One of the best things about Thanksgiving is opening the refrigerator the next day and revisiting those delicious leftovers! After a day or two, the desire for a Thanksgiving meal is obsolete. Or, we’re in the mood for something completely different, like, spring rolls, grilled cheese with brie, and even sliders with poppy seed dressing. All of these simple and tasty recipes are in our Thanksgiving leftover masterpiece list below. A flavor for every palate, and actual recipes which are totally doable! Give them a browse and share with your mom-tribe or family!
1. Leftover Turkey Spring Rolls (The Pioneer Woman)
Using simple ingredients, these little guys pack a kick of flavor! Light, crispy, crunchy, and oh, so delish! Cilantro mixed with an Asian dipping sauce really brings a nice change from heavy Thanksgiving meal to a simple and healthier alternative!
Rice paper is a little tricky to use at first, but after the first try you’ll get the idea, and be wrapping like a pro! Try swapping out cilantro for fresh basil and a nice peanut dipping sauce. No matter what, fresh spring rolls are a crowd pleaser and will not disappoint! Leftover Turkey Spring Rolls
2. Turkey BLT Lettuce Cups (Nutrition for Fit)
These lettuce cups are not like anything you’ve ever tasted! Crispy bits of bacon, with fresh cherry tomatoes make a sweet combination of flavors. Your leftover turkey and the pop of fresh lettuce will consume the taste buds! This is another delightfully healthier alternative.
After all of the heavy stuffing, mashed potatoes, and bread, these lettuce cups are sure to please the tummy with light and uplifting flavors! Turkey BLT Lettuce Cups
3. Mashed Potato Waffles (Delish)
Who can resist potatoes with bacon, chives, and a cheese? These pint size bites cooked in a waffle maker and then smothered with cheese are just the recipe we’re calling for!
After Thanksgiving we’re smack dab in the middle of football season! These little guys are just the perfect size for a hungry team of football fanatics. One of the great things about cooking potatoes in a waffle iron, is omitting the frying that goes along with crispy potatoes. Super smart and amazing!
This recipe calls for easy clean-up, no grease splatter, and a healthier alternative than fried finger foods! Pair this delightful snack with a ranch side, or even a spicy mayo combo and these Thanksgiving leftovers will surely not go to waste! Mashed Potato Waffles
4. Turkey Pot Pie (Country Living)
Individual pot pies are a great idea for working mothers on the go! Not going to be home on time, and need dinner quick? Pop these little guys out of the freezer and into the oven. Viola’ dinner is served, and better than ever!
One of the best things about pot pie is always the crust! With that being said, these delicious morsels are made with a crispy, buttery, phyllo-dough, making the flakiness of these pot pies, to drool for! Kids will gobble up the veggies packed inside, which is also a bonus. Using all bits of the turkey from Thanksgiving is definitely not a chore when making irresistible pot pie recipes! Turkey Pot Pie with Phyllo Crust
5. Turkey Instant Pot Bone Broth (Peter’s Food Adventures)
Bone broth is such an amazing super-food, and incredibly supportive in cultivating a happy gut. A happy gut is essential in cultivating a healthy mind, and body. Using the bones from the leftover turkey, you can create a wonderful supply of stock to keep in your freezer.
This broth is an excellent resource for any mother’s arsenal of healthy tools. Using the turkey bones, bay leaves, carrots, and celery makes such a soothing base for a punch of flavor in dinner dishes and crock-pot meals.
Stock in the freezer is also super easy to pop out, create a quick gravy, soup, or even flavor a side-dish. If the kiddo’s aren’t feeling quite alright, make a quick chicken noodle soup or just use the broth with some saltines. A delicious, nutritious, and rejuvenating soup helping a sore tummy feel better! Turkey bone broth
6. Turkey & Wild Rice Soup (Mountain Mama Cooks)
What a delicious soup, good for the soul, good for kids, and best of all nutritious! Mountain Mama Cooks takes a creative spin on traditional turkey soup, and tosses in some fresh thyme and mushrooms! Oh, so amazing and earthy flavors!
When making a soup, the best part is the capability of adding these little guys to the freezer and popping out for days when you are running low on time. Turkey & Wild Rice Soup
7. Penne with Goat Cheese, Kale, Olives and Turkey (Denison Farm)
We can’t wait to use this creamy, tangy, and earthy pasta! Goat cheese sauteed with kale and salty olives tossed with penne is an absolute must! A leftover creation this delicious won’t last long on the dinner table. Even taking little lunches to work with these leftover-leftovers will make your mouth salivate before lunch!
