Make this easy cranberry vegetable sandwich using leftover Thanksgiving ingredients. It’s a simple, vegetarian way to enjoy leftovers with a healthier twist after a day of indulgence.

So tomorrow’s the big day but at this point I’ve already had 2 Friendsgivings and I’m sort of over Thanksgiving itself. I’m not, however, over the leftovers. 

Thanksgiving leftovers might actually be even better than the actual meal because they don’t come with the same stress, chaos and clean up of the actual holiday.

Pull out a bunch of tupperware from the fridge, mix it up in some fashion and boom – all the flavor of Thanksgiving with about 1/100th of the effort. I’m here for it. 

This year, I’m all about this easy leftover Thanksgiving cranberry vegetable sandwich. Or should I say pita? Or maybe pocket? 

*This post is sponsored by Toufayan. All content and opinions are my own.
Make this easy cranberry vegetable sandwich using leftover Thanksgiving ingredients. It's an easy, vegetarian way to enjoy leftovers in a healthier way after a day of indulgence.

Whatever you call it, it’s got one of my absolute favorite parts of Thanksgiving, cranberry sauce, generously topping a variety of leftover vegetables from the feast in what may be the simplest way to enjoy leftovers with a healthier spin.

I love stuffing and pie and all the other indulgent dishes of Thanksgiving and I give myself the one day to fully enjoy them. As in multiple pieces of pie oftentimes.

But, I call it after that. I give myself the holiday and then I get back to normal eating.

Otherwise, it ends up being a week of crappy eating that leads to feeling gross and then that leads to a “whatever” mentality until Christmas which leads to an even more “meh” approach until we’re in the New Year and then I’m a solid month plus into the whole ordeal.

See where I’m going?

So, when it come to Thanksgiving leftovers, yes, I enjoy them but I try to do so in a healthier way (aka I just don’t take home the stuffing and pies or I leave them for Ulysses to eat or pawn them off on others if I’m hosting). 

What I do keep or take are the vegetables! And of course, the cranberry sauce. I love cranberry sauce so much it’s slightly unnatural.

Cranberry will forever outrank gravy to me (especially if it happens to be a bourbon cranberry sauce) for the Thanksgiving meal.

I have zero desire to pour gravy over my plate but I’ll happily eat cranberry sauce with every single thing. 

And that’s one of its best qualities: it literally goes with everything.

You can put it in your oatmeal for breakfast, on a sandwich like this for lunch and alongside whatever protein you have for dinner.

Why I only make it once a year still baffles me because it’s the easiest thing in the world to whip up and that tart bright flavor is totally my jam.

Toufayan Smart Pockets are the perfect pita bread for using up leftover Thanksgiving vegetables and cranberry sauce.
Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

It’s also the perfect way to jazz up leftover Thanksgiving vegetables like in this Thanksgiving veggie sandwich.

The best part about this leftover sandwich is that you can cater it to whatever Thanksgiving leftovers you have – it definitely doesn’t have to be the Brussels sprouts, mushrooms and squash I have here.

Green beans, roasted carrots, parsnips, beets, even some casseroles if that’s what your family does will work.

Oftentimes, especially as the host, I end up with leftover uncooked vegetables and unused herbs in addition to all the Thanksgiving dishes themselves so this is a great way to make use of those too!

A simple sauté of your chosen vegetables with some leftover fresh herbs (if you have them, no big deal if you don’t) and the a very generous topping of cranberry sauce all stuffed into a Toufayan Smart Pocket™ and you’ve got a nice healthy, vegetarian lunch for the day after Thanksgiving.

Enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers in a healthier way with this cranberry vegetable pita sandwich.

Smart Pockets are basically square pita bread. Their shape makes them great for deli meats (easier for stuffing than a traditional round pita) but that doesn’t mean you can’t use them for everything else too.

I used the original flavor here but there’s also organic sprouted whole wheat (a personal favorite), everything and 100% whole wheat. At 100 calories or less for each one and cholesterol and trans fat free, they really make a great healthy option for your sandwich of choice.

I like toasting mine just a bit to get crunchy edges to the pita but still maintain its flexibility for maximum stuffing.

Too toasted and my cranberry sauce ratio would be thrown off which would be a bad, bad thing.

Repurpose Thanksgiving leftovers into this healthy and easy Thanksgiving cranberry vegetable sandwich for an easy lunch!

In years past, I’ve done an open faced turkey cranberry enchilada melt, a leftover Thanksgiving breakfast waffle sandwich and even a Thanksgiving breakfast frittata– all delicious ways to enjoy the holiday foods outside of the actual meal but I think this year’s leftover Thanksgiving cranberry vegetable sandwich takes the award for easiest, healthiest and maybe even yummiest? 

That could just be the cranberry sauce talking though. 

Try this turkey avgolemono soup and these stuffing frittata bites for more ways to enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers!

And feel free to throw some turkey in these pita sandwiches if you want too, they don’t have to be vegetarian. If I’m not making turkey stew with leftover cooked turkey meat, this is my go-to way to way to use it up.

Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
5 from 2 votes

Leftover Thanksgiving Cranberry Vegetable Sandwich

Servings: 1 sandwich
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Thanksgiving cranberry vegetable sandwich
Make this easy cranberry vegetable sandwich using leftover Thanksgiving ingredients. It's an easy, vegetarian way to enjoy leftovers in a healthier way!

Ingredients 

  • 1 Toufayan Smart Pocket™
  • 1/4 cup leftover cranberry sauce
  • 1 cup leftover vegetables, shown here: shredded Brussels sprouts, mushrooms & roasted squash *see note
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped leftover fresh herbs
  • salt and pepper

Instructions 

  • Toast the Smart Pocket for 1-2 minutes until toasty but still pliable.
  • Heat olive oil over medium heat in a small skillet.
  • Once hot, add the leftover vegetables, herbs, salt and pepper and sauté for 2-3 minutes until heated through.
  • Spoon vegetables into each half of the Smart Pocket then layer cranberry sauce on top and enjoy!

Notes

*use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Green beans, beets, carrots, even some casseroles will work. Get creative, it won’t taste bad!

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 432kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 7gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gSodium: 368mgFiber: 23gSugar: 24g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
TRIED THIS RECIPE?COMMENT + RATE BELOW!
Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

You May Also Like:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




3 Comments