3 Exciting Ways To Use Thanksgiving Turkey Leftover

Post-Thanksgiving, we bet you’ve got a fridge full of leftover turkey and all those sides. Don’t let those leftovers go to waste as you brace yourself for the impending winter holidays. Find classic recipes for leftover turkey like turkey soup, turkey casserole, turkey salad, and turkey pot pie — plus delicious twists on your favorites.

Here are some basic recipes for using those leftovers:

Leftover turkey soup

The recipe for this homemade turkey soup recipe is based in the traditional chicken noodle soup but we added a little twist. Besides homemade turkey stock we add leftover turkey pieces and instead of traditional egg noodles we throw in half a cup of giant couscous also known as Israeli couscous or pearl couscous.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 onion or 2 shallots
• 1 carrot, large
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 sprigs thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme
• 6 cups turkey or chicken stock
• ½ cup giant/pearl couscous
• 2 cups cooked turkey or chicken
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Saute chopped onion, celery, carrots and a clove of garlic with thyme leaves in oil and butter over low heat for 5 minutes. Add turkey or chicken stock, cooked turkey, bay leaves and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the giant couscous or noodles and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat until the couscous is tender. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Simple Turkey Casserole

Leftover turkey stuffing casserole is an easy recipe made from Thanksgiving leftovers and a great way to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner again. Your whole family will love this delicious, easy meal!

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked turkey roughly chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup gravy
• 1 cup cranberry sauce
• 2 cups cooked green beans
• 4 cups cooked stuffing
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° and grease a casserole dish with non stick cooking spray
2. Place turkey in the bottom of the casserole dish, and sprinkle with salt and pepper
3. Pour gravy over turkey, and spread to cover evenly.
4. Add cranberry sauce and green beans evenly over the turkey mixture.
5. Add stuffing, and spread evenly over other ingredients. Dot with butter, and cover with aluminum foil
6. Place in preheated oven, and bake for 20 minutes covered, and 10 to 15 minutes uncovered or until steaming hot and stuffing is golden brown.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Easy Stuffed Acorn Squash is a simple, healthy dinner. Filled with flavor, gluten free + perfect for a quick fall dinner!

Ingredients

• 2 whole acorn squash cut in half
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb shredded leftover turkey
• 1 1/2 cups baby bella mushrooms chopped
• 1 cup honeycrisp apples peeled + chopped in small pieces
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, gruyere or mozzarella all work great!)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment + spray with olive oil to prevent squash from sticking
3. Slice acorn squash in half, scoop out seeds and place flat on sheet sprayed with olive oil.
4. Bake the squash for 20 minutes, until it is tender when pierced with a fork
5. While the squash cooks – heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Sauté turkey in olive oil for 10-15 minutes until brown.
6. While the turkey is cooking, chop mushrooms, apples + herbs.
7. Add in chopped mushrooms, apples, chicken stock, and spices to the pan with the cooked turkey. Sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
8. When the squash is done, remove from the oven + scoop out most of the cooked center, leaving a little bit of filling in the acorn squash.
9. Add the squash filling to the turkey/mushroom/apple mixture in the pan+ stir until completely mixed in.
10. Scoop the turkey/squash mixture back into the squash + top with cheese of choice
11. Bake them at 450 for 5-10 minutes until cheese melts. Optional: broil for 2-3 minutes so the cheesy gets crispy.