Happy Turkey Time!! Whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas or you just feel like spending 6 hours in the kitchen to roast a massive 20 lb bird, you’re probably going to be eating a lot of turkey leftovers in the next little while. And sure, you can throw some of that poultry on a piece of white bread top it off with some gloopy gravy and call it dinner, but why not look forward to those leftover meals just as much as the original feast?
So that’s why I compiled my top go to healthy recipes for turkey leftovers that will give that Tupperware full of turkey and other odds and ends a delicious new life.
Three Delicious Turkey Leftovers
I’ve got three easy delicious and healthy recipes for using up your holiday leftovers. We’ve got a Turkey Chili with leftover pumpkin puree, Holiday Shepherd’s Pie (with a layer of leftover cranberry sauce), and a Brussels Sprouts Turkey Hash- perfect for brunch the next day.
The key to good turkey leftovers is to start with a high quality turkey – I have been known to make miracles in the kitchen, but no amount of cheese or bread can disguise ingredients that suck. I like LiberTerre’s free range turkeys because they’re reared on an all-grain diet free from animal by-products, antibiotics and added hormones and pack essential nutrients including Omega 3s.
More of a visual person? Check out our How To video on Youtube here and be sure to subscribe!
Thanksgiving Breakfast Hash
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 1/2 cups leftover Brussels sprouts shredded
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup leftover cooked carrots diced
- 1/2 cup leftover cooked parsnips diced
- 2/3 cup leftover roasted potatoes diced
- Herbs or spices of your choice
- 1 cup leftover turkey diced or shredded
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the shredded leftover Brussels sprouts, onion, leftover roasted carrots, parsnips, roasted potatoes and whatever herbs or spices you have on hand.
- Once you get a nice crust on the bottom, flip, then add in a cup of leftover turkey and season with salt and pepper to taste. Make some wells to crack a few eggs into and transfer to the oven to bake until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny and delicious, about 10 minutes.
Nutrition
Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper diced
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 19 oz can of white kidney beans
- 14 oz pumpkin puree
- 1-2 tsp chili powder
- 1 in chipotle adobo sauce
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cups shredded cooked turkey
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Saute the onion and bell peppers in a tablespoon of olive oil until softened over medium heat.
- Next add in my diced tomatoes, white kidney beans, pumpkin puree, chili powder, chipotle in adobo, cumin and cinnamon.
- Simmer on medium low heat for 20 minutes before adding in the turkey and lime juice, and stirring to warm through.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition
Holiday Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 1 leek sliced
- 1 carrot thinly sliced
- 1 stalk celery thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 3 leaves sprigs thyme only
- 3 tbsp whole wheat flour
- 2 cups leftover turkey broth
- 2 cups leftover turkey shredded
- 2 cups leftover vegetables Brussels Sprouts, green beans, parnsips, peas etc.
- 1/4 cup leftover cranberry sauce
- 2 cups leftover mashed sweet potatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Over medium heat, sauté sliced leeks, carrots and celery in a tablespoon of oil until soft. Add in the garlic and stir until fragrant.
- Stir in the white wine until the alcohol evaporates, then stir in a little whole wheat flour, and fresh thyme leaves until the flour turns a light toasty brown.
- Add in the turkey broth and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thickened.
- Next, add the cooked shredded turkey, and leftover vegetables.
- Transfer to 4 ramekins, top with a spoonful of leftover cranberry sauce and a layer of leftover mashed sweet potatoes and bake for 10-15 minutes until you see little bubbles escaping out the edge.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: This video and recipes were developed in paid partnership with LiberTerre, however, as always, all opinions are genuine.
Updated on May 20th, 2020
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Sara says
Love all these snacks!
Mikki says
Oh my! These are awesome! We fly up north to visit family at Thanksgiving and don’t get the thrill of leftovers but maybe I can convince one of them to try the breakfast Hash!!
Chrissy says
Wow! say goodbye to boring leftovers with these three recipes. There are some unique ingredients to some of these recipes that i never would have thought of. thanks!
Abbey Sharp says
yay awesome to hear
Kimberly says
You are working ahead of the rest of us! I need to pin this for after thanksgiving. My Mom even uses the bones for broth!
Ilka says
I never mind Thanksgiving leftovers the next day! These are some great recipe ideas to have on hand Abbey! Yummy!
Farrah says
I am so, so hungry. ;_; (I’ve pretty much been living at the hospital the past couple days so cooking hasn’t been happening.) These all look so good! <3 I don't think I even need the excuse of having leftovers to just make em'! 😛
J @ Bless Her Heart Y'all says
Mmmmmmm! I love thinking about Thanksgiving leftovers! That breakfast hash looks delish!
Abbey Sharp says
Right?! Thanks
Cassi says
I don’t think about the turkey until the week before so it doesn’t crowd the fridge defrosting from the store.
KAYLA @ BLONDES HAVE MORE RUN says
I wouldn’t have thought of putting my LEFTOVER turkey in a breakfast hash! I like that idea! And that holiday pot pie looks incredible!
Kerri McGrail says
Girl you are way ahead of the game! I haven’t even thought about what ill eat tomorrow lol!
Tricia Vaughn says
You always have the best food photographs! Even things I don’t like eating look good when you post them!
The first think I’d try from here would be the breakfast hash!