Leftover Turkey Recipes (2024)

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Easy and delicious leftover turkey recipes are perfect for using up leftovers from your Thanksgiving feast! From casseroles to soups, we have a bit of everything.

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We Love Turkey Leftovers!

We know there tends to be a lot of food at Thanksgiving dinner, and if your family is anything like ours, we tend to have lots of leftovers.

One thing we almost always have leftovers of is TURKEY, but we don’t mind because we have so many recipes we can make with leftover Thanksgiving turkey.

Why we love leftover turkey:

• No waste. After all of that work, you don’t want a single tasty morsel to go to waste!
• Variety. Easily whip up a pan of leftover turkey Enchiladas or leftover Turkey Chili with chunks of turkey instead of ground meat.
• Classics. Make turkey gravy and pour it over egg noodles, like a stroganoff.

MAKE TURKEY BROTH!

The carcass, basically the rib cage, is what is left over after carving your turkey. This is perfect for making a nutritious turkey broth.

Make your own bone broth. Bone broth can be used whether a recipe calls for broth, stock, or bone broth – most often in soups.

1. PREP. Remove the meat and break up the carcass into a large stockpot. A little meat and connective tissue only add to the nutrients and flavor.
2. BOIL. Add cold filtered water to the pot until it just covers the carcass. Bring to a boil. Remove any film that forms on top of the water, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
3. ADD AROMATICS. 1 onion (quartered),1 peeled carrot (chopped into 1-inch pieces), a stalk of celery (chopped into 1-inch pieces), 1-2 whole mushrooms, and herbs.
   • Tie the herbs together. For fresh herbs: bundle and tie with twine. For dried herbs: wrap in cheesecloth, then tie closed with twine. Use your favorite herbs, but common ones include parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and garlic.
4. SIMMER. Keep uncovered and simmer for 3 hours. Periodically check on the soup and skim off any film.
5. STRAIN the broth through a mesh sieve. Repeat until the broth is clear and free of any bone fragments, vegetables, and herbs.
6. STORE. Keep homemade bone broth in the fridge for up to a week. Freeze it, in ½ cup portions, for up to 12 months. Be sure to use airtight and freezer-safe containers.

Storing Leftover Turkey

We recommend storing turkey sliced, wrapped in foil, then placed in a container/bag (if in the freezer – a freezer-safe container/bag).

• STORE in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• FREEZE for 2-3 months.
• Reheat. The microwave is handy, but can dry out the meat, and make it a bit rubbery.
  • The best way to reheat the turkey, so it’s moist and flavorful, is in the oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the turkey, along with a bit of broth or water, into a baking dish. Cover it with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.

Best Leftover Turkey Ideas

The options for using up turkey leftovers are endless, really! We love to use them in all sorts of recipes, but we are going to break it down for you.

Make a leftover turkey salad by substituting turkey in our Chicken Salad recipe. If you have leftover Pie Crust try making a tasty Chicken Pot Pie (or with turkey)!

Substitute Leftover Turkey In These Recipes

We love chicken, and we have LOADS of recipes with it. Having said that, all of these recipes would still be delicious if subbed with turkey instead!

Give them a go, and let us know what you think. We have included classic dinner ideas as well as soups.

A Family Favorite!

One of our favorite things to make with leftover turkey is this Turkey Noodle Soup (another is our famous Turkey Soup).

Not only is it super simple, but it’s delicious and hearty and perfect for the winter months.

Just chop a few cups of your leftover turkey, your favorite veggies and throw it in this soup, and you’re set!

Here is the recipe:

Use Those Turkey LEftovers!

These simple recipes will help you use up that leftover turkey without spending a lot of time in the kitchen! You’re going to love them!

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