed to remove excess juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup, optional if your apple is particularly tart
How to Make It
1. Blot Brussels sprouts with a paper towel if they look oily or wet, then chop them into pieces no larger than a pea so your cakes hold together. Mix mashed potatoes, sprouts, cheddar, egg, flour, chives, and pepper just until combined.
Start with mash that holds a mound on a spoon; very loose, almost pourable mashed potatoes need a different use, because adding enough flour to stiffen them would make these cakes heavy.
2. Scoop up a small portion and press it between your palms to check consistency. It should feel soft and slightly tacky but hold its shape; if it spreads immediately, mix in another tablespoon of flour, repeating once if necessary.
With lightly floured hands, divide into eight cakes about 4 inches across and ½ inch thick, arrange on a plate, and refrigerate for 10 minutes while you prepare your sauce.
3. Stir yogurt, squeezed apple, Dijon, and vinegar together, then taste before adding optional maple syrup. You are looking for a bright, gently sweet sauce with a little mustard bite, rather than something that tastes like dessert.
Grate your apple shortly before mixing it into yogurt, which helps keep its color fresh while you finish cooking.
4. Heat 1½ tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium heat. Add four cakes without crowding and cook for 4 to 5 minutes before attempting to turn them; a golden crust needs time to form, and moving a soft cake too early is how lunch becomes an unplanned potato scramble.
Slide a thin spatula underneath, flip carefully, and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, lowering heat slightly if cheddar starts browning too quickly.
5. Check that a cake reaches 165°F (74°C) in its center, inserting your thermometer from the side, and give it another minute or two over lower heat if necessary.
Transfer to a rack set over a baking sheet and keep warm in a 250°F (120°C) oven while you cook remaining cakes with remaining oil. Avoid stacking them, because trapped steam softens those golden surfaces you just worked for.
Serving Suggestions
Spoon apple-mustard cream alongside rather than across every cake, then add arugula with lemon dressing. For brunch, serve with eggs cooked to your liking.
A useful little detail: Cold mashed potatoes are much easier to shape than warm ones. Their starch firms as they cool, helping you use less flour and keep a tender center.
3. Stuffing-Crust Mushroom and Gruyère Breakfast Tart
Leftover stuffing makes a beautifully textured crust for this creamy egg tart, with browned bread around its edges and little pockets of herbs throughout. Mushrooms add earthy richness, spinach brings color, and Gruyère melts into a nutty, silky filling.
It looks lovely cut into wedges, but you are pressing bread into a dish rather than negotiating with pastry dough, which feels like a very reasonable arrangement after a holiday!
Servings: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 50 to 60 minutes
Rest time: 10 minutes
Total time: About 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes
Leftovers used: Stuffing
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 3 cups cooked bread stuffing, loosely measured and crumbled into small pieces
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter, plus a little for greasing
- 1 to 2 tablespoons low-sodium broth, only if your stuffing is dry
For the Filling:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced about ¼ inch thick
- 2 packed cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup shredded Gruyère, about 3 ounces
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
How to Make It
1. Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, at least 1¾ inches deep. Mix crumbled stuffing with beaten egg and melted butter, breaking apart any large bread cubes as you go.
Squeeze a little mixture in your hand; it should stay together without dripping. Add broth only if it falls apart from dryness, and if your stuffing is unusually wet, gently squeeze out excess liquid before mixing in egg.
2. Press stuffing firmly across your pie plate’s bottom and up its sides, aiming for a layer about ⅜ to ½ inch thick without any large gaps. A lightly greased measuring cup makes a handy pressing tool.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until edges are browned and the base looks set rather than glossy. This first bake matters because it gives your crust some structure before you introduce liquid filling.
3. While crust bakes, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, add mushrooms, and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until released moisture evaporates and several edges turn golden.
Add spinach and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, then continue just until no puddles remain. Let vegetables cool for about 5 minutes, because water hiding beneath those mushrooms can turn a promising tart into a rather damp situation.
4. Whisk eggs, milk, Dijon, and pepper until evenly combined. Scatter mushrooms, spinach, and Gruyère into your baked crust, then slowly pour in egg mixture, stopping at least ¼ inch below the rim if your dish runs small.
Set your pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips, and loosely shield browned stuffing edges with strips of foil so they do not darken too much during the second bake.
5. Bake for another 30 to 38 minutes, until filling is set around its edges, the center has only a slight wobble, and a thermometer inserted into the middle reads 165°F (74°C). If it still ripples like liquid, give it a few more minutes before checking again.
Rest for 10 minutes, scatter with chives, and cut with a sharp knife, sliding a pie server beneath each wedge to support that tender bread crust.
