If you have a ton of turkey left over, you might want to know how to use up leftover turkey
There’s a multitude of ways for how to use up leftover turkey that will help you get rid of that turkey in no time.
Every year, there’s leftover turkey to be eaten for a multitude of reasons. You DON’T have to eat all that turkey right now. There’s lots of fun and delicious ways to keep it and use it up later.
In this post, I will share:
– All the ways for how to use up leftover turkey from the holiday meals,
– Ideas for mixing other leftover ingredients in,
– Resources and tips for recipes that are unique and delicious.
I know you can’t wait to make a meal plan with your leftover turkey. Let’s dive into all the ideas for how to use up leftover turkey.
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Sandwiches
Everyone loves a great sandwich. It’s quick and easy and anyone can make one. Here’s some ideas for some great ways you can kick up a leftover turkey sandwich:
- Turkey sandwich with stuffing and cranberries.
- Turkey Sandwich with Cream Cheese and cranberries.
- Hot Turkey Sandwiches with Leftover Gravy.
- Turkey Wrap in a Flour Tortilla.
- BLT with Turkey and Mayo.
- Turkey panini with Brie, Dijon, and apples
YUM! Super quick easy and delicious. And you can pair it up with a bowl of soup. Put some turkey in your soup as well.
Soup
There’s nothing more soothing and satisfying to me than a nice warm bowl of soup. I’ve got some great ideas for soup with turkey that might be a little bit different.
- Turkey & Dumplings
- Veggie, Rice and Turkey Soup
- Thanksgiving Leftover Soup
- Taste of Home Creamy Turkey Soup
- Turkey Gumbo
Here’s some quick tips for you on some different soups I love:
The turkey and wild rice soup is great with celery, onion, carrots, corn, chicken broth and stewed tomatoes. And also leftover gravy makes it a creamier soup.
Also, the Thanksgiving leftover soup can include anything you have leftover. I typically don’t use the cranberry sauce or dressing so I’m not sure what that would be like in it. But anything else is fair game.
Mexican
Yum – I love me some Mexican food. You can’t go wrong with turkey smothered in cheese and stuffed in a tortilla. Here’s some fun examples of Mexican turkey recipes:
- Turkey Enchiladas
- Turkey Nachos
- Chimichangas
- Tacos or Taco Salads
Mexican turkey recipes are super simple and delicious to make. Make sure you have chips, sour cream, cheese and salsa on hand.
Casseroles
Another tasty and easy way to use up leftover turkey in a unique way. Make it into a casserole. Here’s a few ideas:
- Turkey Noodle Casserole
- Turkey/Stuffing Casserole
- Turkey/Mushroom Casserole
For the turkey/stuffing casserole: Spread stuffing on the bottom of the 9×13 casserole dish. Then, layer turkey, corn and mashed potatoes on top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
And for the turkey/mushroom casserole: Mix stuffing, green beans, turkey, chicken broth and cream of mushroom soup in a casserole dish. Cover with tin foil and bake on 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until warm and bubbly.
Pot Pie
My FAVORITE way to use up leftover turkey and vegetables is to bake it in a pie. There’s a couple of ways you could do this.
One way is to use a pie crust you like. You can make your own or buy one. I particularly like this one.
Another way is to use stuffing for the crust on the bottom and top. Just line your favorite pie pans with stuffing, fill with filling and top with more stuffing. Bake until stuffing is bubbly.
To make your filling: Slow cook the creamy gravy and turkey filling in a crock pot until it’s nice and thick. Then, make your pie in any of the ways I’ve mentioned above. You can’t go wrong.
Of course, you need to know that pot pies can be frozen to enjoy later. Use these freezer bags to pack them up for later.
Salads
Hot or cold turkey salads are amazing and healthy ways to use up leftover turkey.
For cold turkey salads on lettuce, include french fried onions, leftover deviled eggs, and leftover relishes along with warmed up turkey.
You could also make hot turkey salads that are like chicken salad but with turkey. So, with the turkey, add in mayo, pickle relish, dried cranberries, apples, mustard and/or eggs.
The nice thing about salads is that you can make them anyway you want. I love the freedom of making something however you’d like.
Other Random Ways To Use Leftover Turkey
These are ways to use up turkey that you may not have thought of yet. A lot of these ideas are recipes you already love with other meats but can be substituted with turkey. Enjoy having fun with these recipes.
- Stuffed Turkey Crescent Rolls
- Stuffed pasta shells
- Turkey Skillet
- Stroganoff
- Tetrazzini
Stuffed turkey crescent rolls are fun to make. First, take crescent rolls and put a dash of stuffing, squash and turkey. Roll up and bake as usual. You could also put some cranberry sauce. Have a side of gravy or cranberry sauce for dipping.
For the other ideas, substitute turkey in and have fun experimenting.
Give it Away
If none of these sound good to you and you’re just tired of turkey all together, give it to someone who wants it. Someone who needs it more than you do.
This could be someone in your family or friend network or someone on the streets who really need your leftovers. Share and give as much as you can whenever possible.
Lots of Ways to Enjoy Leftover Turkey
I’ve given you lots of ways to use up leftover turkey. I hope these ideas are helpful for you and that you get a lot of good from it.
If you know of someone who needs to see this, please feel free to share this with them. And if you have any other ideas I’ve missed, please put it down below in the comments.
~ Much Love ~
