Here are proactive (and delicious!) ways to avoid tossing the leftover turkey and its trimmings.

Give Your Thanksgiving Leftovers a Creative Twist, from Noodle Soup to Empanadas
Colin Price

Thanksgiving may only be one actual day, but the meal can last for several. The end of Thanksgiving dinner is usually a ballet of Tupperware and bags as everyone packages up the remains of their dishes, beginning the annual question of what to do with the leftovers.

For the turkey, the classic leftover dish is scores of turkey sandwiches, like a turkey melt with a beer sauce. Or if you wanted to use up some cranberry sauce as well, you could make one with turkey, cranberry sauce, shallots, and blue cheese.

Thanksgiving also means soup season, which the leftover turkey is great for. Use it in white bean soup, make some turkey black bean chili, or even try a turkey noodle stir fry.

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The mashed potatoes too have their share of leftover options, aside from just being reheated with the gravy. They can be used to create takes on English classics like a portobello shepherd’s pie or Queen’s Puff. Or if you’re daring, try your hand at cheesy leftover mashed potato waffles.

And of course, there are ways to use all kinds of leftovers at once, like with empanadas or turkey enchiladas.

Thanksgiving usually leaves you with a lot of leftovers. This year, why not try experimenting without the stress of potentially wasting brand new ingredients by using the leftovers to create some of these great dishes?


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