Do you have a lot of turkey left? What do you do with all that leftovers stuffing? And does cranberry sauce have other uses? I will answer all these questions by showing you 7 tasty ways to use your Thanksgiving leftovers.
I had so much fun working out these recipes for you. Last week, I shared my Thanksgiving for Two (including free oven schedule and various planners), and whatever I had left here, is what I used in this post on Thanksgiving leftovers. It was my mission to use ALL of the leftovers, and I think I succeeded. You will probably have different leftovers than me – but that’s the beauty of recipes. They are only guidelines, which you tweak to what you’ve got and don’t have.
And I just want to note that if you want to make exactly these recipes, I had doubled the recipes of these Thanksgiving dishes:
I hope you will be inspired by these recipes and see there are actually so many things we can do with our Thanksgiving leftovers.
Shortcuts:
- Leftovers Stuffing Egg Muffins
- Cranberry Sauce Oat Breakfast Muffins
- Leftovers Turkey Moroccan Stew with Spinach and Lentils
- Leftover Turkey Gravy Cauliflower Soup
- Homemade Sourdough Croutons
- Sweet Potato Bolognese Shepherd’s Pie
- Cranberry Sauce Coconut Whipped Cream Trifle
7 Tasty Ways To Use Your Thanksgiving Leftovers
Breakfast
Leftovers Stuffing Egg Muffins
These are perfect for breakfast the next day. I used the rest of my stuffing leftovers, but I also chopped up the rest of the green beans and brussels sprouts. Since we already had chives, we also threw that in. Because we can’t have eggs without chives, right. And cheddar, yum!
Ingredients (makes 12 small-ish muffins)
- 2 + 1/4 cups of stuffing, and/or chopped brussels sprouts and green beans (or other veggies)
- 3/4 cup chopped turkey (or ham or more veggies)
- 1 cup fresh spinach, packed
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped (optional)
- 6 eggs
- 2 tbsp milk (or heavy cream)
- 1/4-1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 3-4 tbsp cheddar, shredded (or any other melting cheese)
Instructions
- You can change the stuffing/turkey ratio, but my preference was 1/4 part turkey to 3/4 part veggies and stuffing. Preheat oven to 190C (375F). Grease a muffin tin with non-stick spray or butter.
- Chop up any pieces that may be too big. Turkey, green beans, brussels sprouts, stuffing and all other vegetables or meat work really great here. Mix this together with spinach and chives. Divide the mixture between the 12 muffin cups. Should not be packed, so to leave room for the egg mixture.
- In another bowl, whisk together eggs with milk, salt and pepper. Divide this into the 12 muffin cups. Do not fill it to the brim, because the eggs will expand during cooking. 3/4 full is fine.
- Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake the muffins for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden and the cheese has melted. Allow the egg muffins to cool slightly, then run a knife around the edges to loosen it from the tin.
Recipe adapted from Budget Bytes.
Cranberry Sauce Oat Breakfast Muffins
These were actually way too delicious, especially with the crunchy pecan streusel. I ate three once they got out of the oven and I had to go for a two hour walk just to not feel so guilty. Good thing they are on the healthy-ish side! Filled with oats and whole wheat flour. pecans and of course the delicious orange cranberry sauce.
Ingredients (makes 16 muffins)
- 125 gr flour (1 cup)
- 65 gr whole wheat flour (1/2 cup)
- 90 gr rolled oats (1 cup)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 75 gr softened butter (1/3 cup)
- 100 gr brown sugar (1/2 cup)
- 125 ml milk (1/2 cup)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 300 ml leftovers orange cranberry sauce (or any other, but may taste different)
Pecan Streusel
- 50 gr cold, cubed butter
- 60 gr flour
- 50 gr white sugar
- 50 gr finely chopped pecans
- 2 tbsp rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Line muffin tins with 16 muffin liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, whole wheat flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. First cream the butter and brown sugar together. Then add in the milk, egg and vanilla extract. Stir to combine (it will be a lumpy mixture).
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and loosely combine.
- Add in the cranberry sauce and carefully mix until just combined.
- Divide the batter among the 16 muffin liners.
- In a small bowl, make the pecan streusel. Add all the ingredients, and using two forks, mix the streusel until the butter is in pea sized pieces. Sprinkle generously on top of each muffin. But you will still likely have some leftovers, just discard or save for more muffins!
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Dinner
Leftovers Turkey Moroccan Stew with Spinach and Lentils
Helloo, am I excited for this. This will be my go-to Moroccan stew. You don’t have to add in leftovers turkey, any other meat or vegetables will do too. I will definitely give this baby its own blog post some day.
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
- 400 gr leftover turkey, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 400 gr polpa tomatoes, 1 can, or your favorite canned tomatoes
- 250 ml chicken broth, 1 cup
- 40 gr sultana raisins, 1/4 cup. Or normal raisins, optional
- 3 large dates, chopped
- 1/2 lemon, juice
- 175 gr drained red lentils
- 1 tsp cornstarch, optional
- 65 gr spinach
- 1/2 pomegranate, arils
- Coconut milk or yoghurt, for serving, optional
- Naan, for serving, optional
Moroccan Spices
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, fry onion and garlic on medium, until onion is soft. About 7 minutes.
