Skip to Content

25 Best Leftover Turkey Recipes to Make After the Thanksgiving Feast

Give your leftovers new life!

By Kara Zauberman and Georgia Goode
best leftover turkey recipes turkey casserole with cranberry sauce
Dana Gallagher

Thanksgiving leftovers are one of the best parts about the holiday—that's what Ree Drummond says, anyway! After all, there are so many ways to use leftover mashed potatoes and leftover cranberry sauce. But when it's time to revisit your Thanksgiving turkey, many people often find themselves simply reheating their bird after the feast. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that, but if you want to take things to the next level, try these leftover turkey recipes!

Here, you'll find weeknight dinners, leftover sandwiches, comforting soup recipes, and so much more. The best part? All of these delicious turkey recipes are even easier to make thanks to leftover turkey. It's always a good idea to find out exactly how much turkey you'll need in advance, but if you want to enjoy leftovers for days to come, be sure to factor in some extra. Turkey can last in the refrigerator for up to four days which means there's plenty of time to try a handful of these comfort food dishes. Transform your leftover turkey into casseroles like turkey tetrazzini, jazzed up turkey sandwiches, and one of Ree's all-time favorites, turkey pot pie. "The wonderfulness of this leftover recipe is made even greater if you have a leftover pie crust laying around!" she says. Remember that you can also swap turkey for chicken in tons of recipes, like enchiladas and stuffing casserole. Your crew won't even notice the difference!

1

Turkey Tetrazzini

turkey tetrazzini
Ryan Dausch

This pasta night recipe is pure comfort thanks to creamy white sauce, savory mushrooms, and hearty turkey. To give it some added texture, top the dish with toasted bread crumbs.

Get Ree's Turkey Tetrazzini recipe.

SHOP PASTA BOWLS

2

Leftover Turkey Soup

leftover turkey soup
Will Dickey

It doesn't get heartier than a big bowl of soup! This recipe adds fresh lemon juice to give a burst of freshness.

Get the Leftover Turkey Soup recipe.

3

Leftover Turkey Cranberry Flatbreads

leftover turkey cranberry flatbreads with sweet potato chips
Ralph Smith

This fall-inspired recipe is loaded with holiday flavor. Not only is the flatbread topped with leftover turkey and goat cheese, but it also has shredded Brussels sprouts with cranberries and pecans.

Get Ree's Leftover Turkey Cranberry Flatbreads recipe.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
4

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

leftover turkey pot pie
Danielle Daly

This family dinner is even easier when you already have ingredients from Thanksgiving cooking. Toss in anything that's left over from the holiday meal, like diced turkey, onions, or carrots. You can even use leftover pie dough for the topping!

Get Ree's Leftover Turkey Pot Pie recipe.

5

Stuffing Casserole

best leftover turkey recipes chicken and stuffing casserole
Caitlin Bensel

Didn't get enough turkey and dressing at this year's family feast? Use extra turkey to make this easy, comforting stuffing casserole. Just swap in an equal amount of turkey for the chicken that the recipe calls for!

Get the Stuffing Casserole recipe.

SHOP BAKING DISHES

6

Enchiladas

enchiladas casserole on floral surface
Ralph Smith

The original recipe for these enchiladas calls for chicken but Ree suggests making it with leftover Thanksgiving turkey, too.

Get Ree's Enchiladas recipe.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
7

Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole

thanksgiving leftover casserole on plate with cranberry sauce
Dana Gallagher

This casserole dish puts so many holiday leftovers to good use. There's the extra turkey, green beans, stuffing, and gravy as the base, along with fluffy leftover mashed potatoes for the topping.

Get Ree's Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole recipe.

8

Mini Thanksgiving Leftover Pot Pies

mini thanksgiving leftover pot pies
Ralph Smith

This 30-minute meal is so much fun to make! Instead of a big casserole, the pot pie is made in individual ramekins, each topped with a flaky puff pastry crust.

Get Ree's Mini Thanksgiving Leftover Pot Pies recipe.

9

Leftover Turkey and Swiss Panini

turkey and swiss panini
The Pioneer Woman

This is not your average turkey sandwich. It's tangy, sweet, savory, cheesy, and it has a nice crunch from the panini press. Of course, you can also cook this in a heavy skillet and press down with a spatula.

Get Ree's Leftover Turkey and Swiss Panini recipe.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
10

Turkey Shepherd's Pie

best leftover turkey recipes turkey shepherds pie
The Modern Proper

Shepherd's pie is pure comfort food, and this version is no exception! Leftover turkey gets combined with ingredients like carrots, green beans, and celery in a creamy sauce, but it's the fluffy mashed potato topping that may just be the best part.

