5 Ingenious Recipes to Use Up Your Thanksgiving Leftovers

Ever wake up the morning after Thanksgiving, open your refrigerator, and wonder what to do with all those containers of leftovers crowding the shelves? My family is not big on eating the same dinner two nights in a row, so I've gotten creative with repurposing leftovers.

Some of my go-to solutions are turkey Waldorf salad with cranberries, turkey sliders on leftover rolls, turkey chili or our family's most requested meal: turkey soup. But some more inventive recipes use up all those leftover side dishes from the Thanksgiving feast.

Here are my favorite repurposed dishes.

Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms

Photograph by Scott Suchman (Food and Prop Stylist: Lisa Cherkasky)

Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms

These make a great appetizer or you can use them as a main meal by adding cooked sausage to the stuffing mix.

Serves 6

• 20 button mushrooms, washed and patted dry
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 3 cups leftover stuffing
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, divided
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove mushroom stems and chop. Melt olive oil over medium heat in a deep skillet, then sauté onions, mushroom stems, and garlic until onions are tender. Remove pan from stove. Stir in parsley, stuffing, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix until blended. Place mushroom caps into a greased casserole dish and evenly stuff them with the mix. Drizzle melted butter over the mushrooms, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan cheese over it all. Bake for 20-30 minutes until tops are golden brown.

Mashed Potato Pancakes

Photograph by Scott Suchman (Food and Prop Stylist: Lisa Cherkasky)

Mashed Potato Pancakes

Mashed potatoes are so versatile — leftovers can be mixed into casseroles, added to sandwiches, fried, stirred into soups for thickening, or used as a topping for shepherd's pie. I love making them into savory pancakes with leftover turkey gravy for the “syrup.”

Makes 12 pancakes

• 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes, room temperature
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
• Oil for frying

*Optional toppings: sour cream, chopped green onion, or leftover turkey gravy

In a large bowl, mix together mashed potatoes, eggs, flour and seasonings until blended. Fold in the cheese and chives. If the potato mixture is too moist add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you can form 12 patties (1.5 centimeters thick). In a large skillet, add enough oil to coat the bottom. Heat, then add pancakes a few at a time. Fry them in groups, 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Drain pancakes on a paper towel. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream and chives on top or leftover warm turkey gravy.