19 Leftover Turkey Recipes To Extend Your Thanksgiving Celebration (2024)

Leftover turkey recipes, anyone? Enjoy what’s left of your Thanksgiving dinner with these leftover turkey recipes. And of course, we’re doing it the yummy way!

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Leftover Turkey Recipes: Ways To Avoid Food Waste

Ever wake up the day after Thanksgiving and think, “What in heaven’s name do I do with all these turkey leftovers?” Here are terrific leftover turkey recipes. We’ve got pastries, soups, side dishes, and snacks. So you can still stretch the holidays and your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers.

1. Cheesy Turkey and Ranch Quesadillas

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This one’s a 2-step recipe. Slice your leftover turkey breast into pieces, then fold them into tortillas. Don’t forget to fold in some cheddar cheese and ranch dressing. And voila! You’ve got yourself a tasty turkey and ranch quesadilla. Easy-peasy!

2. Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pesto Panini

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Would you look at this delicious stack of goodness! This turkey pesto panini made all the more special. How? By topping it with mozzarella, pesto, tomatoes, avocado slices, and of course, turkey. Truly a leftover turkey recipe that will you saying, “WOW!”

3. Turkey Tetrazzini With A Crunchy Topping

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What would happen if you throw in all your leftovers into a dish? You’ll get this amazing turkey tetrazzini dish. How great would it be to get a taste of all your favorite leftovers in a single bite?!

4.Crockpot Turkey And Rice Soup

A bowl of soothing, warm, and filling rice soup. Loaded with carrots, rice, egg noodles, and tender shredded leftover turkey. Hot or not, this turkey and rice soup hits the spot!

5.Ground Turkey Skillet with Green Beans

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Have yourself a guilt-free meal with this ground turkey skillet. Who can resist its chock-full ofgreen beans? Plus, it’s tasty and definitely effortlessto prepare.Mix it with rice or enjoy this dish as is.

6. Light Turkey And Corn Chowder

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Sipping this savory and warm turkeyand corn chowder will definitely make your day. It’s a light yet satisfying meal to cook for your family on a chilly evening. So take note of this leftover turkey recipe!

7. Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey And Sweet Potato Frittata

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Here’s aperfect balance of nutritious and delicious. Mix in some sweet potatoes with your leftover turkey to make a delicious frittata. It’s a must-try leftover turkey recipe that will have you asking for another skillet.

8. Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie

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You can never go wrong with an extra creamy pot pie. Not when it’s stuffed with leftover turkey and juicy summer veggies. After trying this recipe, you’ll be cooking a turkey just to have a second batch of this wonderful pot pie.

9. Thanksgiving Pizza

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This pizza is the best way to turn Thanksgiving leftovers into one delicious meal. It’s topped with flavors from everything you had on Thanksgiving. Mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, stuffing, and chopped turkey. All mixed up and turned into a topping of a puff pastry.

RELATED:17 No Bake Thanksgiving Desserts To Keep You Stress Free

10. Cranberry Hazelnut Turkey Wellington

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Impress everyone with this super festive Turkey Wellington. The tangy flavor of cranberry and the nutty goodness of hazelnut are a perfect mixture. It will look like you spent hours in the kitchen. But actually, it’s a leftover turkey recipe that’s super easy and simple to make.

11. Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

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It’s time to show off your clean eating skills! Placeleftover turkey,chopped avocado, onions, and tomatoes in fresh lettuce leaves. You can also use any other greens! The result: turkey taco lettuce wraps, a tasty guilt-free meal!

12. Waffled Cranberry Turkey Sandwiches

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Waffle sandwiches stuffed with turkey, cranberry sauce, and some greens.These turkey sandwiches taste as good as they look! Each filling component compliments each other, giving you a nuanced, scrumptious flavor.

13. Paleo Turkey Stuffed Peppers

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Stuffed peppers with a paleo-turkey mixture make for a healthy snack. They are also a great way to have the kids enjoy peppers and any other vegetables without even noticing.

14.Turkey, Mushroom and Bacon Puff Pastry Pockets

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Puff pastry pockets are a versatile treat. You can stuff them with anything, as long as they work well together. Leftover turkey, bacon, Swiss cheese, and a creamy mushroom sauce are all you need.

15.Southwest Turkey Chopped Salad

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How about a refreshing salad? This bowl of colorful veggies, nuts, Mexican cheese, and chopped turkey is what you need. Drizzle it with a tasty barbecue sauce and some ranch dressing too.

16.Homemade Seasoning and Turkey Tacos

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A delicious snack or dinner you can create using your leftover turkey! These are turkey tacos that are tasty, crunchy, and so easy to put together.

17. Leftover Turkey In Creamy Mushroom Sauce

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Transform simple turkey odds and ends into a savory meal with mushrooms. I used to not care much for turkey leftovers. But this mushroom and leftover turkey recipe had me saving all there is to save from the roasting tin.