Get the Turkey Shepherd's Pie recipe at The Modern Proper.

SHOP CAST-IRON PANS

11

Italian Turkey Tortellini Soup

best leftover turkey recipes italian tortellini turkey soup
A Farmgirl's Dabbles

Warm up with a steaming bowl of this hearty soup. Filled with cheese tortellini, tender veggies, Italian herbs, and shredded turkey, this recipe will become a day after Thanksgiving tradition in your home.

Get the Italian Turkey Tortellini Soup recipe at a Farm Girl's Dabbles.

12

Turkey Hand Pies

best leftover turkey recipes turkey hand pies
The Modern Proper

These handheld pies bring life back to Thanksgiving leftovers! The recipe uses puff pastry (which makes them super easy) that gets stuffed with leftover turkey, a dollop of mashed potatoes, Gruyère cheese, cranberry sauce, and turkey.

Get the Turkey Hand Pies recipe at The Modern Proper.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
13

Easy Turkey Noodle Soup

best leftover turkey recipes easy turkey noodle soup
Pinch of Yum

When you're tired of holiday food, transform your leftover turkey into something totally different with this easy, soul-warming meal. Spices and herbs jazz up the Vietnamese-inspired noodle soup.

Get the Easy Turkey Noodle Soup recipe at Pinch of Yum.

14

One-Pot Pesto Pasta

one pot pesto pasta with basil
Erica Kastner / The Pioneer Woman

You can skip the first step of this recipe and go straight to making the pasta, then all you need to do is add the pesto, tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and leftover turkey. It's so easy!

Get the One-Pot Pesto Pasta recipe.

15

Turkey and Biscuits Casserole

turkey and biscuits casserole
Brenda Score / The Pioneer Woman

This creamy turkey casserole is topped with drop biscuits and seasoned with lemon zest and dill. Your family will gobble it up!

Get the Turkey and Biscuits Casserole recipe.

SHOP CASSEROLE DISHES

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
16

Leftover Turkey Tacos

leftover turkey tacos
JZ Eats

Sliced or shredded turkey makes a great filling for this twist on carnitas. It's seasoned with orange juice, spices, and brown sugar, then cooked until soft and tender.

Get the Leftover Turkey Tacos recipe at JZ Eats.

17

Turkey Cranberry Hash

turkey cranberry hash in skillet
Downshiftology

Making breakfast the day after Thanksgiving is not always something we look forward to, but this leftover hash makes it so easy. It's made with leftover turkey, potatoes, dried cranberries, and topped with a poached egg.

Get the Turkey Cranberry Hash recipe at Downshiftology.

18

Turkey Soup With Sweet Potato Dumplings

turkey soup with sweet potato dumplings
Butter Be Ready

For a twist on chicken and dumplings, this turkey soup has hearty pieces of leftover turkey and dumplings made from extra mashed sweet potatoes. It will warm you right up!

Get the Turkey Soup With Sweet Potato Dumplings recipe at Butter Be Ready.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
19

Leftover Turkey Salad

leftover turkey salad on mini croissants
Joyful Healthy Eats

You can serve this creamy turkey salad–filled with apple, pecans and fresh herbs–over a bed of lettuce, but it's also great on mini croissant sandwiches!

Get the Leftover Turkey Salad recipe at Joyful Healthy Eats.

20

Thanksgiving Leftovers Quesadilla

thanksgiving leftovers quesadilla
The Cookie Rookie

If you love loaded quesadillas, then this leftover dish is for you! It's a fun way to use up leftover turkey and cranberry sauce.

Get the Thanksgiving Leftovers Quesadilla recipe at The Cookie Rookie.

SHOP SKILLETS

Watch Next
 
preview for Watch Our Latest Recipe Videos

Thanksgiving

dunkin donuts thanksgiving hours 2023

Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Hours in 2023

the pioneer woman's pumpkin spice cake

Pumpkin Spice Cake Is Heaven by the Slice

the pioneer woman's apple cinnamon oatmeal

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Makes a Cozy Fall Breakfast

cornbread in a skillet

Ree's Skillet Cornbread Is a Must-Try

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Logo
twitter icon
facebook icon
instagram icon
pinterest icon
A Part of Hearst Digital Media

A Part of Hearst Digital Media

We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back.

©2023 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Privacy NoticeCA Notice at CollectionYour CA Privacy Rights/Shine the LightDAA Industry Opt OutTerms of UseSitemap
Cookies Choices