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These easy Leftover Turkey recipes are the best way to use up any turkey leftovers you have after the big Thanksgiving feast. Don’t let it go to waste, throw that delicious turkey into soups, casseroles, sandwiches, and more. Plus you can use up the rest of your Thanksgiving leftovers with these ideas too!
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What to Do with Leftover Turkey After Thanksgiving
The usual holiday dilemma is upon us: Thanksgiving is over, but your refrigerator is still stuffed to the brim with turkey, mashed potatoes, and all kinds of leftovers. This is good news if you’re happy to eat plate after plate of Thanksgiving Round 2, but you might need some ideas and a little variety to help you get through all that food.
That’s where these leftover turkey recipes come in! That perfect Thanksgiving turkey served you well, and now you have slices and slices left. Luckily, you can use it to make all kinds of recipes, from sandwiches and soups, to casseroles and chilis. Use up turkey leftovers with these ideas, and trust me, you won’t get sick of it!
Whether you start with a smoked turkey, deep-fried turkey, a turkey breast, or any other Thanksgiving turkey recipes, you can use leftovers to make these recipes!
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Cozy Soups with Leftover Turkey
In the days after a big holiday meal, there’s nothing more comforting (or easier to make) than a big bowl of soup filled with Thanksgiving leftovers, veggies, and cozy ingredients.
Turkey Wild Rice Soup: This is a great post-holiday meal idea! Wild rice, veggies, and turkey swim in a super creamy broth, with lots of savory flavor.
Turkey Noodle Soup: This soup is filled with noodles, vegetables, a flavorful broth, and of course plenty of turkey. It’s the perfect comfort dish for late autumn!
Turkey Chili: Though the recipe calls for ground turkey, you can use your cooked turkey leftovers instead. Simply add it in with the bulk of the ingredients (instead of cooking it at the start) and let everything simmer.
Crockpot Black Eyed Peas: This hearty recipe is easy to make with leftover turkey–just throw everything in and let it cook!
Easy Leftover Turkey Sandwiches
These aren’t your average Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches. Use cooked turkey to make something that feels totally new!
Turkey Salad: Cubes of turkey, dried cranberries, pecans, celery, dill, and creamy mayo make a quick and simple leftover sandwich filling!
Turkey Sliders: These Hawaiian roll sliders are filled with slices of turkey and swiss cheese, coated in a buttery Dijon sauce, then baked until hot. They’ll taste delicious with those leftover mashed potatoes too.
Garlic Butter Sandwich Skewers: Slices of turkey, ham, and cheese are piled onto buns (or use leftover dinner rolls), coated in garlic butter, and baked in the oven.
Add Thanksgiving Turkey into These Casseroles
No need to eat the same meal over and over again. These casserole recipes are the best way to use up leftover turkey!
Turkey Rice Casserole: This creamy casserole recipe is easy to throw together, and it comes out of the oven hot and bubbly. Feel free to add in some of your leftover veggies (like carrots or broccoli) too.
Turkey Pot Pie: A creamy, cozy filling with mixed veggies is baked into a flakey crust to make this classic dish with a turkey twist.
Leftover Turkey Casserole: This pasta casserole is filled with veggies, turkey, gravy, and topped with breadcrumbs for a cozy and delicious post-Thanksgiving meal!
Clean out your fridge after Thanksgiving and make these tasty, easy, and fun leftover ideas! Not only will you use up all that turkey, you’ll be able to get rid of some of those other lingering dishes too.
Thanksgiving Quesadillas: Not only can you use up your leftover turkey with this recipe, you can use the rest of your cranberry sauce and gravy too!
Turkey Croquettes: Use leftover turkey and stuffing to make these deep-fried balls that are perfect for snacking, appetizers, or just a fun meal idea.
Turkey Tacos: Instead of ground turkey, use shredded or cubed turkey to make these crispy tacos. Just heat up your leftovers in Step 1 of this recipe, then assemble your tacos and pan-fry.
Make these Recipes with Turkey Leftovers Instead
Cooked turkey can be used (cubed or shredded) in place of chicken in these delicious recipes!
Tetrazzini: This creamy pasta bake is filled with noodles, mushrooms, and breadcrumbs for a cozy dish. Just add turkey!
Fried Rice: It’s easy to swap in your leftover turkey with the rice and veggies to make this tasty recipe as a launch or side dish.
White Bean Chili: This is my favorite chili recipe, and you can definitely use cooked turkey instead of chicken here. The cream cheese makes this chili sooo creamy!
