Leftover Turkey Recipes to Get Excited About

Have a bunch of turkey leftovers? Bring them to life in a variety of new and exciting recipes, including the most delicious salads, casseroles, chilis, and more!

Thanksgiving is over and that storage container of perfectly carved leftover turkey is waiting to be gobbled up. But after a night of heavy eating, you’re probably craving something different…maybe even lighter. So ditch the idea of reheating your previous Thanksgiving dinner plate as is, and opt for something far more exciting.

Treat you leftover turkey like a simple meal prep ingredient and layer it onto a grain bowl with roasted butternut squash, avocado, and a dollop of cranberry sauce. Swap it for chicken in a cozy winter vegetable soup. Or dice up all your leftovers and bake them into a casserole with wild rice. There are so many un-boring things you can make with turkey leftovers!

Best Leftover Turkey Recipes

The secret to transforming turkey leftovers into exciting new meals is a little creativity with flavor, sauces, and texture combinations. First, check to see what you have in your pantry, fridge, and freezer. The feel free to add in chopped nuts or seeds to a salad, or use up that frozen bag of peas in a casserole.

Here’s a few ideas to get you started! And I’ll continue to add to this list every year. So be sure to bookmark this page for your next Thanksgiving menu.

Turkey Cobb Salad

This harvest turkey Cobb salad puts a tasty seasonal spin on the classic Cobb salad with roasted turkey, butternut squash, and cranberries. Those ingredients join the classic ingredients like bacon and boiled eggs to create a salad that’s protein-packed, and hearty.

Lighter Turkey Casserole

What better way to make use of leftovers than a comforting turkey casserole? But don’t worry, this one won’t weigh you down. It’s wonderfully light and fluffy with wild rice, frozen peas and a quick mushroom gravy sauce.

Turkey Cranberry Hash

Yes, you can use those turkey leftovers for breakfast! The potatoes are buttery soft, the turkey is deliciously filling, and the cranberries add that perfectly balanced sweetness. And if you’d like, you can top the hash with a poached egg!

Have more leftovers from Thanksgiving side dishes? It’s really easy to create salads, bowls, and casseroles from honey glazed carrots to green beans and mashed potatoes, these pre-cooked vegetables will make your throw-together meals a cinch.

5 from 5 votes

Leftover Turkey Recipes To Get Excited About

Prep Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Servings: 2 servings

Author: Lisa Bryan

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Turn your turkey leftovers into a variety of easy and healthy meals like this tasty harvest salad!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

For The Salad

• 6 cups baby spinach, or other salad greens
• 4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
• 1 cup cooked turkey breast, cubed
• 1 cup roasted butternut squash, cubed
• 2 hard boiled eggs, quartered
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 2 tablespoons cranberries
• 2 tablespoons pecans, roughly chopped

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 small clove garlic, mined
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Mix together the apple cider vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl.
  
• In a large salad bowl, layer the spinach with bacon, turkey breast, roasted butternut squash, boiled eggs, cranberries, pecans, and goat cheese. Drizzle the apple cider vinaigrette on top and enjoy.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 683kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 47g, Fat: 48g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 279mg, Sodium: 768mg, Potassium: 1220mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 16433IU, Vitamin C: 42mg, Calcium: 211mg, Iron: 5mg

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Leftover turkey recipes, Turkey Leftovers

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