Go Beyond The Basic Sandwich This Year—Here Are Our Most-Popular Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes

cranberry mimosa breakfast cake with orange zest and sugar
10 Most-Popular Thanksgiving Leftover IdeasPHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: JASON SCHREIBER


Thanksgiving Cobb Salad

Whether you want to eat Thanksgiving dinner all over again, or reinvent it into something fresh and new, this Cobb salad is for you. Thanksgiving superstars turkey, sweet potatoes, pecans, and cranberries meet Cobb salad stalwarts bacon, blue cheese, and hard-boiled eggs for a fresh take on leftovers that still hits those holiday dinner notes.

Get the Thanksgiving Cobb Salad recipe.

thanksgiving cobb salad with shredded turkey, sweet potatoes, bacon, hardboiled eggs, blue cheese, pecans, and cranberries
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE


Thanksgiving Leftover Salad

We'll always love a leftover sandwich, but sometimes after the big day, we could use something a little lighter. Enter: this perfect salad. Leftover stuffing gets turned into irresistible croutons, and a vinaigrette is made from any remaining cranberry sauce. Feel free to add any leftover veggies from Thanksgiving too.

Get the Thanksgiving Leftover Salad recipe.

thanksgiving leftover salad
Parker feierbach


Cranberry-Mimosa Breakfast Cake

This is exactly what post-Thanksgiving dreams are made of. Because we love our mimosas and our breakfast cakes, such as this blueberry-lemon one, we decided the world needed this fall-forward rendition. It's the perfect use for leftover cranberries and open bottles of bubbly!

Get the Cranberry-Mimosa Breakfast Cake recipe.

cranberry mimosa breakfast cake with orange zest and sugar
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: JASON SCHREIBER


Fried Mashed Potato Balls

This recipe turns leftover mashed potatoes into magical, fried bites of savory deliciousness. Ready in 25 minutes, these delish creations are a perfect last-minute appetizer when you want something a bit different than your average mashed potatoes, or simply need a fun take on classic comfort food.

Get Fried Mashed Potato Balls recipe.

fried balls filled with leftover mashed potatoes
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON


Thanksgiving Leftover Tacos

People love the heralded Thanksgiving sandwich, but there’s something about using a tortilla (see our Thanksgiving Crunchwrap) that takes Turkey Day leftovers to a whole new level. Especially when you top that with turkey that has been made brand-new in a pseudo-mole sauce spiked with gravy, chipotle chiles, and dark chocolate.

Get the Thanksgiving Leftover Tacos recipe.

thanksgiving leftover tacos
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: Taylor Ann SPENCER


Kalimotxo Cola Punch

The last few months of the year mean it's time to party, and what better way to say party in a cocktail than punch? This kalimoxto-inspired sangria upgrade is literally a little bit of this, a little bit of that (read: leftover red wine works great here!) with a top off of everyone's favorite soda—an ice cold Coca-Cola.

Get the Kalimotxo Cola Punch recipe.

cola and red wine punch with orange and lime slices
PHOTO: LINDA PUGLIESE; FOOD STYLING: BEN WEINER


Thanksgiving Potato Skins

Preparing these potato skins is simple, and since you've already done the bulk of the Thanksgiving cooking—or received a generous takeout container of leftovers—all you need for this recipe is a few additional pantry staples: potatoes and cheddar cheese.

Get the Thanksgiving Potato Skins recipe.

potato skins stuffed with mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, and topped with cranberry sauce
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON


Cranberry Brie Turkey Melts

Since Thanksgiving isn’t a holiday that screams cheese, we’ve made it our mission to focus on incorporating it into our leftovers, like in this sandwich that features rustic slices of artisan bread, tangy cranberry sauce, creamy buttery brie, and a mound of garlicky leftover turkey. 😍

Get the Cranberry Brie Turkey Melts recipe.

cranberry brie turkey melts with garlic honey butter
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON


Giant Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwich

Got a lot of leftovers (or a giant appetite)? A Bundt pan and pre-made crescent roll dough will help you make a leftover turkey sandwich of epic proportions.

Get the Giant Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwich recipe.

giant thanksgiving leftover sandwich delish com
Charlie Gillette


Thanksgiving Leftover Sliders

Don't sleep on the spicy mayo here. Its smoky-sweet flavor is the perfect match for heavier Thanksgiving flavors. Trust us, you're gonna want to put it on every sandwich ever.

Get the Thanksgiving Leftover Sliders recipe.

thanksgiving leftover sliders
brad holland

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