Creative Ways to Use Up Thanksgiving and Holiday Leftovers, According to Chefs

By Karla Walsh

Many holidays are about abundance. For Independence Day, Americans go big with fireworks and parades. On Halloween, we go all out with costumes. And come Thanksgiving, it's all about a bounty at the table.

And it's not just about the Thanksgiving recipessavored on the fourth Thursday in November; it's also often about the extras. Erin Clarke, a Milwaukee-based recipe developer and the author of "Well Plated Everyday" tells us, "I am one of those folks who cooks extra food at Thanksgiving on purpose. The leftovers are my favorite part!"

As much as a round two of Thanksgiving leftovers is ideal to avoid having to cook again come Friday, it can be a real challenge to make it through the extra servings of turkey, all the trimmings, and the bushels of bonus fresh ingredients (like herbs and produce odds-and-ends) kicking around after preparing the feast.

Ahead, we're diving into what to do with leftover turkey-and so much more. Read on for chef-approved Thanksgiving leftover recipes, then we'll keep the tips going all season long to help you repurpose Christmas dinner leftovers (or Hanukkah leftovers) to ensure you have a low-waste and high-reward holiday. Plus, stick around for food safety expert intel about how to store and freeze leftovers to max out their lifespan.

The Impact of Holiday Food Waste
Just like any time of year, wasted food adds up in terms of money squandered and in total carbon emissions. Beyond that, you're investing a lot of extra effort in shopping and meal prepfor a finished product that you're not actually enjoying.

Over the course of the year, the typical U.S. household wastes about 32 percent of the food that enters the home, researchersbelieve. And come holiday season, this figure ticks up. As a result of Thanksgiving alone, Americans waste about one extra pound of food per person, according to estimates from the non-profit ReFed.

One major reason why? We tend to go "over the top" to wow our family and friends and show them how much we care, explains Omar Arambula, the Los Angeles, California-based executive chef for BRIO Italian Grilleand BRAVO! Italian Kitchen.

"The holiday season is one of the best times of the year, however it does often result in more leftovers and food waste. This is primarily due to the larger gatherings and the tradition of preparing abundant meals," adds Lester Dean, executive chef of Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassauin Nassau, Bahamas. "People tend to overestimate how much food they will need, leading to significant amounts being left uneaten. The variety of dishes served at holiday gatherings can also make it difficult to repurpose leftovers and extra ingredients effectively."

But it ispossible to trim down-and possibly eliminate-excess food waste this holiday season. Next, score Thanksgiving leftover recipes (we're putting a special focus on turkey since it's on approximately 88 percent of American tablesthat day) and discover ways to refresh common elements of Christmas and Hanukkah celebration meals, too.

Creative Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe Ideas
Before we go any further, it can be helpful to remember that you need not go it alone when trying to reduce food waste after holidays.

"Another fun way to spread the love is to get cute takeout containers so guests can take food home at the end of the meal. It adds charm, is a generous gesture, and helps lighten the leftover load," says Anna Altieri, executive culinary director for Superfricoin Las Vegas, Nevada and Atlantic City, New Jersey.

For what you do have hanging around after Turkey Day, the holiday leftovers ideas below are here to offer some inspiration.

Turkey
Unsure of what to do with leftover turkey? Of course, a classic Thanksgiving Leftovers Sandwich with as many fixings as you can fit between bread is fun (Altieri says, "It's like reliving the feast in sandwich form!), and a cozy pot of Turkey Soup with extra stock, veggies, and meat is a classic.

But Clarke believes that one of the most crowd-pleasing refreshes of all is to stack up Turkey Oven Sliders: "Slice a pack of Hawaiian buns in half horizontally without disconnecting the buns at the sides, then layer them with cheese, stuffing, leftover turkey, cranberry sauce, and more cheese. Brush the tops of the buns with melted butter and bake at 350° F until toasty and hot," she explains.

