What if I told you there’s a better way? I have a special place in my heart for leftovers because they represent pure opportunity—a way to repurpose former family meals into whatever the hell you want. The trick is being intentional, and that’s what I want to talk about today. If you’re looking for recipes, I’ve got a whole section dedicated to that. Instead, we’re talking strategy.

As we careen head-on into the holidays, you’ve got your fair share of dinners ahead of you. But, with these steps, maybe that doesn’t have to mean you have a mountain of turkey sandwiches in your future.

Plan for Plenty

It’s easy to find yourself on autopilot when it comes to holiday meals. Part of this is due to our traditions (you can’t not have pumpkin pie) and part of this is due to the fact that you've got a lot of planning to do and you may as well take a shortcut.

But, if you plan accordingly, the this phase is going to be your best friend. I try to make food that complements the food my family likes to eat. Here’s what I mean. How often are you sitting around eating green bean casserole on a Tuesday night? It’s great and all, but there’s not much in the way of repurposing a casserole. Instead, a pile of fresh-picked, roasted green beans with almonds and garlic does present a few options.

That’s just an example. If you want a green bean casserole, have at it. But, think about the types of foods that you actually eat on a day-to-day basis, and maybe try pivoting your holiday meal to complement the inevitable stack of leftovers when the dust clears. This opens the door for some creativity, too. If your family eats a lot of Mexican-inspired dishes, like mine, then maybe add some Mexican flair to your roasted turkey or sides. You never know—you could be inventing a new tradition while you’re at it.

Ingredients, Not Leftovers

Now that you’ve actually had your holiday meal, it’s time to start thinking about what to do with the aftermath. It helps me to shift my thinking a bit. Instead of thinking about dishes, think about the ingredients that make up the dishes—or, think about repurposing instead of simply reheating.

Let me offer up a few examples. Those green beans I mentioned before? They’d be great in a soup, stew, or chicken-pot pie. Or, if you have a mountain of mashed potatoes, you’ve got yourself the perfect topping for a shepherd’s pie that you can have ready in about 30 minutes flat.

It doesn’t have to be limited to simple dishes, either. Cranberry sauce can make the ideal glaze for just about any meat—the sweet flavor complements duck and pork very nicely. Or, use those yams for a dessert filling. I could go on and on, but the point is just because a dish is a dish, doesn’t mean it can’t become another dish. You just have to think outside the green bean casserole.

Stock Up

I’d be lying if I said I had a spotless record when it comes to leftovers. There’s no escaping the fact that more food than we’d like goes to waste every holiday season, but we should give it our best effort to squeeze every bit we can. That’s where stock comes in.

In my opinion, stock is the unsung hero of the kitchen. It’s the foundation for countless dishes, and I think more home cooks should pay close attention to how it’s made. Trust me, it’s not difficult. At its simplest, all you really need to do is simmer a bunch of ingredients for a bunch of time. That’s all there is to it.

You’d be surprised how many of your leftovers can go into the stock pot. There’s the obvious one—turkey—but you can also use any meat dish, a pile of root vegetables and aromatics, or even seafood dishes as well. For meats that are already cooked, just put them in a pot with water and salt and simmer on low heat for 8–24 hours. You can also use a crock pot. For uncooked meats (bones and trimmings that were cut away before cooking, as an example), I like to set the oven to about 425 degrees and roast them for 20–30 minutes, which will add a significant amount of flavor to your stock. You can do the same with vegetables.

There are a million ways to make stock, so I’m not going to put a recipe on it. Experiment with just about any herbs and seasonings you like, it’ll probably turn out great. With a fridge full of fresh stock, the food future is bright in your household.

There’s no denying that there are some dishes that just work well for leftovers, and it’s okay to lean into that. You don’t need to reinvent the meal. I think some of the best dishes are those that involve a crust and filling because it doesn’t involve mingling with other flavors or ingredients. You can essentially put the same dish in a new package. A few options that come to mind are pies, empanadas, pierogies, turnovers, and bierocks (look it up—the Germans got it right on this one).

Once you learn how to make a simple, flaky pie crust, you’ve got a lot of options. Like I said earlier, turkey pot pie is a great way to clean out the fridge, or you could make a more traditional British-style meat pie using this recipe as a foundation. Then, there’s deep-fried empanadas and turnovers, which can go the savory route (roasted veggies, ham and cheese, etc.) or sweet route (sweet potatoes, pie filling, cranberry and cream cheese). Let’s be honest, a green-bean casserole turnover with bacon doesn’t sound half-bad.

Long story short, I try to avoid treating my leftovers as a chore or red-headed stepchild. They were part of a great meal on Thanksgiving, so why can’t they be a great meal tonight? All it takes is a little planning, attention to detail, and creativity—all of which are key ingredients for a winning dinner.