If you quickly glanced around my home, you’d think we forgot all about Thanksgiving. The trees (yes, plural!…and there miiiiiiiiight be more coming!) are decorated, the mantle is #lit, and we’re on our second holiday puzzle of the season. Truth be told, we’re normally Christmas after Thanksgiving kind of people, but we just couldn’t help ourselves this year.
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But if you look closely, you’ll see the excitement for Thanksgiving hasn’t been lost – my Pinterest boards are overflowing with side dish ideas, Lolo’s “thankful turkey” is growing by the day (& I finally made the list of things she’s thankful for…*ahem*…16 days in), and I will forever and ever, amen draw the line at playing Christmas music or adding eggnog to my lattes until December 1st.
This year one of my resolutions was to keep a gratitude journal where every day I documented five things I’m thankful for. While I wasn’t perfect, making gratitude a daily habit has been life-changing (tbh, I should probably write a blog post all about it)!) and I’m feeling more blessed than ever and more aware of how abundant I am as this year’s Thanksgiving approaches.
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Like most people, one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is the food. But maybe unlike many others, I actually look forward to the leftovers more than what’s fresh out of the oven. Don’t get me wrong…ya girl can put away a healthy helping of my mom’s sausage, parmesan, & artichoke stuffing (I’d share the recipe but it’s on a smudged and wrinkled hand-written notecard), a few sourdough rolls, and any vegetable sauteed in garlic and tossed with bacon. But the easy & accessible & oh-so-tasty meals that can be made with Thanksgiving turkey leftovers? Pure magic.
My grandma’s turkey recipe
Believe it or not, I actually don’t eat turkey at the table on Thanksgiving. My mom’s turkey, which she makes just like my grandma did, is so moist that it literally falls off the bone when it comes out of the oven. One of my favorite Thanksgiving “traditions” is standing in the kitchen with my family while we all pick at (& admittedly fill up on) the dark, juicy bits of meat while catching up and the rest of the meal finishes cooking.
If turkey isn’t your favorite because it’s dry and flavorless, then you have to try the recipe I grew up with. Truth be told, it took some convincing to get my mom to hand this over – not because it’s some big family secret (although it should be…it’s so good!), but because it takes a lot of time and attention and you won’t have a big beautiful bird to present on the table (this falls off the bone, remember?). I promised my mom the internet would be a better place with this Thanksgiving turkey recipe on it, plus I secretly wanted a permanent place to record it and pass on to my daughter too.
THE TURKEY RECIPE I GREW UP WITH (& STILL LOVE TODAY)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place your stuffed 20+ pound turkey (see…I told you we like leftovers in this family ;)) in a roasting pan, season with salt & pepper, and top with pads of butter. Pour one cup of chicken stock or bone broth in the bottom of the pan, then cover with aluminum foil and the roasting pan lid. Bake at 375 for 1.5 hours. Then turn down the temperature to 225 degrees for 3 hours. From here you will slowly increase the temperature every half hour – 250 degrees for 30 minutes, 275 degrees for 30 minutes, 300 degrees for 30 minutes, 325 degrees for 30 minutes.
At this time (you will be about 6.5 hours in), turn the temperature up to 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour. Next, turn down the temperature to 225 degrees for 1 hour (my grandma would do this when she left for church in the morning, and even though we don’t go to church on Thanksgiving day anymore, we still mimic this in our cooking process). Finally, increase the oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and aluminum foil and begin basting the turkey with the drippings in the pan. Return to the oven with only the foil on top (no pan lid) and baste 2-3 more times every 20 minutes, watching for the skin to get as brown as you want it.
Please note that these instructions are for a 20-pound turkey and would need to be adjusted for a smaller bird. Please also note that total cook time is about 9 hours, so you need to do a little math and plan according to your preferred eating time.