18. Turkey Pot Pie Soup

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Stray away from the usual leftover turkey baked pot pie. It’s time you try this turkey pot pie soup instead. This turkey leftover soup recipe will warm you up from your nose to your toes!

19. Aunt Bee’s Leftover Turkey Casserole

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Tummies full after an evening of feasting and indulgence? Good thing you can prepare Aunt Bee’s leftover turkey casserole. All you need to do is freeze it, then pop it in the oven when you need a good eat.

You can also try the leftover turkey noodle casserole recipe. Watch this video from Home of the Holidays to find out how:

Having leftover turkey after Thanksgiving is almost always inevitable. So make sure you don’t throw any out to try these leftover turkey recipes. Enjoy the holidays and the days after!

Which of these leftover turkey recipes are you planning to try? We’d love to hear all about it in the comments section below!

Up Next:

  • 14 Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes
  • 17 Thanksgiving Side Dishes | Homemade Recipes
  • Food Staples To Stock Up On And Homemade Recipes To Cook Them At Home

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Editor’s Note – This post was originally published on November 25, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

19 Leftover Turkey Recipes To Extend Your Thanksgiving Celebration (2024)

FAQs

What should you do with leftovers from Thanksgiving that has sat out for longer than 2 hours? ›

If foods have been left out for more than two hours, discard items to prevent foodborne illness.

How many days can you eat leftover turkey? ›

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.

What is made from Thanksgiving leftovers? ›

Instead, try turning your leftovers into a casserole, like our turkey divan, our chicken stuffing casserole, or our turkey pot pie; a soup, like our turkey noodle soup, our leftover turkey & wild rice soup, or our homemade turkey stock (made from your turkey carcass); or something lighter or more flavorful than before, ...

What is turkey tetrazzini made of? ›

Try this American classic turkey casserole—turkey Tetrazzini—a hearty pasta bake that includes sautéed mushrooms, a cheesy creamy sauce, leftover turkey, peas, and egg noodles.

What can I do with too many leftovers? ›

Freeze them

If you like the food that's left over but just don't want to eat more of it now or even this week, freeze it in portion sizes or family dinner sizes to consume later. You'll thank yourself when you have a busy schedule and no time to make a meal.

What is the rule for leftovers? ›

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.

Is it OK to eat turkey that's been in the fridge for 2 weeks? ›

Turkey typically lasts up to four days in the fridge before it goes bad. It can be stored in the freezer for up to four months before it starts to lose its flavor and texture. The USDA offers the following tips for storing and handling your turkey leftovers. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc.

Is a 3 year old frozen turkey still good? ›

A whole turkey can be stored in the freezer for up to 12 months. Turkey pieces are best consumed within nine months.

Can you eat 12 day old turkey? ›

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.

What are 4 commonly consumed foods at Thanksgiving other than turkey? ›

Cornish game hen, goose, duck, ham, beef, salmon, and mushroom recipes make worthy centerpieces for holiday meals.

What two food items were not present at the original Thanksgiving? ›

It is also worth noting what was not present at the first Thanksgiving feast. There were no cloudlike heaps of mashed potatoes, since white potatoes had not yet crossed over from South America. There was no gravy either, since the colonists didn't yet have mills to produce flour.

What are 3 foods that are eaten on Thanksgiving? ›

Millions of people across the United States will sit down to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including turkey, potatoes, squash, corn, and cranberries.

What is pasta called in turkey? ›

Turkish Makarna (Pasta)

What is cream cheese called in turkey? ›

Meanings of "cream cheese" with other terms in English Turkish Dictionary : 3 result(s)
CategoryTurkish
Gastronomy
1Gastronomyhoşmerim
2Gastronomylabne
3Gastronomyçedar peyniri
1 more row

How long can Thanksgiving leftovers sit out? ›

How to Properly Store Thanksgiving Leftovers. Hot or cold foods at room temperature should be left out no longer than two hours—that number goes down to one hour when the temperature is over 90 degrees. If food has been left out for more than two hours, it's best to throw it away.

What do you do with food that is left out for too long? ›

Myth: You shouldn't put hot foods in the refrigerator.

Perishable foods should be put in a refrigerator that is 40 degrees or below within 2 hours of preparation. If you leave food out to cool and forget about it after 2 hours, throw it away.

How long can you eat leftovers sitting out? ›

TWO HOURS is the MAXIMUM time perishable foods should be at room temperature (ONE HOUR at temperatures 90 degrees F and higher). This INCLUDES the time they're on the table during your meal. Just ONE bacterium, doubling every 20 minutes, can grow to over 2,097,152 bacteria in 7 hours!

How long can you keep leftover food before discarding? ›

Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or frozen for 3 to 4 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer.

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