How to use your Thanksgiving leftovers: 12 non-traditional recipes

After spending countless hours in the kitchen or shelling out a small fortune for all of the Thanksgiving fixtures, you may find yourself with a fridge full of leftovers — and wondering what to do with all that extra food.

Don't throw it out and don't feel like you have to eat the same Thanksgiving meal over and over again.

We spoke with 10 talented chefs who gave us their most creative recipes to re-purpose your leftover turkey meat, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and other ingredients for some truly tasty culinary creations.

Below are 12 of their recipe ideas for making the most out of your Thanksgiving leftovers:

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Turkey Birria Tacos by Chef Rick Martinez, author of "Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from my Kitchen in Mexico"

What better way to use leftover Turkey from Thanksgiving than in a homemade birria. Soak the turkey to make a beautiful leftover consumé with chiles and spices for the perfect birria turkey tacos with a salsa made from some leftover cranberry sauce.

Ingredients (Serves 8):

• 1 large turkey carcass plus skin and any vegetables or herbs stuffed in the cavity (meat removed and reserved)
• 3 large chiles guajillos (0.6 oz/18 grams), stemmed and seeded
• 2 large chiles pasillas (0.4 oz/12 grams), stemmed and seeded
• 4 chiles de árbol, stemmed (and seeded for mild)
• 1/2 medium white or yellow onion
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 ½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (1.1 oz/30 grams), plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 3 dried or fresh avocado or bay leaves
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 small stick canela or cassia cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram or Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried ginger
• 1 cup leftover cranberry sauce
• 1/4 chopped white onion
• 1 to 3 chopped jalapeños
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons orange juice (optional)
• For serving: chopped onion, cilantro, lime wedges, warm corn tortillas

Instructions:

1. Cover turkey carcass, skin, any vegetables or herbs stuffed in the cavity, chiles guajillos, chiles pasillas, chiles de árbol, onion, garlic and salt with water in a large stock pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, toast the spices. Toast peppercorn, avocado leaves, cloves, canela, cumin and coriander in a medium skillet over medium high, swirling the skillet or tossing the herbs and spices, until lightly charred and very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the marjoram and toast, tossing frequently until the marjoram is very fragrant and lightly toasted, about 30 seconds. Transfer to the stock pot with the turkey and chiles. Reduce stock to a low boil and cook, uncovered until stock is very flavorful, and the bones separate easily from the bones.
2. Strain stock through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl, reserve stock and chiles. If you want to reserve any of the vegetables, herbs or spices, you will be adding lots of flavor to the broth but it is completely optional, I want to make this as easy as possible! Transfer chiles any vegetables, herbs or spices and 4 cups of the stock to the jar of a blender and puree until smooth. Wipe out stock pot with a paper towel and transfer chile puree and strained stock into the pot and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer.
3. Chop or shred any leftover turkey meat. And add to the simmering stock. Cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded and the meat is very tender. Taste and season with salt if necessary.
4. Stir cranberry sauce, onion, jalapeño, garlic, orange zest and orange juice in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Taste and season with salt or lime juice if necessary.
5. Divide the meat among shallow bowls and pour the consommé over. Top with the chopped onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing, cranberry salsa and tortillas to make tacos.

Turkey Congee by Chef Jon Kung, author of "Kung Food: Chinese American Recipes from a Third Culture Kitchen"

Kung’s favorite way to use up leftover meat and the remaining turkey bones is to make a hearty congee, which can be topped with a number of bright garnishes, such as thinly sliced scallions, soft- or hard-boiled eggs, pickled bamboo shoots, kimchi, chili oil or any sweet-pickled vegetable

Ingredients (Serves 6-8):

• Reserved skin and bones from 1 turkey or 2 chicken carcasses
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups long-grain white rice (such as jasmine), washed
• 1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 cups shredded cooked turkey or chicken (about 1 pound)
• 3 teaspoons glutinous rice flour (optional)
• Optional toppings: thinly sliced scallions, soft- or hard-boiled eggs, pickled bamboo shoots, kimchi, chili oil, preserved chili radish, any sweet- pickled vegetable, additional shredded roast meat (duck, rotisserie chicken, roast goose), gan lan cai (Chinese preserved olive vegetable)

Instructions:

