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Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole combines all the flavors of the big meal in a simple, easy to make, never dried out dish. This is the best way to use up those leftovers!
Featured with this recipe
- Leftover Turkey Casserole
- Cost Saving (& Delicious) Thanksgiving Casserole
- Ingredients in Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole
- Frequently Asked Questions – Thanksgiving Leftovers
- More Thanksgiving Casseroles
- More Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes
- How to Make Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole
- Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole Recipe
Leftover Turkey Casserole
Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole came about a couple of holidays ago when I was staring down a fridge full of plastic containers. Heating up leftovers separately in the microwave can take forever, and frankly, I just didn’t have it in me. So, I created this casserole and our leftovers have never been the same!
This Thanksgiving Dinner Leftover recipe is so easy. It all cooks at the same time and can easily be modified according to how much of each leftover you have. If you have a ton of leftovers, you can double this recipe and cook it in a 9×13 pan.
You can also adapt the ingredients you use in the casserole to fit your preferences, tastes, and what you have left over in the fridge from Thanksgiving Dinner. Plus, we have a some other surprise Thanksgiving leftover recipe ideas too!
Cost Saving (& Delicious) Thanksgiving Casserole
I like using my leftovers from Thanksgiving in a casserole because it will feed my family for another meal or two, and I, for one, think it tastes better than heating up everything in the microwave! Serve it with some leftover rolls and it is a hot meal with all of the wonderful tastes of Thanksgiving all over again.
A leftover Thanksgiving Casserole is delicious and economical! I hate to see any of the dishes I make for Thanksgiving go to waste. It takes a lot of time, energy, and money to put on a Thanksgiving dinner, and throwing any of it out is not an option at my house!
Ingredients in Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole
This could also be called a Leftover Turkey Casserole recipe because the ingredients you use just build around the turkey left over from your Thanksgiving dinner. Along with the turkey, you can layer the following delicious food:
- Mashed potatoes
- Turkey gravy
- Stuffing (or bread crumbs if you don’t have leftover stuffing)
- Corn
- Green beans
- Rice
- Carrots
- Peas
- Whole berry cranberry sauce or jellied cranberry sauce
- Cheddar cheese or Mozzarella Cheese
- garlic powder (optional)
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Other Ingredient Ideas
- Onions
- Sweet Potatoes
- Bacon
- Sour Cream
- Butternut Squash
- Mushrooms
- Cornbread Dressing
Frequently Asked Questions – Thanksgiving Leftovers
There are a ton of options for what you can do with Thanksgiving leftovers, we find our Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole or Thanksgiving Leftovers Pilgrim Sandwiches to be the easiest and tastiest.
Depends on if you have leftovers! If you do, our Leftover Casserole or Thanksgiving Sandwiches are easy and delicious. If not, we recommend something light to help you reset.
In our family, we usually have the most leftover Turkey! The stuffing and other sides go fast!
Most thanksgiving leftovers are good three to four days in the fridge, and a few months in the freezer. All the more reason to make our Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole ASAP!
It’s not recommended to eat leftover turkey after three to four days in the refrigerator.
Technically, yes, but we’d recommend freezing sooner rather than later if that’s your plan!
After three to four days in the refrigerator, or a few months in the freezer.
More Thanksgiving Casseroles
More Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes
If you still have leftovers after making this casserole, then here’s another delicious idea for leftovers that my family loves. We call them Pilgrim Sandwiches or “Bobbies” because that is what they are called at Capriotti’s, one of our favorite sandwich shops. The ingredients are used straight from the fridge, so the turkey sandwiches are cold. If you prefer to heat the ingredients or broil the sandwich, that is good too.
Another great use for leftover turkey is to make a Turkey salad sandwich. Simply combine shredded leftover turkey with some mayonnaise (we like Best Foods and Hellmans) in a large bowl. Then add they turkey mixture to leftover rolls or croissants with some lettuce.
You can also use leftover turkey in recipes that call for chicken. Leftover turkey is delicious in our Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and Chicken Pot Pie.
How to Make Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole
Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups turkey shredded
- 3/4 cup cranberry sauce
- 2 cups mashed potatoes
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup turkey gravy
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 cups stuffing
- chicken broth or melted butter to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Combine turkey and cranberry sauce and spread evenly on the bottom of an 8×8 glass baking dish.
