No matter how big an appetite you bring to Thanksgiving dinner, there’s always plenty of leftovers. For many, snacking on the remaining turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing is an added bonus to the holiday itself. But if you want to take things a step above and make the most of what’s in your fridge, resist the temptation to pop a plate in the microwave and consider some more deliciously creative options instead. Read on for some simple and fun recipes for your Thanksgiving leftovers, including everything from nachos to shepherd’s pie.
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1 | Thanksgiving nachos
Copyright @thelillyscott / TikTok
One of the easiest ways to repurpose food from a large feast like Thanksgiving can be as a snack, like these Thanksgiving leftover nachos, shared by TikToker @thelillyscott.
First and foremost, she specifies that the key base ingredient is a Tostito’s Scoop chip, which you should “precisely” spread out cup-side up on a lined baking sheet. Then, spoon some leftover mashed potatoes into each, followed by stuffing, turkey, and a sprinkling of corn.
She finishes things up by putting dollops of gravy and optional shredded cheese on top before putting them in the oven to bake.
You can also use leftover cranberry sauce as a dipping stand-in for salsa.
2 | Thanksgiving egg rolls
Copyright @applesauceandadhd / TikTok
Egg rolls are a versatile food, so why not take advantage of that by filling them with some of your Thanksgiving leftovers?
In a recent video posted to TikTok, home chef @applesauceandadhd rundowns the required ingredients and process. Besides egg roll wrappers, she works with leftover turkey, jellied cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole while saving gravy as a dipping sauce.
She begins by placing a small amount of each ingredient in the center of a wrapper, taking care not to overload them. She then folds one corner of the wrap across, tucks up each corner side into the center, and then rolls it tightly to bring in the remaining corner, similar to a burrito method.
Then, she says to put about a quarter to half an inch of oil in a pot over medium heat, which you can tell is ready by dipping in a wooden stick and checking for bubbles. Carefully place each roll into the pot without overcrowding and fry them until they are browned on one side before flipping them, removing them from the oil, and placing them on a paper towel-lined plate.
“This is so good and definitely worth the effort,” she says at the end of the video while dipping her “piping hot” egg rolls into her leftover gravy. “Because honestly, it didn’t take me that long!”
3 | Thanksgiving leftover sliders
Copyright @mrsvitale / TikTok
After the rigorous and demanding meal prep of a huge Thanksgiving feast, it can pay to have a simple recipe on hand for repurposing leftovers. And according to cooking show host Laura Vitale, that’s where sliders come in very handy.
“These are what we make every single year after Thanksgiving with any leftover turkey that we have, and everybody always loves them,” she says in a TikTok video. “They’re the easiest sliders, and it’s the perfect thing to make and snack on while you’re decorating the house for Christmas.”
On top of what’s in your refrigerator, all the easy dish requires is a sheet of slider buns that are left connected and sliced open. Then, she spreads a layer of cranberry sauce over the bottom bread and tops it with jack cheese slices and turkey meat before adding a light layer of cheese and another smear of cranberry on the top layer.
“Then I take a couple tablespoons of [melted] butter, a little garlic and herb seasoning, and a splash of Worcestershire, and I brush that over the top and pop them into a 350 [degree] oven until they are golden brown and delicious, crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside,” she instructs. “They really are so good!”
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4 | Thanksgiving leftover casserole
Copyright @mostdeliciouslife / TikTok
The only thing less effortless than reheating Thanksgiving leftovers is putting it all together during clean-up for even easier access later. In this case, you can turn all those delicious mains and sides into a casserole.
“I do this right at the table when dinner’s over,” says TikToer @mostdeliciouslife. “Just grab a pan and fill the bottom with mashed potatoes. Top that with cut-up turkey, smother in gravy, and finish it off with stuffing.”
From there, all you have to do is cover the dish and put it in the fridge. When you’re ready to relive that meal in a glorious new form, just toss it into the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and serve!
5 | Thanksgiving Shepherd’s Pie
Copyright @tiffanithiessen / TikTok
Casseroles aren’t the only single-dish way to work through your Thanksgiving leftovers. Iconic ’90s star and social media cook Tiffani Thiessen prefers to go for the “upside down version” and turn her items into a delicious shepherd’s pie.
While it’s not quite as easy as rearranging items into a baking tray, Thiessen still manages to keep things simple in a video tutorial running down her recipe.
Start by dicing carrots and fennel (or celery) before melting butter over medium heat and cooking the veggies until they’re softened or slightly browned. Then, add pearl onions and minced garlic and cook until fragrant before adding your leftover green beans and turkey meat, stirring in the remainder of your gravy boat, and seasoning with salt, pepper, and herbs.
The next step is to move the mixture into a large baking dish and set it aside. Then, reheat your leftover mashed potatoes along with some added gruyere cheese before spreading it over the top of the shepherd’s pie filling in the baking dish. She also recommends adding another sprinkling of cheese on top for good measure.
After baking in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the potatoes have slightly browned, place it in the broiler for two to three minutes to crisp everything up. Once it cools down, dish it out and get ready to relive your holiday meal.