1. Put the carcass(es) and 6 quarts (24 cups) water in a large (preferably nonstick) pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for an hour (don’t bother skimming, as the clarity of the broth is not a priority). At this point, the broth should have a recognizable, if mild, roast turkey flavor. If not, simmer until it does.
2. Season the broth with salt to taste, starting with 1 teaspoon at a time; you should end up with a flavorful, slurpable broth. Strain the broth and return it to the pot (discard the solids). You want to end up with 18 cups of broth; if you have more, save the extra for another use; if you have less, make up the difference with water or chicken stock.
3. Add the rice and ginger to the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the shredded meat and reduce the heat so the broth is at a brisk simmer. If using glutinous rice flour for a creamier congee, put it in a small bowl and whisk with ½ cup cold water to form a slurry, then add this to the broth and stir to incorporate. Simmer for about 1 hour, stirring often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning, until the congee is creamy, the water has been completely absorbed by the rice, and the rice has broken down.
4. To serve, ladle the congee into bowls and garnish as desired with the optional toppings.

Reprinted with permission from Kung Food: Chinese American Recipes from a Third-Culture Kitchen by Jon Kung © 2023. Photographs © 2023 by Johnny Miller. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Thanksgiving Leftover Shepherd’s Pie Recipe by Chef Kieron Hales, executive chef and co-founding partner at Cornman Farms

For a hearty, comforting dish, make this shepherd's pie that incorporates your leftover mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, turkey meat and vegetables.

Materials Needed:

• 9x13 Inch Baking Dish (We love this one from Lodge Cast Iron!)
• You may end up with a bit extra, toss it in an 8x8 inch baking dish and enjoy the next day!

Ingredients:

• 1⁄3 cup pomace oil
• 1 red onion, roughly diced
• 2 sticks of celery, roughly diced
• 1 small leek, rough diced (use the whole thing!)
• 4 cloves of garlic, pureed
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup cooked carrots, roughly diced
• 1 cup cooked brussels sprouts, roughly diced
• 2 cups of gravy
• 1 cup of stock of your choice
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup cooked dark meat turkey, roughly chopped
• 1 cup cooked white meat turkey, roughly chopped
• 1⁄4 cup of sherry
• 4 1⁄2 cups of mashed potatoes
• 5 1⁄2 cups of stuffing, roughly chopped

Instructions:

Step 1:

• Add oil to a large heavy bottomed pan and bring to medium heat.
• Add onion, celery and leeks, cooking until tender for about 10-15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add roughly chopped stuffing to a blender and pulse until it has a breadcrumb-like consistency. Set aside

Step 2:

• Puree garlic with salt. Add to pan and cook for five minutes.
• Add 1 cup of blended stuffing, diced carrots, brussel sprouts, gravy and stock to the pan. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add cream and bring back to a simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add all chopped turkey meat and sherry to the pan. Bring back to a simmer and adjust seasoning as needed.
• Remove from stove and place mixture into a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Place dish in refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Step 3:

• Mix remainder of blended stuffing with mashed potatoes. Adjust seasoning as needed.
• Remove the turkey mixture from the refrigerator.
• Using your hands, place a thin layer of mashed potato mixture on top of the turkey mixture.
• Place dish in the oven at 375F for 40 minutes (or until the mashed potato mixture is crispy). Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Serve and enjoy!

Pecan Pie Milkshake w/ Chocolate Gooey Brownie Ice Cream by Chef Tyler Malek, pastry chef and founder of Salt & Straw Ice Cream

If that leftover pie isn't satisfying your cravings anymore, turn it into a decadent milkshake using Salt & Straw's chocolate gooey brownie ice cream.

Ingredients:

• 1 pint of Salt & Straw’s Chocolate Gooey Brownie ice cream
• 1 slice of leftover pecan pie
• Splash of milk

Instructions:

• Place 3 scoops of Chocolate Gooey Brownie ice cream into a blender or stainless steel malt cup. 
• Add a splash of milk and a slice of leftover pecan pie. Blend until smooth. (Use an immersion blender if you are mixing in a malt cup.)
• Pour ice cream mixture into a milkshake glass and top with an additional slice of pecan pie if desired.

