Thanksgiving is almost here! And there are all sorts of questions going through people’s heads as they get ready for the big day; “Where is Uncle Phil’s family going to sleep?”, “Who is bringing the pies?”, “What time do we need to start cooking the turkey?” and “What is our battle plan for Walmart on black Friday?”
These and 20 other questions are always flying around just a few days before the big T-day, but there’s one question nobody thinks about until they’re cleaning up from dinner on Thursday. “What the heck are we going to do with all this left-over turkey?!?”
Well fear no more, here are 7 great low-effort recipes to help you get rid of all that left-over turkey after the big day! Some of these recipes are our own inventions, and some are ones we’ve found on the internet and sort of adopted. But they’re all guaranteed to fill up your tummy and empty out your fridge after the holidays!
- The Turkey Sandwich: This must be on the list! You just can’t go wrong with a good turkey sandwich. It’s a classic, and enjoyed by many for days (or even weeks by some) after thanksgiving dinner.
TIME: Prep: 5 min. Cook: 0-1 min. MAKES: 1 serving
Ingredients
Cooked Turkey Meat
Bread (I use left over dinner rolls from thanksgiving)
Cheese
Condiments
Directions
This should be fairly self-explanatory. Take two pieces of bread, add condiments to taste and add cheese and turkey, heat the turkey using a microwave or convection toaster if you like. Eat and enjoy!
(This recipe courtesy of Mom’s everywhere, Photo courtesy of mainefoodandlifestyle.com)
- Turkey Soup: This is a great low effort recipe for thanksgiving leftovers, just put it on the stove and walk away. Plus nothing beats a hot bowl of soup after a game of flag football out in the cold with the entire family the day after thanksgiving.
TIME: Prep: 30 min. Cook: 2 hours 35 min. MAKES: 8-10 servings
Ingredients
1 leftover turkey carcass (from a 10- to 12-pound turkey)
2 quarts water
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
Directions
Place the turkey carcass in a stockpot; add the water, onion, salt and bay leaves. Slowly bring to a boil over low heat; cover and simmer for 2 hours.
Remove carcass; cool. Strain broth and skim fat. Discard onion and bay leaves. Return broth to the pan. Add the carrots, rice, celery and chopped onion; cover and simmer until rice and vegetables are tender.
Remove turkey from bones; discard bones and cut turkey into bite-size pieces. Add turkey and cream soup to broth; heat through. Yield: 8-10 servings (about 2 quarts).
(This recipe courtesy of tasteofhome.com here)
- Turkey and Dumplings: One of my family favorites, relatively quick, very filling and good for people who don’t think to keep the carcass of the turkey after they are done carving it.
TIME: Prep: 30 min. Cook: 45 minutes. MAKES: 3-4 servings
Ingredients
Stew:
1 ½ lbs cooked turkey meat
32oz chicken broth (canned, boxed or from bullion)
1 ½ cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2-3 bay leaves
Salt to taste
1 tsp ground pepper
Dumplings:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp white sugar
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp. Parsley flakes
1 Tbsp. Margarine or butter
½ cup Milk
Directions
Shred or cube the turkey meat. In a medium pot, put the broth, turkey, carrots and celery. Add the salt and pepper and stir until mixed. Add the bay leaves on top, try not to stir around the bay leaves too much as you will want to remove them later, if you stir too hard you will break them up in the soup. Heat over medium-high heat to a gentle boil and reduce heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove the bay leaves with a slotted spoon or fork.
In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the dumplings. Mix in the margarine until crumbly, add milk and stir into a soft dough. Bring the soup to a boil and drop in the dough by spoonful on top of the soup, try to evenly cover the top of the soup. Boil, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, the dumplings should be puffy and moist and have soaked up most of the broth so the soup should be a very thick stew at this point. Serve by scooping dumplings into bowls and ladling the stew on top.
