Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes

Put an inventive spin on Thanksgiving leftovers with these tasty sandwiches, soups, pastas and even pancakes.

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Photo By: Tara Donne

Photo By: Kathryn Cooper

Bird to the Last Drop

Alton squeezes every last bit of flavor from the Thanksgiving turkey by simmering the bones in veggie stock and filling out the soup with frozen vegetables and rice. Toss in a little Old Bay and dried thyme to add fresh flavor and spice.

Get the Recipe: Bird to the Last Drop

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Transform leftover sweet potatoes into fried golden fritters. Sure, everyone may say they're stuffed after the Thanksgiving feast, but we're betting they'll have room the next day for this satisfyingly crunchy snack.

Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Pancakes

Turkey Mushroom and Corn Mexican Casserole

Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches are great, but this Mexican-style casserole deserves a celebration all its own. Rachel uses poblano peppers, garlic and onions to create a spicy sauce that perfectly complements the turkey and cheese.

Get the Recipe: Turkey, Mushroom and Corn Mexican Casserole

Poached Eggs with Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast and Sweet Potato Hash

Use the leftovers from Ellie's Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast recipe to prepare a hearty breakfast hash, complete with thyme-scented sweet potatoes and a perfectly poached egg on top.

Get the Recipe: Poached Eggs with Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast and Sweet Potato Hash

Eggs in Purgatory

Use leftover mashed potatoes to form crispy potato pancakes that serve as warm beds for fried eggs sprinkled with Parmesan.

Get the Recipe: Eggs in Purgatory

Turkey Tacos

Turn shredded leftover Turkey into a fiesta by adding cumin, coriander and chili powder to the meat and serving it in a corn tortilla.

Get the Recipe: Turkey Tacos

Apple Bread Pudding With Caramel Dessert Sauce

Kelsey uses challah bread in this decadent dessert, but you can get creative. Try plain rolls or homemade bread — whatever you have left over. (It's even better if it's stale from being left out on the kitchen counter.)

Get the Recipe: Apple Bread Pudding with Caramel Dessert Sauce

Southwestern Potato Quesadilla

It's crispy, creamy and just a little spicy. If you don't have the Southwest Mash, you could make it with a cup of plain mash mixed with a couple tablespoons of your favorite canned or jarred green chiles.

Get the Recipe: Southwestern Potato Quesadilla

Leftover Turkey Sandwich with Spicy Cranberry Cream

Kelsey uses leftover cranberry-glazed turkey and dinner rolls in this perfect Thanksgiving sandwich. The star? Leftover cranberry sauce spiced with scallion and jalapeno for heat, and greek yogurt for creamy tang.

Get the Recipe: Leftover Turkey Sandwich with Spicy Cranberry Cream

Next Day Turkey Soup

Dice leftover turkey meat and Thanksgiving vegetables, like Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes and green beans, and turn them into a broth-based chicken soup.

Get the Recipe: Next-Day Turkey Soup with Mashed Potato Polpetti

Sweet Potato Samosas With Ginger-Cucumber Raita

Crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, these addictive spicy bites are rounded out with cool, creamy raita.

Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Samosas with Ginger-Cucumber Raita

Turkey Bolognese

Giada takes leftover turkey to the next level, using shredded dark meat as the base for a simple and sumptuous Bolognese that can be eaten as-is or frozen for later use.

Get the Recipe: Turkey Bolognese

Potato Croquette

David Rocco's creamy potato croquettes use up leftover mashed potatoes and hide a special surprise inside: gooey fresh mozzarella.

Get the Recipe: Potato Croquette

Turkey Sloppy Joes

There's more ways to adorn turkey than just cranberries and gravy: Try mixing extra meat with the savory flavors of a sloppy joe for an enticing leftover sandwich.

Get the Recipe: Turkey Sloppy Joes

Stuffed Piquillos

Leftover mashed potatoes mixed with chorizo and cheese make for a clever and tasty filling for these peppers. Serve them as a starter for dinner or an hors d'oeuvre for a party.

Get the Recipe: Stuffed Piquillos

Turkey Roast Dip With Melted Gruyere

Kelsey's turkey sandwich pairs leftover holiday meat with melted Gruyere cheese and a buttery French baguette.

Get the Recipe: Turkey Roast Dip with Melted Gruyere

Apple Pie Shake

Can't stomach another plate of pie? Turn Kelsey's Mile High Apple Pie or any apple pie into a sweet, thick shake and continue the Thanksgiving indulgence the next day.

Get the Recipe: Apple Pie Shake

Roast Turkey, Avocado and Bacon Sandwich

Tyler specially roasts his own turkey for this ultimate stacked sandwich, but leftover meat is equally perfect for pairing with maple bacon and fontina cheese. The kicker is the fresh herbed butter that he slathers between the bread slices.

Get the Recipe: Roast Turkey, Avocado and Bacon Sandwich

Cranberry-Citrus Muffin Tops

These soft and fluffy muffins tops are tart and sweet and require no special equipment. Chilling is a must to ensure the proper 'puffing' of the dough.

Get the Recipe: Cranberry-Citrus Muffin Tops

Crispy Sweet Potato Cakes

Cooked sweet potatoes can lose their luster after a few rounds of reheating. Reinvent them by molding them into fun hand-held patties packed with heady Indian spices.

Get the Recipe: Crispy Sweet Potato Cakes

Cobb Salad Panini

Tyler Florence creates the ultimate leftover dish: panini sandwiches packed with cooked turkey breast and other hearty goodies for a super-sized weekend meal.

Get the Recipe: Cobb Salad Panini

Sweet Potato Biscuits With Ham

Save your mashed sweet potatoes and mix them into a biscuit dough. Serve the warm biscuits with a slice of honey ham and mustard.

Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Biscuits with Ham

Turkey and Mushroom Creamy Tomato "Gravy" With Gnocchi

For a hearty fall meal, Rachael cooks up leftover turkey with mushrooms and rosemary in a Dutch oven, then serves it over gnocchi.

Get the Recipe: Turkey and Mushroom Creamy Tomato "Gravy" With Gnocchi

Turkey Paupiettes With Brussels Sprouts

Add a French touch to your holiday leftovers, wrapping pork with thinly pounded leftover turkey and cooking until browned.

Get the Recipe: Turkey Paupiettes with Chestnuts and Brussels Sprouts

Maple Syrup Roasted Sweet Potato Pancakes

Don't let leftover sweet potatoes go to waste. Serve them for breakfast the day after Thanksgiving (and the day after that!) in pancakes.

Get the Recipe: Maple Syrup Roasted Sweet Potato Pancakes with Citrus Brown Sugar Sauce

Turkey With Mushroom Medley

Top leftover turkey breast with seasoned mushrooms (or use the ones left over from your stuffing) and sprinkle with parsley.

Get the Recipe: Turkey con Funghi Misti: Turkey with Mushroom Medley

Turkey Chili

Think of this recipe as a principle, rather than something you have to follow really strictly. It's all about building up layers of flavor with the sweet vegetable base then turning whatever you add to it into a beautiful meal with great spice and attitude.

Get the Recipe: Turkey Con Chilli