Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas

Thanksgiving is officially over, and if your refrigerators look anything like ours, they’re likely now jam-packed with enough leftovers to last you through the Apocalypse. Sound familiar?

Don’t get us wrong, we LOVE us some leftovers. Delicious food to enjoy for days after Thanksgiving? YES! However, there does come a certain point where you hit what we call the “leftover wall.” You know what we’re talking about: that moment where the sight of another plate of green beans, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes heading to the microwave makes you want to run away.

Far away. Far, far away.

That’s where we come in! We’ve compiled some of our favorite post-Thanksgiving recipes, each of which includes those Turkey Day sides that are sometimes hard to get rid of. Because at the end of the day, we are incredibly grateful to have food in the fridge and don’t want any of it to go to waste!

Let’s eat!

Asian Cranberry-Ginger Sloppy Pockets

Because let’s be real, you can only eat cranberry sauce on its own so many times.

Beef Stir-Fry With Green Beans

Get rid of those extra green beans by throwing them into a light and flavorful stir-fry! Your stuffed, post-Thanksgiving body will thank you.

Simple Savory Beef Pot Roast

IF you have any mashed potatoes left over – and that’s a big ‘if’ — serve them alongside this hearty Beef Pot Roast. Perfect as the weather gets cooler!

Classic Beef Shepherd’s Pie

This recipe kills several birds with one stone, calling both gravy, peas, carrots AND mashed potatoes.

Mini Merry Meatballs

Stuff the rest of your stuffing right into these festive meatballs. And, if there’s still cranberry sauce remaining after making those Sloppy Pockets (above), your dipping sauce is ready to go already – no prep required.

Beef & Sweet Potato Empanadas

The only thing better than a great Tex-Mex recipe? A seasonal Tex-Mex recipe that takes those Thanksgiving sweet potatoes off of your hands.

One last leftover tip: If the thought of cooking so soon after Thanksgiving makes you want to scream, don’t be afraid of the freezer! While leftovers in the fridge only stay fresh for a few days, leftovers in the freezer have a much longer shelf life. Check out this guide from The Kitchn on the do’s and don’ts of freezing.

How do you use Thanksgiving leftovers? Share your tips with us on Facebook or Twitter!