Are you ready for creative ways to use up that holiday turkey? These yummy leftover turkey recipes are the perfect way to make use of the holiday leftovers, without having the same meal every day until they are all gone. Instead, bring new flavours to your holiday leftovers with exciting recipe ideas. Don’t let those delicious turkey leftovers go to waste!
Leftover Turkey Ideas The Family Will Love
Holiday turkey is one meal that is a welcome leftover. Everyone loves a good turkey sandwich, right?
Yes, but how many turkey sandwiches can someone eat until they can’t even stand to look at another turkey sandwich?
There are lots of other ways to use up that holiday turkey meat, and in this tight economy, the perfectly good Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey leftovers should not go to waste!
for more leftover ideas, check out these leftover pulled pork recipes, what to do with leftover taco meat and leftover rotisserie chicken recipes.
How Long Can You Use Turkey Leftovers?
Roast turkey is safe to consume 4-5 days after cooking, providing it is stored and refrigerated appropriately.
Once the turkey sandwich phase has waned with the family, chop the leftover turkey meat into bite-sized chunks, ready to be used for your meal plan for the week.
Most recipes call for one or two cups of protein, so store the turkey in ziplock bags in those quantities for convenience. This will also reduce the likelihood of your meat drying out excessively and it will save a load of room in your refrigerator!
Can You Freeze Leftover Turkey?
If there is a lot of extra turkey meat, freeze some of the bags for later use. Turkey will stay good in the freezer for up to three months, stored in ziplocked freezer bags.
When bagging the turkey, if there are any leftover vegetables, chop them into bite-sized pieces if needed, and add to a separate bag for a future soup or stew. Leftover gravy can be frozen for later as well!
Here are some ideas and a delicious and easy new recipe!
What To Make With Leftover Turkey
Whether it’s leftover thanksgiving turkey or extra from your weekend roast, there is a recipe to suit! From the leftover turkey, you can make some of these quick and easy ideas:
- A favourite chicken recipe substituting turkey for the chicken
- Turkey salad, using leftover cranberry relish (or Craisins), cashews and mayonnaise
- Turkey enchiladas, instead of chicken
- Turkey Chop Suey (Add meat after vegetables have cooked to crisp-tender)
- Turkey fried rice
- Turkey pot pie (use pre-made frozen pastry shells and fill with turkey, leftover veggies, gravy, and potatoes)
- Turkey and spinach quiche
- Turkey, salad and sweet chilli wraps
RELATED: LEFTOVER ROTISSERIE CHICKEN RECIPES
Leftover Turkey Casserole & Bake Recipes
Casserole and bake recipes are a great way to use up a lot of leftovers, while also creating a hearty meal for the family. Most casseroles and bakes are also perfect for freezing so you can make in bulk and save some for a later time.
Pasta Dishes With Turkey
If you are looking for easy leftover turkey recipes, pasta is a simple go-to choice! You can keep it super easy with your usual pasta recipe, substituting your usual protein for leftover turkey, or try one of these delicious pasta recipes instead.
Leftover Turkey Pie Recipes
A turkey pot pie is a popular leftover recipe and these different pie recipes are sure to make the whole family happy. Keep it simple or try something a little extra fancy!
Stew & Curry Recipes Using Turkey
Another quick and easy recipe idea for the holiday season is turning your leftovers into either a stew or a curry. This is one definite way to transform the flavours of your roast turkey, with spices and seasoning you can’t possibly get bored with!
Turkey Soup Recipes
Put on a big batch of soup using your leftovers. Many soups can be frozen for later or make a lighter meal idea for lunches as well.
Healthy Leftover Turkey Recipes
After all the delicious holiday feasts and desserts, you might be ready for some lighter options with healthy turkey recipes to use your leftovers. Throw some sliced turkey pieces into your favourite salad recipe or try one of these ideas instead:
Mexican Inspired Leftover Recipes
Mexican cuisine is a favourite in our household, with so many versatile recipes for using leftovers. From tacos to quesadillas, enchiladas or turkey-topped nachos… these are sure to be family favourites!
More Leftover Turkey Ideas
And in case those weren’t enough delicious leftover turkey meals, here are a few more ideas to try as well:
- Leftover Turkey Risotto
- Turkey Salad
- Turkey, stuffing and cranberry sausage rolls
- Buffalo Turkey Meatballs
- Leftover Turkey Chili
- Waffled Cranberry Cream Cheese Leftover Turkey Sandwiches
- Leftover Turkey Chili with White Beans
- Leftover Turkey, Mushroom, and Brie Puff Pastries
- Thanksgiving Pizza
- Monte Cristo Sandwich
Those holiday turkey extras won’t be going to waste with all these yummy leftover turkey recipes to try. Enjoy several days of simple and delicious flavours and new meal ideas with your family as you enjoy the holiday season together! Some of these recipes may soon become favourites throughout the rest of the year too!
For more holiday recipe ideas, check out these: