Top 10 Thanksgiving Leftovers Solutions

Posted on October 4, 2018

Every year, we write about what to do with the waste that’s generated from Thanksgiving dinners, family gatherings, and general merrymaking about this time of year – and you can find those articles here and here – but this Thanksgiving weekend, we want to write to you about what to do with the food that’s left over: the good stuff, rather than the waste (but a little of the waste, too, because we can’t help ourselves). So, here we go! You top 10 Thanksgiving leftovers solutions!

10. Hot sandwiches: This is a great way to make a second meal out of your leftovers. Put some of your main protein on a toasted piece of your favourite bread, cover with hot gravy or sauce, and serve other leftovers on the side. Quick, easy, and tasty.

9. Lunch buns: Whether it’s turkey, vegan stuffing, cranberries, or another Thanksgiving favourite, you can probably work it into a sandwich. Put it on a bun, gluten-free if you want, and add whatever flavour it’s missing. Turkey is fine with just a small amount of seasoning, and stuffing can be at home with something to add a little bite like maybe some mushrooms. Experiment, and don’t worry if it’s a bit weird – it’s all part of the adventure!

8. Another party: This is a great way of making sure you don’t have much food waste! Simply organize a small get together with friends a few days later and serve parts of the meal again. The more casual, the easier the second party will be! It also makes hosting more of a breeze for you!

7. Freeze it: Freezing leftovers is a good way to deal with them later. You can also combine this with other points on this list. Just don’t forget these in your freezer!

6. Quesadilla: A bit more work than just freezing everything, this basically follows the sandwich rule above. If you put it between tortillas and add cheese, it will likely be tasty – not quite a traditional quesadilla, but still a delicious and easy way to use up leftovers. Of course, this isn’t quite so versatile as putting things on buns – cranberries are a bit harder to use here.

5. Stews: A lot of leftovers can find their way into stews fairly easily. Lots of veggies will work well here, and if you’re tired of similar tasting food, this is a great place to change your leftovers into a curry or a chili!

4. Casseroles: Casseroles of various types will let you use different leftovers in ways that suit them. Too many mashed potatoes? You could make a Shepherd’s Pie. Too much meat left over? Try adding it to a noodle casserole. Whatever it is you have too much of, you’re sure to find a casserole that needs it!

3. Cranberries: A quick poll of our office says that, for many, cranberries or cranberry sauce is really tricky to use up except as just a straight leftover. But, that’s not all you can do! It can be added to a baked brie, used in muffins, or make it into a barbecue sauce! It also pairs nicely with other meats, so you can serve it alongside them, too.

2. Pies: A bit trickier, but absolutely delicious, you can make leftovers into pot pies. These are then great to freeze as quick meals for later, or to serve at a party. They look great, taste great, and there are hundreds of different recipes out there for variety!

1. Soups: Did you see this one coming? Of course, soups are a great way to use leftovers! Food scraps can be boiled in water to make broth/stock, and that doesn’t mean only animal products either! Many veggie scraps can be used to make a vegetable broth that you can use as the basis of soups. Once you have the base, you can then add further leftovers to make the soup – a double whammy of food saving! Soups are incredibly versatile, as well! Not only can you use many different ingredients, from turkey to yams, squash to carrots, and even mashed potatoes (to thicken soups), you can also flavour them in many ways: curries, hot peppers, herbs, or nothing at all! Truly a great way to treat your extra food.

So, did you find something here you’re going to look into more? Do you do something entirely different? Got a great recipe for cranberry muffins? Share with us online! Check us out on social media at FacebookTwitter, or Instagram.

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