Leftovers
13 Leftover Turkey Recipes That Don't Start With 'Thanksgiving' or End With 'Sandwich'
A few creative ways to use up all that leftover turkey and more.
Whether you stuff rolls with slices of turkey and ham, or spoonfuls of green bean casserole and creamy mashed potatoes—the Thanksgiving leftover sandwich is as classic as the bird itself. But even tried-and-true favorites can get a bit stale; there’re only so many sandwiches you can stomach.
Instead, transform your turkey into a comforting pho or pot pie. Swirl spoonfuls into cake batter for moist, rich slices. Purée roasted roots into soups and whisk gravy or stocks into vinaigrettes. Even leftover pumpkin can make smooth and silky spreads.
1. Stock
First on the to-do list: Make turkey stock. This recipe below is for chicken, but turkey will work just as well.
2. Deconstructed Turkey & Brie Sandwich
The most festive charcuterie board that autumn has ever seen! Cheese board extraordinaire Marissa Mullen makes hers with deli turkey, but feel free to swap leftover Thanksgiving turkey in its place. Garlic confit, sliced apples, grapes, fresh brie, an assortment of nuts, and fig jam bring it all together.
3. Curried Smoked Turkey Salad
Did you smoke a turkey this year? Repurpose it in the form of this garlicky, balsamic-laced turkey salad that’s inspired by Amanda Hesser’s favorite meal from the now-closed Iris Cafe in Brooklyn Heights.
4. Turkey Pot Pie
What could be better than tucking into a creamy, buttery, flaky pot pie after Thanksgiving? Not much.
5. The Silver Palate's Turkey Hash Salad
“This salad is exactly what you'll want to eat (and cook) the day after Thanksgiving—and includes a smart hack for quicker roasted garlic, too,” according to our editors. It’s the perfect recipe to use up Thanksgiving leftovers like roasted potatoes, shredded cooked turkey, and salad greens.
6. Leftover Turkey Soup
The best part of Thanksgiving is getting to gather with loved ones to share a delicious meal. But a close second is leftovers! They can get a little boring on their own, so recipe developer Rachel Gurjar turned cooked turkey meat and homemade turkey stock into a cozy soup that will keep you warm for chilly days to come.
7. Thanksgiving Leftovers Breakfast "Burritos"
For a delicious twist on a day-after-Thanksgiving breakfast, fill a large flour tortilla with all the fixins'—a spoonful of leftover mashed potatoes, a scoop of leftover cranberry sauce, diced roast turkey, and stuffing.
8. Turkey Empanadas
Turkey empanadas are, yes, perfect little pockets for your Thanksgiving leftovers.
9. Turkey Tetrazzini
Did you know that "turkey tetrazzini" is one of the most googled phrases the day after Thanksgiving? Who knew?
10. 'Thankful for Leftover Turkey' Jambalaya
This leftover turkey jambalaya gives us something to be thankful for.
11. Turkey Quiche
Your quiche would be very, very happy if you fed it leftover turkey. Bonus points if you give it some potatoes and green beans, too.
12. Pull-Apart Thanksgiving Leftover Stuffed Bread
You know dump cakes? Well, this one's a leftover turkey dump bread. Dump away, little birdies!
13. Best-Ever Turkey Chili
This recipe calls for ground turkey, but if you have some leftover Thanksgiving turkey lying around, just fold that in for a comforting bowl of chili.
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Written by: Katie Macdonald
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- turkey alfredo, use spaghetti squash for fall and add goat cheese to marry the alfredo and squash flavors
- cobb salad--replace the chicken breast with turkey
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/turkey_stuffing_and_77957
Vegetables, refreshingly crunchy after a day of cooked dishes heavy on the carbs.
I've made something like this since I was first married, eons ago. It became sort-of-stroganoff-ish one year when I had a bit of leftover sour cream from the sour cream dinner rolls I often bake for the holidays: https://food52.com/recipes/8307-sour-cream-dinner-rolls.
If I ever wrote a cookbook, there would be an entire chapter devoted to "over-toast savory cooked dinner mains". Think about how long it takes and how easy it is to slice and toast bread, compared to cooking noodles, potatoes, etc. - and there are no dirty pots!
Of course, this stuff also worked well over mashed potatoes, but Mr T and I both come from Thanksgiving rice-not-potatoes families with roots in the South. Besides, when we do have mashed potatoes, I hoard / hide the leftovers to make Bert Greene's Fritterra. ;o)
I recommend Burt Greene's frittera, a fine Genius recipe that is too often overlooked. We're not big fans of mashed potatoes but I'll make mashed potatoes just for those. Especially good with green garlic! ;o)
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