Holidays & Occasions Thanksgiving Ideas and Tips Thanksgiving Recipes Thanksgiving Turkey 28 Leftover Turkey Recipes For The Days After Thanksgiving By Zoe Denenberg Zoe Denenberg Zoe is a professional baker and writer. Zoe has written 300+ stories for Southern Living print and digital, focusing on food, travel, and culture. She draws on her own culinary knowledge to translate complicated techniques into easily digestible terms for home cooks. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 4, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Micah Morton, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner The big meal is over, and now you have loads of leftover turkey. So who says the feasting has to be over, too? We're not saying you have to give up the beloved leftover turkey sandwich, but why not explore a few new ways to enjoy your Thanksgiving leftovers? For the sake of your family's sanity, we've put together a list of leftover turkey recipes that will give your Thanksgiving leftovers a facelift. From breakfast casseroles to lunch to dinner, you can enjoy these dishes at any time of day. Turkey soups, salads, and casseroles are just a few of the dishes that are bringing new life to your dry leftover turkey. 01 of 28 Turkey Pita Pockets Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Instead of a turkey sandwich, turn toward Greek flavors like olives and tzatziki sauce in a handheld pita. Get the Recipe 02 of 28 Turkey Frittata Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Who says you have to wait for lunch or dinner to enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers? Use the turkey in this frittata at breakfast or brunch. Bonus: You can also use leftover vegetables to fill out the frittata. Get the Recipe 03 of 28 Turkey Pot Pie Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless A great dish for leftover turkey, this pot pie is creamy and comforting. In fact, it's so good, you may look forward to it more than the holiday main dish itself. Get the Recipe 04 of 28 Turkey Noodle Soup Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Use the leftover turkey bones and skin to make the broth for this soup extra savory and flavorful. Then, leftover turkey, vegetables, and egg noodles make up the rest of this comforting bowl. Get the Recipe 05 of 28 Barbecue Turkey Sandwich Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen With a few shortcut ingredients like bottled barbecue sauce and coleslaw, you can make these saucy sandwiches. Get the Recipe 06 of 28 Creamy Turkey Pasta Bake Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Micah Morton, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner If you're still craving a bit of comfort food satisfaction, this baked pasta dish is the best option for leftover turkey. It mixes with savory cheese, tender collard greens, and juicy mushrooms for a one-of-a-kind dinner you might like more than the original meal. Get the Recipe 07 of 28 Fried Turkey Nuggets Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox The kids will especially love this leftover turkey remake. Fry pieces of them until crisp but still tender and juicy inside. Offer up an array of dipping sauces, and serve this during the weekend's football games. Get the Recipe 08 of 28 Quick Turkey Chili Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall In place of ground turkey, use shredded leftover turkey. Skip the browning step and stir the meat in during simmering. Quick Turkey Chili 09 of 28 Turkey BLT Pinwheels Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox In place of deli turkey meat, use thinly-sliced turkey from your leftover meat. Get the Recipe 10 of 28 Turkey Pot Pie With Cranberry-Pecan Crusts Tina Cornett With a warm filling of roasted turkey and hearty spinach, this classic casserole goes above and beyond with a cranberry-pecan crust. This casserole may just be as stunning as yesterday's turkey centerpiece. Cut your cranberry-pecan pastry into festive leaf shapes for an extra-seasonal dish. Get the Recipe 11 of 28 Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwiches Southern Living Drab, cold turkey sandwiches are a thing of the past. Blanketed in warm melty cheese, these signature open-faced sandwiches bring new life to your leftover turkey. Made with a smooth and creamy Mornay sauce, it's an indulgent mess of a sandwich that requires a knife and fork to eat. Get the Recipe 12 of 28 Leftover Turkey Hash Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall When the family's starting to tire of those endless turkey sandwiches, change things up and sneak that leftover turkey into a crispy breakfast hash. Add a bit of bacon grease for double the flavor, as well as onions, bell peppers, and sunny-side-up eggs. This all-encompassing breakfast recipe delivers an entire meal in one skillet. Get the Recipe 13 of 28 Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke When it comes to leftovers, our strategy usually involves tossing lots of ingredients into a casserole dish and letting it bake together. And more often than not, it's oh-so-good. Case in point: this Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole. Get the Recipe 14 of 28 Turkey-Noodle-Poppy Seed Casserole Hector Manuel Sanchez Every Southern grandmother has a poppyseed casserole in her Rolodex, but