Did you make a delicious turkey dinner and now you've got a whole mess of leftover turkey that you're not sure what to do with? These leftover turkey recipes are the perfect way to repurpose that turkey to perfection!

Turkey sandwich on a cutting board, from Shelf Cooking

We love a good turkey dinner any time of the year, but especially during the holidays when we're surrounded by our loved ones! We always make enough for the sole purpose of having a lot of leftovers and we're not sad about it. However, we don't just want to be eating plain ‘ole turkey for the next five years, either!

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Check out these new ways to use up your turkey leftovers! We're talking soups, casseroles, sandwiches, and even enchiladas… We cover it all. You won't want to waste a single piece of your delicious leftover turkey and you are gonna love these recipes that we found!


HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER TURKEY

Before we get to the recipes, let's go over the safe and proper way to store your leftover turkey so it doesn't go bad. Make sure you store your turkey in an airtight container and get it in the refrigerator or freezer quickly! You don't want it to sit out for very long on Turkey Day or else it'll go bad and you'll have to kiss it goodbye as you throw it in the trash.

Portion your leftover turkey into the proper serving sizes for your family. Refrigerate what you'll eat in the next 4-6 days. If you don't plan on eating it that quickly, place it in a freezer bag (to prevent freezer burn) and freeze it until you're ready to use it in a recipe. It should last up to 6 months in the freezer!

Now that you know how to properly store your bird, let's talk leftover turkey recipes that you definitely need to try…


LEFTOVER TURKEY SOUP RECIPES

Soup in a bowl, from Shelf Cooking

If you're a soup lover, then you're going to go crazy over these recipes! Just try not to lick the bowl when you're finished eating them. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • Creamy Turkey and Rice Soup – This is definitely one of our favorite leftover turkey soup recipes that we make after Thanksgiving. It's so easy to make and so incredibly good. Grab your slow cooker and get to it!
  • Turkey Noodle SoupAverie Cooks takes a classic noodle soup recipe and switches it up a bit to use leftover turkey instead of chicken. It's amazingly good and it freezes well! It's also a great way to use up any leftover veggies you may have.
  • Orzo, Spinach and Turkey Soup – If you're looking for a little bit healthier soup, try out this yummy leftover turkey recipe from Diethood.
  • Turkey and Potato Soup – Turkey, potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, mushrooms… Are you intrigued yet? Take our creamy chicken and potato soup recipe and give it a twist! Substitute the chicken for leftover turkey and add in diced celery and mushroom slices for a delicious and hearty meal.
  • Turkey Soup With Lime and Chile – If you want a Mexican take on your leftover turkey, then try out this Mexican turkey soup recipe from the NY Times! It's a lighter soup that's got a flavorful kick to it that you just can't resist.

Those will all warm you up on a cold day! But let's be honest, soup is good any time of the year. Serve it with your favorite rustic bread or cornbread and you're good to go!


CASSEROLE IDEAS

Turkey tetrazzini on a plate, from Shelf Cooking

If casseroles are your jam, then these leftover turkey recipes are going to make your heart go pitty-pat. Plus they're so easy, the hardest part will be choosing which one you want to try first.

  • Turkey Tetrazzini – Is anybody else's mouth watering just reading the ingredients for this recipe from Taste of Home? Pasta, turkey, mushrooms, three different types of cheese… Yes, please!
  • Turkey Cornbread Casserole – This recipe from Show Me The Yummy sounds yummy! The cornbread bakes on top of the turkey and veggies, making a nice warm blanket of love. It's basically like our tamale casserole recipe, but a Thanksgiving version!
  • Leftover Turkey Casserole – The name really says it all! This recipe from Dinner Then Dessert uses a lot of leftovers that you may have from Thanksgiving. We're talking turkey, green beans, roasted carrots, and cornbread.
  • Cheddar Turkey Casserole – Can you really go wrong when you hear that a casserole has cheese in the title? This delicious leftover turkey recipe from Taste of Home has us covered.
  • Easy Broccoli Rice Casserole with Turkey – This turkey leftovers recipe from Spend With Pennies is not only perfect for using your leftover turkey, but it's great for using up any other leftovers that you may have! You can easily use leftover rice and whatever cheeses and veggies that are in your fridge and need to be eaten. Shelf cooking for the win!
  • Turkey and Mashed Potatoes Casserole – If you've got turkey AND mashed potatoes left over, then you will definitely want to try out this recipe from Olivia's Cuisine. The name says it all, really.

