Must-Try Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes That Taste Even Better the Second Time

The Thanksgiving meal is a massive undertaking, but dealing with the Thanksgiving leftovers should be simple. As you can see, a blender is one of the best tools you can have for transforming your leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce into exciting post-Thanksgiving meals. Whether you are blending a smooth soup base or creating a savory ramen broth, a powerful blender is key to making these recipes easy. We're going to go over our favorite ways to get the most out of Thanksgiving leftovers.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

You won't believe how easy it is to turn your leftover sweet potatoes into a new kind of comfort food. These biscuits are a fun way to use up your mashed potatoes and create a fluffy, savory side dish. The high moisture content of the mashed sweet potatoes makes these biscuits incredibly tender and light.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cold butter, cut into cubes
• 1 cup leftover sweet potatoes
• ½ cup milk or buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ cup pecan halves, toasted and roughly chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and a teaspoon of salt.
3. Cut in Butter: Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
4. Blend Sweet Potato Mixture: In your blender, combine the leftover mashed potatoes, milk, and maple syrup. Pulse on a low setting for about 10 seconds until the mixture is smooth.
5. Combine: Pour the wet sweet potato mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix. If using, fold in the chopped pecans.
6. Shape Biscuits: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat or roll it out to about ¾-inch thickness. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out your biscuits.
7. Bake Biscuits: Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Serve warm with butter and leftover cranberry sauce or honey.

Creamy Wild Rice Turkey Soup

After a big holiday, there’s nothing better than cozy comfort food, and this creamy wild rice turkey soup is the perfect answer. This Thanksgiving leftover recipe idea is simple, hearty, and uses your leftover turkey and even some extra veggies you might have on hand. The secret to the rich, creamy texture is blending a portion of the soup base right in your blender. With a prep time of 15 minutes and a cook time of 30 minutes, this recipe has a total time of around 45 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded leftover turkey
• 1 cup cooked wild rice
• 4 cups turkey or chicken stock
• ½ cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
• 1 cup diced veggies, including carrots, celery, and onion
• 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
• 3 tablespoons flour or gluten-free alternative
• 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste
• Optional: A squeeze of lemon juice for brightness

Instructions

1. Sauté the Base: In a large pot, melt the butter or heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add your diced veggies and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Make the Roux: Stir in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly. This creates a roux, which will thicken your soup. Gradually whisk in the stock until the mixture is smooth and begins to simmer.
3. Create the Creamy Base: Carefully scoop about 1½ cups of the hot soup base (mostly broth and veggies) into your blender. Secure the lid and blend on a medium speed for about 30 seconds until completely smooth.
4. Combine and Simmer: Pour the creamy mixture back into the pot. This is what gives the soup its velvety texture.
5. Finish the Soup: Stir in the shredded leftover turkey, cooked wild rice, heavy cream, a teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. Let it simmer for about 5–10 minutes, or until everything is heated through. This soup goes incredibly well with a homemade grilled cheese sandwich for a complete meal.

Crispy Potato Cakes

If you have a surplus of mashed potatoes, these crispy potato cakes are the absolute fun way to use them up. This is a perfect Thanksgiving leftover recipe idea because it transforms the soft texture of your leftover mashed potatoes into a golden brown snack that is firm on the outside and fluffy on the inside. You can make these right away or prepare them make-ahead style.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cold leftover mashed potatoes
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ small red onion, cut in quarters
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Olive oil or butter for frying
• Optional: Sour cream for serving

Instructions

1. Blend: In your blender, place the red onion quarters, salt, and pepper. Pulse a few times to roughly chop the onion. Add the cold, leftover mashed potatoes, egg, and flour and pulse until fully combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Do not overmix, as the potatoes can become gummy and watery. The mixture should be firm enough to hold a patty shape. If your mash is too wet, add a tablespoon more flour.
2. Form the Cakes: Using a scoop or your hands, form the mixture into small, flat patties.
3. Fry Until Crispy: Heat the olive oil or butter in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Carefully place the potato cakes into the hot oil.
4. Cook to Golden Brown: Fry the cakes for about 3–4 minutes per side, turning once, until they are a deep golden brown and perfectly crispy. Resist the urge to press down on the cakes while frying.
5. Serve: Place the crispy potato cakes on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Serve immediately as a side dish with a dollop of sour cream or some leftover gravy.

