Are you unsure of what to do with all the leftover Thanksgiving turkey since I recommended purchasing a larger one than your family needs?
Here is a perspective shift: instead of worrying about leftovers, be thankful that you have an opportunity to get a small break from cooking.
Please don’t waste it; incorporate it into your meals after Thanksgiving!
Ok, I realize some of you may need some ideas, and you will see those below; however, you can substitute turkey for any meat in almost any recipe that you have or food that you like to cook.
1. Add leftover Thanksgiving turkey to your scrambled eggs in the morning.
Doing so will help you to avoid food waste, speed up your breakfast cooking, and add protein to your breakfast. Turkey is high in protein, and adding it to your breakfast will keep you full for a longer period of time.
2. Use leftover Thanksgiving turkey as part of a delicious savory breakfast.
Heat up your turkey with some spinach and your favorite vegetables to make a delicious and filling breakfast. Hint: on Friday after Thanksgiving, you can eat turkey and any other leftover foods for breakfast!
3. Add leftover Thanksgiving turkey to soups.
When you are making soup, the meat takes the longest to cook. Since you have leftover turkey, your soup is already more than half-way cooked! Add your favorite vegetables, and your delicious homemade soup is ready to eat. If you are running short on time, you can add frozen vegetables. If you have leftover vegetables from another meal, add them to avoid food waste. If you are using leftover vegetables, they need to be in the soup just long enough to warm up. You do not need to cook them for more than a few minutes.
4. Add leftover Thanksgiving turkey to burritos
You can use more than just turkey for these burritos but can add leftover mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce if you like. Use your imagination! I have often made Mexican food with turkey instead of beef; why not use leftover turkey since it’s already cooked?!
5. Eat leftover Thanksgiving turkey with a side of roasted vegetables.
You can roast some vegetables such as pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and green beans in the oven with salt and a little olive oil; the last ten or fifteen minutes, add your leftover turkey, and you have a delicious, healthy, and almost effortless meal.
6. Top your salads with leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
Make a salad into a complete meal by adding your leftover Thanksgiving turkey. The turkey will add protein to your meal and make your salad more filling. You can also add some canned or home cooked meals to your salad to add even more protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, and potassium. This salad can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
7. Freeze leftover Thanksgiving turkey to have on hand for quick meal prep.
There is no requirement to eat all your leftover Thanksgiving turkey in one day or in one week. You can freeze it to make a quick soup, sandwich, breakfast, or any other food that would taste better with meat in it.
Here are a few tips for freezing your Thanksgiving turkey: cut or shred the leftover turkey into small pieces (bite-sized pieces such as for soup). The white meat can be sliced thinly for sandwiches. Place the meat in a large casserole dish or cookie sheet to freeze the pieces separately from each other. Freeze overnight; then transfer all your frozen turkey pieces into a large freezer bag or glass container. Freezing the pieces of turkey separately will ensure that you can thaw the turkey quickly and that you do not need to thaw a giant mass of leftover turkey before you can use it.
If you plan to use the turkey in a soup, you can take it from the freezer and put it directly into a sauce pan or stock pot with a small amount of water.
It’s your turn: how do you use leftover Thanksgiving turkey? Please share in the comments. 🙂
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