Kid Food

25 Recipes to Use Up All Your Leftover Turkey

Nicole RufusAssistant Food Editor
Nicole RufusAssistant Food Editor
Nicole is the Assistant Food Editor at Kitchn. She writes about recipes as well as developing some of her own. You can usually find her playing around in the kitchen or online “window” shopping. She currently resides in Brooklyn and is getting her master’s in Food Studies.
published Nov 26, 2021
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Baked pull-apart bread in a skillet topped with melted cheese and dollops of cranberry sauce on a pink surface.

On the day after Thanksgiving, do you find yourself wondering what in the world you’re going to do with all of that leftover turkey? You’re not alone. There’s the requisite turkey and cranberry sandwich, and perhaps a pot of soup. But for some of us, that barely puts a dent into all the turkey leftovers — especially this year, when our Thanksgiving gatherings are much smaller.

The good news is that there are so many tasty ways to repurpose that turkey without eating the same leftovers for days on end — it just takes a little inspiration and creativity, and that’s where we come in. My go-to strategy is to treat the turkey like chicken (they do have similar flavor profiles, after all). With the option to use turkey when a recipe calls for cooked chicken, the possibilities now feel limitless. So this year, get creative and have some fun with those leftovers. Here are 25 leftover turkey recipes for inspiration.

On the day after Thanksgiving, do you find yourself wondering what in the world you’re going to do with all of that leftover turkey? You’re not alone. There’s the requisite turkey and cranberry sandwich, and perhaps a pot of soup. But for some of us, that barely puts a dent into all the turkey leftovers — especially this year, when our Thanksgiving gatherings are much smaller.

The good news is that there are so many tasty ways to repurpose that turkey without eating the same leftovers for days on end — it just takes a little inspiration and creativity, and that’s where we come in. My go-to strategy is to treat the turkey like chicken (they do have similar flavor profiles, after all). With the option to use turkey when a recipe calls for cooked chicken, the possibilities now feel limitless. So this year, get creative and have some fun with those leftovers. Here are 25 leftover turkey recipes for inspiration.

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Credit: Photo: Vicky Wasik. Food Styling: Brett Regot.
Turkey Enchiladas

Can we all agree that the classic leftover Thanksgiving sandwich is a little overrated? These enchiladas on the other hand, are the best way to use up your extra Thanksgiving turkey.

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2 / 15
Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Anna Stockwell
The Best Turkey Lasagna

Swap in cooked turkey (shredded or chopped) to make lasagna! This is the perfect dish if you're tired of the traditional Thanksgiving flavors and need some Italian flair.

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Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Stylist: Rachel Perlmutter
The Best Turkey Sandwich

Classic, deli-style turkey sandwich made with sliced, roasted turkey, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. Don’t forget to include a dollop of leftover cranberry sauce.

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Credit: Photo: Ryan Liebe; Food Styling: Ben Weiner
Turkey Chili Recipe

Swap out the regular ground turkey to make a pot of comforting chili. It's the perfect way to reimagine the bird in a cozy, flavorful way.

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5 / 15
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Nicole Rufus
Smoked Turkey Neck Collard Greens Recipe

This family's recipe is the epitome of comfort and gets rid of that leftover turkey neck if you just don't know what to do with it.

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Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman | Food Stylist: Cyd McDowell
Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie

Turn Thanksgiving leftovers into a comforting, creamy turkey pot pie. It's baked in a cast iron skillet so that you can cook the filling in the pan on the stovetop, then continue baking right in the same pan.

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Credit: Laura Rege
Turkey Stew Recipe
A hearty bowl of stew is the most delicious way to use up leftover holiday turkey.
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Credit: Joe Lingeman
Instant Pot Turkey Chili Recipe

Whip out your pressure cooker for this veggie-packed turkey chili. Because sometimes you want something that tastes like it has been cooking all day without all the work.

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Credit: Joe Lingeman
Baked Ziti with Spicy Ground Turkey

This quick and easy skillet-baked ziti is loaded with melty mozzarella and works equally well with shredded leftover turkey.

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Credit: Joe Lingeman
Turkey Noodle Casserole

Creamy cheddar béchamel tossed with noodles, leftover turkey, and veggies, all baked to perfection. It's comfort food at it's finest.

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11 / 15
Credit: Kelli Foster
Turkey Shepherd's Pie

This crowd-pleasing dish combines diced holiday turkey with mirepoix, frozen peas, and umami-rich gravy, then topped with mashed potatoes.

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Credit: Joe Lingeman
Post-Thanksgiving Turkey Vegetable Soup

The most this soup will ask of you is chopping vegetables and dicing or shredding the leftover turkey. Want to make it even easier? If you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner, add a few more onions, carrots, and celery to the pile for dicing while you’re prepping for other dishes. Store the diced veggies in a zip-top bag in the fridge until you’re ready to simmer your soup.

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Credit: Joe Lingeman
Turkey Parmesan Biscuit Bake

This is a weeknight-friendly chicken (or turkey!) Parmesan biscuit bake that captures all the satisfying flavors and textures of the classic dish with much less time and effort.

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Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk
Irish Turkey & Ham Cottage Pie

This recipe combines two classic Irish dishes. The filling is made with turkey, smoked ham, scallions, and cabbage, all tossed in a rich parsley sauce. Creamy mashed potatoes is piled on top with some grated Irish cheddar to gild the lily.

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Credit: Meleyna Nomura
Turkey and Stuffing Casserole

An easy bake casserole recipe made from boxed stuffing, canned cream of chicken/mushroom soup, and what Thanksgiving leftovers you've got.

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This post originally ran on Kitchn. See it there: 25 Best Recipes to Use Up Leftover Turkey

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