Maximize Your Thanksgiving Leftovers With These Must-Try Recipes

When it comes to preparing your Thanksgiving menu, you probably (like all of us) go a little overboard. And that leads to a common annual problem: What to do with the leftovers.

After all, you can only eat so many turkey-and-mashed-potato sandwiches. Just wait until you see these incredibly delicious Thanksgiving leftover recipes. After spending so much time making the best Thanksgiving recipes for your loved ones, you should be able to enjoy the food for more than just one meal. That's why we've put together this list of recipe ideas that call for lots of your Turkey Day ingredients, such as mashed potatoes, roasted turkey, and cranberry sauce. It's impossible to choose a favorite from this roundup that includes sandwiches, casseroles, soups, and much more. We think you'll especially love the leftover Thanksgiving turkey pizza, ultimate leftover turkey club, and stuffed sweet potatoes.

The delicious dishes don't stop there—the turkey cranberry brie grilled cheese and turkey stuffing waffles are seriously out of this world, too. Each one of these recipes makes for the perfect Black Friday shopping fuel. Of course, if you're just spending the day relaxing on the couch, you can definitely still whip up one of these plates. If you have family members traveling in from out of town, they'll be so thankful to wake up the day after Thanksgiving to be served even more delicious bites. In fact, these recipes are so good, you might just enjoy them more than the dinner you ate on November 26.

Kick back, relax, and cozy up on the couch with this easy pasta bake. You deserve a night of easy cooking and good food after all that Thanksgiving prep!

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SHOP BAKING DISHES

If you've got leftover roasted sweet potatoes, you can easily blend them into this quick, delicious, spicy soup.

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SHOP SLOW COOKERS

Leftover mashed potatoes can be easily mixed with some flour and egg into deliciously pillowy gnocchi.

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SHOP GNOCCHI BOARDS

Even though you're likely stuffed from pie, these cute mini pies will have you thinking twice. Use up any leftover cranberries and apples in this portable, sweet snack.

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SHOP BAKING SHEETS

This make-ahead quiche is the perfect brunch for your long Thanksgiving weekend. You can swap the ham for any protein (ahem, turkey), and you'll have most of the other ingredients at the ready too.

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SHOP BAKING DISHES

This works with leftover turkey or chicken. Wild rice and a touch of heavy cream give this delicious soup both body and flavor.

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SHOP SOUP LADLES

The whole family will gobble up this delicious and easy frittata that is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

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SHOP CAST IRON SKILLETS

No brie or bacon in the house? Any other cheese or crispy topping will work just fine—that's the beauty of simple, easily customizable recipes like these.

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SHOP PANINI MAKERS

With fresh lime juice and a healthy dollop of red curry paste, this bright soup is just the thing for recovering from Thursday's overly heavy meal.

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SHOP FISH SAUCE

These mini pot pies are an easy midday pick-me-up. Pack in extra leftover veggies for a more colorful bite.

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SHOP RAMEKINS

Pumpkin seeds, cilantro, and spicy chiles give your extra turkey new life and flavor.

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SHOP BAKING DISHES

An easy used for mashed potatoes, these cakes need just a little panko, chopped onion, and herbs.

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SHOP SKILLETS

Lighten up! For the salad, use only white-meat turkey and reduce the bacon and blue cheese by half. For the dressing, replace the mayo with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Total savings? Nearly 80 calories and 8 grams of fat per sandwich.

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Make use of both leftover turkey and canned pumpkin with delicious fall chili.

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Save this for when you're ready for an anti-Thanksgiving flavored meal. Mild turkey makes a great sub for chicken, and piles of spicy sauce and blue cheese make it mouthwateringly good.

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SHOP MIXING BOWLS

This sweet take on spoon bread makes a delectably rich ending to any meal.

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To lighten up this soup, substitute low-sodium chicken broth and use only 3 tablespoons of heavy cream, and you'll save 68 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 453 milligrams of sodium per serving.

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Classic sloppy joes get a healthy makeover. Making this family favorite dish with ground turkey instead of beef saves fat and calories, and makes it lean enough to enjoy any night of the week.

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Keep it simple by creating a traditional casserole your family already loves: potpie. But this time, swap out the usual pie crust for light, flaky Greek phyllo.

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This simple spiced carrot soup gets added crunch from toasted pumpkin seeds and a mellow flavor from a drizzle of creamy yogurt.

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Use leftover cranberry sauce to create these special breakfast pastries.

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By using skinless turkey instead of the traditional corned beef, you save 53 calories, 8 grams of fat, and a whopping 606 milligrams of sodium per serving.

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Transform boring cranberry sauce into a delectable pie that no one can pass up.

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This is the quintessential comfort food, with layers of veggies and mashed potatoes. For a leaner option, use ground turkey instead of the traditional lamb or beef.

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Country Living-reader Kat Green from Marietta, Georgia, had us drooling with her sweet potato inspiration.

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Linda Owens Surfus, the Country Living reader who created this recipe, recommends grating orange into the batter for extra zest.

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This is a fantastic and healthy way to turn that homemade cranberry sauce into a quick breakfast treat!

Get the recipe at Marisa Moore.

