The extended family has left, the parade is over and the days of cooking are finished. Thanksgiving celebrations, filled with family favorites like turkey, potatoes and tart cranberry sauce, can take a lot of planning and preparation. But what about the leftovers?
Your fridge may be packed to the brim the week after Thanksgiving. Get leftover-savvy with these three tips for using turkey-day leftovers. You’ll be grateful for creative ways to pair flavors!
Just Add Cranberry Sauce
Tart and sweet cranberry sauce may be a hit around your Thanksgiving Day table. However, it’s hard to escape leftovers!
Use extra sauce like a jam or jelly and spread on toast. Spice up plain yogurt with a swirl of cranberry—turn it into a parfait by building layers of yogurt, cranberry sauce, and nuts or Sunbelt Bakery granola cereal.
Cranberry sauce is a winning accompaniment to turkey—but also to chicken and pork. When you’re cooking chicken or pork in the oven, glaze your meat with sauce in the last few minutes of roasting. The tartness complements a variety of dishes!
Turn Turkey Into Tasty Chili
Change up the savory flavor combinations with a zesty turkey chili. Get something tasty stewing. Sauté 2 cups diced onion with 1 cup chopped green bell pepper and four finely chopped garlic cloves. While sautéing, add 1 tablespoon ground cumin and 2 tablespoons chili powder, or more to taste. Next, add three cans of fire-roasted tomatoes, two cans of kidney beans, drained, and three to four cups of shredded, cooked turkey meat. Add a cup of stock, or water if you don’t have stock on hand, and 1 tablespoon of salt.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it simmer for at least an hour. Serve hot with grain bread or cornbread of your choosing. Still have leftovers? Turn this into an easy weeknight freezer meal!
Create a Shepherd’s Pie or Pot Pie
Shepherd’s pie is traditional dish that combines your favorite comfort foods—vegetables, turkey and a potato “crust.” You likely have all the necessary ingredients for the various layers already prepared. Turkey pot pies are also family favorites. Use any leftover gravy, turkey and vegetables, and add fresh or frozen veggies and a quick crust, depending on the recipe you use.
Your Turn…
Now that we’ve shared our best ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers, we’d love to hear yours. Tell us in the comments below how you repurpose your Turkey Day dinner!
homemade soup
turkey and gravy over toast just love for a treat.
Mmm!
Pot pies are wonderful but at my home leftover turkey is made into turkey salad with walnuts and grapes (mmm so good)
This is also a great idea, Kay! Thanks for the tips!
i make a skillet pot pie, I butter my cast iron skillet, chop turkey, add cream of mushroom soup, sliced fresh mushrooms, corn, peas and carrots. Roll out biscuit dough, cut in strips and layover the top. Bake at 350 until bubbly and biscuits are browned,. 20-22 minutes
That sounds amazing, Donna! Thanks for the tips.
Hot Turkey sandwich ,Turkey chili, turkey ruben !!!!!!
We agree, Leslie! That sounds amazing too!
While these are great ideas, I have to say what we look forward to is turkey vegetable soup! Boiling the carcass creates such a flavorful soup base (I usually freeze some for later) and the turkey meat is already cooked, so really after I have the soup base done it’s a matter of adding veggies and then chopped turkey pieces near the end of cooking time.
Great ideas but love a left over turkey sandwich with mayo and avocado yum
Thanks for the ideas for my left over turkey looks awesome making some for supper
We boil up some noodles, mix in creamy soup, drain a can of peas, and then add the cut up turkey. It’s really pretty good.
Our mouths are watering just reading this, Pamela! Yum!
I made a Turkey Pot Pie using the left over turkey, carrots and mashed potatoes.
Great idea, Terry! We’ll have to give that a try.
Pot pie looks good
Pot pie looks good ,will have to try it.
Pot pie is good, Cheryl! Let us know how you like it.
Leftovers didn’t last long this year but I love those ideas.
I found a great recipe on Pinterest for creamed turkey and biscuits. This meal uses up leftover turkey and mashed potatoes!
Good idea, S.! We’ll have to keep that in mind for next time.
My kids are not fond of turkey but we made the best pot pie with leftovers and it was a smash. Not a crumb left.