(This recipe courtesy of the Bell Family)
- Shepherd’s Pie: Another one of my favorites, you can use up of all kinds of leftovers with this recipe, not just the turkey! I always cook my shepherd’s pie in a Dutch Oven because I have a deep and abiding love of all things Dutch Oven cooked. But a casserole dish in an oven at 350 will work just fine.
TIME: Prep: 20 min. Cook: 20 minutes. MAKES: 8-10 servings
Ingredients
2 lbs cooked Turkey Meat (shredded or cubed)
2 cups Gravy
1 cup green beans
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup peas
3 cups mashed potatoes
1 ½ cup shredded cheese
Directions
If you are doing this Dutch Oven style, you need to have at least a 12” oven. Start by igniting 20-25 pieces of charcoal (do this outside please). Place a piece of aluminum foil on the ground (for easy cleanup) and once the charcoal has reached temperature place 10-12 pieces on the foil in a circle, evenly spaced to cover the whole surface area of the bottom of the oven. Place the oven over the coals and evenly space the remaining 10-12 pieces on top of the lid.
For an indoor oven, preheat the oven to 350 and get out a large 9×13 casserole dish.
In the Dutch Oven (or casserole dish), mix together the turkey, gravy and vegetables. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of this mixture and top with cheese. Replace the lid on the Dutch Oven or cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and the gravy starts to bubble. Remove from heat and serve.
(This recipe courtesy of the Bell Family)
- Creamy Turkey Enchiladas: This is a new one for us this year, my wife makes a mean creamy chicken enchilada so we decided this year we’re going to mix it up and switch up the bird in her recipe after the big day. I can’t wait to try it personally, and while this recipe will be new for us, its Mamma recipe is a tried and true family favorite.
TIME: Prep: 30 min. Cook: 20-25 min. MAKES: 8-10 servings
Ingredients
2 lbs Cooked turkey meat (shredded)
16 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
1 4oz can diced chiles
1 20oz can enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cheese
1 package tortillas
Directions
Mix the shredded turkey, cream cheese, chiles and half of the enchilada sauce in a bowl for the filling. Spoon the filling into the tortillas, rolling them up and laying them down touching side by side in a 9×13 pan. Cover the enchiladas with the remainder of the sauce and top with the shredded cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Let set for 5 minutes and serve.
(This recipe courtesy of the Bell Family)
- Cheddar Turkey Casserole: Mac-n-cheese mixed with turkey in under an hour? Where do I sign up? This creamy casserole dish will be a big hit with everyone at the table!
TIME: Prep: 20 min. Bake: 35 min. MAKES: 6 servings
Ingredients
4 cups uncooked spiral pasta
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon prepared mustard
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 cups 2% milk
1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
½ cup slivered almonds
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sauté garlic in butter until tender. Stir in flour, salt, mustard, thyme and pepper. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted. Drain pasta; place in a large bowl. Toss with turkey, vegetables and cheese sauce.
Transfer to a greased 13×9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake, uncovered, 35-40 minutes or until heated through.
(This recipe courtesy of tasteofhome.com here)
- Turkey Pot Pie: This is a rich, creamy, and delicious way to use up some of the left-over turkey. This pot pie makes a warm inviting meal for the whole family to enjoy.
TIME: Prep: 20 min. Bake: 56 min. MAKES: 8 servings
Ingredients
¼ cup butter
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped mushrooms
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon dried sage
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 ½ cups prepared turkey gravy
½ cup water
½ cup milk
1 (14 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained
3 cups cooked turkey, cubed
salt and ground black pepper to taste (optional)
1 pastry for a 10-inch double crust pie
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onions, mushrooms, and garlic; cook until tender, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, sage, and thyme until blended. Pour in the gravy, water, and milk, stirring to blend. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the turkey and vegetables, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
Line a 10 inch pie plate with the bottom crust. Pour in the turkey mixture. Cover with the top crust. Seal and crimp the edges. Pierce top crust in a few places with a fork. Cover the edges of the pie with strips of aluminum foil.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil strips, and bake until crust is golden, about 20 minutes more. Remove from oven, and rest 10 minutes before serving.
(This recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com here)