40 Genius Recipe Ideas to Use Up Your Thanksgiving Leftovers
Move over, boring day-after turkey meals -- new Thanksgiving leftover recipes are here. Try our Cream of Turkey & Wild Rice Soup or the Ultimate Turkey Avocado Sandwich, or opt for a Leftover Turkey Salad if you're in the mood for something light. We have delicious ideas to use up all your leftovers: turkey, roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, green beans and even the cranberry sauce!
25 Tasty Ways to Use Up Your Leftover Turkey
Consider this your one-stop stop for finishing up the rest of your turkey this year.
Cucumber Turkey Sub Sandwich
When you're craving a sub but you don't want all the carbs, these turkey-and-cheese deli sandwiches on cucumber rolls are a healthy alternative. Hollow out a cucumber and fill it up with your favorite sandwich fillings for a crisp sub with less carbs and calories. Plus, you can easily pack these up for work, school or a picnic--no soggy bread!
Open-Face Turkey Reubens
In this healthier take on the Reuben--a Jewish deli staple--we save 400 mg of sodium by swapping in low-sodium turkey for beef and using low-sodium cheese. A quick slaw made with a lighter, homemade Russian dressing adds plenty of tang and crunch.
Healthy Green Bean Casserole
Typical green bean casseroles bathe ingredients in a heavy cream sauce and top them with buttered breadcrumbs or cheese. Our healthier version saves about 160 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat compared to a traditional recipe.
Roasted Fennel & Italian Sausage Stuffing
This homemade stuffing recipe is special because it comes complete with a sausage-making lesson from the Sausage King himself, author and famed business owner Bruce Aidells.
Vegan Mushroom Gravy
Serve this rich vegan mushroom gravy with cauliflower steaks, over mashed potatoes or vegetables, with pan-fried tofu or--if you're not a vegetarian or vegan--with turkey or chicken.
No-Sugar-Added Cranberry Sauce
Most cranberry sauce recipes add tons of sugar to mask the tart taste of the cranberries. In this simple cranberry sauce, we lighten things up by skipping the sugar and opting for a healthier combination of dates and apple cider which adds just enough sweetness without overpowering the cranberry flavor.
Brown Butter Apple Pie
This homemade apple pie recipe has a simple and classic flavor, with fresh apples, spices and butter that's been sizzled until it's brown and nutty. The top crust is where you have the opportunity to add a touch of pizazz. Here we suggest cutting the dough into leaf shapes for an autumnal motif, but you could cut any shape you want.
Slow-Cooker Turkey Thighs with Herb Gravy
Those who love tender, moist dark meat will love these slow-cooker turkey thighs. If turkey thighs aren't available, ask your butcher to cut up a whole turkey and give you the bone-in thighs. Feel free to substitute an equal weight of chicken thighs for the turkey thighs, if desired. This pairs well with a simple side of steamed green beans.
Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Garlic cloves, cooked along with the potatoes, give this puree extra body and lots of flavor.
Custard Pecan Pie
While every bit as delish as the classic pie, this one has less sugar. Cane syrup, a toasty alternative to corn syrup or molasses, sweetens the pie along with brown sugar. Because the filling for the pie is wet, we brush the crust with egg white and par-bake it to create a barrier to prevent sogginess.