Creative Recipes for Leftover Turkey: Make the Most of Your Thanksgiving Feast

Leftover turkey doesn’t have to mean bland dinners or plain sandwiches. With a little creativity, you can transform any piece of leftover turkey into a delicious meal. Let’s explore some easy and satisfying recipes for using up your cooked turkey.

1. Turkey Pot Pie

This is a comforting and easy-to-throw-together dish ideal for using every last bit of turkey meat. You can easily cook this turkey pie with pre-made pastry and frozen mixed veggies or leftover vegetables from Christmas Day. Here’s how to make your own:

Prepare the Filling: Dice any leftover turkey meat or use cooked turkey pieces from a previous meal. Make the Crust: Use a store-bought frozen pie crust or prepare your own from scratch. Add Fosters: Make your own tzatziki sauce with minimal fuss: combine some Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, finely chopped tomatoes, sliced onions, and chopped kalamata olives. Incorporate Cheese: Add some crumbled feta cheese to the filling for added flavor. Layer the Pie: Place the turkey, veggies, and cheese mixture into the pie crust, add another pie crust on top, and bake until golden and bubbly. Serve with Gravy: Serve with lashings of hot gravy, mashed potatoes, and green beans. This dish is almost as good as a Christmas dinner!

2. Hot and Cold Turkey Sandwiches

Leftover turkey is perfect for making versatile sandwiches:

Hot Turkey Sandwiches: Layer cooked turkey with mashed potatoes for a filling meal. Use a good quality whole wheat bread and toast it first for extra flavor. Turkey Club Sandwiches: Stack slices of turkey, tomato, lettuce, and cheese with a touch of mayo or mustard between the layers for a hearty lunch. Casserole: Use turkey meat from the legs and make a flavorful casserole. Simmer the meat in a pot of water, creating a delicious broth that can be used for soup or other dishes.

3. Turkey Hash and Soup

Don’t let your turkey get old and boring:

Turkey Hash: Fry diced turkey, onions, and potatoes together until crispy for a savory breakfast or brunch dish. Turkey Vegetable Soup: Combine turkey, potatoes, noodles, and vegetables for a hearty soup. Save the turkey carcass and make stock from the bones for an even richer flavor.

4. Other Delicious Leftover Options

Here are some other ways to use your leftover turkey:

Turkey Salad: Make a delicious turkey salad with lettuce, tomatoes, and your favorite condiments. Turkey Omelette: Break an egg into a pan with a little butter. Add diced turkey and cook until the egg is set. Stuffing Waffles: One year, we made stuffing waffles and served them with turkey in a creamy gravy. It was interesting but not necessarily something I want to repeat. However, stuffing crisped in a waffle maker is a great idea!

Use leftover turkey wisely and enjoy every last bite of your Thanksgiving feast. Whether you’re making a pot pie, sandwiches, soup, or hash, these creative recipes will help you make the most of your leftovers.