13 Delicious Casseroles You Can Make with Thanksgiving Leftovers

By Jenna Sims September 03, 2021

Credit: Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Torie Cox Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

After Thanksgiving comes and goes, you'll probably find yourself with a refrigerator full of leftovers and a hungry family to feed. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to repurpose those Thanksgiving leftovers into comforting casseroles the whole family will love. These casserole recipes are so good, no one will even notice they're made with leftovers. Plus, using leftovers can help cut down on prep time since we know you've already spent so much time in the kitchen preparing for the holiday meal. From veggies to dressing to turkey and ham, these casseroles will allow you to make the most of any leftovers you may have.

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Shepherd's Pie

Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

Incorporate leftover peas into the filling of this Shepherd's Pie and use leftover mashed potatoes as the creamy top layer.

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Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole

Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Recipe: Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole

This recipe turns the classic turkey sandwich into a comforting casserole.

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Mac and Cheese with Ham

Credit: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

Recipe: Mac and Cheese with Ham

If ham was on the menu, toss it into some baked macaroni and cheese for a meal that both kids and adults will love.

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Turkey-Noodle-Poppy Seed Casserole

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Turkey-Noodle-Poppy Seed Casserole

Originally appearing in the pages of Southern Living in November 1990, this casserole was designed to make the most of leftover turkey and pantry staples.

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Cottage Pie with Potato Crust

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr

Recipe: Cottage Pie with Potato Crust

In anticipation of having plenty of leftover mashed potatoes, you can prepare this Cottage Pie through step 3 ahead of time and store in in the freezer.