We teamed up with our friends at Personal Creations and are sharing some fun ways to re-purpose your Thanksgiving leftovers! To make your life a little easier post-feasting, try to extend your Thanksgiving meal by a few days with some creative leftovers. You will have earned a break from the grocery store and the kitchen after all!

Below you will find leftover ideas divided by Thanksgiving staples like turkey, sweet potatoes and bread. We also rounded up some of our favorite re-purposed recipes for you to try!

Leftover Turkey Recipes

 

thanksgiving-leftovers-savor-culinary-services

You are likely to have a few tupperware containers full of this Thanksgiving star sitting in your fridge. Once you get tired of reheating the same meal, try creating a whole new dinner! We included both cold and hot recipes, as well as a few lunch and dinner options. Having extra protein is always a bonus when cooking with leftovers because you can add it to almost any dish! There is plenty of room for creativity with leftover turkey.

Turkey and Stuffing Casserole
Day after Thanksgiving Turkey salad
Thanksgiving Turkey Cranberry Sandwich
Turkey Pot Pie
20-Minute Turkey Chili
Turkey Cobb Salad
Green Chile Turkey Enchiladas

Leftover Bread Recipes

thanksgiving-leftovers-savor-culinary-services
After sitting out all evening, you might not want to use your bread for a fresh sandwich. We recommend toasting it instead. All of our recipe suggestions offer ideas for fun ways to use day-old bread. You can make a meal, an appetizer or a dessert with this versatile leftover. If none of these recipes fit your family’s needs, turn your bread into breadcrumbs and store for later use!

French Onion Soup
Homemade Baked Croutons
Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding
Turkey Melt with Caramelized Onions

Leftover Potato Recipes

thanksgiving-leftovers-savor-culinary-services

With mashed potatoes try making the British classic, shepherd’s pie. You can use leftover turkey as your base too! If you made baked potatoes or potato wedges, turn them into latkes or breakfast potatoes. You can also always turn any style of leftover potato into a breakfast potato by simply frying them up in the morning!

Turkey Holiday Hash
Easy Shepherd’s Pie
Loaded Potato Cakes

Leftover Cheese Recipes
thanksgiving-leftovers-savor-culinary-services

Having leftover cheese from your charcuterie or snack platters is great because it lasts longer than other leftovers and you can use it in anything! Like protein, adding cheese to recipes just makes them even more delicious. If you aren’t up to preparing a new meal, save the cheese and slowly use it on salad, casseroles and other dishes as needed.

Baked Mac and Cheese
Fondue
Grilled Cheese with Turkey and Arugula

Leftover Vegetable Recipes
thanksgiving-leftovers-savor-culinary-services

Like cheese, leftover vegetables are extremely useful! Cooked or fresh, they can be added to almost any dish for flavor and nutrition. You can throw them on a pizza, mix them in a frittata or dump them in a soup. We love veggie chips as a tasty way to get picky toddlers to consume their daily greens!

Veggie Chips
Brown Rice Veggie Stir Fry
Vegetable Soup
Fall Veggie Frittata
Grilled Vegetable Gluten-Free Pizza

Leftover Sweet Potato Recipes
thanksgiving-leftovers-savor-culinary-services

You can also make chips or fries with your leftover sweet potatoes! if you are looking for a sweet treat, try baking a sweet potato pound cake. Sweet potatoes are a super trendy vegetable at the moment. They are becoming more and more popular in salads, soups and pastas. They no longer need to be buried under marshmallows to get consumed, but those classic Thanksgiving sweet potatoes sure are tasty!

Sweet Potato Pound Cake
Crispy Sweet Potato Baked Fries
Sweet Potato and Watercress Salad

We have a few tips for those looking to avoid wasting food. First, store all the food properly and efficiently. Avoid letting it sit out for too long and spoiling. While combining foods into one container may seem easier when you are cleaning up, we recommend separating items so you can use different ingredients for different recipes. Reheating is good in a pinch but you can also make a brand new meal!

The best part about cooking with leftovers is that you can be creative! Think of your family’s favorite meal and try making a version with the ingredients you have in your kitchen. You can make a spin on lasagna or pizza if your kids love Italian or curry if they like exotic flavors.  We hope you enjoy all the delicious food and time with your family this holiday season!

Want to treat someone to a gift of a personal chef this holiday season? Click here. 

savor-holiday-gift-certficate-large