Many would argue that the best part of Thanksgiving dinner is the leftovers, and while this is debatable, the fact that leftovers are good for your budget is not. Making the most of food is also helpful for the environment, as it prevents more waste from clogging up landfills.

                By                    Nicole Spector

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What are some of the key ways Thanksgiving leftovers can be used to save money? Let’s explore.

Make Multiple Meals

“Depending on the leftovers you have, you can make multiple meals out of them so that you aren’t just eating plates of Thanksgiving dinner on repeat for days after,” said Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst with DealNews.com.

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“Even better, these leftovers are often turned into dishes that don’t have a lot in common with the original Thanksgiving meal. For instance, there are plenty of recipes online for turning leftover turkey into things like enchiladas, casseroles like tetrazzini, or something even simpler, like soup. Side items can also be turned into other dishes, as well, like taking cranberry sauce and using it to create cranberry oat bars or muffins, or mashed potatoes and turning them into mashed potato cakes or using them to top a shepherd’s or cottage pie.”

Cut Down on Grocery Bills

“If you have enough leftovers, then you can dramatically cut down on your grocery bill for at least one week usually,” Ramhold said. “If you have staples on hand like pasta and rice, you can easily use things like turkey to create new dishes. And even when it comes to baking the cranberry oat bars or muffins, you just need basic baking supplies on hand like oats and flour.”

She added, “There are also plenty of ideas to be found online, so even if you don’t have all the ingredients for one dish, you can likely find an alternative online in order to work with items that you already have and avoid having to make a special purchase.”

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Avoid Takeout

“After a few days of eating the same foods over and over, you may be feeling burnt out and ready to order pizza,” Ramhold said. “But by repurposing the leftovers into something totally different, you can avoid spending money on takeout and finish off some of the leftovers without having to worry about waste — it’s a win-win.”

Split the Responsibility of the Meal

“Not only will you be eliminating the stress of handling a whole meal on your own, but you’ll also be able to take advantage of leftovers that you didn’t have to make or buy ingredients for, so you’ll get various leftovers for a fraction of the cost,” Ramhold said.

“That said, if you’re all divvying up leftovers, then you’ll probably end up with less than if you were handling the whole meal yourself, so they may not last as long post-holiday as they would otherwise. Even so, though, it should still offer some money saving and you don’t have to worry as much about food waste.”

Getting Creative With Leftovers To Make Something New  

Using leftovers means saving money, but eating the same foods over and over again for days on end can get dull. Here are some ways to repurpose Thanksgiving dinner so that you don’t get bored:

  • Turkey Omelet: “Turkey omelets are big in my house,” said Blanca Garcia, registered dietitian nutritionist and nutrition specialist at Midss. “We always have the basics: eggs, mushrooms, frozen spinach and chicken. After Thanksgiving, instead of spending money on chicken, we add turkey instead. This allows us to save on the chicken we typically add to our omelets.”
  • Mashed Potatoes/Green Bean Casserole Croquettes: “For leftover mashed potatoes and/or green bean casserole, I love to make them into croquettes,” said Steven Goff, executive chef of Tastee Diner. “Straight potato croquettes are pretty awesome by themselves dipped in gravy. But folding in some green bean casserole or turkey meat into the mash then flour, egg wash, breadcrumb and fry comes out amazing.”
  • Deviled Egg Aioli: “For my leftover deviled eggs, I simply purée them with a little more mustard, paprika, and vinegar, then stream in oil to the food processor until you get a really awesome aioli,” Goff said.
  • Cranberry Vinaigrette: “I take the cranberry sauce and purée it in my Vitamix, about 1 cup cranberry sauce to 1 cup cider vinegar, and emulsify canola oil into until it’s a nice and smooth vinaigrette,” Goff said. “This typically takes about 2 cups of oil.”
  • Turkey Stock: “I like to take the turkey carcass and make stock out of that. I’ll pick all the meat off the simmered bones and reserve,” Goff said. “Make a dark roux, fold in diced trinity of desire (peppers, onions, celery) add my reserved meat and stock, simmer, and finish with sherry and fresh herbs. Also, if I haven’t used it for my gravy, I will purée the turkey gizzards and liver and mount the finished soup simmering gently another hour. Also leftover gravy folds perfectly into this soup. This can be served as is or over reheated mashed potatoes.”
  • Pie Milkshakes: “When it comes to Thanksgiving sweets I usually just have pies but I love to take any of our pies and purée them then make milkshakes with the pie purée and vanilla ice cream,” said Goff. “Whiskey goes pretty well in these too.”