It is the morning after Thanksgiving and your fridge is packed with delicious leftovers from your Thanksgiving feast. You have invested way too much time, effort, and money into these delectable dishes to let them go to waste! But how can you enjoy them in a fresh way? Keep reading for creative ways to transform your Thanksgiving leftovers.
Turkey: The mild flavor of turkey makes it adaptable to a variety of dishes and cuisines. You can easily exchange turkey for chicken in your family’s favorite recipes. Simply add shredded or cubed turkey breast or thigh meat instead of the chicken the recipe calls for.
If you have leftover dinner rolls or biscuits and some barbecue sauce, you can make a quick and easy meal of barbecue turkey sliders. Simply toss shredded turkey meat with barbecue sauce to coat and heat through on the stovetop or microwave. Serve the turkey mixture on split rolls or biscuits. Check out these recipes for more ideas to use up your leftover turkey:
Ultimate Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwich
Mashed Potatoes: Leftover mashed potatoes are an awesome topper to shepherd’s pie. They can also be used to make a moist and delicious loaf of potato bread. You can use mashed potatoes instead of cubed and boiled potatoes in your favorite potato soup recipe. Try using your leftover mashed potatoes in a recipe of Mashed Potato Casserole or Mashed Potato Pancakes. If you have leftover whole potatoes, they can be baked and topped with sour cream, bacon, and cheese for a quick and satisfying meal. Leftover uncooked potatoes could also be boiled in broth and served green beans and bits of shredded ham or bacon.
Veggies: If you served a tray of fresh vegetables or have leftover fresh vegetables that were unused on Thanksgiving, add them to any of your favorite recipes that call for vegetables, such as soups or stews. Leftover roasted veggies can be used in the same way, just add them at the end of the cooking time so that they do not get too mushy.
Roasted vegetables can also be turned into a delicious mash. Just add a little bit of broth and mash them as you would potatoes, seasoning them to your taste. The mash could be topped with Parmesan cheese or a dab of butter. Leftover raw or roasted vegetables are also wonderful in Leftover Turkey Pot Pie.
Pumpkin: If you bought extra canned pumpkin gearing up for Thanksgiving, don’t let it sit around until next year! Canned pumpkin can be added to smoothies and soups for a boost of flavor and nutrition! You can also use canned pumpkin to make your own pumpkin spice lattes at home.
Simply mix 1 cup of milk and ¼ cup of coffee and heat through. Stir in 1 Tbsp of canned pumpkin and ¼ tsp of pumpkin pie spice. Top with leftover whipped cream if you would like. Add pumpkin to delicious breakfast treats, like Harvest Pumpkin Muffins or Pumpkin Pancakes. If you have leftover pumpkin pie and want to transform it into a different kind of dessert, make parfait. Scoop out the pumpkin pie filling and place alternating layers of filling and whipped cream in individual ramekins or glasses. Top with crumbled pie crust or cookies.
Sweet Potatoes: You can swap leftover sweet potatoes for potatoes in many of your family’s favorite recipes. They can be turned into a delicious savory soup by simply blending sweet potatoes and a little bit of broth in your blender. Add ½ tsp of poultry seasoning and sauteed onion and garlic and continue to blend. Keep adding broth until your soup has reached your desired texture. Leftover sweet potatoes are also wonderful in Basic Shepherds Pie or Sweet Potato and Ham Hash. If you have sweet potatoes that are uncooked, simply bake them in the oven or microwave and serve topped with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Stuffing: Whether you made stuffing from bread cubes or cornbread, you can transform it into a variety of delicious dishes. Stuffing can be used in place of mashed potatoes as the topper of a shepherd’s pie. For a twist on a classic Italian dish try Stuffed Shells with Thanksgiving Leftovers. Leftover Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms make a quick and easy side dish, appetizer, or snack.
Cranberry Sauce: If you don’t plan on using your leftover cranberry sauce as a layer on an amazing turkey sandwich, there are plenty of other things you can do with this traditional Thanksgiving side. Sauce made from whole cranberries can be thinned slightly with cranberry or orange juice and used as a syrup for pancakes, waffles, or french toast. Cranberry sauce can also be added to baked goods like Cranberry Orange Muffins or Pumpkin Cranberry Bars.
Devilled Eggs: While not a traditional Thanksgiving dish, devilled eggs are served on many Thanksgiving tables. Leftover devilled eggs can be transformed into an awesome egg salad, like The Best Egg Salad. Serve your egg salad on a sandwich or with crackers.
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