Love having turkey on Thanksgiving Day however over the leftovers? These contemporary and engaging Leftover Turkey Recipes are for you!
Making ready and serving a ravishing, scrumptious turkey on Thanksgiving Day is a convention in my household—and so are the leftovers!
When you’ve exhausted the apparent (turkey sandwiches), determining what to do with leftover turkey generally is a problem.
Over time, I’ve discovered easy and delicious methods to repurpose my leftover turkey that don’t really feel like I’m merely reheating my Thanksgiving Day meal.
From comforting casseroles to veggie-packed pastas to creamy soups, these recipes will breathe new life into your leftover turkey troubles.
Plus, most of them will serve a number of individuals, which means they’re superb for these of you who nonetheless have visitors at your home.
Along with the wholesome leftover turkey recipes, I’ve additionally shared my finest ideas under on find out how to retailer and reheat turkey after it’s been cooked. And sure, the following tips will show you how to reheat it with out drying it out (<– that is important for actually having fun with your leftovers).
In the event you’re prepared for the recipes, use the hyperlinks under to leap to particular classes, or just scroll all the way down to view all of them and my storage ideas.
Desk of Contents
Storing Leftover Turkey
I like to recommend not letting your Thanksgiving leftovers sit out too lengthy after cooking.
If doable, slice and refrigerate the turkey as quickly as doable after the meal has ended. This helps maintain the meat from drying out.
- To Retailer. Turkey leftovers will final within the fridge for as much as 4 days. Place them in an hermetic storage container or ziptop bag. For further moisture, you may drizzle a number of the turkey drippings or broth excessive of the meat earlier than refrigerating it.
- To Freeze. One of the simplest ways to freeze leftover turkey is in an hermetic freezer-safe storage container for as much as 3 months. Let thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.
Tip!
To keep away from one other inflow of turkey, freeze your leftovers in smaller parts. This lets you thaw and luxuriate in your further turkey a little bit at a time.
Reheating Leftover Turkey
For these of you who’ve tried to reheat turkey prior to now, you know the way simply it may possibly go from moist and tender to dry and difficult.
Listed here are my finest ideas for retaining your leftover turkey as tasty because the day it was ready:
- To Reheat. Low and sluggish is the secret right here to make sure your leftover turkey is tender.
- Wrap leftover turkey in aluminum foil, making a sealed pouch across the meat. Place the pouch in a baking dish.
- Earlier than sealing the pouch, add moisture to your turkey by pouring a little bit broth (or turkey drippings) over it.
- Place the turkey in a 300 levels F oven till warmed by way of.
Tip!
Whilst you can reheat the turkey within the microwave, it’s not my first selection. If you must use the microwave, ensure you add loads of moisture to the turkey earlier than reheating it so it doesn’t dry out.
Learn how to Know When Leftover Turkey Is Unhealthy
Figuring out whether or not leftover turkey has gone dangerous or not comes all the way down to 4 of your 5 senses (should you can in some way hear when leftover turkey is dangerous, please train me your methods).
When deciding in case your turkey has gone dangerous or not, begin with sight, scent, and contact. If the turkey fails certainly one of these senses, then you definitely undoubtedly don’t wish to style it.
- Sight. In case your leftover turkey seems to be discolored or has indicators of mould, it’s now not fit for human consumption and must be discarded.
- Odor. When turkey has gone dangerous, it is going to doubtless scent dangerous. In case your turkey smells bitter, off, or in any other case uncommon, throw it out.
- Contact. Turkey that has gone dangerous will sometimes really feel slimy to the contact.
- Style. In case your turkey has handed the three different senses however tastes off in any means, assume it’s dangerous and toss it.
Now, let’s get to these 5-star leftover turkey recipes!
Leftover Turkey Casserole Recipes
Leftover Turkey Pastas
Leftover Turkey Sandwiches
Leftover Turkey Soup
Leftover Turkey Breakfasts
Straightforward Leftover Turkey Recipes
Often Requested Questions
Completely! This works particularly properly with casseroles and soups. In the event you’re planning to freeze the recipe you make, ensure you use your leftover turkey meat whereas it’s nonetheless contemporary, not meat that has already been frozen.
As this record proves, your leftover Thanksgiving turkey can turn into an excellent swap for hen (or pork). Most recipes that decision for cooked hen will work properly with leftover turkey as an alternative.