My favorite ways to use Thanksgiving turkey leftovers
If your fridge is packed with turkey-filled tupperware, then oooooh you’re gonna love this, friend. Over the years I’ve learned that really any recipe that calls for cooked chicken will, eight times outta ten, turn out pretty darn good with leftover turkey…but I’ve put the best ones all in one place for ya! We’re not over here just slappin’ it between two pieces of bread and calling that a sandwich. No ma’am. We’re giving our Thanksgiving turkey leftovers a whole new life, the kind that will have you *wishing* you made a bigger turkey this year.
BUFFALO TURKEY DIP
I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that I make this crockpot buffalo dip for every gathering I host or attend. It’s easy, packed with protein, and can be served with your favorite chips or veggies. While we don’t normally have this on an average Tuesday in the Davis home, it is a must-make after Thanksgiving and we usually serve it with grilled burgers or wings. Simply follow the recipe above but substitute the shredded chicken for chopped turkey and enjoy! (Psst…don’t tell my party guests, but I’ve been known to freeze turkey specifically for this dip at my Christmas celebrations.)
BBQ TURKEY PIZZA
We’re big BBQ pizza fans in this house, and adding turkey on top instead of chicken is an amazing way to use up those Thanksgiving leftovers. Just make your crust (here’s my go-to sourdough pizza dough recipe), top with your favorite BBQ sauce and cheese, then add cubed turkey and any other toppings you like. Our BBQ pizza often also has bacon, jalapeños, onions, and garlic – get as fancy (or not) as you want!
TURKEY PAD THAI
I loooooooove pad thai, but the takeout options where I live are mediocre at best. So when I’m craving those sweet & spicy & salty & tangy flavors (& need an easy weeknight meal), this healthy pad thai recipe is the one I follow every time. When using leftover Thanksgiving turkey, I make the noodles, veggies, and sauce as the recipe instructs. Instead of cooking up raw chicken, add your shredded turkey to the vegetables just before the eggs so the meat gets warm prior to combining everything together. If you thought this meal was fast before, using leftover turkey means it will come together in mere minutes.
TURKEY FRIED RICE
Fried rice is another one of my takeout favorites, but I much prefer to make it at home to cut the cost and ensure the ingredients are as healthy as possible. Trust me when I say that switching out the raw chicken for leftover Thanksgiving turkey in this fried rice recipe will cut your prep time in half without sacrificing the high protein or amazing flavor. Simply skip step one (cooking the raw chicken) and add your turkey towards the end of heating up the veggies. This one meal makes a whole week’s worth of lunches…a must when you’re in the throes of Christmas prep and want to be anywhere but the kitchen.
ITALIAN GRINDER TURKEY SALAD
When I first found this Italian grinder salad recipe, I probably sent it to ten people before even making it because I just knew it would be good. Then I was *so confident* it would be good that I doubled it the first time I made it, and let me tell you…I was right on all accounts! As we’re doing with all the recipes here, substitute the chicken breast for your leftover Thanksgiving turkey, and don’t forget to switch out regular mayonnaise (that’s filled with awful seed oils) for avocado mayo. Enjoy this between two slices of bread, on your favorite crackers, or by the fork-full.
ANY OF [THESE] SOUPS
Just about everyone knows that soup is a great way to use Thanksgiving turkey leftovers, but there’s so many more options than what you might expect. A few favorite recipes that I’ve successfully substituted turkey into include this chicken orzo tomato soup (super easy and s’good when you commit to adding all the extra toppings), this jalapeno popper chicken soup (definitely double this one!), and this salsa verde chicken & rice soup (the homemade salsa verde recipe in here is worth it alone :)). Basically any soup recipe that calls for pre-cooked, rotisserie, or shredded chicken could likely become a delicious way to give your turkey leftovers a whole new life.
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GREEN TURKEY ENCHILADAS
Whenever my husband works overtime at the fire station, he’s required to make food for the crew (I know…sounds backwards to me too, but he says that’s the rule? *shoulder shrug*). One of my go-to’s for an easy meal that feeds a lot of people are enchiladas, and this green enchilada recipe is easily my favorite. To use up that leftover Thanksgiving turkey I just substitute it in for the chicken, and I always switch the canned corn for pinto beans (helloooooo more protein!). With all the amazing flavors in here, believe me when I say that no one will ever know your little leftover secret.
