5 Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas for Turkey, Potatoes and More

After all the planning, shopping and cooking that goes into Thanksgiving dinner, I like the next meal to feel considerably easier. There’s something satisfying about opening the fridge and finding the ingredients for lunch already waiting.

Turkey sandwiches certainly have their place, but they aren’t the only option. Leftover mashed potatoes can become a pie topping, cooked turkey can fill a salad bowl, and a little pastry can make yesterday’s dinner feel like something new.

These five Thanksgiving leftover ideas offer different levels of effort. Some need a recipe and a little baking time; others are mostly assembly. Start with what you actually have left rather than buying a whole new shopping list to use up one container of turkey.

Ingredients and Equipment

Depending on the dish you choose, useful ingredients include cooked turkey, mashed potatoes, plain mashed sweet potato, cooked vegetables, gravy, pastry, salad greens and dressing.

Have storage containers, a baking dish or muffin tin, and a food thermometer ready for dishes you’ll reheat. Follow a complete recipe for pastry and biscuit quantities and baking instructions.

1. A Turkey-Filled Pastry Wreath

A savoury pastry ring makes a lovely centrepiece for a relaxed lunch. The idea is to enclose a turkey filling in dough arranged around a central opening.

Choose a recipe designed for cooked turkey and the pastry you’re using. Keep the filling manageable rather than adding every leftover side dish: too much moisture can make the pastry difficult to handle.

Serve cranberry sauce separately for anyone who enjoys that sweet-and-savoury combination.

2. A Mash-Topped Turkey Pie

If there’s turkey and mashed potato in the fridge, a comforting pie is an appealing direction to take.

Use a suitable cooked-turkey pie recipe, with vegetables and enough sauce to keep the filling moist. Spread the mash over the top and follow the recipe’s baking instructions.

This is the option I’d choose when everyone wants something warm and familiar without another elaborate dinner.

3. Ranch Turkey Club Salad

For a change from rich holiday dishes, try this ranch turkey club salad from The Weary Chef.

It combines cooked turkey with greens, tomatoes, avocado, cheddar, bacon and ranch dressing. The recipe is largely an assembly job, making it a useful choice when you’ve had enough of standing at the stove.

Keep the dressing separate until serving if you want the greens to stay crisp.

4. Sweet Potato Biscuits

Plain mashed sweet potato can be useful in a biscuit recipe that specifically calls for it.

Check the recipe before using leftovers from a sweet casserole. Added syrup, marshmallows, butter or other ingredients can change how the dough behaves.

A warm biscuit alongside turkey soup would make a lovely lunch, especially when you want to use up a small amount of sweet potato.

5. Mini Turkey Pies

Individual pastry pies are another way to give cooked turkey and vegetables a second outing. Use a complete mini-pie recipe that specifies the pastry, filling quantities and tin size.

Keep the filling thick enough to stay inside the pastry, and avoid overfilling.

For another pastry-based option, explore our leftover Thanksgiving hand pies feature.

Store and Reheat Leftovers Carefully

Refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly in shallow containers—within two hours, or within one hour when temperatures exceed 32°C/90°F.

USDA guidance recommends using refrigerated leftovers within three to four days or freezing them for later. Reheat leftovers to 74°C/165°F, checking with a food thermometer. Bring reheated soups, sauces and gravies to a rolling boil.

Turning turkey into a pie does not make older leftovers fresh again. Plan around when the original food was cooked and how it has been stored. Read more in the USDA’s leftovers and food safety guidance.

Make the Next Meal Easier

You don’t need to make all five ideas. Choose one meal for today, then portion and freeze suitable extras before they’re forgotten at the back of the fridge.

After a busy holiday, a bowl of salad or a simple turkey pie is quite enough. The pleasure is in enjoying food you’ve already made, with a little less preparation and a little more time to sit down.

Leftover Turkey Wreath

Turkey Shepards Pie

Ranch Turkey Club Salad


Sweet Potato Biscuits

Thanksgiving Leftover Mini Pies