Turkey curry and chili are two great options for day-after-Thanksgiving recipes because of how easy they are to prepare.

"Curries, chilis ... those are your basics," Ray told Business Insider.

Ray's recipe for turkey corn chili takes only 25 minutes to prepare and uses simple ingredients like cooked turkey meat, chopped onion, chopped bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, chicken stock or broth, and frozen corn. 

Who doesn't love the smell of a pot of ragù simmering on the stove during the colder months?

Ray's recipe for turkey porcini ragù uses dried, sliced porcini mushrooms, a pound of leftover Thanksgiving turkey, turkey or chicken stock, red wine, onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, and more. 

For this recipe, Ray recommends rolling leftover stuffing into a ball and dropping it into broth like a matzo ball.

Add "leftover vegetables, any sort of meat, turkey, chicken, or ham, and you have the equivalent of a matzo-ball soup," Ray said.

One of the simplest ways to reuse leftover Thanksgiving turkey is to make a sandwich, wrap, or even a burrito, which Ray said is one of her favorite methods. 

You can add other Thanksgiving fixings like turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and gravy to your tortilla, or you can go a more standard route with fillings like shredded cheese, turkey, lettuce, and tomato. 

One of the most unique ways to use leftover stuffing is to make her recipe for savory stuffing waffles.

"You can put your leftover stuffing in your waffle iron, and then just put the turkey or the pheasant on top of the crispy stuffing once you take it out of the waffle iron," Ray said.

"[Top it] with a little bit of fruity maple syrup, like cranberry sauce and maple syrup, or some sort of warm honey drizzled over the top."

Whether you want a classic burger, appetizer platter, or a more festive Thanksgiving-inspired meal, Applebee's might become your go-to holiday spot.

Some, but not all, Applebee's locations are expected to be open, so it's best to call ahead to confirm your local restaurant's hours and menu before arriving with the whole family.

Bob Evans is famous for its annual Thanksgiving meal, which includes slow-roasted turkey, house-made bread-and-celery dressing, cranberry relish, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans and ham, buttered corn, dinner rolls, and a slice of pumpkin pie.

Bob Evans restaurants should be open from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. for breakfast or the chain's Thanksgiving holiday meal, though the website recommends that guests check with their local restaurant for adjusted hours and availability.

Boston Market is set to be open for dine-in and take-out this Thanksgiving, though hours may vary depending on location.

The chain's dine-in meal includes classic dishes like roasted turkey breast or half rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetable stuffing, a dinner roll, and a slice of apple or pumpkin pie.

Bravo! Italian Kitchens are set to be open this Thanksgiving, offering a traditional meal and the option to order a "Thanksgiving Feast To Go."

The chain's Thanksgiving menu includes sliced white-meat turkey, homestyle gravy, roasted-garlic mashed potatoes, Italian sausage stuffing, a seasonal vegetable, cranberry sauce, and a slice of pumpkin pie for dessert.

Brio Italian Grille is also set to be open on Thanksgiving. Customers can choose from the chain's standard menu, special Thanksgiving meal, or carry out its "Thanksgiving Feast To Go."

The chain recommends making a reservation or preordering a pickup meal ahead of time, as the restaurant can get busy on the holiday.

Buca di Beppo is also slated to open on Thanksgiving. The Italian restaurant offers a Thanksgiving menu for dine-in service, including classic roasted turkey breast and side dishes. You can reserve your table online or preorder a Thanksgiving feast for pick-up.

Many Buffalo Wild Wings are supposed to be open this Thanksgiving for regular dine-in and take-out service, but you'll want to confirm with your local restaurant before making any solid plans to grab some food or catch the football game.

If you're sick of turkey by the end of the night, swing by your local Burger King restaurant. However, hours vary by location, so it's best to check before you hit the drive-thru.

This Thanksgiving, you can also reserve a table at your local Capital Grille.

The chain restaurant's pre-fixe menu, which costs $55 for adults and $20 for children, includes holiday favorites like slow-roasted turkey with brioche stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Sweet potatoes and pumpkin cheesecake can also be added to the meal for an added cost.

Cracker Barrel locations should also be open for dine-in service on Thanksgiving this year.

Restaurants will be open during normal business hours, starting at 11 a.m., but guests are encouraged to check their local store hours here.

If you want to eat at Cracker Barrel on Thanksgiving, you can expect a limited menu that includes a turkey meal, available only on the holiday. The meal includes roasted turkey breast, cornbread dressing and gravy, green beans, sweet potato casserole with pecans, and cranberry relish. The meal is also served with dinner rolls and a slice of pumpkin pie for dessert.