ANY OF [THESE] SALADS
If you like a good chicken salad, then you’re gonna love this permission slip to throw your favorite lettuce and toppings combo in a bowl, add turkey instead of chicken, and be amazed at how delicious it is. A few favorite recipes that I’ve successfully substituted turkey into include this protein-packed cobb salad (you ~must~ make the healthy candied nuts), this asian salad (I’ve been known to lick the bowl clean), and a classic-for-a-reason caesar salad (complete with this homemade caesar dressing that will have you swearing off store-bought forevermore). Hearty salads are one of my favorite ways to get enough protein at lunch, and it doesn’t get any easier than packing one of these to go.
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ANY OF [THESE] SANDWICHES
Growing up I vividly remember taking leftover Thanksgiving turkey, placing it between two slides of white wonderbread with mustard, and choking it down for the next week. But friend…we’re not 13 anymore. With a little creativity (& some incredible recipes for inspiration), a week’s worth of turkey sandwiches can be something we look forward to. My personal favorite is recreating a cubano sandwich with turkey instead of the roasted pork, but this turkey pesto sandwich and chipotle turkey sandwich are both close seconds.
HOMEMADE BONE BROTH
Whenever possible I live by the rule of “waste not, want not”, and this definitely applies when it comes to Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. You now know what to do with all the beautiful extra meat, but I even use the bones to make turkey bone broth in the instapot. Compared to most broths or stocks you buy in the grocery store, bone broth contains more protein, collagen, electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals, making it an easy way to level up any recipe. Hopefully when you’re reading this you haven’t thrown your turkey bones away yet, because this is an absolute must.
How to (safely) store turkey leftovers
You’ve made your Thanksgiving turkey, and if you’re smart you’ve made it a 20-pounder because leftovers are #bless lifesavers. Reheating and reusing turkey is not only ridiculously easy, but it makes healthy lunches and dinners for days on end, and, if done right, can even taste better the second time around.
If there’s only enough turkey for a few extra meals, we portion it into these glass containers as soon as dinner is over. Plastic tupperware can leach phthalates and BPA into the food (especially if the turkey is still hot or when reheating in the microwave) and will warp, melt, and crack over time. While a bit heavier and bulkier, glass is the safest way to store and reheat leftovers.
When saving larger batches of turkey for weeks or even months down the road, I press it into these silicone loaf pans then place them in the freezer. Once frozen, the block of turkey is easily removed and I use this vacuum sealer for long-term storage. The rectangular shape stacks perfectly in the freezer and each is just about perfect for any of the meals shared above (which future Amanda is super thankful for during those super busy weeks).
Give ya girl Thanksgiving leftovers every day of the week
Listen…I get it! After spending hours (in my family’s case, a full 9 hours!) cooking the perfect Thanksgiving turkey, the last thing you want to do is spend more time in the kitchen. But here’s the thing – these Thanksgiving turkey leftover recipes aren’t about more work. They’re about working smarter and transforming something you’ve already made into meals that are faster, easier, and honestly just as delicious as what came out of the oven on Thursday.
Whether you’re meal prepping for the week ahead, trying to avoid wasting a single bite of that beautiful bird, or just looking for an excuse to not cook from scratch for a few days (no judgment here!), I hope these recipes give you the inspiration and permission to get creative with your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. And if you try any of these recipes or have your own favorite ways to use up turkey, I’d love to hear about it!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a fridge full of turkey calling my name and a buffalo dip that won’t make itself. Happy Thanksgiving, friend. Cheers to a fridge full of possibilities!
-Amanda
Disclaimer: The content provided here does not constitute medical advice, nor is it a substitute for personalized healthcare. I’m a doctor, but I’m not your doctor. If you have concerns about a medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment, you should consult with a licensed healthcare professional.
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