Say Goodbye to Boring Thanksgiving Leftovers with These Disney Parks Recipes!

Say Goodbye to Boring Thanksgiving Leftovers with These Disney Parks Recipes!

Thanksgiving is totally one of the best holidays, right? We all look forward to that incredible spread, the juicy turkey, those comforting sides, and all the sweet desserts. But let’s be honest, the real magic happens the day after. Yup, we’re talking about thanksgiving leftovers! They’re an annual tradition in my family, and every year I love finding new and exciting ways to transform all that goodness into new meals.

Since you’ve got a whole fridge full of delicious ingredients, and maybe you’re looking to break out of the usual post-Thanksgiving routine, we dipped into the Disney Parks recipes vault for some inspiration! We found some fantastic, no-longer-on-the-menu ideas from both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort that are just perfect for repurposing your ham, turkey, and even those beloved side dishes. Get ready to sprinkle a little Disney magic into your next meal!

Related – Your Ultimate Guide to Thanksgiving Day at Walt Disney World

The Ultimate Comfort: Warm Turkey Sandwich

If you’re looking for the perfect way to use almost all your leftovers in one go, this Warm Turkey Sandwich is calling your name! This recipe takes leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole (yes, really!), and cranberry sauce and tucks it all between slices of savory Stuffing Bread. Talk about the ultimate comfort food bite! To make your post-holiday prep easier, here’s a pro-tip: make the Stuffing Bread ahead of time while you’re busy with the main meal, and just refrigerate it until it’s sandwich time. Less fuss means more time for relaxing!

Ingredients

Stuffing Bread

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup diced white onion
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 (6 ounce) box dry stuffing mix
• 1 cup turkey or chicken broth, hot
• coarse salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 eggs, lightly beaten

Warm Turkey Sandwich

• 8 slices turkey
• 2 cups mashed potatoes
• 1 cup turkey gravy
• 2 cups green bean casserole
• 1/2 cup cranberry sauce

Instructions

Stuffing Bread

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Heat butter in a medium sized skillet over medium heat until melted. Add onion and celery and sauté for 8 minutes, until soft. Add fresh herbs, and stir to combine.
3. Combine dry stuffing mix with chicken broth in a large bowl. Add onion and celery. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.
4. Stir in eggs until combined.
5. Spread stuffing in prepared 9×13-inch pan.
6. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Warm Turkey Sandwich

1. Heat leftover mashed potatoes, turkey slices, gravy, and green bean casserole.
2. Preheat broiler to high. Cut stuffing bread into 8 pieces and place on a baking sheet. Broil for 1 minute on each side, until toasted.
3. Place 1 piece of stuffing bread on each plate. Top each piece of bread with 1/4 of the mashed potatoes and 1 slice of turkey breast. Top with remaining 4 slices of stuffing bread.
4. Ladle gravy on top of the sandwich.
5. Top each sandwich with cranberry sauce.
6. Serve with green bean casserole on the side.

Sweet, Savory, and Simply the Best: Holiday Ham Slider

Got some ham hanging around? Then you absolutely need to try the Holiday Ham Slider with Cranberry-Bacon Jam. Seriously, this little bite is a delicious balance of sweet and savory flavors that is just addicting. While the original recipe called for rosemary ham, feel free to use whatever variety of ham was on your Thanksgiving table. And here’s a fantastic time-saver: the Cranberry-Bacon Jam can chill out in your fridge for up to three days, so it’s a great item to make before the holiday rush. Bonus idea: Make a double batch and serve the jam on bread as a festive, savory appetizer on Thanksgiving day!

Ingredients

Cranberry-Bacon Jam

• 3 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon golden balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups cranberries
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground clove

Holiday Ham Slider

• 8 ounces sliced rosemary ham
• 4 slices Gruyère cheese
• 4 brioche slider buns, sliced
• reserved cranberry-bacon jam

Instructions

Cranberry-Bacon Jam

1. Cook bacon on medium heat in a medium saucepan until crisp. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve for later use.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add sliced onion to pan with bacon fat and sauté for 8-10 minutes, until onions begin to brown. Stir in brown sugar, golden balsamic vinegar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes, until onions begin to caramelize.
3. Add cranberries, orange juice, and ground cloves. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes, until cranberries begin to burst, and jam has desired consistency. Remove from heat. Stir in bacon.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Holiday Ham Slider

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Wrap ham in foil and heat for 5-10 minutes, until ham reaches 165ºF.
2. Evenly divide ham and Gruyère on brioche buns. Top with Cranberry-Bacon Jam.

A Cozy Classic: Turkey Pot Pie with Cheesy Biscuit Topping

Finally, we have a wonderfully cozy classic: the Turkey Pot Pie with Cheesy Biscuit Topping. That cheesy biscuit adds a burst of flavor that really elevates the whole dish. To save yourself some chopping time, if you’re already prepping onion, celery, and carrots for your Thanksgiving feast, chop a little extra and set it aside for this pot pie! A quick heads-up on the biscuits: if you’re using rice flour as suggested in the original recipe, your biscuits might not rise quite as high as a traditional wheat-flour biscuit, but they’ll still be absolutely delicious!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup small diced onion
• 1 cup small diced celery
• 1 cup small diced carrots
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup plus 2 cups rice flour, divided
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 5 cups cooked turkey cut into bite-sized cube
• 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup coarsely shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-low heat; add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are softened and onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.
3. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup rice flour and cook 2 minutes more. Raise heat to medium and whisk in vegetable stock. When mixture simmers, add turkey, thyme, sage, and pepper. Simmer until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Combine remaining 2 cups rice flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper in the work bowl of food processor. Pulse to combine. Add butter, cheddar, and Parmesan; pulse 4 or 5 times for 2 seconds each time, until butter is in pea-size pieces. Transfer mixture to large bowl and stir in enough cream until dough holds together. (You may not use all of the cream.)
5. Pat or roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Trim edges and cut to desired size and shape.
6. Divide turkey mixture among 6 individual oven-safe dishes or ladle into one medium oven-safe casserole dish. Top each individual dish with one biscuit, or top larger casserole dish with all biscuits, leaving a half-inch space between each biscuit.
7. Place casserole dish(es) on baking sheet. Bake until biscuits are golden brown, 23 to 25 minutes.

These Disney-inspired dishes are a fun and delicious way to keep the holiday spirit going long after the main event is over. Happy cooking!

Credit: Disney Parks

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