More Americans Embrace Leftovers as Ideal Last Meal

Data shows leftover consumption is at an all-time high, with the Thanksgiving sandwich emerging as a favorite.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 4:55pm

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For the first time on the podcast "Your Last Meal," a guest chose leftovers as their ideal last meal. Author Chuck Klosterman believes Friday's Thanksgiving leftovers are superior to the fresh holiday meal, citing the ability to customize the perfect plate of mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and turkey. The podcast also featured data showing that leftover consumption across socioeconomic statuses is at an all-time high, as Americans find creative ways to transform restaurant and holiday leftovers into new dishes.

Why it matters

This shift towards embracing leftovers highlights a growing trend of Americans valuing convenience, customization, and reducing food waste. As the cost of dining out and grocery prices rise, repurposing leftovers into new meals provides a budget-friendly and sustainable option. The popularity of the Thanksgiving sandwich also underscores the nostalgic and sentimental value of holiday traditions.

The details

On the podcast "Your Last Meal," host Rachel Belle interviewed author Chuck Klosterman, who chose Thanksgiving leftovers as his ideal last meal. Klosterman believes the Friday after Thanksgiving, when you can customize the perfect plate of mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and turkey, produces a superior meal to the fresh holiday feast. The podcast also featured an interview with a Wall Street Journal food reporter who presented data showing that leftover consumption, across all income levels, is at an all-time high as Americans find innovative ways to transform restaurant and holiday leftovers into new dishes.

  • On January 28, 2026, the "Your Last Meal" podcast episode featuring Chuck Klosterman's choice of Thanksgiving leftovers was released.
  • Data shows that leftover consumption by Americans has reached an all-time high in recent years.

The players

Chuck Klosterman

A best-selling author, critic, and journalist whose new non-fiction book is called "Football".

Rachel Belle

The host of the podcast "Your Last Meal" where she interviews celebrities about their ideal last meal.

Tan Vinh

A food writer for The Seattle Times who transforms restaurant leftovers into new dishes, a process he calls "hacking his leftovers".

Wall Street Journal

A news publication that reported on data showing an all-time high in leftover consumption by Americans across socioeconomic statuses.

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What they’re saying

“Because when you have the actual Thanksgiving meal, there's presentation to it. The plate is almost aesthetically designed. You're usually having some sort of appetizer, you've been drinking wine and beer all day. But the meal on Friday, you have complete control. You grab the biggest bowl you have and you put [mashed] potatoes in and hollow out the middle of it. You put gravy and a little turkey at the bottom, then you put stuffing on top of that and corn. Then you put more turkey on top of that, you cover the entire thing in gravy and then you microwave it for 120 or 150 seconds. I think that is the best meal.”

— Chuck Klosterman, Author (Your Last Meal)

“Latest example! I'm working on a Chinese restaurant package, so I've been eating a lot of Chinese takeout. I have mapo tofu in my fridge. I used that liquid, beef grease, oil and chili to [make rice] in the rice cooker. I have a very flavorful rice, it is delicious.”

— Tan Vinh, Food Writer, The Seattle Times (Your Last Meal)

“I ate 500 tacos over a couple months. So needless to say, I have a lot of leftover tacos and salsa. I was hungry one morning and I used all the leftover tortillas to make chilaquiles. I used a green tomatillo sauce, but I didn't have enough. But I had pho broth in my fridge. So I used that; I reduced it with corn starch, and it went perfectly as a sauce for chilaquiles. This is how I hack!”

— Tan Vinh, Food Writer, The Seattle Times (Your Last Meal)

What’s next

The Wall Street Journal plans to publish a follow-up report on the growing trend of Americans embracing leftovers in the coming months.

The takeaway

In an era of rising food costs and environmental consciousness, the surge in leftover consumption highlights how Americans are finding creative, budget-friendly, and sustainable ways to reduce food waste and enjoy nostalgic holiday traditions. The popularity of the Thanksgiving sandwich and other leftover hacks demonstrates the value people place on customization and convenience when it comes to their meals.