Thanksgiving Pizza

Name: Thanksgiving Pizza
Prep time: 3 h 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 3 h 40 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Pizza dough; 1 1/2 cups turkey gravy; 2 cups mashed potatoes; 1 cup (4 oz) low moisture mozzarella, grated; 2 cups leftover turkey, diced; 1/2 cup KC Canning Co Cranberry Sauce; 1 cup French’s Fried Onions; 2 tbsp fresh sage, chiffonade

Sep 01, 2023 • Tom Jackson

This recipe creates two wood-fired pizzas using Thanksgiving leftovers, cooked on a Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill equipped with a Wood Fired Oven. Each pizza begins with a stretched pizza dough base, topped with turkey gravy, grated low-moisture mozzarella, diced turkey, and dollops of mashed potatoes. The pizzas are cooked at 475°F directly over the firebox, rotating every 30 seconds until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Once baked, they're garnished with warmed cranberry sauce, French’s fried onions, and fresh chiffonade sage for a perfect combination of savory and sweet holiday flavors.

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE

Built entirely from what's already in your fridge. Leftover turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes go straight from Thanksgiving dinner onto a pizza — no extra shopping list.
Every flavor from the holiday table, in one bite. Rich gravy, melty mozzarella, tangy cranberry sauce, crispy fried onions, and fresh sage all layer onto the same crust.
Feels festive, cooks fast. Each pizza is done in about 5 minutes of high-heat cook time, so the "new" part of this leftover meal is genuinely quick.
A real second life for the bird. This isn't just turkey reheated — it's turkey transformed into something that doesn't taste like round two.

Thanksgiving Pizza

Tom Jackson

Rated 4.3 stars by 3 users

Cuisine

American

Servings

16

Prep Time

3 hours 5 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Calories

200

Give your Thanksgiving leftovers a festive makeover with this holiday-inspired wood-fired pizza! Creamy turkey gravy, gooey mozzarella, tender turkey, and fluffy mashed potatoes come together on a golden crust for the ultimate comfort food. Finished with a pop of tangy cranberry sauce, crunchy fried onions, and fragrant sage, this merry creation will make your leftovers the star of the season!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Pizza dough
1 1/2 cups turkey gravy
2 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup (4 oz) low moisture mozzarella, grated
2 cups leftover turkey, diced
1/2 cup KC Canning Co Cranberry Sauce
1 cup French’s Fried Onions
2 tbsp fresh sage, chiffonade

View Cart (0) Checkout

Directions

Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 475 degrees with the diffuser plate removed and the Wood Fired Oven installed over the fire box.
For each pizza, dust your work surface with flour. Stretch your pizza dough, then spread the gravy across the entire surface.
Sprinkle the mozzarella over the gravy, the diced turkey over the cheese, then pipe or spoon dollops of mashed potatoes.
Dust a pizza peel with flour, then slide quickly underneath the pizza. Transfer to the Yoder Smokers Wood Fired Oven.
Let the pizza cook for about one minute, then begin rotating it every thirty seconds until browned on bottom and top, about 5 minutes.
While the pizza cooks, warm the cranberry sauce in a Lodge 8” Steel Skillet on top of the wood fired oven.
Remove the pizza from the oven and finish with crispy onions, fresh sage and cranberry sauce.

Recipe Note

Recipe FAQ

Can I use store-bought pizza dough?
Absolutely. Use your favorite pre-made dough or crust — it'll work great with the toppings and cook time described.

What if my grill can't reach 475°F?
You can cook at a slightly lower temperature (425–450°F), but increase total cook time and monitor rotation to avoid burning or under-cooking.

Can I swap mashed potatoes for sweet potatoes?
Yes — sweet mashed potatoes work well, adding extra sweetness that pairs nicely with the cranberry sauce and sage.

How long do leftovers last?
Store cooled slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2–3 days. Reheat in an oven or air fryer for the best texture.

How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5 — perfect for indoor or outdoor cooking. A very hot home oven with a pizza stone or steel gets you close to the same result as the wood-fired oven.

Recipe Highlights

Gravy as the sauce, not tomato: Direction Step 2 spreads turkey gravy across the stretched dough in place of a traditional pizza sauce — that swap is what makes this taste like Thanksgiving instead of a regular pizza.
Layered, not mixed: Step 3 sprinkles mozzarella first, then diced turkey, then dollops of mashed potato on top — keeping the layers distinct instead of pre-mixing everything into one topping.
Rotated every 30 seconds: Step 5 spins the pizza constantly during its roughly 5-minute bake, which is what gets even browning on both the bottom crust and the top without burning one side.
Finished, not baked, with the cold toppings: Step 7 adds the fried onions, fresh sage, and warmed cranberry sauce only after the pizza comes out of the oven, keeping their texture and brightness intact.