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November 30, 2019 By Hannah @ Eat, Drink and Save Money

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Recipes to use your Thanksgiving leftovers

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You only have a few days to make the most of your Thanksgiving leftovers! Once you get tired of the same old Thanksgiving dishes. Try these recipes for your Thanksgiving leftovers.

That’s right, there are tons of creative ways to use up those Thanksgiving dishes when you get tired of eating turkey and stuffing.

Recipes for your Thanksgiving Leftovers. Don't let your Thanksgiving dinner go to waste after one meal!

Reduce your food waste this Thanksgiving

Did you know that household food waste increases by 25% during the holidays?

When we throw away food, we also through away the resources that were used to grow that food. Land, energy and water are all used to produce food. It’s a waste not only of money, but of resources to toss out your food.

You can reduce your waste this holiday season by turning your leftovers into something new!

Thanksgiving home delivery

What can you make with Thanksgiving leftovers?

Check out some of the fun ways to use your holiday leftovers.

If none of these inspire you, head over to Pinterest and find one that does. It’s better to use up your food than to waste it!

Thanksgiving leftover recipes:

  • Bacon Wrapped Stuffing Bites from Table Spoon
  • The Ultimate Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwich from Ring Finger Tan Line
  • Crockpot Turkey Chili from Freebie Finding Mom
  • Cheesy Turkey and Ranch Quesadillas from Creative Savings
  • Croque Madame from Half Baked Harvest

More creative ways to use up Thanksgiving leftovers

Not feeling like following a recipe since you may have a random amount of Thanksgiving leftovers? Try one of these methods instead:

  • Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Salad- sub turkey in your favorite chicken salad recipe
  • Turkey Pot Pie-  sub turkey in your favorite chicken pot pie recipe
  • Potato Pancakes- mix sweet and regular potatoes together for a fun spin on potato pancakes
  • Waffled Stuffing- add 2 eggs to 4 cups of stuffing, put in your waffle maker and get waffled stuffing to serve on the side
  • Fried Leftovers- form balls of your favorite leftovers (mac and cheese, potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole), dip in batter, and deep fry them
  • Host a “leftovers Friendsgiving”– invite your friends and neighbors over for a leftovers potluck. Everyone brings leftovers and something to drink.

What to do with leftover turkey

Did you know that “what to do with leftover turkey” is a commonly asked question on Google? Yup! Apparently I’m not alone when it comes to wanting to make the most of my leftover turkey.

If you can’t find a recipe that you love right now do this instead:

  1. Take all the meat off your turkey and freeze it in medium size freezer bags.
  2. Date the bag and use within 2-4 months.
  3. Pull out a freezer bag of turkey at a later time and make turkey soup, turkey tetrazzini, or anything else that commonly uses chicken. Turkey is a perfect sub for chicken this time of year.

How long is leftover turkey safe?

Your leftover turkey is good in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Freeze it for 2-4 months.

How long can I store my other Thanksgiving leftovers?

The common rule for all leftovers is 3-4 days. After that, it’s your best bet to toss out everything. Here is a more comprehensive guide:

 

FoodFridgeFreezer
Turkey, cooked3-4 days2-3 months
Meat (ham, beef), cooked3-4 days2-3 months
Gravy1-2 days2-3 months
Cranberry sauce10-14 days1-2 months
Stuffing, cooked3-4 days1 month
Mashed potatoes, yams3-5 days10-12 months
Soup2-3 days4-6 months
Vegetables, cooked3-4 days2-3 months
Pumpkin pie, baked3-4 days1-2 months

 

Compost before trashing

Before you toss out everything, check to see if you can compost it.

Get more details on composting here. 

What will you be doing with your Thanksgiving leftovers?

Do you have any good tips to add? Any great ideas for Thanksgiving casseroles or Thanksgiving leftovers for breakfast? If so, drop them in the comments.

Don’t forget to follow me on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) to see more of what I’m up to in real life. Please pin this post to Pinterest if you liked it!

 

Recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers

 

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Filed Under: food waste friday, Thanksgiving Tagged With: recipes, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving leftovers

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Danita Carr says

    November 22, 2015 at 6:01 pm

    What great ideas! Thanks for sharing! #SmallVictories

    Reply

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  1. What I'm Reading This Week #34 - says:
    November 28, 2015 at 5:01 am

    […] Ways to Use Thanksgiving Leftovers  Are you trying to find new ways to use up those Thanksgiving leftovers?  Take a look at Eat, Drink, and Save Money’s post! […]

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While I love saving money, I also have expensive taste and a passion for the environment. I firmly believe that you can live frugally while enjoying the finer things in life such as travel and high end products. I like fine foods and quality ingredients, I also enjoy spending money on fancy local coffee and kombucha. It’s all about the experience! Join me as I balance a budget and preserve our Earth, while enjoying the finer things in life.

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