Stuffing Meatballs With Cranberry Glaze

What is the best way to make use of leftover stuffing? Turn it into a delicious comfort food that can be enjoyed long after the day after Thanksgiving. These leftover stuffing meatballs are a simple, fun way to transform your Thanksgiving leftovers. The stuffing acts as the binding agent, giving the meatballs an incredibly moist and flavorful texture that you won't find in traditional recipes.

Meatball Ingredients

• 1 cup crumbled leftover stuffing
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 1 pound ground turkey or chicken
• ½ pound ground beef
• 1 large egg
• 4 cloves garlic, or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1½ teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

Cranberry Glaze Ingredients

• 1 cup leftover cranberry sauce (jellied or whole berry)
• ¼ cup orange juice or apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger or red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Prep the Stuffing: If your leftover stuffing has large chunks of bread or veggies, pulse it briefly in your blender to break it down into small, fine pieces. This helps it blend better with the ground meat.
2. Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the stuffing, ground meat, and egg. Mix everything together with your hands until it is just combined. Avoid overmixing the meat.
3. Form and Cook: Roll the mixture into small, walnut-sized meatballs. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 400°F.
4. Bake to Golden Brown: Bake the meatballs for 15–20 minutes, or until they are cooked through and slightly crispy on the outside.
5. Blend the Glaze: In your blender, combine the leftover cranberry sauce, orange juice, dijon mustard, maple syrup, and ginger. Blend on a high speed for about 30 seconds until the mixture is completely smooth and looks like a thick glaze.
6. Heat the Glaze: Pour the glaze into a small saucepan to heat and thicken it.
7. Serve: Serve the stuffing meatballs with the cranberry glaze poured over top. You can also warm up the leftover gravy and pour it over the top, as it pairs well with the flavors of the glaze.

Delicious Turkey Ramen

This is a fun and creative way to use your leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner and turn them into something completely new. This ramen recipe uses the blender to create a simple, flavorful broth that is the perfect base for your leftover turkey and veggies. If you have the whole leftover turkey, you can use the bones to make homemade turkey stock ramen broth, but store-bought stock will work just fine if you want to keep things simple. It's a satisfying comfort food that you can enjoy on the day after Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

• 4 cups turkey stock or chicken stock
• 1½ tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ inch knob of ginger
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• 2 cups leftover turkey
• 2 blocks of dried ramen noodles
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 cup assorted veggies (chopped Brussels sprouts or leftover carrots/celery)
• Optional toppings: Soft-boiled eggs, chopped scallions, black sesame seeds, and fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Blend the Base: In your blender, combine the turkey stock, leftover gravy, soy sauce, grated ginger, and smashed garlic. Blend on a high speed for about 30 seconds until completely smooth. This quick step is what gives the broth a rich, complex flavor.
2. Cook Veggies in Butter: In the pot you'll be using to simmer the broth, sauté the veggies in butter and salt to taste.
3. Simmer the Broth: Pour the blended mixture into a large pot and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
4. Cook the Noodles: Cook the ramen noodles according to the instructions on the package.
5. Add the Turkey: Stir in the shredded leftover turkey and continue to simmer for about 5 more minutes, until the turkey is fully heated through.
6. Assemble the Bowl: Divide the cooked ramen noodles between two bowls. Ladle the hot broth, turkey, and veggies over the noodles.
7. Serve: Top with your favorite ramen toppings like chopped scallions, cilantro, black sesame seeds, and a soft-boiled egg for a hearty and delicious post-Thanksgiving meal.

Make the Holiday Season Simple With Blendtec

At Blendtec, we believe that dealing with leftover Thanksgiving food should be a fun way to keep the holiday going. Our blenders are designed to handle everything from crispy potato cake batter to a thick, savory soup stock. Visit our website today to explore our full line of blenders. Find the right model to help you create all these delicious Thanksgiving leftover recipes and make the day after Thanksgiving just as delicious as the holiday itself.