The season of (over-)abundance is upon us. Now, we’re not here to tell you how to trim the fat, or how not to feel guilty for indulging. Or just...eating...for that matter. We’re here to help you get all of the flavor and enjoyment out of your holiday meals that YOU want. 

One thing you can count on this season is that every time you put a turkey in the oven, you’re going to end up with what feels like a week’s worth of food. All of that time, effort, and frankly, darn good meat, should not be let to waste. Rather, let’s maximize both the white meat and dark meat leftovers (do people actually have leftover dark meat?) for tasty bites on Black Friday, Friendsgiving, Christmas Eve, or just...Thursday. 

Turkey Cranberry Rollups - Replenish your energy after busting doors at 5 a.m. with these little morsels of Thanksgiving-flavor goodness. Roasted turkey, cranberries, parsley and cream cheese are doing work! 

Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup - Get all up in the cozy with this remix on the classic chicken noodle soup. It’s only a half-hour investment before you curl up with a cuppa soup + chill. 

Leftover Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs - A platter of these perfect post-Thanksgiving bites ought to satisfy a crowd of armchair quarterbacks. Pulse the leftover turkey in a food processor to achieve that finer ground texture before combining with the stuffing (or dressing) leftovers.

Camino’s Leftover Turkey Kebabs - If you can manage to save leg day for the next day, this Mediterranean twist on turkey legs will be a bright spot in your usual leftover menu. 

Leftover Turkey Bahn Mi - We’d be willing to skip the Thanksgiving spread altogether if it meant we could get to this sandwich a little sooner. Nix the pate if that’s not your jam, but go heavy on the crisp carrot-cucumber-cabbage slaw. 

Turkey and Mashed Potato Croquettes - OK… WHAT! These little fried bites of Thanksgiving leftover perfection should be the centerpiece of every holiday meal from here on out. 

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pesto Panini - This is bound to be the best leftovers lunch you’ve ever had. Don’t judge but I’d probably dip mine in leftover cranberry sauce. 

Buffalo Turkey Dip - Roll up to any of the holiday football, ugly sweater, cookie decorating, or office parties with this and you’re bound to be the VIP. Makes effective use of all those leftover veggie sticks, too. 

Leftover Turkey Quesadillas - If the kids weren’t feeling that beautiful bird out of the oven...perhaps folded in a cheesy tortilla will help them nosh on that delicious protein.

Leftover Turkey Tortilla Soup - Billed as Whole 30-friendly, this rich and vibrant soup will light up your senses and have you rethink everything you know about yesterday’s turkey. 

Asian-Style Leftover Turkey Lettuce Wraps - All of that ginger, sriracha, lime, and sesame are going to totally transform this holiday centerpiece into a year-round craving. 

Leftover Turkey Winter Cobb Salad - With ruby-red pomegranate arils, this big azz salad is almost too good to eat. Almost. You’ll want one of yesterday’s rolls to mop up every drop of that honey mustard vinaigrette!  

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie - ‘Tis the season for All! The! Cozy! Food! and we are here for it. Plan ahead and roll out one extra pie crust especially for this piping-hot, brilliant use of turkey leftovers. 

What’s your favorite way to use your leftover turkey? 

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Photo by Craig Adderley from Pexels