4 Ways to Repurpose (Vegetarian) Thanksgiving Leftovers

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, the internet is about to explode with recipes centered around repurposing leftover turkey. What about those of us that skip the turkey though? Fortunately, there are plenty of delicious and creative ways to keep you dining on vegetarian Thanksgiving leftovers for days, without getting bored.

Turn Them Into a Bowl

The beauty of the whole meal-in-a-bowl concept is that pretty much anything goes, so when you have a bunch of side dishes that taste good together on hand, they make perfect bowl material. If you have leftover mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, use them as the base. If not, just cook up some grains or creamy polenta. Pile side dishes on top, and dress with leftover cranberry sauce or gravy. Take some inspiration from these Roasted Vegan Thanksgiving Bowls.

Make Mashed Potato Fritters

If there’s one way to improve on mashed potatoes, it would have to be by making them into fritters. These Cheesy Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes are made by pan-frying leftover mashed potato patties until golden and crispy. If you’ve got some leftover small veggies on hand, like corn or peas, try mixing them into the potatoes before shaping into fritters. If you’ve got leftover mashed sweet potatoes, make some fritters out of them too. The best part? You can use leftover gravy or cranberry sauce for dipping.

Pile Them Into a Sandwich

Think you need turkey for a Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich? Think again! If you’d like some vegetarian protein as the base for your sandwich, simply use what you’ve got on hand. These Vegan Thanksgiving Sandwiches pile leftovers atop some marinated pan-fried tempeh. If you’re not feeling the tempeh, try some baked marinated tofu, and if you want something truly fuss-free, just go out and buy some packaged marinated tofu in your favorite flavor.

Bake Them Into a Pie

Making a meatless shepherd’s pie can be a lot of work, unless you make it out of your vegetarian Thanksgiving leftovers, in which case half the work is already done. This Thanksgiving Leftovers Shepherd's Pie is made by piling leftovers into a pastry crust, topping everything off with a layer of mashed potatoes, and then baking until golden brown.