- Add chopped ginger and the moroccan spices. Mix and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add in turkey, bell pepper, canned tomatoes and chicken broth. Give it a boil, then reduce to simmer for 20 minutes or until it has thickened.
- Add in sultanas (if using), dates, lemon juice, drained lentils and fresh spinach. Simmer for 2 minutes or until the spinach has wilted.
- You may want to add 1 tsp of cornstarch mixed with a tiny splash of water to thicken it more.
- Drizzle with pomegranate arils and serve with coconut milk and naan, if desired.
Leftover Turkey Gravy Cauliflower Soup with Homemade Croutons
I thought maybe the gravy couldn’t be of use when I’ve already used up the turkey. But boy was I wrong. You can use it as broth anywhere you use broth. And I’ve been thinking about cauliflower soup for a while, so I knew right there what to make of it. And because we only used a fraction of a sourdough bread for our stuffing, we should have leftover bread too = homemade croutons. Score!
Ingredients (serves 2-3)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 small cauliflower, chopped. 250 gr
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 150 ml turkey gravy (5 oz., or more or less depending on how much you have) + 500 ml water (2 cups)
- 1 very small potato, cut into chunks. 15 gr
- Salt and pepper – taste as you go, will depend on your gravy. I had 2 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 150 ml heavy cream. 5 oz. Or more or less, depending on your desired consistency.
Topping
- Homemade Sourdough Croutons, see below
- 2 slices bacon
- 2 large champignon mushrooms, sliced and chopped
- Dried parsley and chili flakes, for garnish
- Chopped leek or spring onion, for garnish
Homemade Sourdough Croutons
- Leftover sourdough, cut into chunks. Enough to cover a 20×30 cm pan
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning (or a mix of oregano, thyme, chili flakes)
- 1-2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Begin making the sourdough croutons, see below.
- In a saucepan, melt butter and fry cauliflower and onion, stir until golden, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in turkey gravy, water and one small potato. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley and thyme. Remember that the gravy is salty, so taste as you go. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes, or until potato can easily be crushed with a fork.
- Meanwhile, get your toppings ready. Cook bacon strips until crispy, then chop up. Cook mushroom in the bacon fat.
- Using either a blender or immersion blender, blend until smooth. Pour in heavy cream until desired consistency.
- Top with sourdough croutons, bacon, leek, and mushroom. Sprinkle with chili flakes and parsley.
Instructions Homeamade Sourdough Croutons
- Preheat oven to 190 C (375F).
- Chop the bread into small cubes. Add into a 20×30 cm pan or baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil and seasonings. Give it a gentle mix.
- Make sure the bread is in one single layer.
- Bake until golden, and stir halfway through cooking. About 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your bread pieces.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Sweet Potato Bolognese ‘Shepherd’s Pie’
So this one’s more of a bonus really. If you’ve seen my Creamy Parmesan Pumpkin Pasta, this is what I used as bolognese. Everything in this recipe apart from the pasta. You can use whatever meat sauce you want, but this complemented the Cheddar Herb Sweet Potato Mash perfectly. Also, any mashed potatoes will do here.
Ingredients (serves 3-4)
- 2 cups cheddar herb sweet potato mash (or any potato mash)
- 3 cups parmesan pumpkin pasta meat and spinach (or any other meaty sauce)
- 1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or any other melting cheese)
- Chives, for garnish, optional
- Fresh spinach or salad, for serving
Instructions
- I’m expecting that both the sweet potato mash and meat sauce is made in advance. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
- Evenly distribute the meat sauce in a 15×23 cm pan. More or less meat sauce is fine.
- Carefully distribute the sweet potato mash over the meat sauce. More or less potato mash is fine.
- Sprinkle with as much cheese as you want.
- Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes, or until mixture is warm and top is golden and cheese has melted.
- Sprinkle with chives and serve with some fresh spinach.
Dessert
Cranberry Sauce Coconut Whipped Cream Trifle
We can’t finish this post without a delicious dessert! I’m a new fan of coconut whipped cream. How delicious is that! I’ve also added a ginger nut cookie crumb, but gingerbread cookies or normal graham crackers would work fine too.
Ingredients (for two trifles)
- 8 tbsp coconut whipped cream – see below
- 4 tbsp cranberry sauce (hope you made my orange cranberry sauce with a few cranberry chunks!)
- 4 tbsp ginger nut cookie crumb (or any other spiced cookie crumb)
Coconut Whipped Cream
- 1/2 can cold coconut milk (fatty part only) 200 ml
- 35 gr powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, optional
Instructions
- The day before; place a can of coconut milk in the fridge. This firms up the fat, making it easier to cream.
- Place a bowl in the freezer (if you can), for at least 10 minutes. To keep the coconut milk as cold as possible while creaming.