- Evenly press on leftover mashed potatoes and sprinkle corn over the top.
- Mix together milk and leftover gravy and spread evenly over potatoes and corn. Sprinkle on leftover stuffing and lightly drizzle chicken broth over the top (this will keep the stuffing from drying out).
- Cover with tin foil and bake at 400-degrees for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.
Notes
Variations to this recipe
Feel free to use whatever leftovers you have on hand. It doesn’t have to be exactly the same as what is listed here. Some ideas to try:- Substitute rice for mashed potatoes.
- Substitute peas, carrots, or green beans for corn, or use more than one vegetable depending on what you have on hand.
- Substitute croutons or bread crumbs for the topping if you don’t have stuffing leftovers.
Best way to eat leftovers! Can’t wait for the day after Thanksgiving!
This is the perfect way to use holiday leftovers, it really is easy and delicious! We really enjoyed this casserole!
What can I use to replace the cranberry sauce?
I don’t know of a good substitute for cranberry sauce. You can omit it from the recipe if you prefer.
The tartness of the cranberry sauce balances the entire dish, so you could use anything that would do the same. Try experimenting with different fruits (such as cherries or spiced pears), a thicker vinegar-based sauce, or even some sort of mustard.
I have used Grape Jelly (but didn’t care for) and Lingonberry jam as a cranberry substitute.
All I have is jellied cranberry sauce. I guess that wouldn’t work would it? This recipe sounds delicious.
I think that would work!!
I don’t like cranberry sauce. What can I use instead?
There isn’t really a substitute for the cranberry sauce. You can just omit it if you don’t like it. It shouldn’t affect the recipe.
I used leftover spinach dip with water chestnuts in it. This gave the recipe a nice crunch. Part of my family do not like the sweet/salty taste. I put a divider made out of foil and bake both. Half had cranberry the other with spinach dip. This was a huge success… thank you
The tartness of the cranberry sauce balances the entire dish, so you could use anything that would do the same. Try experimenting with different fruits (such as cherries or spiced pears), a thicker vinegar-based sauce, or even some sort of mustard.
I would think you could substitute a jam, jelly or preserve. You need something sweet to hit all the flavors.
Everyone loved this.
It was great and used up all the thanksgiving leftovers.🦃
This recipe saved the day when I had uneven quantities of leftovers for a “Thanksgiving Round II” gathering. The effort to rave reviews ratio earns it a spot in the “make it next year” recipe stack!
Would chicken work with this? Inuave no turkey but have the rest!!..?
Yes, chicken would be delicious in this recipe!
Trying this today! I used Mac & cheese instead of mashed taters!
I followed the largest measurements for most of the ingredients. I didn’t have corn so I used 1 can of unsalted french cut green beans (drained). I only used 1 1/2 cups of gravy. Baked it covered for 30 mins and removed foil to bake uncovered for another 30 mins. I had wetter stuffing so I wanted to dry it out a little since there were other liquids in this casserole to keep it moist. This is so good! I almost prefer this to the actual dinner where everything is eaten separately LOL! Thanks for sharing. A keeper for sure.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the 5-star rating!!
Can you freeze this and if so when you’re ready to make it can you just pop it in the oven from the frozen state?
I haven’t tried it that way before, but I think it would work! Let us know if you try it!
Just made this and it is absolutely delicious!! It has a sweet/salty quality to it that makes it crave—worthy! Sharing this recipe with my sister immediately!
LOVE this! Did it last year and doing it tomorrow! Happy Holidays!
Im looking forward to making this but I don’t have any leftover mashed potatoes. Do you think I should make mashed potatoes with butter or just mash and spread some boiled potatoes since the other ingredients are so rich?
I never say no to butter! 🙂 I think mashing them as you normally would, with butter, gives them a better consistency.
Hey there!
Just made your turkey leftovers casserole and put it in the freezer.
Looking forward to enjoying it in a month or so.
Thanks for the recipe!
Blessings,
Tori
I made it last yr and the whole house has been asking for it!!! It’s very good and will become a leftover tradition, thank you for sharing!! ☺
Thank you, Jessica! I’m so glad everyone liked it!
Looks delicious!! Making it now
Yeah
I’m making this day after thanksgiving. Looks delicious.
This sounds delicious, and I’m definitely going to try it.
Thanks.