For another twist on the sandwich theme, follow the lead of Evan Wargo, executive chef at Patina 250in Buffalo, New York and reimagine leftover turkey as part of a Buffalo-style Turkey Sandwich, "tossing shredded leftover meat with hot sauce and adding some crumbled blue cheese for a unique twist," he says. Serve with carrot and celery sticks on the side.

Or head south of the border and try Turkey Tacos, Turkey Burritos, or Turkey Enchiladas. Pair each with cranberry salsa (raw cranberries tossed with diced jalapeños, diced green onions, fresh cilantro, sugar, and fresh lime juice) if desired.

For an Italian adventure, simmer shredded leftover turkey in your favorite marinara sauce for Turkey Bolognese that's "perfect over your favorite pasta," says David Hansel,executive chef at Stella 34 Trattoriain New York City.

Don't forget about all of the holiday leftover ideas available at brunch, too. Jae Lee, executive chef at The Joulein Dallas, Texas advocates for making Black Friday Turkey Benedicts, using either extra rolls or store-bought English muffins as the base. "Smear some cranberry sauce on top of the bread, add warmed slices of turkey, a poached egg, and finish with a lemony hollandaise sauce," he suggests.

Side Dishes

Options abound for ways to polish off traditional side dishes.

For cranberry sauce, Clarke proposes Cranberry Parfaits, featuring layers of cranberry sauce, yogurt, and granola. Or try Dean's trick and dollop a couple spoonfuls of sauce over cooked oats for Cranberry Oatmeal. You can also fold a scoop into batter for pancakes or waffles.

Take the name "stuffing" literally and tuck it inside bell peppers for Dean's favorite Stuffing Stuffed Peppers, then bake until the pepper is tender, the stuffing top is crunchy, and the center reaches 165° F when tested with a food thermometer. Or press stuffing in a waffle iron for Stuffing Waffles that only get better when you layer on another breakfast staple, Clarke recommends: "I'm of the opinion that you can add a fried egg to just about anything and turn it into breakfast!"

Wargo and Hansel are advocates for mixing and matching. Both look forward to Savory Thanksgiving Side Pancakes; simply combine leftover mashed sweet potatoes, stuffing, and green bean casserole, form into patties, and pan-fry until crisp for a delightful snack or post-holiday brunch.

Bonus roasted vegetables and green bean casserole are excellent additions to a Vegetable Quiche or Frittata, Dean adds.

Or spread a tortilla with mashed sweet potatoes, top with roasted vegetables, and drizzle on a punchy sauce like sriracha, chili crisp, or tahini. Roll into a burrito shape, crisp up in a skillet, and enjoy your Vegetarian Wrapfor lunch.

Pies

We know some of you might be thinking, "leftover pie-what's that?!"But if you're lucky enough to have some slices that you don't want to enjoy alone, the chefs we interviewed agree that the very best solution is to whip up a Pie Milkshake.

"I love to blend a slice of pie, particularly from fruit pies, into a milkshake," explains Daniel Maggio, executive chef at Nick+Stef's Steakhousein New York City.

You can also chop pieces of pie to fold into softened ice cream or use those cubes as a sundae topping for Pie Ice Cream.

Arambula advocates for cutting up custard and nut pies, such as pecan and pumpkin, to replace some of the bread in your favorite bread pudding recipe. Now you have Pie-Style Bread Pudding.

Wine

Perhaps you plot out specific Thanksgiving wine pairings, or maybe your guests all brought their favorite to share. Regardless, if you have open wine bottles that you don't plan to drink within 3 days (most whites and rosés) to 7 days (most reds), the chefs suggest that you use leftover wine from Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving get-togethers for:

• Risotto (add a glug to your sautéed onions, garlic, and herbs before incorporating the rice and broth)
• Wine Sorbet
• Savory Wine Pan Sauce(simmer it down into a reduction and add herbs, then spoon over protein)
• Wine-Poached Fruit
  
  

Creative Ways to Use Up Christmas and Hanukkah Leftovers
Come December, you may also have other celebratory meals in honor of Hanukkah, Christmas, or another joyful occasion. The menu for these events tends to vary more than the traditional Thanksgiving spread, but we imagine that a fair amount of households might have some extra roast, rolls, vegetables, latkes, and cookies kicking around.