Thanksgiving Squash Pasta by Chef Anthony Mangieri of Una Pizza Napoletana

Chef’s favorite meal is pasta, so even on Thanksgiving, he’s thinking about how to use some of the ingredients for a pasta recipe. This recipe utilizes leftover squash, stuffing, and other ingredients any home cook will likely have on hand.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pasta, preferably shells or ziti
• Roughly 1 cup squash
• 1/2 c leftover stuffing 
• 4 tbsp EVOO
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
• Sea salt in pasta water and to finish to taste
• 1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
• 1/3 c pecorino Romano cheese, grated.

Instructions:

1. Take leftover stuffing and spread out on a sheet pan and dry out in the oven at 250° until thoroughly dried out.
2. Purée squash with 1 tbsp of olive oil until smooth.
3. Boil water.
4. In a saucepan heat 2 tbsp EVOO and add garlic on low heat. Once it starts to sizzle, add puréed squash, black pepper, 1/2 of the fresh parsley and a pinch of sea salt. Bring to a simmer and then turn off heat.
5. When pasta is done, drain and put in a large bowl. Stir in the squash sauce, the dried stuffing, the remainder of the parsley, another 2 tbsp of EVOO and finish with pecorino Romano cheese. 

Turkey and Stuffing Fried Rice by Chef Angelo Sosa, executive chef at Tía Carmen and Kembara (coming soon)

“This is something I love to make with Thanksgiving leftovers – it’s a great way to use up leftover turkey and stuffing, and turn it into a fried rice with a few more prominent Asian flavors,” Sosa says.

Ingredients (Serves 4 people):

• 1.5 quarts leftover turkey meat
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil
• 1 Tbsp ginger, chopped
• 1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
• ¼ cup onion, diced
• 1 piece dried chili (such as Chile de Arbol)
• 1 whole egg
• 1.5 quarts white rice
• ½ tsp white pepper
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ cup carrots, diced
• ½ cup celery, diced
• 1 cup stuffing
• 3 Tbsp fish sauce (optional)
• 2 Tbsp sage, chopped

Instructions:

1. Chop turkey meat into uniform-sized pieces and set aside.
2. Heat up oil in a wok or pan, then add garlic, ginger and onions, and sweat it out over high heat. Add salt to taste.
3. Add a dried chili for heat, then crack egg into the pan. Mix all ingredients until egg becomes soft.
4. Add rice and mix around until you get a beautiful wok hei flavor (a smoky flavor as a result of the caramelization). Add white pepper and salt to taste.
5. Add celery and carrots and toss with all ingredients.
6. Add turkey and stuffing, mix all ingredients together. Drizzle with white soy sauce and fish sauce (optional), add more salt and white pepper to adjust for taste.
7. Remove from heat, add chopped sage, and serve.

Sage Puppies by Chef Bob Bennett, head chef at Zingerman's Roadhouse

“My love for fried dough and hush puppies are at the top of the list," Chef Bennett says. "This one leans on the great organic cornmeal from our friends at Anson Mills and really nice pecans from Texas.”

Ingredients:

• 1 qt cornbread stuffing
• 8 oz bacon, rendered and chopped
• 8 oz scallions, chopped
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 cup johny cake meal
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk
• Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Grind up stuffing in food processor until no large pieces remain.
2. Combine with the remaining ingredients.
3. Heat vegetable oil to 325 degrees in a frying pan. 
4. Drop 1 oz hush puppies and cook until an internal temperature of 170 degrees.

Getty Images

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Thanksgiving Jeon Waffles by Chef Sungchul Shim, chef/owner of Kochi, Mari, Don Don, Mari Ne

“This is great for a breakfast or brunch dish the day after Thanksgiving," Chef Shim says. "I usually serve it alongside sunnyside-up eggs.”

Ingredients:

• Vegetable Oil for the waffle iron
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon potato starch
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• a pinch of ground black pepper
• ¾ cup turkey stock 
• 2 large egg, beaten in a small bowl
• 2 green onions sliced
• ½ cup diced Turkey 
• ¼ cup leftover stuffing
• ¼ cup leftover mashed potato
• Cranberry sauce for garnish

Instructions:

1. Preheat waffle iron and brush with vegetable oil.
2. Combine flour, starch, salt, pepper, stock in a large bowl. Fold in green onions and leftover turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes.
3. Scoop into waffle iron.
4. Serve with cranberry sauce to garnish.

