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.
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.