The holiday season brings family, friends and favorite recipes together – often leaving hosts with uneaten turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and sweet potatoes. Instead of falling back on boring leftover sandwiches, reinvent holiday staples into fresh dishes that reduce food waste, stretch budgets and add a little culinary excitement to post-holiday meals.

Why Use Leftovers?

Repurposing Thanksgiving dishes helps reduce household food waste. Stretching leftovers into new meals also keeps grocery bills in check, making it an important strategy in today’s economy. With some creativity, yesterday’s leftovers can become today’s breakfast or tomorrow’s dinner.

Best Practices for Storing Leftovers

For optimal freshness, store holiday leftovers within two hours of serving. Use airtight containers to keep flavors intact. It’s best to store different items separately – turkey in one container, sides in another – to prevent flavors from mingling and becoming less appealing.

Generally, turkey, side dishes and sauces stay fresh for up to three to four days in the refrigerator. Plan your meals with these quick recipe ideas from holiday leftovers to ensure everything gets used quickly.

Related Story: Thanksgiving Travel: TSA Braces for ‘Busiest Ever’ Holiday

Turkey Stir-Fry

An Asian-inspired stir-fry gives leftover turkey an entirely new identity. Dice or shred turkey and combine it with fresh or frozen vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli and snap peas.

Soy or teriyaki sauce with a hint of ginger brings a rich, layered flavor. To avoid overcooking, add the shredded turkey to your stir-fried vegetables in the final few minutes to preserve its texture and avoid drying it out. Serve with rice for a full meal.

Add cubed sweet potato or a few spoonfuls of cranberry sauce. This gives stir-fries a festive holiday twist and a touch of tartness to a favorite savory sauce.

Stuffing Burritos or Wraps

Stuffing’s savory, herbaceous flavor makes it an excellent filling for lettuce wraps. Alternatively, spoon it into traditional whole wheat or corn tortillas or roti.

Layer a generous scoop of stuffing in a tortilla, add shredded turkey, a dollop of cranberry sauce and some fresh greens, like spinach or arugula. Roll it up, warm it in a skillet and serve with salsa or sriracha if you like food with some heat.

To prevent soggy wraps, arrange drier items, like turkey, at the bottom of your turkey rollups or wraps, adding sauces and cranberry near the top. Heating each burrito in a dry skillet gives it a crisp outer layer while keeping the inside warm and soft.

Related Story: A Turkey Trot and Holiday Parade Deliver Local Cheer for Thanksgiving Weekend

Curried Sweet Potato and Turkey Casserole

Leftover sweet potatoes and turkey make a natural base for a comforting casserole that’s anything but bland. Blend ½ to 1 teaspoon of curry powder with leftover mashed or cubed sweet potatoes.

Then, layer potatoes with shredded turkey and spinach or broccoli for added flavor and texture. When baked, top with leftover breadcrumbs and butter or stuffing for a golden, crispy layer.

Balance the mashed sweet potatoes with a firmer ingredient like cubed bread or chopped nuts to keep the casserole from becoming too soft. Add a spoonful of cranberry sauce to the potato layer for extra flavor.

Cranberry Turkey Frittatas

Frittatas or small baked egg bites offer a flexible solution for using small amounts of holiday leftovers. They’re great for spoonfuls of meat and sides, and typical American holiday meal ingredients add a special seasonal flair.

Combine beaten eggs with shredded turkey, ham, onions and garlic. Then, pour the mixture into an ovenproof skillet.

Add a handful of leftover shredded cheese and finely diced raw or lightly cooked vegetables. Top with a few sprinkles of parsley, sage or thyme, then bake until set.

Serve with your favorite hot sauce, cranberry sauce or ketchup and a slice of artisan cheese bread for a filling brunch or lunch. When using cranberry sauce, keep portions small to prevent overpowering the eggs.

Vegetable-Based Baked Goods

Sweet potatoes are rich in flavor and moisture, making them ideal for baked goods like muffins, bread or even pancakes. In muffin or pancake recipes, substitute mashed sweet potatoes for some flour. Mix in a touch of cranberry sauce or a pinch of cinnamon for warmth.

Ensure potatoes are well mashed and evenly blended for a light, fluffy texture. A dash of baking powder also helps prevent muffins or quickbreads from feeling too dense.

Combining Flavors and Textures

Thanksgiving leftovers are often rich and filling, so balance the flavors and textures to create tasty meals. When combining ingredients, aim for contrasts. Pair crunchy textures with softer ones, or use acidic elements to balance richness. Fresh greens, such as arugula, or herbs like rosemary or sage brighten and freshen blander flavors.

On the other hand, cranberry sauce can add a tart bite that lightens the heaviness of turkey or stuffing or even add a surprising element to beverages. “I love to use my leftover cranberry sauce as a shrub for cocktails,” says professional cook and author Michelle Goth of Blackberry Babe. “A spoonful of cranberry sauce is wonderful shaken with vodka, club soda, a squeeze of lime juice and poured over ice.”

Creating new meals from leftovers is an invitation to experiment with global flavors. For an Asian-inspired twist, add a hint of ginger or soy to a turkey stir-fry.

For a warm and spicy flavor, sprinkle cumin or chili powder in a stuffing burrito. A few common pantry ingredients can bring new life into familiar holiday dishes.

Related Story: Modesto Trails Debut at Newest State Park in Time to Burn Off Thanksgiving ...

Make the Most of Those Holiday Leftovers

Experimenting with new flavor combinations for holiday leftovers allows home cooks to get creative in the kitchen, save money and reduce post-holiday waste. Instead of another turkey sandwich, whip up a stir-fry, a fusion-style casserole or even a batch of sweet potato muffins to keep holiday meals interesting.

Skip the tired turkey sandwiches this year. Instead, discover how some leftover magic can turn traditional holiday flavors into memorable ones.