Serving Suggestions
Pair with a lemony green salad and sliced pears, or serve smaller wedges alongside roasted tomatoes for brunch.
A useful little detail: Bread stuffing works best here. Very crumbly cornbread stuffing behaves differently, so save it for the crisp topping in the next recipe rather than treating it as a direct crust substitute.
4. Lemon-Garlic Turkey and White Bean Skillet with Parmesan Stuffing Crunch
This skillet has tender turkey folded into creamy white beans, sweet softened leeks, and a lemon-garlic sauce, with crisp Parmesan stuffing crumbs scattered over every bowl.
Mashing a small portion of beans thickens everything without a separate flour sauce. A little lemon at the end keeps this dish bright, and those crunchy crumbs make each spoonful especially good!
Servings: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 to 30 minutes
Total time: 40 to 45 minutes
Leftovers used: Turkey and stuffing
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup cooked stuffing, crumbled into small pieces
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan, about 1 ounce
- 1 large leek, white and light-green parts only, halved, thoroughly washed, and thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cans cannellini beans, 15 ounces each, drained and rinsed
- 1½ cups low-sodium turkey or chicken broth, divided
- 2 cups cooked turkey, cut or shredded into bite-size pieces, about 10 ounces
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Salt, as needed
How to Make It
1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add stuffing, and cook for 6 to 9 minutes, stirring and breaking apart clumps until hot through and crisp around their edges.
Damp stuffing may need a few extra minutes; you are listening for a gentle sizzle and looking for separate browned crumbs. If it contains meat, check that a larger clump reaches 165°F (74°C) before breaking it smaller. Transfer to a bowl and stir in Parmesan while crumbs are still warm.
2. Add remaining oil and sliced leek to your skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and sweet-smelling. If browned bits on your pan look close to burning, add a tablespoon of your measured broth and scrape gently.
Stir in garlic and thyme for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant, because darkened garlic can bring bitterness that lemon will not politely hide.
3. Add beans and 1¼ cups broth, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Use a wooden spoon or potato masher to crush roughly ¾ cup beans against your skillet’s side, then stir them back through. Your sauce should begin to cling to whole beans while still moving easily when stirred; keep remaining broth nearby for small adjustments.
4. Fold in turkey and cream, then simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until turkey and sauce reach 165°F (74°C). Keep bubbles small and lazy rather than letting everything boil hard, which can make already-cooked turkey stringy.
If your sauce tightens before turkey heats through, add reserved broth a splash at a time, remembering that beans will thicken it further as it stands.
5. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, and pepper, then taste before adding salt. Try a spoonful with a few Parmesan crumbs before deciding, since your topping brings its own seasoning.
Spoon into shallow bowls and add stuffing crunch immediately before serving, keeping extra crumbs separate so everyone can add another little handful halfway through.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with roasted broccoli or a crisp cucumber salad. A small piece of toasted bread is excellent for swiping through any sauce left in your bowl.
A useful little detail: Add lemon juice after cooking. Its fresh flavor stays clearer, and you can judge how much acidity your particular turkey and stuffing need before committing to more.
5. Harissa Sweet Potato Flatbreads with Feta and Cranberry-Pickled Onions
Sweet potatoes take beautifully to chili heat, especially with salty feta, crisp-edged naan, and ruby-colored onions that bring a sharp cranberry tang. These flatbreads have a creamy orange topping and enough contrasting texture to make every slice interesting.
Use plain or lightly buttered sweet potatoes here; heavily sugared or cinnamon-seasoned casserole filling would pull flavors in a different direction, and marshmallows have already had their moment!
Servings: 4, with 1 flatbread each
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 18 to 22 minutes
Total time: About 35 to 40 minutes, with onions pickling while you prepare everything else
Leftovers used: Sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce
Ingredients
For the Cranberry-Pickled Onions:
- ½ medium red onion, very thinly sliced, about ½ cup
- ¼ cup cranberry sauce
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
For the Flatbreads:
- 4 individual naan breads, about 7 to 8 inches across
- 2 cups thick mashed cooked sweet potatoes, without skins or sweet toppings
- 1 to 2 tablespoons harissa paste, according to its heat level
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 6 ounces feta, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons roasted, unsalted pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Salt, only if needed
How to Make It
1. Heat your oven to 400°F (205°C) with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Whisk cranberry sauce, vinegar, hot water, and salt in a small bowl, breaking up jellied sauce with a fork if needed, then fold in onion slices.
Leave for at least 15 to 20 minutes, tossing once or twice; very thin slices soften quickly and pick up that pretty cranberry color while keeping a little crunch.
