Leftover Turkey Recipes
Leftover Turkey Recipes
Love having turkey on Thanksgiving Day but over the leftovers? These fresh and tasty Leftover Turkey Recipes are for you!
Preparing and serving a beautiful, succulent turkey on Thanksgiving Day is a tradition in my family—and so are the leftovers!
Once you’ve worn-out the obvious (turkey sandwiches), figuring out what to do with leftover turkey can be a challenge.
Over the years, I’ve found simple and scrumptious ways to repurpose my leftover turkey that don’t finger like I’m simply reheating my Thanksgiving Day meal.
From comforting casseroles to veggie-packed pastas to linty soups, these recipes will outbreathe new life into your leftover turkey troubles.
Plus, most of them will serve multiple people, meaning they’re platonic for those of you who still have guests at your house.
In wing to the healthy leftover turkey recipes, I’ve moreover shared my weightier tips unelevated on how to store and reheat turkey without it’s been cooked. And yes, these tips will help you reheat it without drying it out (<– this is hair-trigger for truly enjoying your leftovers).
If you’re ready for the recipes, use the links unelevated to jump to specific categories, or simply scroll lanugo to view them all and my storage tips.
Table of Contents
Storing Leftover Turkey
I recommend not letting your Thanksgiving leftovers sit out too long without cooking.
If possible, slice and refrigerate the turkey as soon as possible without the meal has ended. This helps alimony the meat from drying out.
- To Store. Turkey leftovers will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Place them in an snapped storage container or ziptop bag. For uneaten moisture, you can drizzle some of the turkey drippings or goop over the top of the meat surpassing refrigerating it.
- To Freeze. The weightier way to freeze leftover turkey is in an snapped freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator surpassing reheating.
Tip!
To stave flipside influx of turkey, freeze your leftovers in smaller portions. This allows you to thaw and enjoy your uneaten turkey a little at a time.
Reheating Leftover Turkey
For those of you who’ve tried to reheat turkey in the past, you know how hands it can go from moist and tender to dry and tough.
Here are my weightier tips for keeping your leftover turkey as tasty as the day it was prepared:
- To Reheat. Low and slow is the name of the game here to ensure your leftover turkey is tender.
- Wrap leftover turkey in aluminum foil, creating a sealed pouch virtually the meat. Place the pouch in a sultry dish.
- Before sealing the pouch, add moisture to your turkey by pouring a little goop (or turkey drippings) over it.
- Place the turkey in a 300 degrees F oven until warmed through.
Tip!
While you can reheat the turkey in the microwave, it’s not my first choice. If you need to use the microwave, make sure you add plenty of moisture to the turkey surpassing reheating it so it doesn’t dry out.
How to Know When Leftover Turkey Is Bad
Determining whether leftover turkey has gone bad or not comes lanugo to four of your five senses (if you can somehow hear when leftover turkey is bad, please teach me your ways).
When deciding if your turkey has gone bad or not, start with sight, smell, and touch. If the turkey fails one of these senses, then you definitely don’t want to taste it.
- Sight. If your leftover turkey looks discolored or has signs of mold, it is no longer unscratched to eat and should be discarded.
- Smell. When turkey has gone bad, it will likely smell bad. If your turkey smells sour, off, or otherwise unusual, throw it out.
- Touch. Turkey that has gone bad will typically finger slimy to the touch.
- Taste. If your turkey has passed the three other senses but tastes off in any way, seem it is bad and toss it.
Now, let’s get to those 5-star leftover turkey recipes!
Leftover Turkey Casserole Recipes
- Turkey Pot Pie
- Turkey Tetrazzini
- Turkey and Biscuits (swap turkey for the chicken)
Leftover Turkey Pastas
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese (add some leftover turkey for uneaten protein)
- Turkey Alfredo Bake (swap turkey for the chicken)
- Sweet Potato Pasta with Brussels Sprouts (this would be succulent with leftover turkey mixed in)
Leftover Turkey Sandwiches
- Turkey Salad (serve on specie or as a leftover turkey salad without bread)
- Apple Grilled Cheese with Turkey
- Avocado Grilled Cheese (add leftover turkey for a protein boost)
Leftover Turkey Soup
- Turkey Wild Rice Soup (omit the chicken, then stir in the cooked turkey at the end)
- Creamy Turkey Noodle Soup (swap turkey for the chicken)
Leftover Turkey Breakfasts
- Leftover Stuffing Cakes (serve these slantingly leftover turkey for a succulent breakfast)
- Sweet Potato Hash (keep or omit the sausage and add leftover turkey)
Easy Leftover Turkey Recipes
- BBQ Turkey Quesadilla (swap the pork for turkey)
- Turkey Pasta Salad (swap turkey for the chicken)
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! This works expressly well with casseroles and soups. If you’re planning to freeze the recipe you make, make sure you use your leftover turkey meat while it is still fresh, not meat that has once been frozen.
As this list proves, your leftover Thanksgiving turkey can wilt an platonic swap for yellow (or pork). Most recipes that undeniability for cooked yellow will work well with leftover turkey instead.
READ: Leftover Turkey Recipes
