Got leftover turkey? Keep reading for easy leftover turkey recipes that repurpose turkey leftovers into entirely new meals.
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Leftover turkey is one of the perks of roasting a turkey! You may have to plan and get up early to get the turkey roasted.
But you get leftovers.
I bought a turkey that was over 20 pounds this year expressly for the purpose of leftovers. Well, that and my family loves turkey and even 20 pounds won’t last long. I could take it or leave it, but they are turkey fans.
While my daughter could eat the whole turkey (eventually) plain, sliced, no gravy, and not even warmed up, and be as happy as a clam with two shells, some of us get a little tired of turkey.
The trifecta of obvious leftover turkey options– sliced leftover turkey, turkey sandwiches, or turkey soup are all good ways to use turkey leftovers.
However, if you want to turn your fairly plain turkey into something totally different, check out these leftover turkey recipes. They are all “chicken” recipes, but they are also good with turkey!
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What to do with the turkey carcass?
If you are an old turkey-roasting hand, you probably have your routine settled.
I roasted my first turkey my senior year of college. My brother and I were not flying home for Thanksgiving. Neither was my friend; her brother was coming to visit her. We also found two stray fellow students who came over.
We made most of the meal Wednesday evening after class. Pies, stuffing, cranberries, green bean casserole… then the turkey the next morning. It was an hour or two late coming out of the oven. Let’s just say that we had hearty appetites by the time it was ready!
Maybe it was our wonky college apartment oven, but probably it was my calculations.
However, I realized recently how many of my peers have never done the turkey. Usually, the reason is that a grandmother, or mother, or mother-in-law, or aunt, or brother-in-law, or someone else always does it!
Good news– roasting a turkey is not that hard. But what do you do with all the bones?
Whether you are 20 or 50, if you are staring at the bones of a picked-over turkey and thinking about the garbage can, stop there!
Pop the meaty bones, skin, and any weird bits into a big pot. (There is more meat on those bones than it appears!) Dump in the neck and giblets if you still have them lurking about.
Add a few veggies if you like– an onion or two (quarter them, but don’t bother to chop), a few stalks of celery, a couple of carrots, etc. Toss in a few bay leaves and peppercorns, some good quality salt, and maybe a glug of apple cider vinegar and other herbs you love.
Fill the pot with enough water to cover the turkey bones, bring the whole thing to a boil, and then lower the heat to let it simmer for a few hours. Then, pour off the good broth and cool the turkey carcass down enough to pick off the meat. It will make a delicious, nourishing soup with more vegetables, herbs, and other goodies added to the broth.
I like to do this Thanksgiving afternoon so I don’t have to cram the turkey bones into the packed refrigerator, but you can do it the next day. Or the day after.
Note: Simmering roasted turkey bones yields bone broth, not turkey meat stock. If you are on the GAPS diet, bone broth is for the stage after full GAPS. Meat stock is the healing, GAPS friendly thing you want. Bone broth is also a good food, just not what you want during the GAPS diet. Read about the difference between meat stock and bone broth– they are not the same.
But I don’t like turkey soup!
Me neither. It is so nourishing, easy, and beloved by many that I feel I should love it. I don’t, though. Here are a few ways to deal with that:
- make it for your people who do love it! Eat some even though it isn’t your favorite, or leave more for them!
- make it and freeze it, possibly in smaller portions, for the next time someone gets sick. It really is a good tonic for recovering from colds and other bugs, and winter looms ahead. You will be prepared!
- make it and give it someone you know who loves it and could use a good meal.
- failing that, or even in addition, try one of my recipes that isn’t regular turkey soup!
Easy Leftover Turkey Recipes
Yes, they are all written for chicken. This happened because I was simmering up pot after pot of GAPS chicken stock and needed to use the chicken up in appealing, varied ways. Plain chicken (or turkey) can get old! These recipes can bring new life to plain old meat:
Turkey Enchilada Casserole
GAPS friendly, grain free, and gluten free, this is a zesty dish that tastes nothing like Thanksgiving dinner. Not grain free? You can layer in corn or flour tortillas if you want.
Turkey Pot Pie Casserole
You could make a turkey pot pie. In fact, you should do that if you want to! Most people love pot pie.
If you don’t want to mess about with pie crust for whatever reasons of convenience, simplicity, special diets, etc., make this. It is basically turkey pie filling without the crust, and it takes less than half an hour. Feeling ambitious? Make biscuits to serve alongside or on top– like crust, but better.
Turkey and White Bean Chili
When is turkey soup NOT turkey soup? When it is chili! This is delicious, totally different from regular turkey soup, but still cozy and filling. GAPS instructions included, but great for people not on GAPS, and, of course, gluten free and adaptable to other special diets. Not so good after a tummy bug, though.
Turkey Pot Pie Soup
This is basically a plain old turkey soup, but I like it better. Not best for anyone recovering from a cold or tummy bug because of the dairy involved, it is great for everyday meals. Dairy free? Substitutes also work; I have often used coconut milk or coconut cream. Serve with whatever biscuits, cornbread, or crackers fit your diet.
Do these leftover turkey recipes work for special diets?
It depends on the special diet! They are adaptable for many needs, though.
- all are gluten free
- all are grain free, though you could add grain items to them if you like
- you can make them dairy free with suggested substitutions
- all are made without starches for thickeners, though you could use cornstarch or arrowroot
- all have GAPS pointers. I should point out that a turkey carcass simmered into broth is great, but it isn’t GAPS-approved meat stock. For GAPS, you need meat stock, not bone broth. Make your own call about whether to consume bone broth. There are reasons to avoid it while healing. Confused about bone broth versus meat stock? Learn more here.
There you have four easy turkey leftover recipes to transform your turkey into totally different dishes! My turkey is going so fast I may just buy another turkey on sale so we have more! Maybe less than 20 pounds this time, though!