Not a big fan of olives? Try leaving them out and devouring the rest of this recipe. Penne Pasta Recipe
8. Leftover Cranberry Sauce Bars (Num’s the Word)
How about using up those leftover sides? Cranberry sauce to be particular! These absolutely delicious little morsels come from Num’s the Word and just the article alone leading up to the recipe is enough. Add in an incredibly easy and simple way to use leftover cranberry sauce and we’re floating on cloud 9…
Not a big fan of a granola texture? Follow the link and at the bottom of this incredible websites page, there is yet another link on how to make a load of delicious items with leftover cranberry sauce: cranberry bars, cranberry fluff, and cranberry bread are just a few! With so many delicious ideas, we’re bound to use up that leftover cranberry sauce in no time! Leftover Cranberry Sauce Bars
9. Cranberry and Brie Puff Pastry Tart (Delish)
Here is yet another way to use up that leftover cranberry sauce! Light, airy, tart, and warm goodness all part of a delectable puff pastry. This recipe is excellent for inviting guests over or just making a yummy breakfast for family on Sunday morning before church! Puff Pastry Recipe
10. Turkey, Cranberry, & Brie Grilled Cheese (Will Cook for Smiles)
Does this sandwich even need coaxing? A delicious layered grilled cheese with juicy leftover turkey! You can’t go wrong with this classic sandwich. Try mixing up the recipe and using a nice sourdough, or even make on little ciabatta squares!
Whatever bread you choose, the tartness from that cranberry sauce gives a nice unexpected pop along with a mellow and delicateness of the brie. All around, this grilled cheese is for kids AND adults! Turkey, Cranberry, & Brie Grilled Cheese
11. Sweet Potato Pound Cake (Country Living)
With all of the amazing flavors packed into Sweet Potato Casserole, why not use those beautiful ingredients to make a soft, moist, and desirable pound cake.
Spices like cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg never get boring, especially when paired with something like pound cake. This recipe is a must do! Breakfast on the go is a great idea for this recipe as well! Sweet Potato Pound Cake Recipe
12. Turkey Tortellini Soup (Martha Stewart)
Yummy, yummy goodness right here! There’s really not enough we can say about this delicious comfort meal! Grab a container of fresh tortellini from the refrigerated section in the grocery store, and use some of that turkey bone broth you made from the recipe above!
This light, healthy, and delicious spin on chicken noodle soup will have the family asking for seconds! Turkey Tortellini Soup
13. Slow Cooker Turkey Chili (Country Living)
Slow cooker anything is a mother’s dream, but what about incorporating delicious turkey and making a Spanish flavored masterpiece? The kids will surely gobble down chili, with a side of tortilla chips and even a warmed up tortilla.
This chili can also be used for two meals, try making chili bowls one night, and then the next night make a spin-off of Frito Pie! YUM!! Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
14. Turkey Sliders with Muenster & Poppy Seed Dressing (Chelsea’s Messy Apron)
You had us at turkey sliders with Meunster, but add the poppy seed dressing and our hearts are swooning! Have family staying at the house after Thanksgiving? These little guys are the way to keep the peace through the holidays! When everyone is stuffed and tired of stuffing, make a batch of these sliders on delicious Hawaiian rolls! They will disappear in no time! Turkey Sliders Recipe
15. Freezer Meals (Mental Floss)
Has your mind exploded? Ours did here at Bibs & Business Magazine! Do you mean, we can portion out leftovers into containers (preferably glass, easy for reheating) and have dinners ready on the fly?
Who’s genius idea is this? Check out Mental Floss’ website for great leftover use ideas, including this gem, of making your own freezer meals. Moms, this is amazing, and super easy, who’d have thought using Thanksgiving leftovers to fuel the family down the road would have been so simple? Check out the amazing MentalFloss.com site for more tips on using leftovers and other great ideas.
This year, we hope you and your family’s enjoy a slower paced holiday. These next few months fly by in the blink of an eye. While your cooking traditional family secret recipes, enjoy the moments, and absorb all the love you can! From everyone here at Bibs and Business Magazine, we wish you the happiest of holidays!
Share your favorite leftover dishes. Do you make sandwiches or soup? We’d LOVE to hear from you!