Cracker Barrel also offers a heat-and-serve Thanksgiving feast, chicken and dumplings meal, and a Thanksgiving sides assortment that comes with dinner rolls.

Denny's is also planning to serve up Thanksgiving favorites again this year. Customers can preorder their Denny's Thanksgiving meal for $55 as early as November 22 for Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving celebrations.

What better way to power through your day of cooking than a morning run to Dunkin'?

While many locations are set to be operating business as usual, you might want to confirm your local Dunkin's hours before heading out, as some locations will have limited hours on Thanksgiving Day.

Although primarily known as a seafood restaurant and steakhouse, Eddie V's is also no stranger to a Thanksgiving meal.

This year, the chain is set to be open from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. and offer a special Thanksgiving menu with slow-roasted turkey, green beans with sundried tomatoes, brioche sage stuffing, gravy, cranberry chutney, mashed potatoes, and a bread basket, in addition to the restaurant's full menu.

For the holiday, Fleming's Steakhouse has its usual menu as well as a special three-course Thanksgiving menu starting at $65 per guest that includes a choice of herb-roasted turkey, filet mignon, or prime bone-in ribeye, a starter, sides, and dessert.

All locations are supposed to open at 11 a.m., and the restaurant chain recommends making a reservation ahead of time. 

Fogo de Chão is accepting catering reservations for Thanksgiving this year and locations should be open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.

The steak-house chain's Thanksgiving menu includes classic holiday dishes like a choice of two fire-roasted meats, sweet-potato casserole, Brazilian sausage and apple dressing, and cranberry relish.

When you're trying to feed the masses, a classic buffet like Golden Corral is a good choice.

Golden Corral restaurants are set to be open on Thanksgiving from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. However, some locations may be open even later, so it's best to call ahead and confirm your local restaurant's Thanksgiving hours.

If you don't want to dine in, Golden Corral also offers individual holiday meals to-go and holiday feasts that are available to preorder.

USA Today reported that Hooters locations should be open from 4 p.m. to midnight on Thanksgiving. Locations in Michigan and Dallas will operate at different hours based on the Detroit Lions and Cowboys football games.

A stack of buttermilk pancakes would certainly hit the spot on Thanksgiving morning.

Luckily, many IHOP locations are set to be operating their regular hours on the holiday, but customers should consider calling their local store to check the chain's hours first.

If your Thanksgiving meal doesn't go to plan, there's always McDonald's.

Holiday business hours may vary by location, but most McDonald's locations are expected to be open on Thanksgiving. However, it's always best to double-check with your local Golden Arches, just in case.

All Metro Diner locations are expected to be open for dine-in table service until 2:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

The diner chain also offers a take-out feast with a choice of baked ham or roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans or corn, cornbread stuffing or mac and cheese, cranberry sauce, and Hawaiian dinner rolls. The take-out option is served cold for guests to heat up on their own at home.

Most Popeyes locations are expected to operate their regular hours and menu this Thanksgiving, but Popeyes fans can also order a full-sized Cajun turkey for their at-home holiday feasts.

The turkey comes precooked, but you'll need to heat it up again in your own oven before serving. To place a turkey order, call your closest location or order one online to have it shipped to you.

Most Ruby Tuesday restaurants are supposed to be open this Thanksgiving during regular business hours from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m., though it's best to call and confirm with your local restaurant before solidifying any plans. 

Select Ruth's Chris Steak House locations are expected to be open this Thanksgiving, and the chain is offering a special festive menu.

The steak house's Thanksgiving menu includes soup or salad, roasted turkey, and several side dishes, such as garlic mashed potatoes, sweet-potato casserole, creamed spinach, and green beans with roasted garlic. Guests can also preorder a full Thanksgiving dinner for pick-up.

If turkey isn't your thing, consider having Thanksgiving dinner at a steak house.

STK locations nationwide are expected to be open on Thanksgiving, though it's best to make a reservation, check the hours at your nearby location or pick up one of the chain's Thanksgiving feasts to go. 

Many Starbucks locations should be open on Thanksgiving Day for home cooks looking for their caffeine fix, though holiday hours may vary by location. 

You won't find traditional Thanksgiving fare here, but why not opt for a turkey sub and skip the cooking?

Although not all Subway restaurants are confirmed to be open on Thanksgiving Day, many are expected to be. However, you'll want to check your closest location's hours just to be sure.

Waffle House is famous for being open 24 hours a day year-round, and Thanksgiving Day is no exception.