this Turkey-Noodle version may just be our favorite. The recipe uses 3 cups of leftover diced turkey blended with a creamy roux and spiced up with pimentos and red pepper. You can assemble the casserole a day in advance or even freeze it for a future dinner. Get the Recipe 15 of 28 Gumbo-Style Turkey Soup Greg DuPree Bring big gumbo flavor to that leftover turkey with this simple soup. It'll be ready in just one hour. Serve with crusty French bread to sop up the broth. Get the Recipe 16 of 28 Smoked Turkey-and-Andouille Gumbo Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Torie Cox If your family serves smoked turkey on Thanksgiving, this one's for you. Make a big pot of this warm, award-winning gumbo and you'll have leftovers of your leftovers. But trust us—nobody will be complaining. Get the Recipe 17 of 28 Turkey, Apple, and Brie Sandwich Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer This quick and easy sandwich is baked in about three minutes. Sweet apples meet creamy brie to perfectly complement that leftover turkey, along with spicy and sweet hot pepper jelly. Pack it up to take on-the-go for holiday adventures or road trips. Get the Recipe 18 of 28 Turkey Salad Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Trade out the chicken for leftover shredded turkey in this new cult-favorite Turkey Salad. The pleasant tang is provided by sour cream and apple-cider vinegar. If you're feeling adventurous, try one of our creative variations, like Golden Curry Turkey Salad or Pickle-and-Dill Turkey Salad. Get the Recipe 19 of 28 Turkey Tetrazzini Tina Cornett Tetrazzini is a staple on our dinner tables during the school year because it is delicious and filling, but we also think it's a great dish for implementing after Thanksgiving leftovers. You can make this rich and creamy casserole with leftover turkey, and you can either eat it that night for Thanksgiving day dinner, or you can freeze it for a busier day (aka: when school is back in session and you're pressed for time). Get the Recipe 20 of 28 Mini Hot Browns Southern Living Hosting a holiday cocktail hour or dinner party? These miniature Hot Browns will be gone in a flash. The Southern dish originally gained popularity in the 1920s at Louisville's Brown Hotel, and since then, countless variations of the iconic meal have been made, including this version you can just pop in your mouth. Get the Recipe 21 of 28 Turkey Grilled Cheese with Gruyere and Caramelized Onion Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Grilled cheese is the ultimate comfort food, but this recipe puts a sophisticated spin on the classic sandwich with the addition of turkey, gruyère, and caramelized onions. To caramelize onions, saute in a skillet until they turn a deep golden brown. Get the Recipe 22 of 28 Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Break out the slow cooker: It's chili time. And this isn't just any chili. In this white chili recipe, the dry leftover turkey stews low and slow in chicken or turkey broth to bring moisture and succulence back to the meat. Get the Recipe 23 of 28 New Turkey Tetrazzini Alison Miksch Spinach and mushrooms update the classic turkey tetrazzini to make it a bit more modern and a bit healthier. This recipe also makes good use of that extra box of stuffing mix in the cupboard. Get the Recipe 24 of 28 Leftover Turkey Casserole Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Torie Cox; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen This comforting casserole is like a warm hug. The list of ingredients is as familiar as your favorite tuna casserole, but enhanced with herbs and spices. Top with a delicious, crunchy mixture of panko breadcrumbs, butter, and cheese. Get the Recipe 25 of 28 Leftover Turkey Rice Soup Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer You'll want to roast turkey all the time just to make this flavorful rice soup. Wild rice and mushrooms add a heartiness you can really sink your teeth into—add more broth if you prefer a thinner consistency. This one is full of vegetables and herbs that you probably already have in your refrigerator after the Thanksgiving holiday. Get the Recipe 26 of 28 Slow-Cooker Turkey and Dumplings Soup Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Imagine old-fashioned chicken and dumplings, but better. Leftover turkey and vegetables simmer in a slow cooker until tender and succulent in a simple, well-seasoned broth, but the real star of the show here is the dumplings. The buttermilk dumplings are dropped into the simmering broth at the end, along with a spoonful of leftover gravy. Get the Recipe 27 of 28 Turkey Tamales Alison Miksch Follow an old Tex-Mex custom of turning leftover turkey into tamales. Wrapped in cornhusks and steamed to soft, flavorful perfection, these tamales offer a savory blend of cultural traditions. Top them with leftover cranberry sauce, and you'll never think of Thanksgiving leftovers the same way again. Get the Recipe 28 of 28 Turkey-and-Persimmon Salad James Ransom; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Christine Keely After a day of casseroles and pies, you may be looking for a lighter, more refreshing leftover turkey recipe. This is the ones you need, with its juicy fruit and sweet-tart dressing. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit