When you host holiday dinners, you have more than leftover turkey to deal with, and if you’re like me, you hate to waste cranberry sauce, vegetables, pie, and other festive food. Here are 29 ways to use up holiday leftovers and prevent food waste.
How to Use Up Cranberry Sauce
Use cranberry sauce in place of jelly in a peanut butter sandwich, and add to turkey sandwiches as a spread.
• Stir cranberry sauce into warm oatmeal that’s been microwaved with milk (milk for extra protein, calcium, and other minerals, and vitamins). Top with chopped walnuts or pecans.
• Add a tablespoon or two of cranberry sauce to fruit smoothies and eliminate sugar or other sweeteners.
• Combine cranberry sauce with plain Greek yogurt and make a parfait with whole grain ready-to-eat cereal.
• Warm 2 tablespoons of cranberry sauce in the microwave for 10 seconds and put it on top of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.
• Top French toast, waffles, and pancakes with warm cranberry sauce instead of maple syrup.
Reduce food waste, save money, and help the environment!
How to Use Leftover Stuffing and Dressing
• Prepare stuffing “pancakes” and top with a fried egg.
• Stir stuffing or dressing into turkey soup.
• Use as a topping on turkey pot pie.
What to Make with Leftover Holiday Vegetables
Prepare a vegetable strata from leftover bread, chopped vegetables, eggs, and cheese, or make a quiche.
• Puree cooked broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots and add milk or cream to make soup.
Mix butternut squash and sweet potato together for soup, and add coconut milk.
• Add cooked sweet potato or beets to smoothies.
• Stir plain pumpkin or mashed or sweet potatoes into turkey soup for a thicker, more flavorful soup.
• Stuff a cooked baked sweet or white potato with 1/4 cup cooked diced turkey or 1/4 cup black beans, and top with cranberry sauce or salsa.
• Top turkey pot pie with mashed sweet or white potatoes instead of pastry crust.
• Smash (gently!) whole cooked small potatoes, roast in 400˚F oven for 10 minutes, and top with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt and fresh chives.
• Chop cooked veggies and add to omelettes along with leftover cheese or use on top of pizza.
• Puree cooked cauliflower and mix with milk or cream and grated Parmesan cheese to the desired consistency for a side dish.
• Whip up potato pancakes with white or sweet potatoes.
What to Make with Leftover Bread and Rolls
• Prepare French toast or pancakes with leftover cream or eggnog.
• Make croutons from cornbread, rolls, or other leftover bread. Cut into large pieces and roast in oven at 300˚F until dry, about 20 minutes.
Use leftover eggnog to whip up a quick batch of pancakes.
Simple Ways to Use Up Leftover Turkey
• Prepare turkey pot pie with leftover sweet potato, white potato, or stuffing for the topping.
• Make a white bean and turkey chili and include leftover vegetables.
• Prepare quick quesadillas using whole wheat tortillas, leftover cheese, and sliced turkey. Serve with cranberry sauce for dipping.
• Add chopped turkey to your favorite macaroni and cheese recipe.
Simple Recipes for Leftover Eggnog
• Use eggnog in place of milk when you prepare French toast, vanilla cake from a mix pancakes, waffles, and bread pudding.
• Combine eggnog and fruit for a delicious smoothie.
Scoop pumpkin pie out of the crust and combine with plain Greek yogurt for a creamy pudding, or add some milk and make a smoothie.
What to Do with Leftover Wine
• Freeze red wine in ice cube trays to use later in stews.
What are your favorite ways to use up holiday leftovers?
Hi, I'm a registered dietitian, writer, recipe developer, and mother of three who specializes in food and nutrition communications and believes in progress, not perfection. If you're interested in easier ways to live a healthier life, you're in the right place. Welcome! 