Tackling Thanksgiving Leftovers

Transform Yesterday’s Feast into Tonight’s Dinner

Thanksgiving leftovers are bittersweet. On one hand, they give you a starting point for future meals without having to shop or cook from scratch. On the other hand, they’re like déjà vu for your palate, and it can feel like your taste buds are on repeat. It’s a delicious dilemma.

We’re here to talk about giving leftovers new life. With a few simple tips, you can turn everything from cold mashed potatoes to cranberry sauce into satisfying post-Thanksgiving nourishment.

‘Tis the Season for Tofurky

• Chase away post-Thanksgiving blues with spicy Tofurky enchiladas. Shred leftover Tofurky roast and layer in tortillas with beans and your favorite salsa. Place in a baking dish and top with prepared enchilada sauce and vegan cheese.
• Whip up a quick pot of soup by cutting Tofurky roast into cubes and simmering in vegetable broth with carrots, potatoes, peas, onions, and orzo.
• Satisfy your salad cravings with a quick quinoa salad. Toss together cooked quinoa, chunks of Tofurky roast, chopped cucumber, lots of herbs, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.

A Very Cranberry Holiday

• Drink your way to health and happiness with a cranberry smoothie. A scoop of cranberry sauce, vegan yogurt, ice cubes, ground flax or chia seeds, and vanilla are all you need to detox after a day of feasting.
• Use it like jam! Cranberry sauce on top of almond butter is a breakfast treat. Or spread a bagel with vegan cream cheese and cranberry sauce for a tangy taste sensation.
• If you’re the kind of person who can’t skip dessert even after the biggest feast day of the year, fold leftover cranberry sauce into coconut whipped topping and freeze for a cold, ice cream-like treat.

Pass the Potato!

• Mix leftover mashed potatoes with lots of herbs—such as chives, parsley, and scallions—and pan-fry until golden brown on both sides. Serve with vegan sour cream and chopped chives.
• Add plenty of flavorful vegetable broth to your mashed potatoes, and simmer on the stovetop. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender or in a regular blender, and season to taste.
• Mix Thanksgiving leftovers (mashed potatoes) with plenty of vegan cheddar and chopped scallions (you can even add a handful of chopped spinach or other greens, roasted red peppers, vegan Smoky Maple Bacon, you name it!), then spoon the mixture into greased mini-muffin tins and bake until crispy. Dip them in vegan ranch for even more potato fun.

Stuffing

• If there were ever a job for those huge portobello caps, this would be it! Brush portobellos with soy sauce and olive oil and top with a heap of stuffing. Bake until browned and the mushrooms are tender.
• Add a crusty top layer to your soup with stuffing! Simply add it to the top of your soup, add vegan cheese, and broil until browned.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe to Rule Them All

If you want to use all your thanksgiving leftovers in one fell swoop, the easy answer is pie! Place slices of Tofurky roast in the bottom of a pie dish and generously cover with mushroom gravy. Top with a layer of roasted vegetables, carrots, green beans, or sweet potatoes, depending on what you have. Then top with leftover mashed potatoes or stuffing. If using potatoes, brush with a little melted vegan butter. If using stuffing, moisten with a little vegetable broth or water to prevent it from drying out. Then bake until warmed through, and serve with more gravy.

See? No need to stress over those leftovers––eating them up is easy as pie!