Whether you opt for a classic waffle or get your hash browns smothered and covered, Waffle House locations should be open for all of your Thanksgiving breakfast or pre-Black-Friday-feast needs. 

Most Wendy's locations are expected to be open on Thanksgiving Day, giving people the chance to fuel up on fast-food breakfast or even a burger before their meals. However, specific hours may vary by location.

Whataburger, which typically operates 24 hours a day, should have all of its locations open on Thanksgiving Day.

Rosie Mayes, author of the blog I Heart Recipes, told Business Insider that bacon is an easy and delicious addition to any stuffing recipe.

"You can use many different kinds of meat in stuffing, from chicken to turkey and sausage," she said. "However, you can also use crumbled bacon because bacon adds flavor to everything!"

"If you add sausage or any other ingredients that you are cooking up separately, it's great to add the cooking fat or drippings to your stuffing for that extra moisture and flavor," Chungah Rhee, author of "Damn Delicious: 100 Super Easy, Super Fast Recipes" and the blog Damn Delicious, told BI.

In New England, it's traditional to add seafood to stuffing.

"You can add oysters, shrimp, or some people even add scallops to their stuffing," Mayes said.

Instead of throwing away the turkey giblets as you normally might, try repurposing them into the stuffing instead of the traditional sausage.

Mayes said you could also add browned liver to your stuffing for extra flavor. 

Although many stuffing recipes call for sweet Italian sausage, you can also switch up the kind of sausage you use.

For example, if you're looking to give your Thanksgiving stuffing recipe an added kick, you could experiment with spicy Italian sausage like this recipe from chef Emeril Lagasse.

If you don't want to add meat to your stuffing, consider incorporating apples. 

Everyone from famous chefs like Ina Garten to bloggers like Rhee of Damn Delicious have shared their own recipes for apple stuffing.

Cranberries are already a holiday favorite, but they don't need to be limited to just sauce. If you have some extra berries, why not throw them into your stuffing?

The tartness of the cranberries can add flavor, and their bright color makes for a perfect Thanksgiving plate photo opp.

"A mixture of breads such as sourdough, multigrain, whole wheat, or pumpernickel makes for a great stuffing," Rhee told BI.

However, no matter what bread you choose, make sure it's slightly dried so the ingredients are properly absorbed.

"Bread should be dried out," Rhee said. "If you use fresh bread, it will end up soggy or even soupy — we don't want that!"

Although sourdough or plain white bread is traditionally used in stuffing, many people use cornbread instead. Cornbread makes for a super flavorful, Southern-inspired stuffing base and perfectly soaks up the broth and other ingredients.

"I usually use cornbread in my stuffing and I always make it the day before," Mayes told BI. "If I forget to make it the day before, I just overcook it for about 10 to 15 minutes to help dry it out."

"I usually use regular day-old white bread in my stuffing, but I love to add saltine crackers to give it a little more texture as well," Mayes said.

Instead of using chicken or turkey broth, you can add a ton of flavor to your stuffing by opting for a cream-based soup. 

"If you use cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, or cream of celery soup, that's going to add a little moisture and creaminess to your stuffing," Mayes said. 

If you like a little wine on Thanksgiving, why not add it to your stuffing?

"You can absolutely use a dry white wine in place of stock or even incorporate half stock and half wine for some extra flavor," Rhee told BI.

"I generally stick to the essentials — thyme, rosemary, parsley, and garlic," Rhee said. "But you could even add some nutmeg or cardamom for a little kick."

Mayes said that bell peppers are usually a go-to addition to her stuffing. She also likes to use classic vegetables like onions and celery, as well as kale or collard greens.

Pumpkin and butternut squash are two beloved fall fruits that work exceptionally well in stuffing.

To make the perfect pumpkin- or butternut squash-filled stuffing, soften and roast your fruit beforehand to ensure it gets tender before you add it to your stuffing. Otherwise, it might not cook quickly enough. 

Although carrots, celery, onions, and leeks "cover the basics," you can also add Brussels sprouts to just about any traditional stuffing recipe, said Rhee.

Although many choose to stuff their dressing inside the turkey or bake it in a pan inside the oven, you can also make stuffing in a slow cooker or Crock-Pot.

"Oven stuffing is always great but if you are trying to keep your oven and stovetop reserved for other dishes, a slow-cooker version is another easy and delicious way to make your Thanksgiving stuffing without adding any more stress," Rhee said.

This story was originally published on November 20, 2020, and most recently updated on November 20, 2024.