- Cream your coconut milk using a hand mixer for 30 seconds, then adding powdered sugar and vanilla extract and whip 1 minute more.
- In a serving glass, add first two tbsp coconut whipped cream, one tbsp cranberry sauce and 1 tbsp crushed cookie. Repeat these steps to make two complete layers. Then continue to do the same in the other glass.
- This recipe will probably make a little more coconut whipped cream than you need here. Just refrigerate the rest, and then use as whipped cream in a hot chocolate.
And a bonus photo: Just wanted that coconut milk pour! 🙂
So now I hope you are full of new ideas. I’d love to hear your thoughts, tell me below in the comment section or tag me @thegingerwithspice on Instagram. And don’t forget to Pin it for later!
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I’m a huge fan of leftover turkey sandwiches but these are definitely my go-to’s this year.
Thanks! I had in mind a turkey sandwich, but I ate it all before I got to that!
All of these are such great ideas! Those muffins are calling my name!
Thank you so much!
Those egg muffins have my salivating for leftovers already…
Thank you so much!
I would make sure I had leftovers just so I could make some of these recipes. What a great way to use up the holiday turkey. Something here for everyone to keep enjoying throughout the week.
That sounds good! I like to change things up a bit. Thank you so much.
OK so I am not the best cook in the world but my partner makes some mean tasty leftover meals. I could have a go at some of these ideas and maybe supriss her. Albeit the dishes won’t be half as good as your ha.
I’m sure that if you follow the recipes they should be equally tasty. I’m not the best cook in the world either! Thank you so much, hope you do give it a try.
Wow these are super fancy! Another one I heard recently was turkey enchiladas.
I’ve heard of that too! I just didn’t have enough turkey to try more things. I had planned some quesadillas too – until next time. Thank you so much, Deborah!
I love the idea of using leftover stuffing to make muffins! They look so good!
Thank you so much, Marlynn!
I love the cranberry sauce with whipped-cream trifle! Such a wonderful way to use Thanksgiving leftovers! Thank you so much for all of these lovely ideas.
Very festive! Thank you so much, dear
Those are really tasty ideas for leftovers. I really dig the muffin idea for stuffed eggs and cranberry sauce.
Thank you very much, Luci!
Thank you!!!!!! This is perfect. You mean we don’t have to have turkey breakfast sandwiches and heated up stuffing for lunch anymore? I love particularly, the breakfast ideas for cranberry muffins and egg muffins. I know this will be a hit with the family.
ahh no thank you!! Aren’t you the sweetest. And yes, that is exactly what I’m saying! There really are endless possibilities.
Mmm these all look like super yummy leftover recipes! Thank you for sharing. Those muffins look delicious.
Kasey Ma
thestylewright.com
Thank you so much!
What a great idea for leftovers, I esp love the sweet potato one, I never know what to do with all of them!
Oh thank you so much! Was a little uncertain if I should add it to this list, as the meat sauce isn’t technically a Thanksgiving leftover!
What a great collection of recipes. We could make another day of eating with all this fantastic food.
Thank you so much!
I don’t do leftovers…until Thanksgiving 🙂 this is a great collection of leftovers recipes, so you don’t feel like you’re just eating the exact same thing over and over again
Yeah, me too! I hate leftovers. That is also why I tried to make all these recipes very different from the Thanksgiving dinner itself. Thank you so much.
Thanksgiving leftovers are the best. I love these all.
Thank you so much!
I never thought of using my leftover cranberry sauce to make muffins. What a great idea.
Thank you so much! Yeah, the cranberry sauce was just like this sweet, yummy jam so I thought why not!
Wow you’ve turned leftovers into some fabulous dishes! Love the stuffing muffins and the Moroccan Turkey stew! Brilliant!
Thank you so much, dear Jacqueline!
Oh, wow — so many great ideas here! I think I’m going to start with the Moroccan stew. That coconut milk pour looks incredible. Thanks for taking the time to put together so many recipes!
Thank you so much, Amanda. I loved that Moroccan stew, will definitely be making it all year long using probably chicken. 🙂
That is a fantastic roundup of the ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers. It is not usually a problem in my house because there is hardly anything left on the table after everyone is done but definitely worth keeping this just in case – thank you! 🙂
Thank you so much! My Thanksgiving post from the week before was designed for two people with a lot of leftovers, so that is why I have so many leftover recipes here. 😀
How creative. I love these tasty ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers. I think the muffins are my favorite. Thank you for putting all of these in one place.
Nelle Weaver
Thank you so much, lovely!
OMG, this is such a fabulous share and so many ideas to use those leftovers. No one can even say that it was from leftovers. Brilliant.
Thank you so much for saying that! I am personally against leftovers, they are just so boring. That is why I made it my mission to try to make it as interesting, yet easy and flavorful as I could!
Such great ideas and everything looks fabulous but one cut above the rest in my opinion is that Moroccan stew – That is totally calling my name!
I think the Moroccan stew might be my favorite too! I’m a sucker for all things North African and Middle Eastern. Thank you so much, Mireille.