Turkey Soup with Dumplings by Chef Franklin Becker, chef and owner/partner of Point Seven

Chef Franklin Becker likes to make a soup that utilizes multiple leftover components from a Thanksgiving meal. This recipe uses leftover meat, bones, and stuffing.

For the broth:

• 1 cup ghee
• 2 medium-sized onions, cut
• 4 spears celery, cut
• 2 carrots, cut
• 1 leftover Turkey carcass, pick and reserve the meat
• 2 knorr bouillon cubes
• 8 quarts water
• 1 bunch sage stems, reserve sage
• 1 bunch parsley stems, reserve parsley
• 1 tbs black pepper
• Salt to taste

For the soup:

• 1 medium onion, diced small
• 2 celery stalks, diced small
• 1 carrot, diced small
• 1 tbsp, sage, chopped
• 1 tbsp, parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. In a large stock pot, melt the ghee
2. Sweat vegetables in the ghee
3. Add the Turkey carcass and the bouillon cubes
4. Add the water, stems, and black pepper
5. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer
6. Cook for two hours
7. Remove the carcass and stems from the broth.
8. Remove the peppercorns, strain and season with salt.
9. Add the diced vegetables and chopped turkey meat
10. Set aside.

For the bread dumplings:

• 2 lbs. leftover stuffing
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg, beaten

Instructions:

1. Combine the leftover stuffing, milk, and egg.
2. Wrap in plastic and roll tightly. 
3. Poach the bread dumpling mixture in broth till set firm (25 minutes).
4. Cool the bread dumplings and slice into rounds

For the finished soup:

• Pour the soup atop the bread dumplings and enjoy. 
• Garnish with chiffonade of parsley and sage.

Cranberry Sangria Shortcakes by Chef J. Jackson

Chef Jackson recommends serving while the cranberries are warm and starting with ice-cold heavy cream and a cold bowl to make the whipped cream.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 leftover Buttermilk Biscuits
• 1 1/2 cup leftover cranberry sauce (straight out the can won’t work for this recipe)
• 1/2 cup sangria
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon spiced rum
• Tastic sweet, for garnish (optional)*

Instructions:

1. Make cranberry compote. Combine cranberries and sangria in a small sauce pan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until some of the sangria has absorbed and thickened. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
2. Make whipped cream. In a cold bowl combine cold cream and rum. Using a whisk or immersion blender, whisk or blend until cream whips thick. If you’ve never made whipped cream, understand over whipping will turn the cream to butter.
3. Assemble. Slice open biscuits. Add compote to bottom of biscuit and top with whipped cream. Top with biscuit top or leave open faced and sprinkle on some Tastic sweet for garnish and flavor.

Collard Turkey Sliders by Chef J. Jackson

Chef Jackson says 13 by 9 sandwiches are a blank canvas. "Swap the meat, swap the greens, make it your own."

Ingredients:

• 12 Rolls, split (I like Hawaiian rolls)
• Leftover Collards
• Leftover Turkey
• Your favorite shredded or sliced cheese (I like Muenster)
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 tbsp garlic puree or minced
• 2 tbsp. chopped shallot
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine butter, shallot, parsley and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat and melt. You may also melt in a microwave.
3. Arrange bottoms of rolls in a 13x9 inch baking pan. You can butter the bottoms of the bun at this point or not.
4. Assemble with collards, turkey and cheese. Butter the tops with garlic butter Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
5. Serve em up!

Collard Green and Black-Eyed Pea Soup by Chef J. Jackson

To cut down on dishes, Chef Jackson suggests using a rimmed baking sheet to catch accidental drips and spills. For effortless cleanup and to keep your baking sheets in tip-top shape, line them with a layer of foil before each use.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, (4 sliced and 1 whole), divided
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 5 cups chopped collard greens, or kale leaves (about 1 bunch), tough stems removed
• 1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed
• 6 1/2-inch-thick slices baguette, preferably whole-grain, cut on the diagonal6 tablespoons shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
• 2 slices cooked bacon, finely chopped

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add sliced garlic, thyme and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Increase heat to high and add broth, tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in collard greens (or kale), reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Discard the thyme sprig. Stir in black-eyed peas; remove from the heat and cover.
2. Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
3. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and broil until lightly toasted, 2 to 4 minutes. Rub each bread slice with the remaining garlic clove. (Discard garlic.) Turn the slices over and top with cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve the soup topped with the cheese toasts and bacon.