Turkey leftovers are the gift that just keeps on giving when you make recipes like this! If you have enough, you could easily double and freeze half of them for a quick and easy meal on a busy night.


LEFTOVER TURKEY SANDWICH RECIPES

Leftover turkey sandwich, from Shelf Cooking

Okay, before you say anything, just wait and see what ideas we have for you! Yes, plain ‘ole sandwiches can be boring. But try out these ideas and you'll never think about eating a plain leftover turkey sandwich again!

  • Leftover Turkey Sandwich – Use your leftover rolls or bread, turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce to make your own Thanksgiving in a sandwich! Make it extra creamy by spreading some mayo or cream cheese on your bread.
  • Turkey Sliders – This is one way that we can get on board with eating the leftover turkey in a sandwich since it's pure deliciousness. Can you really ever go wrong with Hawaiian rolls? Make this recipe from Chelsea's Messy Apron and be amazed at how quickly they disappear!
  • Turkey Bacon Avocado Grilled Cheese – Um, yes please!!! Have we completely lost you now, are you already heating up the griddle to make these for the whole family? We really can't blame you if you are. ๐Ÿ˜‰ Take your normal grilled cheese up a notch by adding turkey leftovers, bacon, and avocado (bonus points if your avocado was already in the freezer!) to it. You won't ever want to eat a plain grilled cheese again!
  • Leftover Thanksgiving Panini – The Pioneer Woman does it again with this crazy delicious leftover turkey (and other Thanksgiving food) recipe from Food Network! Take all of your leftovers (such as turkey, cranberry sauce, dressing and gravy), put 'em between some bread and stick in in a panini press. It may just be your favorite sandwich, yet!

Did we change your mind on turkey sandwiches with those? We thought so. ๐Ÿ˜‰


OTHER DELICIOUS IDEAS TO TRY

Leftover turkey pasta, from Shelf Cooking

Now that we've gotten through the soups, casseroles, and sandwiches, here are the last of the leftover turkey recipes. These may be your favorite, yet!

  • Leftover Turkey NoodlesWill Cook For Smiles has a great recipe for using your leftover turkey and veggies, along with some noodles in a great sauce. It'll have you wanting to make a turkey just so you can make this meal from the leftovers!
  • Turkey Pot Pie – If you love chicken pot pie, then you'll love this turkey pot pie recipe from Allrecipes! Take all of your normal chicken pot pie ingredients and substitute in the leftover turkey. Easy as pie! (Turkey pot pie, that is.)
  • Turkey Chili – Take our normal chili recipe and give it a spin! Simply replace the ground beef in the recipe for diced turkey. Turkey chili is such a different way to reuse your leftovers that you probably haven't thought about yet!
  • Leftover Turkey and Stuffing Enchiladas – Here's another outside-of-the-box way to eat your Thanksgiving leftovers. Try these enchiladas from Ready Set Eat and you won't be disappointed!
  • Turkey Jambalaya – If you love spicy, then this leftover turkey recipe from Spicy Souther Kitchen is for you! You can either add your turkey in with the sausage like they do or you can completely substitute it if you have enough.

Are you totally excited to try out all of these leftover turkey recipes, now? Hopefully, you won't be stressing about what to do with all of your leftovers after reading this! Let us know what your favorite recipe is in the comments!

Image with text that reads "20 delicious leftover turkey recipes" from Shelf Cooking

Looking for more ideas for your leftovers?

Gobble 'til you wobble!