What is a Leftover Thanksgiving Pizza?
Thanksgiving pizzas are made from leftover Thanksgiving dinner items, from turkey and stuffing to mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. We are thankful for the pizza community. Get inspired on how to make your own leftover Thanksgiving pizza from pizza pros.
Best Leftover Thanksgiving Pizza Ingredients
Here are some popular ingredients you can use to create the perfect pizza from your Thanksgiving leftovers:
- Turkey (roasted, fried, or smoked)
- Stuffing or dressing (use as a base or topping)
- Mashed potatoes (spread on the crust for a creamy layer)
- Cranberry sauce (drizzle for a sweet tang)
- Gravy (used as a sauce alternative)
- Cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, or your favorite blend)
- Vegetables (roasted sweet potatoes, green beans, or Brussels sprouts)
Three Delicious Thanksgiving Pizzas from Pizza Pros in Nevada, Florida and California
It can be so much more that a pizza featuring Thanksgiving dinner entrees. A quick scroll through Instagram sparks inspiration for you, too, can make an amazing and delicious leftovers Thanksgiving pizza. It starts with the components of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in the U.S., which can vary depending on what part of the country you live in. So, grab some pizza dough balls and your leftover Thanksgiving fixins and create a unique and flavorful pizza. We reached out to three pizzeria pros to tell us all about their pizzas in their own words. Enjoy this holiday delight.
Las Vegas-based Lucino’s Pizza creates Thanksgiving Pizza that sells out fast!
Hear from Lucino’s Pizza co-owner Giuseppe “Joey” Scolaro as he share what makes Lucino’s Thanksgiving Pizza a crowd favorite:
My name is Giuseppe “Joey” Scolaro. I’m one of the three owners of Lucino’s Pizza here in Las Vegas. I run the shop with my parents, Lucetta and Pino, and my girlfriend helps out a ton as well. We’re originally from just outside the Philadelphia area, and we’ve always run Lucino’s as a true family operation.
About the Thanksgiving Pizza:
We created the Thanksgiving Pizza as our November special a few years ago, and it’s easily become one of the most requested items we’ve ever done. The idea was just to pack the whole holiday plate onto a slice in a way that still eats like a good pizza.
Here’s what goes on Thanksgiving Pizza:
- Hand-tossed dough made with Tony G 00 flour, cold-fermented 24–48 hours
- House-made turkey gravy base
- BelGioioso whole-milk and part-skim mozzarella
- A touch of smoked gouda
- Fresh baked turkey breast, shredded in-house
- Herb stuffing
- Mashed potato dollops
- Cranberry sauce baked right on the pizza
- Finished with fresh rosemary after it comes out of the oven
Guest feedback
Every November people start asking for it way ahead of time. It sells out fast and has kind of turned into a holiday tradition for a lot of our regular customers here in Vegas.
Prohibition Pizza in High Springs, Florida, builds Thanksgiving Pizza fitting to their style — Reimagining Tradition Through Craft Pizza
Co-owner Kelly Potter details Prohibition Pizza‘s pizza and vision:
In this industry, we all walk that line between honoring tradition and pushing innovation. At our shop, that balance is the core of our identity. We respect the classics, the techniques, the flavors, the history. But we also believe there’s always room to rethink what a pizza can be and we often push that limit.
Our Thanksgiving Pizza grew out of that mindset. Rather than treating holiday flavors as a novelty topping and just tossing them on top, we approached the build the same way we’d approach any specialty pie: start with intention, layer with purpose, and chase balance. The goal was simple. Take the emotional comfort of a traditional American Thanksgiving and translate it into a pizza (that still eats like a pizza).
The base was the biggest decision. A traditional red or white sauce would fight the profile, so we developed a roasted-garlic mashed potato spread that mimics the creaminess of a béchamel but stays true to the holiday table. From there, whole and part skim mozzarella adds structure while provolone brings the melt and stretch pizza needs.
For the proteins and savory notes, we kept it classic but elevated: seasoned turkey, rosemary herb stuffing, and a controlled gravy swirl that adds moisture without compromising bake and then we added the richness of sweet yam/ricotta dollops which bring contrast, not chaos. Every component hits differently: fat, salt, aromatics. But together they create a composed bite.
The finish is where balance really matters. Sweetness from dried cranberries, crunch from fried onions, and a final balsamic drizzle which delivers acidity to cut the heaviness, making the pie craveable rather than one-note.
What we love about this pizza is that it serves two purposes: it honors a deeply rooted American tradition, which happens to be my most favorite holiday and it demonstrates how far thoughtful pizzeria craft can go. It proves that innovation doesn’t have to be loud, it just has to be intentional.
For us, thinking outside the box doesn’t mean abandoning the classics. It means understanding them well enough to rebuild them in a way that still invites people to gather, share, and celebrate. Just like Thanksgiving always has.
PizzaLeah, Windsor, California, Leah Scurto creates a Leftover Thanksgiving Pizza evoking a happy dance
PizzaLeah Owner/Pizzaiola Leah Scurto highlights her approach to a Thanksgiving Pizza:
In lieu of red sauce, the base of the pizza is a good old fashion turkey gravy. I used a blend of low moisture, whole milk mozzarella (Bacio) with a touch of white cheddar to add a bit of sharpness. Mashed potatoes were placed in a piping bag with a star tip to add texture and make them look pretty. They need to be slightly warm when piping them on because, in proper Thanksgiving style, I didn’t skimp on the butter. If the mashed potatoes are cold, they will be too stiff to pipe on.
Since the turkey was already cooked, I used the dark meat to make sure it didn’t dry out in the oven. Last comes the stuffing. I put it on top and used the larger pieces of the bread to ensure that it would get crispy when baked to add some crunch.
Post bake, I dolloped homemade cranberry sauce on top and a sprinkle of chopped Italian parsley for a touch of color.
Now that you have been inspired from pizza pros, make your own leftover Thanksgiving Pizzas. Don’t forget to share them with us on social @PizzaToday.
