Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes

This hearty and healthy turkey stew recipe is just about the best use of Thanksgiving leftovers we can think of. And we don't just mean the turkey. The stew is packed with leftover roasted vegetables--use whatever vegetables you have on hand, such as Brussels sprouts, parsnips, sweet potatoes and green beans. And leftover gravy is used to add depth of flavor and body. Possibly the best part of this stew recipe? It comes together really quickly--because don't we all need a 20-minute dinner after the craziness of Thanksgiving? Add some leftover bread or rolls and dinner is done. This recipe is equally delicious with leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken, and we've included instructions for making a quick gravy in case you don't have leftovers, so you can serve this Thanksgiving-in-a-

You might look forward to the days after Thanksgiving even more than the holiday itself with this easy turkey potpie recipe that's the perfect use for leftover turkey and extra vegetables like carrots and onions you might have on hand from the holiday. The pie is loaded with veggies and a creamy sauce, then topped with a prepared whole-wheat crust so there's no need to make dough. No leftover cooked turkey? This healthy potpie is just as delicious with chicken. Serve it up any time you need a dose of comfort food for dinner.

Turn your leftover mashed potatoes into delicious, savory, crispy pancakes, studded with Cheddar cheese, bacon and chives. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some additional chives to make it extra-special.

Leftover cooked potatoes and peppers form the base of this quick weeknight meal for one. Alternatively, use frozen cubed hash browns and and bell pepper-onion stir-fry mix.

Pea shoots are the tender leaves and stems of sugar snap pea plants--not to be confused with the more delicate pea sprouts, which, like microgreens, are the sprouted seeds. Turn leftover ham into a crouton-esque topping with a quick sear in a hot pan.

Serve these crispy baked potato skins as a side or cut them into 1-inch pieces and serve as an appetizer. Refrigerate or freeze the potato flesh to make mashed potatoes another night.

This simple, clean turkey soup is full of vegetables and shredded turkey, making it perfect for after the holidays when you have leftovers on hand. Don't forget to save your Parmesan rinds! Adding one to a soup like this adds a rich umami flavor.

This flavorful vegan dinner is a veggie version of the Louisiana classic. It's chock-full of butternut squash, tomatoes, poblano peppers and okra, to name just a few. This vegetarian gumbo is a quick dinner packed with flavor and spice that's done in only 30 minutes. To make it a meal, serve it with cornbread drizzled with olive oil.

Quick-pickled vegetables and an easy Sriracha-mayo sauce lend Vietnamese flavors to this meatball sandwich recipe. If you can't find long whole-wheat sandwich rolls, you can use 5-inch slices of a soft whole-wheat baguette from the bakery.

Try this creative, delicious way to use up your Thanksgiving leftovers. This recipe shows you how to make tostada shells from corn tortillas. Think of a tostada as an open-face taco: a crispy corn tortilla smothered in toppings.

This easy pasta recipe is a weeknight dinner lifesaver. While shelf-stable pesto will work here, we prefer the fresh flavor and more vibrant color of refrigerated pesto. Look for it in the refrigerated section of your supermarket, near the fresh pasta and marinara sauce.

Thanksgiving turkey leftovers have never been so delicious. Wild rice adds a nutty flavor--plus extra protein and fiber--to this creamy, hearty soup. Try this easy, healthy turkey recipe to help you use your holiday extras.

Try this crunchy, healthy salad recipe anytime you have leftover turkey or chicken. It makes a great lunch served on a bed of delicate butterhead lettuce leaves.

After Thanksgiving, we cannot get enough leftover turkey recipes--and this healthy turkey avocado sandwich will help you use up Thanksgiving leftovers and more. If you really want to do this sandwich up, chef Hugh Acheson suggests searing a slice of stuffing or bread pudding until it's nice and crispy and putting it between the turkey and avocado.

This dish puts other healthy leftover turkey recipes to shame. Chef Hugh Acheson puts his unique spin on gumbo by mixing untraditional spices like allspice and coriander with must-have thyme and filé powder. Also called gumbo filé, filé powder is the finely ground leaves of the sassafras tree; look for it in well-stocked supermarkets or online. Serve the gumbo over rice and don't forget to pass the hot sauce.

Use leftover cooked pork to whip together these easy BBQ pork baked potatoes. Add steamed broccoli and Cheddar cheese to round out this easy healthy dinner.

Greens, sliced cucumber and fresh herbs give this healthy turkey meatball sandwich a fresh, summery flavor. Serving the meatballs in a pita pocket instead of on the traditional hoagie roll cuts down on carbs and allows the sandwich fillings to really shine. And possibly the best news? This delicious sandwich comes together in just 10 minutes.

This easy breakfast recipe calls for leftover Packet-Grilled Potatoes, but you can make it with any leftover cooked potatoes you have on hand. Add some shredded zucchini and bacon and top with an egg and you have a quick and satisfying meal for one!

This healthy vegetable soup is a great way to repurpose leftovers. The recipe calls for leftovers from two other recipes--Roasted Butternut Squash & Root Vegetables and the chicken from Chicken Kebabs with Warm Cabbage-Apple Slaw (see Associated Recipes). With the help of those two recipes, this soup come together in less than 15 minutes for a fast and delicious meal. The coconut milk broth would work well with other vegetables and with chickpeas for a vegetarian version.

This vegetarian take on a traditional Niçoise salad omits the fish and piles on plenty of vegetables.

For this meal-on-a-spud we jump-start the potatoes in the microwave and then finish them in the oven so they get all crispy on the outside. Use leftover or rotisserie chicken to make this healthy dinner in a jiff. Serve with a salad or some cooked greens.