2. Mash sweet potatoes until smooth enough to spread, then mix with 1 tablespoon harissa, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and lemon juice. Taste before adding more harissa, since brands vary from gently warming to a fairly energetic wake-up call.
Your mixture should spread easily while holding its shape; if it is unusually stiff, stir in 1 tablespoon water, but avoid thinning it into a sauce.
3. Arrange naan across two baking sheets and brush their upper surfaces with remaining olive oil. Bake for 4 minutes to lightly dry and firm their surfaces, then remove from your oven and spread each with ½ cup sweet potato mixture, leaving a narrow border.
Scatter feta evenly over all four, pressing larger pieces lightly into your topping so they stay put when you slice.
4. Bake for another 14 to 18 minutes, swapping tray positions halfway through, until naan edges are golden, feta has a few toasted tips, and sweet potato topping reaches 165°F (74°C). Slide a spatula underneath to check that bases feel firm rather than floppy. If edges brown early, loosely cover them with foil while topping finishes heating.
5. Let flatbreads stand for 2 minutes, then lift onions from their liquid with a fork and drain well before scattering them over each naan. Finish with pumpkin seeds and parsley, then slice into wedges with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Add onions after baking so their acidity stays lively and their liquid does not soften your crisp bread.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with cucumber ribbons dressed in lemon and olive oil, plus plain yogurt for anyone who prefers a gentler level of heat.
A useful little detail: That short first bake helps protect naan from moisture in your sweet potatoes. It is especially useful when leftovers already contain milk or butter.
6. Cranberry-Orange Cheesecake Dinner Roll Bake
Slightly stale dinner rolls soak up vanilla-orange custard, then bake with creamy cheesecake pockets and little swirls of cranberry sauce.
Exposed bread pieces turn golden while everything underneath stays soft and spoonable, giving you a lovely mix of crisp corners, rich custard, and tart fruit.
I would serve this for a slow weekend brunch with strong coffee, although a warm square after dinner would be an excellent decision too!
Servings: 8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Soaking time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 45 to 50 minutes
Rest time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes
Leftovers used: Dinner rolls and cranberry sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for greasing
- 12 ounces slightly stale dinner rolls, usually 10 to 12 small rolls, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- ½ cup cranberry sauce
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest, avoiding bitter white pith
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
How to Make It
1. Butter a 9-inch square baking dish at least 2 inches deep and heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Slightly stale rolls work especially well because they absorb custard without immediately falling apart.
If yours are still very soft, spread cut pieces on a baking sheet and dry them at 300°F (150°C) for 8 to 10 minutes first, then raise your oven temperature; allow that extra time beyond the estimate above.
2. Beat softened cream cheese with 2 tablespoons sugar until smooth enough to drop from a spoon. Scatter half your roll pieces into the baking dish, dot with half your cream cheese mixture, and add small spoonfuls of half your cranberry sauce between them.
Repeat with remaining bread, cream cheese, and cranberry sauce, spreading additions around so each serving gets creamy and fruity pockets rather than one lucky corner receiving everything.
3. Whisk eggs with remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, milk, cream, orange zest, vanilla, and salt until no streaks of egg remain. If using particularly sweet rolls, reduce sugar in this custard to 1 tablespoon.
Pour slowly over bread, aiming around cream cheese dollops, then gently press exposed bread with a spatula and leave for 15 minutes so custard can soak into those little spaces.
4. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes until upper bread pieces are golden and the center feels set with a gentle tremble.
Check for 165°F (74°C) in a custard-soaked bread section near the center, avoiding a cream cheese pocket when placing your thermometer. Soft cheese can look glossy even when custard is cooked, so check an egg-and-bread section before deciding it needs longer.
5. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting or scooping, allowing custard to settle while those cranberry pockets remain warm and jammy. If your top is ready but the center needs more time, replace foil loosely and continue baking in 5-minute intervals.
This is a spoonable bread bake, so a little movement is fine; visible liquid egg custard pooling between pieces means it needs more time.
Serving Suggestions
Add fresh orange segments or a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt, then pour coffee. Between sweet rolls and cranberry sauce, I would taste a bite before reaching for maple syrup!
A useful little detail: Weigh rolls if possible. Twelve ounces of bread gives your custard somewhere to go, while guessing by roll count can leave you with very different results depending on their size.
With crisp tortillas, golden potato edges, lemony beans, and warm cranberry cheesecake pockets on your side, opening another container starts to feel like an invitation!
These Thanksgiving leftover recipes give every extra scoop and slice a delicious purpose, whether you are making a quick lunch, feeding weekend guests, or treating yourself to a proper sit-down breakfast.
Choose whichever recipe matches what is waiting in your refrigerator, set out a few plates, and enjoy every last good bite!
