8 Creative Recipes to Use up That Leftover Turkey
Don’t let your turkey go to waste
This year was a much different Thanksgiving for most of us. Many chose to stay home, and those that traveled did so with masks and hand sanitizer. My family decided we’d get together virtually rather than in-person to protect our health and avoid crowded airports.
And though there were just three of us at the Thanksgiving table, and one of us is a vegetarian, we still had to have a turkey. It was a turkey breast rather than the whole bird. But it was a big one, and now I’m left with a lot of leftover turkey.
Aside from the usual turkey sandwiches, here are some of my favorite leftover turkey recipes from across the web.
#1: Turkey Wild Rice Soup
You can’t go wrong with soup. Wild rice in place of the usual egg noodle in turkey soup adds a bit of sophistication. This soup calls for two cups of half-in-half, which makes for a creamy, lovely texture. But if you want to avoid dairy and the extra fat, it’s still tasty when you ditch the cream and use only broth.
#2 Turkey and Guacamole Quesadillas
Quesadillas make for an easy lunch or dinner option. You can use whole wheat tortillas or low-carb tortillas if you are trying to avoid refined flour. The lime, tabasco sauce, and chili powder used here make for a flavorful quesadilla.
#3: Pulled Cran-Turkey Sandwiches
If you have cranberry sauce, this recipe gives a creative way to turn it into a sauce for a pulled-turkey BBQ sandwich. If you don’t have cranberry sauce, you can still make these. Just shred your turkey and mix it with your favorite BBQ sauce and pile on buns.
#4 Leftover Turkey Salad
You can simply add turkey slices to your salad greens for extra protein, which is delicious. Or you can kick it up a notch with this recipe that toasts leftover stuffing for croutons and tosses leftover vegetables together with your greens. It’s topped with a cranberry sauce dressing.
#5 Leftover Turkey Panini
Doesn’t that toasted bread and melted cheese make your mouth water? Here is a way to dress up the old turkey sandwich leftover. Don’t despair if you don’t have the exact ingredients called for here. You can make a delicious panini with your leftover turkey, a slice of cheese, tomato, and onion. I use whatever ingredients I have on hand. The key is you need a sturdy type of bread, like ciabatta or a baguette, to hold it all together. And don’t skip the butter.
#6: Leftover Turkey and Sweet Potato Frittata
You can use turkey leftovers for breakfast too. Or serve this at dinner with a green salad or some steamed vegetables. If you don’t have sweet potatoes, regular potatoes (cooked and cubed) would still be great in this, although it would change the flavor.
#7: Leftover Turkey Chili
If you’re tired of turkey, chili can transform it into completely new flavors. This recipe is easy to throw together, and it makes a lot.
#8: Leftover Turkey Tacos
Another easy option is tacos. Use the recipe below as a guide, but feel free to use whatever ingredients you have on hand. Top your tacos with cheese, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, or salsa. For the seasoning, you can use a packet of taco seasoning or make your own.
Here’s a tip: Make up a big batch of seasoning and store it in a mason jar. Add one to three tablespoons (depending on your taste) per pound of meat the next time you make tacos.
Final notes
- The CDC recommends tossing or freezing your turkey leftovers within three to four days. If you’re using Thanksgiving leftovers, this means by Monday you need to freeze it or throw it.
- Portion your turkey leftovers in labeled ziplocked bags for convenience when freezing. You can defrost them later and use them in your favorite recipe.
- Don’t have a turkey? You don’t have to miss out on any of these recipes. Buy a deli rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and get cooking.
