Last week, we looked at some ways to approach your Thanskgiving feast with some creativity. Though some families need to stick to that traditional meal, even the most stringent of Thanksgiving traditionalists start to get worn out on their re-heated turkey leftovers by the third time around. Though some retailers may already have moved on to Black Friday, we’re not quite ready to let Thanksgiving go — so today, we’re going to look at 5 creative ways you can keep those Thanksgiving flavors fresh until the last chunk of dark meat is gone.
Thanksgiving Leftover Grilled Cheese
There are a million ways to approach the Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, but my personal favorite is in the form of a warm, melty grilled cheese. Check out this version from Ring Finger Tanline, which focuses on the classic turkey and cranberry combo — with some pepperjack to add a kick of heat. This grilled cheese would also be awesome if you swapped out the pepperjack for brie.
Leftover Turkey Pizza
How Sweet Eats has long been one of my favorite food bloggers, and guys — she hit it out of the park with this pizza. If you’re growing weary of the stuffing/cranberry/turkey combo, check out this Turkey, Bacon, & Avocado Ranch Pizza for your leftover inspiration. It’ll help you use up your leftover turkey and Brussels sprouts, and give you some fresh new flavors thanks to the bacon and avocado ranch.
Thanksgiving Egg Rolls
Few things aren’t improved by being fried, and Thanksgiving leftovers are no exception. For an especially unique twist, try this East meets West collaboration of Thanksgiving Egg Rolls. Stuffed with mashed potatoes, turkey, and stuffing, deep fried, then dipped into a cranberry sweet and sour sauce, these egg rolls are sure to be a crowd-pleaser that dishes up a twist of the unexpected.
Thanksgiving Hand Pies
If you didn’t get your fill of pies on Thanksgiving day, this savory hand pie is the perfect way to keep your pie fix going all week long. Get creative with your fillings, and add any combination of your leftovers you’d like. Add the cranberry sauce for a subtle sweet and sour flavor, or swap it out for green beans for a fully savory pie. After your ingredients are tucked away and the pie is baked, drizzle the whole thing in your leftover gravy.
Turkey Mushroom Cranberry Risotto
For an elegant twist on your turkey leftovers, check out this Turkey Mushroom Cranberry Risotto from the Reluctant Entertainer. Impress your lingering holiday guests with your classy and unique take on Thanksgiving leftovers — this creamy and rich risotto is certainly not your grandmother’s turkey on white bread.
How you approach Thanksgiving leftovers can be just as much of a tradition as how you approach Thanksgiving itself. What are your favorite ways to use up your leftover turkey? Give our readers your leftover ideas in the comments.