Turkey soup is a great way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers!
I don’t know about you, but I always have a ton of turkey left over from Thanksgiving dinner. I plan it that way. After cooking a huge meal on Thanksgiving, I like to relax and eat leftovers for the rest of the weekend.
It helps to have a plan for what to do with your leftovers, so here are a few ideas.
Turkey Wild Rice Soup – I made this soup last year, and my family raved about it! We’re not generally big soup eaters, either, but I give this soup 5 stars!
Turkey Sandwiches – Toast some bread, layer on some turkey, and cover with gravy. Or skip the gravy and add cranberry sauce. It’s up to you. Easy and yummy!
Turkey-Dressing Casserole – Layer dressing and turkey in a casserole dish. Top with gravy. Add some cheese, if you like. Bake until heated through and eat!
Potato Pancakes – These are a nice change from your typical pancake breakfast. Make sure to add cheese and bacon for a yummy twist!
Shepherd’s Pie – Though shepherd’s pie is typically made with ground beef, why not try turkey as a meat base? Add some vegetables, if you like, and then top with mashed potatoes and cheese. Bake until the potatoes and cheese are slightly browned. Yum-O!
Broth – Don’t forget to use your turkey bones to boil up a nice broth. Freeze in freezer containers and use in place of chicken broth in recipes.
Do you have a favorite way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers?
Photo by scubadive67.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
We may give the Turkey-Dressing Casserole a try this year. After all, there are only so many turkey sandwiches one family can eat!
I’ll be using up my leftovers for turkey soup and turkey & dumplings- YUM YUM!
These are good ideas. We usually just have turkey sandwiches, but I like some of your other variations. Boiling the carcass sounds gross, but I agree it makes the yummiest broth. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!
Ah, Turkey a la King! YUM!
Turkey quiche with a dressing crust. Press dressing into pie plate and bake for 15 mins. Then pour in some turkey, cheese , eggs and milk. Bake until the eggs set. I don’t have the times or tempuratures on me right now. Just modify your favorite quiche recipe. The dressing crust makes the dish. Trust me on this one!
All of the above, plus :)
I pressure cook the carcass down – I think it gets done quicker and is easier to debone.
I freeze the broth for later – luv turkey barley soup!
LEFTOVER TURKEY PIE: My grown kids like this more than the main meal…
Take pie tins.
Press in a layer of stuffing, like a crust.
Add a layer of mashed potatoes.
Add a layer of cut up turkey, or diced.
Optional – add some veggies.
Ladle out two big ladles of giblet gravy over it all.
Cover with saran wrap, put in the frig, and let it set up.
When hungry, cut a slice of Turkey Pie, nuke, and enjoy. Or warm the whole pie in the oven covered with tinfoil.
These also freeze well for meals later.
Seriously, my kids all fight over getting to take these leftovers home – so I make extra stuffing and extra gravy to be able to make these. Been doing this for over 20 years now :)
if you have a good chicken pot pie recipe, substitute turkey. leftover turkey is also great in gumbo and jambalaya!
Great ideas. I linked to this on my blog and it will appear Wednesday morning.
turkey chili is a favorite here. Made in the slow cooker, of course!