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This is the best thing you can do with Thanksgiving leftovers, and it takes about 20 minutes. The turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce get piled onto seasoned chips under two kinds of melted cheese. Then a cold, sharp cranberry pico goes on top and there’s a bowl of hot gravy for dipping. It feeds the whole house the day after, and it works just as well on December 26.

The Mistake I Made the First Time

My first attempt went exactly how you’d expect. I spooned cranberry sauce straight onto the chips and baked the lot. The cranberry turned hot and jammy, soaked straight into the chips underneath, and I got a tray that was crisp at the edges and soggy in the middle.

So now the cranberry never goes in the oven. I stir it into a quick pico with jalapeño, red onion, cilantro and lime, and it goes on after baking. You get hot, cheesy and crunchy underneath and cold, tart and fresh on top. That contrast is what makes these better than a turkey sandwich.

The second fix is the stuffing. Toast it on its own in the oven for a few minutes first and it comes out like little savory croutons. Soft stuffing just goes stodgy on a nacho.

Ingredients

For the nachos

10 oz thick restaurant-style tortilla chips (thin chips break and go soft)
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (or 1/2 teaspoon each dried sage and thyme)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and a pinch of salt
2 cups shredded leftover turkey (about 10 oz), white and dark meat mixed
2 tablespoons leftover gravy, plus about 1/2 cup more, warmed, for dipping
1 1/2 cups leftover stuffing, crumbled into small pieces
2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar (8 oz)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack (4 oz)

For the cranberry pico

1 cup leftover whole berry cranberry sauce
1 jalapeño, finely diced
1/4 red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime

To finish

1/2 cup sour cream
2 green onions, sliced

How to Make Them

Toast the stuffing. Heat the oven to 400°F. Scatter the crumbled stuffing over a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are crisp and golden. Tip it into a bowl and keep the pan.
Season the chips. Whisk the poultry seasoning, garlic powder and salt into the melted butter. Gently toss the chips in it in a large bowl. Use your hands, because tongs break them.

Loosen the turkey. Toss the shredded turkey with 2 tablespoons of gravy. Leftover turkey is dry, and this stops it going leathery in the oven.
Layer twice. Spread half the chips over the sheet pan in a single, slightly overlapping layer. Top with half the turkey, half the stuffing and half the cheese. Repeat with the rest. Two layers means the chips at the bottom get cheese too, not just the top ones.
Bake. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling at the edges.

Make the pico while it bakes. Stir the cranberry sauce, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro and lime juice together. Taste it. It should be sharp, not sweet, so add more lime if it needs it.
Top and serve straight away. Spoon the cranberry pico over the hot nachos and add small dollops of sour cream and the green onions. Put the warm gravy in a bowl on the side for dipping.

Make It Your Own

Use what’s left. Roasted Brussels sprouts, green beans or sweet potato cubes can all go in with the turkey layer. Chop them small. If you have leftover sticky garlic soy Brussels sprouts, they’re especially good here.

Swap the cheese. Smoked gouda makes them taste like a cozy deli sandwich. Brie torn into small pieces is lovely if you have the end of a wheel left from the cheese board.

Gravy cheese sauce. If you’d rather have a queso, whisk 1/2 cup of warm gravy into a batch of my cottage cheese quesoand pour it over just before serving.

No leftovers? Use rotisserie chicken or deli turkey, a box of stuffing mix and canned whole berry cranberry sauce. It’s still a 30-minute party appetizer.

For Christmas. Leftover ham works just as well as turkey. If there’s a little of the glaze left, toss the ham in that instead of gravy.

Turkey Nacho Questions

Can I make these ahead?
You can prep everything ahead: toast the stuffing, shred the turkey and make the pico up to a day before. Keep them separate in the fridge. Assemble and bake just before you eat, because baked nachos don’t hold.

How do I stop them going soggy?
Use thick chips, keep the cranberry out of the oven, and serve the gravy on the side rather than pouring it over. Those three things make all the difference.

Can I make these in the air fryer?
Yes, for a smaller batch. Layer them in a lined basket and air fry at 350°F for 4 to 5 minutes until the cheese melts.

How many does this feed?
About 6 as an appetizer, or 4 as a lazy dinner the day after Thanksgiving.

More Leftover Ideas

If you still have turkey left after this, try my leftover turkey sandwich with melty Swiss and caramelized onions. There’s also the crispy stuffing waffle turkey sandwich, which is the most fun you can have with leftover stuffing. For other leftovers in the fridge, here’s how to turn last night’s leftovers into something new.

If you love a nacho tray for a party, my crispy charcuterie nachos and kettle chip charcuterie nachos both feed a crowd. For the full Christmas buffet, see my [simple Christmas party food for a crowd](LINK TO NEW ROUNDUP).

Timings and Servings Summary

Item	Detail
Prep	10 minutes
Cook	18 minutes (8 to 10 to toast the stuffing, 8 to 10 to bake)
Total	About 28 minutes
Serves	6 as an appetizer, 4 as a dinner
Make ahead	Prep the parts up to 1 day ahead; assemble and bake to serve
Best served	Straight from the oven