47 Leftover Turkey Recipes You’ll Actually Want to Make the Day After Thanksgiving
The only thing tougher than making Thanksgiving dinner without ending up with a dry turkey? Finishing the leftovers. What the heck are you supposed to do with pounds of leftover meat and a seemingly endless supply of stuffing? Well, we have a few ideas. Here, 47 leftover turkey recipes that will make you actually crave the holiday bird all over again.
RELATED: A Feast of Easy Thanksgiving Recipes Even First-Time Hosts Can Handle
1. Spicy Turkey Enchiladas with Pumpkin Seeds
The Monterey jack, jalapeño and red enchilada sauce are expected. But the roasted pepitas are a seasonal surprise.
2. Turkey Stromboli
Eight ingredients, eight servings, one hour. Go ahead, call your local pizzeria and brag away.
3. Turkey Spaghetti Bake
Our favorite thing about this crowd-pleaser? It’s made with pantry staples you likely already have.
4. Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pesto Panini
Psst, it’s basically a caprese sandwich with lots of extra bells and whistles…including avocado.
5. The Thanksgiving Leftovers Croque Madame
You’ve done it before: turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and a drizzle of gravy on bread. This time, do it right with a ton of cheese, Brussels sprouts…and a fried egg.
6. Cranberry, Brussels Sprouts and Brie Skillet Nachos
All these beauties are missing is a pile of shredded turkey on top.
7. Turkey Pasta Carbonara
Sorry, not sorry. We’ll never get over this bacony dish, starring a creamy Parmesan sauce.
8. White Turkey Chili with Avocado
Shredded turkey breast is our go-to after Thanksgiving, but a pound of ground turkey can fill in during the off-season.
9. Loaded Turkey Panini
This sandwich is loaded with goat cheese, Muenster and sage. Throw in some leftover sweet potatoes if your bread is sturdy enough.
10. Turkey Avocado Tetrazzini
Never had tetrazzini? It’s basically white wine cream sauce, meat, mushrooms and pasta, so it’s pretty much bound to be delicious.
11. Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
Ground beef so doesn’t have dibs on this St. Patrick’s Day classic.
12. Leftover Thanksgiving Sliders
Because literally *everything* tastes good on sweet Hawaiian rolls. Especially tangy cranberry sauce and Dijonnaise.
13. Leftover Turkey Soup
Baby, it’s cold outside. Luckily, this recipe will warm you up in 30 minutes.
14. Thanksgiving Turkey Gumbo
Complete with Creole seasoning and Andouille sausage.
15. Turkey Cranberry Pasta Salad
Think summer is pasta salad season? You’re about to eat your words.
16. Cheesy Cranberry Turkey Baked Sliders
These sammies are finished with Worcestershire-Dijon butter. So yeah, we’ll take three.
17. Turkey Roll Ups
This might be a great way to get rid of thin-sliced leftover turkey, but deli slices will work too.
18. Leftover Turkey Casserole
Every Thanksgiving side makes a cameo here, from the cornbread to the green beans.
19. Turkey Pot Pie Soup
Come on. How can you resist those adorable pie-crust stars?
20. One-Pot Cheesy Turkey Tamale Pie
Pomegranate salsa, cotija cheese and avocado make for a gorgeous finishing touch. Go ahead and throw some crumbled tortilla chips on top, too.
21. Leftover Turkey Cranberry Melts
Have Havarti, will travel.
22. Thanksgiving Turkey Hot Dish
Finish this festively-stuffed croissant skillet with a few runny eggs and voilà: You’ve got brunch.
23. Turkey Sliders with Cranberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
They have apple slaw, cranberry sauce and shredded turkey, but screw it. We’re making ’em no matter what season it is.
24. Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie
You may want to stock up on frozen corn, carrots and peas. Your kids will be begging to have this for dinner again, like tomorrow.
25. Creamy Turkey and Stuffing Casserole
The two most important dishes on your holiday table in one ooey-gooey dish.
26. Turkey Enchiladas
Excuse us, we have a date with butternut squash and homemade cranberry salsa.
27. Slow Cooker Black Bean Quinoa Pumpkin Chili
Just swap the chicken thighs for leftover shredded turkey and you’re in business. A side of cornbread won’t hurt either.
28. Turkey Tacos with Brussels Sprouts and Cranberry Sauce
TBH, we’ll eat anything that’s topped with cheese and wrapped in a tortilla.
29. Shredded Turkey Cranberry Waldorf Salad
All you need is 15 minutes to tackle this pecan- and apple-speckled gem.
30. Easy 30-Minute Turkey Noodle Soup
Bust this recipe out every time one of your kid’s catch cold. It’s just like grandma’s chicken version.
31. Creamy White Turkey Lasagna
Anything ground turkey can do shredded turkey can do better.
32. Turkey and Wild Rice Pot Pie
Sure, you can make one pot pie in a giant skillet. But minis baked in ramekins or tiny skillets are so much cuter.
33. One-Pot Creamy Turkey and Potato Dumplings
There’s no cure for a blustery November night like a soul-warming bowl of this stuff. BTW, the dumplings are made of airy mashed potatoes instead of traditional dough.
34. Turkey Cranberry Grilled Cheese
Sourdough and tangy cranberry sauce are the ideal pair for cheese and savory roast turkey.
35. Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Peas
Meet orecchiette’s new best friend. Swap ground turkey for shredded—it can definitely handle all that fennel.
36. Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowl
Believe it or not, homemade teriyaki sauce is a lot easier to whip up than you might think. It’s mostly made from pantry staples, like garlic and ginger.
37. Hawaiian BBQ Turkey Flatbread Pizza
That’s right, pineapple on pizza. Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it, folks.
38. Easy Turkey Taco Stuffed Peppers
OK, this is a wild idea. But the filling is just right for burritos if bell peppers aren’t your thing. Just saying.
39. Cranberry Chicken Puffs
The recipe calls for chicken, but cranberries are pretty much turkey’s bae at this point. So, we’ll definitely be trading one bird for another.
40. Turkey Taco Stuffed Shells
For those times when you can’t decide between taco night and pasta night. Trade tortillas for shells and go all in with the fixin’s.
41. Curry Turkey Pot Pie with Homemade Butter Pie Crust
Curry powder gives this masterpiece an extra dose of warm, fall-inspired spice.
42. The Best Authentic Southern Mustard Greens with Smoked Turkey
Sick of turkey? The leftover Thanksgiving ham hock also wants in on this soul food staple.
43. Turkey Havarti Bagel Sandwich
Never underestimate the power of a pretty lunch.
44. Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwich with a Moist Maker
Friends fans, this one’s for you. In case you don’t know, a moist maker is a leftovers sandwich with a gravy-soaked slice of bread in the middle. You can thank us later.
45. Turkey Empanadas
We honestly wouldn’t blame you if you served these for a Thanksgiving entrée instead of a whole bird.
46. Turkey Sandwich
OK, this staple gets a bad rap. This recipe will remind you why you packed turkey sandwiches for lunch in the first place.
47. Thanksgiving Leftovers Pizza
The leftover goat cheese from Thanksgiving cocktail hour is ready for its second life.
