12 Delicious Casseroles You Can Make with Thanksgiving Leftovers

Leftover Turkey Casserole
Photo: 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.

01 of 12

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie
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.

02 of 12

Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole

Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole
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.

03 of 12

Mac and Cheese with Ham

Baked Smokin’ Macaroni and Cheese
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.

04 of 12

Turkey-Noodle-Poppy Seed Casserole

Turkey-Noodle-Poppyseed Casserole Recipe
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.

05 of 12

Cottage Pie with Potato Crust

Shepherd's Pie with Mashed Potato Crust Image
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.

06 of 12

Green Bean Lasagna

Green Bean Lasagna
Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Recipe: Green Bean Lasagna

This recipe combines two Southern classics, green bean casserole and lasagna, into one comforting dish.

07 of 12

Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake Recipe

Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake
Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe:Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake

Turn leftover corn and ham into a cheesy breakfast bake that serves 8.

08 of 12

Ham and Noodle Casserole

Ham and Noodle Casserole
Jen Causey

Recipe: Ham and Noodle Casserole

While this recipe calls for asparagus and broccoli, you can toss in other leftover vegetables you have on hand.

09 of 12

Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato Mash

Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Mash
Southern Living

Recipe: Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato Mash

Instead of using regular mashed potatoes, this recipe calls for sweet potatoes for the topping.

10 of 12

Leftover Turkey Casserole

Leftover Turkey Casserole
Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Torie Cox; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

Recipe: Leftover Turkey Casserole

If chicken was the bird of choice for your Thanksgiving meal, you can substitute it for the turkey.

11 of 12

Meatloaf Casserole

Meatloaf Casserole
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Meatloaf Casserole

While mashed potatoes are usually served alongside meatloaf, this combines both for a comforting one-dish dinner.

12 of 12

Turkey Pot Pie with Cranberry-Pecan Crusts

Turkey Pot Pie Casserole Recipes
Tina Cornett

Recipe: Turkey Pot Pie with Cranberry-Pecan Crusts

If you're feeling festive, you can use cookie cutters to create shapes for the crust, or you can just roll it over the top if you prefer.

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