Ham, Prime Rib, Beef Tenderloin, or Brisket

All of these feed-a-crowd proteins are prime candidates for casseroles, skillet meals, and sandwiches, the chefs confirm.

For breakfast or brunch, dice up leftover ham, beef, or whatever roast you prepared for your winter feast to add to a Meat and Potato Hash. Clarke deems this "a great way to use up extra potatoes and carrots you may have purchased for other recipes also." Again, feel free to put an egg (or several) on it.

Or build a fast-food copycat Breakfast Egg Sandwichwith a biscuit, roll, or English muffin, eggs cooked any which way, a layer of warmed meat, and a slice of cheese. Warm in the oven or microwave.

Dice the meat to "include in a rich Italian meat sauce or layer into lasagnas for added flavor," Hansel suggests, or to stir into soup, stew, or pot pie.

Side Dishes

Leftover latkes can act as the foundation for, or a component in, more recipes than we can count. "Create a Latke Breakfast Sandwichwith eggs and avocado," Dean suggests, or make like Maggio and "chop up leftover latkes and toss them into a Latke Breakfast Casseroleor use them as a crispy topping for salads." Latke Croutons would also make for a stellar topping for a bowl of soup or chili.

Roasted veggies also open up a wide world of options. "Toss them into a Roasted Vegetable Scramble or Omelet, incorporating local cheeses for a farm-to-table breakfast," Wargo proposes. Or add them to a pot of stock and use an immersion blender to purée the mixture into creamy and comforting Roasted Vegetable Soup.

If you've got some extra rolls or bread in your arsenal, Arambula and Dean endorse using them for sandwiches, croutons, bread crumbs or bread pudding.

Cookies

Gingerbread, sugar cookies, rugelach, or whatever extra cookies after the bash are brilliant to repurpose. Crumble them for:

• Ice Cream Sundaes (sprinkle on top-don't forget the whipped cream and a cherry!)
• Cheesecake Crust
• Homemade Cookie Butter
  
  

Recipes to Reduce Food Waste and Use Up Odds and Ends

In addition to fully-prepared leftover recipes, many home cooks have extra fresh herbs, fruits, vegetables, canned foods, and meat bones after holiday meals. To make the most of these perishable foods, the chefs suggest:

• Simmering a batch of Stockusing turkey or ham bones, leftover herbs, onions, carrots, and celery
• Making Herb Compound Butter or Herb-Infused Oils
• Blending together an Herb Pesto, Salsa Verde, or Chimichurri
• Creating Fruit Compotes or blitzing up Fruit Smoothies
• Folding canned squash purée into Pumpkin Smoothies, Pumpkin Pancakes,or Pumpkin Muffins, or using it as the filling for Pumpkin Ravioli
• Soaking vegetables in spiced-up vinegar for Pickled Vegetables

Food Storage Tips to Reduce Food Waste After the Holidays

Inventive ideas for how to repurpose Christmas dinner leftovers, Hanukkah extras, and Thanksgiving surplus will only take you so far. It's important to store extra food safely to keep it fresh for as long as possible and reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

"To reduce waste, I like to plan portions carefully and freeze leftovers early," Altieri tells us. Next, we're getting specific about how to do just that.

Proper Storage Techniques

The sooner you can get the extra servings in your fridge-then on your family meal plan-the better.

"Leftovers (including appetizers, side dishes, and protein) should be stored within 2 hours of cooking if not being held above 140° F," explains Meredith Carothers, food safety specialist for the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Servicein Washington D.C. "Leftovers are safe in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For Thanksgiving, that gives you until the Monday after to eat them, or you can place them in the freezer to enjoy later."

