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A closeup of a waffle made out of leftovers on a plate cut into quarters.

Executive chefs offer proven favorite recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers

Try making stuffing waffles, shepherd’s pie or sweet potato gnocchi with leftovers.  

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Photo by Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Katie Barry, executive chef for Northeastern University’s Faculty Club and private events, grew up surrounded by great cooks. Every year, she especially looked forward to Thanksgiving, when her family gathered around a delicious and lovingly prepared meal. 

Now, she enjoys spending Thanksgiving Day in the kitchen with them, cooking, catching up and sharing laughs. 

For many Americans, a feast with family and friends epitomizes the spirit of Thanksgiving. 

To help you make the most of your turkey and enjoy a more relaxing holiday weekend, Northeastern chefs have created a collection of recipes that put Thanksgiving leftovers to good use.

“This recipe turns those Thanksgiving leftovers quickly into a casserole that becomes an easy-to-heat meal,” she said.

Thanksgiving Shepherd’s Pie from Katie Barry

Prep: 15 min Cook: 40 min Servings: 8

You will need:

– 4 cups leftover turkey, shredded

– 2 cups leftover gravy

– ½ cup milk

– 2 cups leftover green beans, chopped (or frozen mixed vegetables)

– 2 Tbsp fresh chopped herbs (if you’ve got them — rosemary, thyme, sage, or parsley)

– 1 ½ cups leftover mashed potatoes

– 1 ½ cups leftover stuffing

– 4 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F

2. In a 9×13 baking dish, combine turkey, gravy, milk, vegetables, and herbs. Stir to mix well and spread evenly over the bottom of the dish.

3. Top the turkey mixture with alternating dollops of mashed potatoes and stuffing until evenly covered and then place pats of butter over top.

4. Wrap the dish in foil, bake, covered, for 30 minutes.

5. Remove foil, place back into the oven for 7-10 minutes, until the edges are bubbling and the top starts to brown.

Frank Hurley, Northeastern’s senior executive chef, appreciates Thanksgiving as a time to slow down and enjoy the company of family and friends, sharing food and stories.

“Once you’ve spent hours preparing the holiday meal, it’s nice to have something simple and hands-off for the next day,” he says. “This recipe is an easy, low-effort way to use up leftovers after all that cooking.” 

Leftover Stuffing Waffles from Frank Hurley

Prep: 10 min Cook: 15 min Yield: 4 waffles

You will need:

– 1 Tbsp melted butter

– ½ cup turkey stock, or more as needed

– ½ tsp rubbed sage

– ¼ tsp ground black pepper

– 1 large egg

– 2 cups prepared cornbread stuffing

Directions:

1. Brush plates of a rectangular waffle iron with melted butter and preheat to medium-high heat.

2. Combine stock, rubbed sage, and ground black pepper in a bowl. Add egg and stir briskly until ingredients are well blended. Stir in leftover stuffing. The batter should be thick and coarse.

3. Spoon batter over the preheated waffle iron, spreading it out evenly close to the lid.

4. Cook on medium-high heat until the waffles are browned and released from the waffle iron, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Samantha Kundrat, executive chef for Northeastern’s catering, came up with this recipe the year her family couldn’t decide on the best version of sweet potatoes and ended up with a few variations — with marshmallows, pecans, miso and so on. Looking at the fridge full of mismatched leftover sweet potatoes, she decided to blend them into gnocchi.

“Now, we intentionally overmake sweet potatoes just to have enough for this recipe,” she said. “I recommend this recipe because it’s a fun, unique way to transform your leftovers into something special that everyone can enjoy.” 

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage from Samantha Kundrat

Prep: 30 min Cook: 10 min Servings: 2-3

Gnocchi Dough:

– 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes

– 1 large egg

– 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

– ½ tsp kosher salt

– ¼ tsp nutmeg

Brown Butter–Sage Sauce:

– 4 Tbsp unsalted butter

– 6–8 sage leaves

– ¼ tsp black pepper

– 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

– Salt to taste

– Lemon zest

Directions:

To make the gnocchi:

1. Combine sweet potato, egg, salt, and nutmeg. Add flour gradually until a soft dough forms.

2. Knead lightly for 20–30 seconds.

3. Roll into ropes and cut into 1-inch gnocchi.

4. Boil in salted water until they float (about 2 minutes). Transfer with a slotted spoon.

To make the sauce:

1. Brown the butter in a skillet with sage until golden and nutty.

2. Add cooked gnocchi and toss to coat.

3. Add parmesan, pepper, and lemon zest. Adjust salt as needed.

To serve, plate warm with grated parmesan.