Do you love Thanksgiving? The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Time spent with family. A game of touch football before the meal. And then…the food! 

Yes, the food is definitely something to be thankful for on this special holiday. You probably serve all of your family’s favorites from turkey to mashed potatoes to veggie casseroles and pies for dessert. And then when everyone is done eating, you look around…and it seems like the meal has barely been touched.

But no worries! Leftovers are fantastic! And Thanksgiving leftovers may be the very best! There’s so much you can do with them! Want some ideas? Well, here you go!

• Freeze Them: If you don’t feel like you can eat another bite of that delicious Thanksgiving meal, then freeze your leftovers. Not sure what can be frozen and what you need to use right away? Here’s a link to 8 things you can freeze and three you shouldn’t. 
• Send Them Home With Family: Pick up some inexpensive containers and send your family home with leftovers. They’ll love not having to prepare another meal, and you’ll love getting a little space back in your refrigerator.
• Serve Them Again: If you’re going out shopping for Black Friday, then you probably won’t want to cook when you get home. So, grab those leftovers and serve them again. Your family can warm up a plate of their favorites – and enjoy the meal all over again.
• Repurpose Them: Of course, if you don’t want to serve your Thanksgiving leftovers again, in the same manner, you served them on Thanksgiving Day, then it’s time to repurpose them. Here are a few recipes that you might try:
  • Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie – Warm and comforting, a pot pie is a fantastic way to use up your leftovers. This recipe has you making them in individual ramekins and topping them with puff pastry – and they can be ready in about 35 minutes.
  • Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole – Before you even put your Thanksgiving leftovers away on Thanksgiving Day, think about throwing this casserole together. Then you can throw it in the oven after a busy day of shopping and voila – dinner will be ready!
  • Next-Day Turkey Soup with Mashed Potato Polpetti – Put that turkey to good use – including the carcass – with this yummy soup! And take the time to make the Mashed Potato Polpetti – they’re fabulous!
  • Thanksgiving Sandwich – A turkey sandwich is good, but a Thanksgiving Sandwich is divine! This one has all of your Thanksgiving favorites sandwiched between two slices of sourdough bread – and it’s amazing!!
  • Holiday Turkey Hash – A good hash can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner – and this Holiday Turkey Hash is definitely good! You’ll love the flavors and the fried egg on top. All we can say is, “YUM!”
  • The Day After Thanksgiving Turkey Stir Fry – Stir fry? Yes, stir fry! It’s a great way to use up those leftovers – and probably in a manner that you haven’t thought of!
  • Turkey Tacos with Cranberry Salsa – Who doesn’t like tacos? So, why not make Turkey Tacos with Cranberry Salsa? It’s a creative way to use up those leftovers!
  • The Thanksgiving Leftovers Croque Madame – This is a Thanksgiving twist on the classic French sandwich – and you’re going to love it! 
  • Thanksgiving Leftover Pizza – Make or buy your favorite pizza crust and use those leftovers to make a pizza! It may sound a bit strange – but you’ll be a believer when you taste it!

This Thanksgiving, don’t let the leftovers just sit in your refrigerator and go to waste. Try some of these ideas to put them to use!