These 5 Healthy Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes are requested over and over again in our house, and that may even outshine the feast itself!

Inevitably at the end of the Thanksgiving feast, at least one person makes a pledge to eat nothing but fruits and vegetables for the rest of the weekend. We crawl into bed that night, full of grand plans to concoct the healthiest smoothies and salads, and to consume the recommended 64 ounces of water to stop our waistbands from so angrily cutting into our full bellies.

Despite all of these well-meaning resolutions, at least one person will be found the next morning, rummaging through the fridge to find the bowl of mashed potatoes or the dregs of the pumpkin pie. Grand plans of “stuffing hash” and “turkey Benedicts” roll off our tongues as though we had never uttered a word about healthy eating the night before.

I blame it on false hope given by the elastic waistband on our pajamas.

While the easy answer is to pile up every leftover morsel on a piece of bread, Dagwood-style, and smother it with gravy, re-inventing the mashed potatoes, turkey and remnants in healthy, delicious meals may be the kinder way to treat our bodies after a day of determined feasting.

Over the years, I’ve come up with several leftovers recipes that my family now request, and look forward to even as much as the feast itself. Just click on the title below each photo to find the recipe.

Happy feasting!

For the recipe => Light Turkey (or Chicken) & Corn Chowder