The turkey is the centerpiece of many Thanksgiving dinners (regardless of the size of the gathering) so it should come as no surprise that most of us find ourselves with extra the next day. After carving your bird you can make homemade turkey stock and a batch of soup — but what do you do with the rest? If youre not sure, we’re here to help. We’ve got lots of creative ideas (turkey nachos, anyone?) as well as tried-and-true classics like this sandwich. Not only can you easily sub in your leftover turkey for deli slices — you’ll also get to use up some of your other Thanksgiving leftovers like slices of artisan bread, apple butter and Brie.
Reinvent your Thanksgiving turkey into a bowl of intensely flavorful Vietnamese pho. Fortify store-bought chicken broth with turkey bones, charred vegetables and toasted spices to create a rich broth that goes from stovetop to table in less than two hours.
Baking this dish in onion gravy and then topping it with melted cheese makes for an extra juicy sandwich.
Theres probably no better way to empty that overstuffed post-Thanksgiving refrigerator than a hearty soup. Using the turkey bones to make a broth for the soup is the best way to get every pennys worth from your bird. If your leftover stuffing is chunky and rustic, finely chop it to make these delicate dumplings.
Rachael energizes the traditional open faced turkey sandwich by adding maple sausage to whole-grain bread stuffing and apple sauce to plain cranberry sauce.
Enjoy this egg skillet featuring leftover turkey for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Add plenty of vegetables and top with cheddar, Monterey jack or mozzarella cheese.
With its use of classic fall herbs like thyme and parsley, this dumpling soup is the perfect warming stew for a chilly night.
Leftover green bean casserole is transformed into a main dish with the help of puff pastry and leftover turkey meat. You can find puff pastry in the frozen aisles of supermarkets.
You can literally throw the whole leftover turkey carcass into the pot to make the broth for this next-day soup, which includes Thanksgiving staples like sweet potato, green beans and thyme.
15 Ways to Use Leftover Turkey
Over 15 of our best and most popular leftover turkey recipes to transform those turkey leftovers into soups, pasta, rice, sandwiches, and more!
Prep: 10min
Total: 30min
Yield: 4
Nutrition Facts: calories 310 calories
Ingredients:
- leftover turkey
Instruction:
- Creamy Turkey Orzo Soup
- Turkey Tetrazzini with Spinach
- Leftover Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Turkey Potato Chowder
- Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwich with Cranberry Sauce
- Leftover Turkey Fried Rice
- Turkey Wild Rice Soup
- Buffalo Turkey Wraps
- White Chicken Chili (with leftover turkey instead)
- BBQ Chicken Pizza (with leftover turkey instead)
- Vietnamese Summer Rolls (with leftover turkey instead)
- Chicken Tortilla Soup (with leftover turkey instead)
3 AWESOME RECIPES FOR LEFTOVER TURKEY
FAQ
How long is turkey good leftover in the fridge?
Is turkey still good 5 days after Thanksgiving?
A leftover cooked Thanksgiving turkey will keep for three to four days in the fridge and two to three months in the freezer. Before freezing, it’s best to carve the turkey off the bone to allow it to freeze and defrost more evenly.
What can I do with leftover turkey to freeze?
What to do with over cooked turkey?
- Let gravy save the day. Cover the slices of meat with lots of that delicious gravy, and no one will be the wiser. …
- Warm with chicken stock. …
- Focus on the dark meat. …
- Make the side dishes the stars of the meal. …
- Refill everyone’s wine glass.