This gumbo completely reinvents your turkey leftovers into this New Orleans crossover dish. Serve over a heaping mound of mashed potatoes or rice.

Get the recipe at Half Baked Harvest.

These tacos serve two purposes: using up your leftovers and tasting fantastic. Get your favorite Thanksgiving fixings all in one handheld bite.

Get the recipe at Table for Two.

This hearty double-decker sandwich is loaded with leftover turkey, leftover cranberry sauce, and two types of cheese.

Get the recipe at Oh, Sweet Basil.

SHOP BAKING SHEETS

Say cheese! Every bite of this grilled-to-perfection sandwich is oozing with goodness.

Get the recipe at Will Cook for Smiles.

SHOP SKILLETS

The only way to enjoy leftover stuffing, turkey, and mashed potatoes? Deep fry 'em and dip 'em in leftover gravy. Yum!

Get the recipe at Real Food by Dad.

SHOP BAKING SHEETS

A buttery croissant makes this sandwich extra delicious. Of course, you could also use leftover rolls as the bun, too.

Get the recipe at Striped Spatula.

SHOP PANINI PRESSES

Believe it or not, these stuffed sweet potatoes are healthy! The dish is gluten-free, paleo-friendly, and Whole30-approved.

Get the recipe at Eat the Gains.

SHOP BAKING SHEETS

Calling all cheese lovers: You'll love this melty meal. It's filled with Cheddar, Asiago, and pepper Jack cheese.

Get the recipe at The Cookie Rookie.

SHOP SKILLETS

Treat your holiday guests to a Black Friday breakfast with this recipe. It will keep everyone fueled for a long day of shopping.

Get the recipe at No Spoon Necessary.

SHOP BLENDERS

The beauty about these handhelds? The prep time is only 15 minutes, and the recipe really makes the most of your leftover ingredients.

Get the recipe at Chelsea's Messy Apron.

SHOP BAKING DISHES

Low-carb has never tasted so good. As a bonus, each one of these waffles has fewer than 150 calories. (Yes, really!)

Get the recipe at My Life Cookbook.

SHOP WAFFLE MAKERS

As this blogger perfectly puts it, the recipe "is everything you love about Thanksgiving between two slices of bread!" We're sold!

Get the recipe at Home Made Interest.

SHOP PLATES

Consider this casserole one of the easiest ways to enjoy your leftovers. Just place everything into a dish, bake it, and devour.

Get the recipe at Dinner Then Dessert.

SHOP BAKING DISHES

Think of this as an upgraded version of a classic sandwich. In fact, swapping chicken for turkey might become your new favorite go-to.

Get the recipe at Recipe Girl.

SHOP PLATES

Forget the store-bought Hot Pockets and whip up your own at home. These handhelds—loaded with roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce—are so much more delicious.

Get the recipe at Well Vegan.

SHOP BAKING SHEETS

Serve up these sandwiches on your favorite bread. This blogger chose Italian slices, but any slice will be tasty.

Get the recipe at The Tasty Bite.

SHOP SKILLETS

Basically, this sandwich is your plate from Turkey Day—just mixed together and piled high on a buttery roll. Take a look at all those layers!

Get the recipe at What Should I Make For...

SHOP PLATES

Use your extra turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy to cook up a crowd-favorite comfort food.

Get the recipe at Baked by Rachel.

If your post Thanksgiving plans include lots of football, you'll need this easy recipe to snack on during the big games.

Get the recipe at Bless Her Heart Y'all.

Who wouldn't love a fried mashed potato bite loaded with bacon and cheese?

Get the recipe at The Cookie Rookie.

This beyond decadent sandwich might be more memorable than the main meal.

Get the recipe at Half Baked Harvest.

Leftover cranberry sauce (yes, really!) is the unexpected pizza topping we never knew we needed.

Get the recipe at Recipe Runner.

Snack on these super simple sandwiches to fuel you for a day of Black Friday shopping.

Get the recipe at Will Cook for Smiles.

For a post-Thanksgiving lunch, put that leftover bird to good use in this turkey-filled take on a chicken salad sandwich.

Get the recipe at Fashionable Foods.

These pizza rolls make a great snack. Plus, there's nothing better than the taste of melted cheese and ham.

Get the recipe at Create-Celebrate-Explore.

Leftover turkey should never go to waste. Try it in this casserole recipe for one (or two) weeknight dinners.

Get the recipe at Lil' Luna.

Your Thanksgiving feast isn't over yet! Make this dish to continue savoring the holiday flavors.

Get the recipe at Life Tastes Good.

You'll want to start adding chili and quinoa to everything once you taste this delicious meal.

Get the recipe at Well Plated.

Using a puff pastry sheet, your Thanksgiving leftovers will transform into one of the best pizzas you've ever had.

Get the recipe at The Gunny Sack.

Looking to spice up your leftover turkey? This recipe is the answer.

Get the recipe at Half Baked Harvest.

The potato and carrot shreds make this a nice, hearty meal.

Get the recipe at The Food Charlatan.

Try these sandwiches for a speedy way to use up leftover turkey. They'll be ready in under 15 minutes.

Get the recipe at Damn Delicious.

Reach for this warm soup the next time you're spending a chilly fall day indoors.

Get the recipe at Mountain Mama Cooks.