These leftover turkey recipes are a significant departure from the norm. 13 real meal recipes that are easy to make, but so delicious; no one will realize that they’re actually leftovers!
Inevitable as death and taxes, leftover turkey looms the day after Thanksgiving.
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I don’t know about you, but I am not one of those people who cannot wait for a turkey sandwich the next day. Even turkey soup, later in the week, isn’t appealing to me. I’m the one who is looking for or creating unique leftover turkey recipes to turn that turkey into something different and delightful!
I came up with my very favorite way to use not just leftover turkey, but the mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy a few years ago: what I called my genius layered leftovers dish which you’ll find below. I adapted an Italian dish called “gattó di patate” which has soufflè-like potatoes along with melty mozzarella cheese and ham!
You’ll also find two more of my recipes along with others from bloggers I’ve curated which pass my “no processed” ingredients criteria. Some are twists on classics, some are international, but all of them are delicious!
13 Leftover Turkey Recipes (Real Meals)
1. Genius Turkey, Potato and Stuffing Layered Leftovers
No one will be able to tell that this dish is actually made from leftovers; it’s that good! Honestly, I make extra to be sure that I will have leftovers, especially the potatoes and stuffing!
If you haven’t heard of Tieghan from Half Baked Harvest, it’s only a matter of time. Recipes like her turkey and wild rice pot pies, accompanied by stunning photography are only two of the reasons she’s an award-winning food writer! Grey Staub cocottes here.
My friend, Cynthia, from What a Girl Eats cooks everything from soufflés to sweet potatoes, but it’s not surprising because she’s a trained as a chef. These enchiladas are the perfect option to make something different, but delicious with that leftover turkey.
4. Leftover Turkey Fried Rice
If you don’t feel like Mexican, what about this Chinese-inspired turkey leftovers recipe? This recipe comes from Fleming’s Steakhouse and is very quick and easy to throw together. Mother of pearl chopsticks found here.
Kristen from The Endless Meal kindly allowed me to share her beautiful butter turkey recipe. It’s a gorgeous, Indian-inspired meal that is better known by its chicken counterpart, “butter chicken”. Give it a try! All-Clad pan found here.
This spin on British sausage rolls comes from my friend, Janette, from Culinary Ginger. What a delicious way to use up those Thanksgiving leftovers without throwing them in between two slices of bread!
Although it may sound Italian, anything “tetrazzini” is actually an American recipe. If you want a simple, tasty dish that the family will enjoy, give Liz’s recipe a try. She doesn’t just know how to bake! Revol roasting and serving dish found here.
8. Leftover Turkey with Leeks and Sage Butter Sauce
If you’ve seen my turkey schnitzel recipe with leeks and sage butter sauce, you’ll know that I liked the sauce so much that I decided to serve it with leftover turkey, too! I think that leeks are a very underappreciated vegetable in the US.
Krissy from Self Proclaimed Foodie has one of the best leftover turkey recipes: leftover turkey risotto! Simple, easy, and delicious; what more do we need?
My friend Janice knows about comfort food as she lives in Scotland. This dish incorporates leftover turkey with bacon, leeks, green onions and cheese with pasta which is baked until is hot and bubbly! Yum!
Amy’s contribution to these leftover turkey recipes has to be one of the most unique and most mouth-watering of them all! Who doesn’t want to dive into this steamy bowl of gumbo?!
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I hope you enjoy my collection of leftover turkey recipes and refer to after Thanksgiving, Christmas and anytime you have leftover turkey. All of these would be equally delicious using leftover chicken, too! Don’t forget to share with friends and relatives who would enjoy these recipes, as well!
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USDA recommends using cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. Turkey can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer.
How long do the turkey and trimmings stay safe in the refrigerator or freezer? The answer is simple: leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days. This means you have until the Monday after Thanksgiving to eat all those delicious leftovers or place them in the freezer to enjoy later.
Place the turkey pieces in a baking dish and drizzle with a few tablespoons of stock and/or butter.Cover the dish with foil and heat in the oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can microwave the sliced turkey (cover with a damp paper towel) in a microwave-safe dish at 50% power in 1-minute intervals.
As long as your leftovers have been frozen at 0 degrees F, you can store them indefinitely. But they'll taste best used within two to three months. Pack side dishes like stuffing and mashed potatoes into airtight freezer containers or plastic freezer bags.
Cooked turkey and other leftovers can be kept in the fridge safely for about three to four days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and FoodSafety.gov say. But after that time, "the risk of food poisoning goes up," the Mayo Clinic notes, pointing to the growth of bacteria in refrigerated leftovers.
As a general guideline, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services recommends eating or freezing turkey and other leftovers within three to four days. For Thanksgiving, that means you should eat or freeze by Monday.
Place the turkey on a parchment or foil-covered baking sheet in a single layer.Transfer to the freezer for one hour, until the turkey is quite chilled and firm. This will allow the slices or cubes to stay separate when you freeze them in a bag or container.
You reheat once then eat. You take your turkey out of the fridge, cut what you are planning to eat and reheat on a low heat until piping hot (I pour some leftover gravy on top which helps it stay moist). Apart from the food poisoning risk reheating any meat, especially turkey, will make it staler each time.
To reheat, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Keeping the turkey in the roasting pan, pour a bit of stock (chicken, turkey, or veggie stock or broth will work) over the meat to moisten it. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the turkey is warmed through.
Heat the oven to 350°F and transfer the stuffing to an oven-safe dish (or, you can keep it in the dish that it was originally cooked in). If it seems dry, you'll want to add a splash of broth. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake again until crisp, 15–20 minutes.
“The best way to reheat turkey is in the oven,” says chef Jose Garces. “Slice the turkey, place it in a shallow pan, add some chicken or turkey stock, and cover tightly with foil. Heat at 300 or 325 degrees until the turkey reaches 165 degrees. The stock should allow the turkey to steam without drying out.”
Leftover cooked turkey freezes well for up to 6 months if properly handled, packed, and frozen within 3 days of the original preparation. However, I like to try and use it within 3 months for the best flavor and texture and to avoid the possibility of freezer burn.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for three to four days, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Turkey typically lasts up to four days in the fridge before it goes bad.
Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away. Frozen leftovers will stay safe for a long time.
Buy a fresh turkey one to two days before the day you plan to cook. If there is a 'best-by' or 'use by' date on the manufacturer's label, then you can keep fresh poultry, unopened, in the refrigerator until that date.
If properly stored, raw turkey can last in the fridge for 1–2 days, while cold cuts last up to 5 days. How long does cooked turkey last in the fridge? If you have leftovers that include cooked turkey, you can expect those to last in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
Introduction: My name is Barbera Armstrong, I am a lovely, delightful, cooperative, funny, enchanting, vivacious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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