10 Smart Ideas for Recycling your Thanksgiving Leftovers

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Thanksgiving is only a few days away and we want you to be as prepared as you can be pre and post the holiday shindig. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays aside from Christmas and I’ve always had the same problem year after year. We always had too much food and didn’t know what to do with them!

Thanksgiving leftovers take up so much space in your fridge that after three days, you’re just wanting to chuck everything in the trash. That would be such a convenient idea. On the other hand, you know it’s a waste.

You don’t have to let it all go to waste. You just need to get creative with your thanksgiving leftovers and turn them into an entirely new dish. You’ll be proud of yourself, your kids will love the newness and your husband will be impressed!

Check out these recipes!

Turkey Reuben Sandwich

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There’s no surprise that we’d include a turkey sandwich recipe here. Thanksgiving leftovers always default to this.

Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and generous cuts of leftover turkey breast make up a great Reuben sandwich! Get the full recipe here.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Panini

thanksgiving leftovers
source: foodnetwork.ca

I love how this recipe makes use of several elements of your thanksgiving leftovers. The recipe calls for gravy, cranberry sauce and, of course, roasted turkey. Wrap this well and it will be perfect for a picnic lunch!

Grab the recipe source: foodnetwork.ca.

Sweet Potato and Turkey Hash

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Among your thanksgiving leftovers, it’s usually the vegetables that totally get forgotten. Re-vamp your sweet potatoes for breakfast and enjoy the usual hash with a sweet and peppery touch!

Full recipe here.

Leftover Turkey & Cranberry Sauce Salad

thanksgiving leftovers
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Chicken salad is a family favorite. Since turkey meat taste exactly like chicken, why not make the traditional chicken salad with turkey meat, right? Add a touch of cranberry sauce to give it the subtle sweetness it needs.

Find the full recipe here.

Turkey & Wasabi Mashed Potato Croquettes

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Surely, mashed potato is one dish that’s a guarantee on your thanksgiving leftovers list. You can turn them into fried potato pancakes or you can take them up a notch. For example, this croquette recipe calls for a touch of wasabi and chopped up turkey meat.

Turn your mashed potatoes into something gourmet with this recipe!

Stuffing Waffles with Chia Cranberry Sauce

thanksgiving leftovers
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Before I started recycling thanksgiving leftovers, the stuffing is always the one that goes to waste for me. I didn’t like eating it after being in the fridge for a few days. So, I tried to turn them into waffles similar to this one and it makes such a savory breakfast!

You can either keep it sweet with just cranberry sauce and maple syrup or make it savory by pouring some of your gravy from dinner!

Learn how to make it here.

Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Chops

thanksgiving leftovers
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You can use your turkey stuffing to stuff the pork chops. The apples and the cranberry sauce creates a great balance between sweet and tart.

See the whole recipe here.

Pumpkin Greek Yogurt Banana Nut Bread

thanksgiving leftovers
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If you have leftover pumpkin puree meant for your pie, you can add it to your favorite banana bread recipe. Or, you can follow this recipe which also calls for some Greek yogurt.

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Cranberry Black Pepper Sweet Rolls

thanksgiving leftovers
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Mmmm. Nothing like the smell of freshly baked cranberry rolls wafting through the house first thing in the morning. Don’t forget the coffee!

Grab the recipe here.

Orange Cranberry Parfait

thanksgiving leftovers
sweet-remedy.com

With the Greek yogurt and the leftover cranberry sauce, this would be perfect for either breakfast, a light snack or dessert! And, it only needs three ingredients!

See the recipe sweet-remedy.com!

So, now you have ideas on what to do with your thanksgiving leftovers.

It’s sad to see good food go to waste. Plus, imagine all your effort of putting together a feast only to see most of it go bad or thrown away. If you’re not up to recycling your thanksgiving leftovers, you can pack them up in individual containers, drive around the city and fill a starving homeless man’s stomach.

Doing this would give them something to be thankful for, that in a world filled with uncertainties and ill, there’s still good in people. After all, that’s what the holiday is all about!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Do you have any thanksgiving leftovers recipe? We’d love to hear about it! Leave us a comment below!

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Fueled by fun and the simple things in life, I am a full-time writer, a baker on some days when I actually have spare time and a back-up vocalist on the weekends. Coffee and I don't work well together but give me a glass of milk tea or really rich cocoa and we'll be friends for life.

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