Carothers was kind enough to give us some leftover storage tips:

• Check the temp. A refrigerator should be at or below 40°F, per the USDA. To help keep the cool conditions steady, try to limit the time the door is open.
• Divvy up. "Divide leftovers into smaller portions and refrigerate or freeze them in covered shallow containers helps cool leftovers more quickly," Carothers adds.
• Go over the top. Cover leftovers, wrap them in airtight packaging (like a zip-top bag), or seal them in storage containers, Carothers says. "These practices help keep bacteria out, retain moisture, and prevent leftovers from picking up odors from other food in the refrigerator," she explains.
  
  

Freezing for Future Use

If you know that 4 days isn't enough time for you to incorporate your holiday leftovers ideas into your menu, your best bet is to freeze the food ASAP. This will buy you more time to chip away at the extras, and in turn, reduce food waste after holidays.

"If frozen at peak quality, thawed foods emerge tasting better than foods frozen near the end of their useful life. So freeze items you won't use quickly sooner rather than later," Carothers advises. "Most Thanksgiving leftovers will freeze well, except dishes with mayonnaise, cream sauces, or lettuce."

Leftover meat, vegetables, gravy, stuffing, stocks, casseroles, and baked goods are all strong candidates for storing on ice.

Try to enjoy frozen leftovers within 2 to 6 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer, Carothers continues.

If you're freezing leftovers, remember to:

• Watch the temp. "Food stored constantly at 0 °F will always be safe. Only the quality suffers with lengthy freezer storage," Carothers clarifies. "Foods can dry out or lose flavor the longer they are frozen." Again, swiftness pays off in the overall quality of your leftover experience.
• Keep a tight seal. Hansel recommends using airtight containers, sealed zip-top bags (with the air pressed out, or vacuum-sealed bags to reduce the risk of freezer burn.
• Give them a name. Label each item with the name of the product and the date you're freezing it so you can keep track of your inventory.
• Portion wisely. If possible, attempt to estimate how much of each item you'll want to use at a time and portion them in individual containers so you can work your way through at a comfortable pace. For soup, stock, or gravy, consider freezing them in ice cube trays so you can pop out one or a few at a time.
• Thaw with care. To defrost frozen foods, "move them to the refrigerator the day before you plan to use them to ensure they remain at a safe temperature," Hansel says. A 24-hour shift or so in the fridge is a safer bet than using your microwave, although you can use that appliance if you're in a crunch. (Just be sure to cook immediately after thawing in the microwave, USDA experts say, as you may start to warm the food into the "danger zone" of between 40°F and 140°F, where bacteria can grow rapidly.)

Enjoy Your Holidays and the Leftovers

The average American wastes about 1 extra pound of food as the result of Thanksgiving alone, and that statistic only climbs when you tack on the ripple effect of other fall and winter gatherings. "Recycling" leftovers and extra ingredients into new creations within 4 days-or freezing them to use within 2 to 6 months-will help you make the most of your grocery investment and trim down on your carbon footprint.

If you'd like to outsource the shopping and dial-in your meal prep to match your guest count, Blue Apron mealscan help. Check out these just-bountiful-enough boxes:

Treat this section as a conclusion-wrap up the above content. Emphasize how Blue Apron's holiday meal kits and recipes can help minimize food waste and maximize the enjoyment of leftovers.

Holiday Roast Box(serves 6 to 8)

• Roast Beef Tenderloin with Sherry-Dijon Pan Sauce
• Cheesy Potato Bake with Crème Fraîche and Caramelized Onions
• Honey-Orange Glazed Rainbow Carrots with Pistachios and Mint
• Creamy Spinach and Kale with Thyme and Crispy Onions
• Apple-Cranberry Trifle with Coconut Custard and Candied Pistachios

Holiday Ham Box(serves 8 to 10)

• Baked Ham with Brown Sugar-Honey Glaze
• Three-Cheese Cavatappi Pasta Bake with Mushrooms, Spinach, and Truffle Breadcrumbs
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Calabrian Brown Butter Vinaigrette and Walnuts
• Arugula and Orange Salad with Pistachios and Creamy Honey Dressing
• Smoky Delicata Squash with Pepitas and Almonds
• Chocolate Mousse Pie with Whipped Cream and Candied Peanut