What to do with the rest of your Thanksgiving leftovers
Most likely, turkey isn’t the only thing you’ll have leftover after Thanksgiving. You probably have mashed potatoes, turkey stuffing, cranberry sauce, turkey gravy, honey baked ham, Thanksgiving rolls, veggies, and tons of other food to use up. Don’t worry, some of these leftover turkey recipes (like the quesadillas, croquettes, casseroles, and sliders) call for some of those dishes too.
You can turn leftover mashed potatoes into potato pancakes or fried mashed potatoes balls; turn slices or cubes of ham into a ham and potato casserole; or throw extra veggies into the recipes listed above.
If you’re still not sure what to make with your leftover turkey, simply add it in with your favorite soup, pasta, salad, and casserole recipes. It’s already cooked, and it’ll taste delicious in tons of dishes.
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USDA recommends using cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. Turkey can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer.
If your turkey has been properly handled, you can refrigerate and eat it for up to four days. If you are planning to freeze it, it's best to freeze it within one day of cooking for optimal texture and taste. However, leftover turkey can be frozen after three days and it will be fine.
Instead, try turning your leftovers into a casserole, like our turkey divan, our chicken stuffing casserole, or our turkey pot pie; a soup, like our turkey noodle soup, our leftover turkey & wild rice soup, or our homemade turkey stock (made from your turkey carcass); or something lighter or more flavorful than before, ...
Simply heat your oven to 300 degrees, put the carved meat in a baking dish, and add some chicken broth or turkey stock to the pan. The meat will absorb some of the liquid as it heats, making it nice and juicy. Cover the pan tightly with foil and place it in the oven until the meat is hot, 20 to 30 minutes.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for three to four days, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Turkey typically lasts up to four days in the fridge before it goes bad.
Snyder points to the USDA FoodKeeper app for best guidance: The tool notes that refrigerated, cooked turkey should be eaten within 4 days. Eat frozen turkey leftovers within 6 months for premier quality.
Slice the meat from the turkey and wrap it in freezer paper or foil, then seal in plastic freezer bags (make sure to press out all the air before sealing). Liquids, like soup or gravy, will expand slightly as they freeze, so leave a little space at the top of the container.
If the room temperature is above 90 degrees, limit the time that turkey sits out to only one hour. After that time, it must be put away in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent the overgrowth of harmful bacteria on the surface.
According to Britannica and numerous other outlets, the term 'Black Friday' was first associated with the day after Thanksgiving in the 1960s in Philadelphia. Police used the term to describe the scene as large numbers of suburban tourists came into the city to begin their holiday shopping.
It is also worth noting what was not present at the first Thanksgiving feast. There were no cloudlike heaps of mashed potatoes, since white potatoes had not yet crossed over from South America. There was no gravy either, since the colonists didn't yet have mills to produce flour.
So, to the question “What did the Pilgrims eat for Thanksgiving,” the answer is both surprising and expected. Turkey (probably), venison, seafood, and all of the vegetables that they had planted and harvested that year—onions, carrots, beans, spinach, lettuce, and other greens.
FLASH REHEATING at a high temperature is a method often used by restaurants chefs. The concept is simple. Put room temperature food in shallow, covered pans, and put it in a 450 degree oven for approx. 7-15 minutes.
Place similarly-sized pieces of sliced, chopped, or shredded turkey in a 9-x13-inch pan or Dutch oven. Top with a little broth or gravy, cover with foil or the Dutch oven lid then, bake at 350°F until the turkey reaches 165°F. (This usually takes about 30 minutes.)
Eat turkey within three to four days of cooking. If you use the turkey in a new dish like a soup or casserole, only consume within those initial four days. Another option is freezing the cooked turkey. Turkey can last up to four more months if frozen.
Like other leftovers, leftover cooked turkey can—and will—go bad. “The texture and smell of turkey will indicate when it has gone bad,” Edwards says. “Generally it will smell bad and get a slimy texture. It's best to throw it away after four days in the fridge or move it to the freezer at that point.”
How long do the turkey and trimmings stay safe in the refrigerator or freezer? The answer is simple: leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days. This means you have until the Monday after Thanksgiving to eat all those delicious leftovers or place them in the freezer to enjoy later.
If properly stored, raw turkey can last in the fridge for 1–2 days, while cold cuts last up to 5 days. How long does cooked turkey last in the fridge? If you have leftovers that include cooked turkey, you can expect those to last in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
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